India's exports saw a significant increase of 26.12 per cent to USD 43.81 billion in August, leading to a narrowed trade deficit of USD 26.86 billion, driven by strong demand from key global markets and diverse sectors.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal highlighted the critical need for India to diversify its services exports beyond the dominant IT/ITeS and professional services sectors. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, he emphasised the vast potential in the global financial services market, where India currently holds a small share, and stressed how fintech solutions, like UPI, can drive growth, reduce remittance costs, and support MSME trade finance, ultimately leading to sustainable economic expansion.
India's merchandise exports increased by 19.63 per cent to USD 44.24 billion in July, primarily driven by petroleum products, while a significant rise in imports pushed the trade deficit to a six-month high of USD 31.98 billion.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Nabin has made his first significant mark on the BJP's national apparatus with a major organisational reshuffle, bringing back key figures like Smriti Irani and Ram Madhav while removing Nadda-era functionaries, signalling a strategic move ahead of crucial state elections.
"Indian Railways is now the world's second-largest cargo carrier by volume, up from fourth, even as its share of the country's total freight movement remains well below potential.'
India's exports increased by 15.5 per cent to USD 40.41 billion in June, but the trade deficit significantly widened to a record USD 30.43 billion due to a 31 per cent surge in imports.
The Supreme Court has ruled that borrowers are not entitled to a personal hearing before banks classify their loan accounts as "fraud" under RBI directions, clarifying that a written response to a show-cause notice and access to the forensic audit report (with redactions) are sufficient for natural justice.
India's merchandise exports experienced a slight decrease in February, while imports surged due to increased gold and silver purchases, leading to a widened trade deficit. The West Asia crisis is expected to further impact trade in the coming months.
Import duty cuts on labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and footwear, as well as cars, and wines, are likely to be part of the free trade agreement between India and the 27-nation bloc European Union (EU), the conclusion of which is set to be announced on January 27 here, sources said.
Maharashtra minister's announcement regarding the disbursement of financial aid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana before Makar Sankranti has triggered a controversy, with the Opposition alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of municipal elections. The State Election Commission has sought a report on the matter.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has barred the Maharashtra government from releasing the January instalment of the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme in advance, citing the enforcement of the model code of conduct for municipal elections. The decision follows complaints about the timing of the release, coinciding with upcoming municipal elections.
The commerce ministry on Tuesday said the discussions with visiting US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch on the proposed bilateral trade agreement were positive and forward looking.
Trump administration's chief negotiator Brendan Lynch is arriving in India to hold talks on the India-US bilateral trade deal, which were impacted after the US imposed 50 per cent import tariffs on Indian goods.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a case against Reliance Communications and its promoter-director Anil Ambani, for an alleged bank fraud that caused a loss of over Rs 2,000 crore to State Bank of India, officials said on Saturday. The agency is carrying out searches at the residence of Anil Ambani and premises linked to RCOM in connection with the case, they said.
United States President Donald Trump said a 'very big' trade deal is on cards with India, hinting at significant progress in the negotiation process of a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.
The electoral fate of 92 candidates will be decided on Saturday, including 12 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, followed by the Congress (18), the National People's Party (11), the Janata Dal-United and the Naga People's Front (10 each).
Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister N Biren Singh were among the early voters in their respective constituencies of Sagolband and Heingang.
Amid the din, the governor kept reading out his speech.
Banks do extensive investigation before declaring an account fraud; they owe it to us as they deal with our money. Why would they try to fix an innocent borrower? asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-backed Samajwadi Party rebel candidate Nitin Agarwal was elected deputy speaker of the Uttar Pradesh assembly on Monday, defeating Narendra Verma, the official candidate of Akhilesh Yadav's party, by 244 votes.
However, director of Alcon Landmarks Jagdish Agarwal subsequently told them that the wall was safe.
According to research firm IDC, a slowdown in smartphone shipments began showing up as early as late February, though companies insist that the March quarter was fine, albeit on a low base.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Azam Khan, UP Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker and BJP leader Rajesh Agarwal and former state BSP President Indrajit Saroj are leading.
The previous state government had spent around Rs 1,300 crore for the Maha Kumbh, which was held in 2013.
Homegrown cellular phone handset maker Micromax said on Friday said that its Chief Executive Officer Deepak Mehrotra has quit the firm.
The party has also expanded its list of spokesperson to 23, with MP Anil Baluni being elevated as the chief spokesperson and remaining its media head.
Roopam Asthana, CEO and whole time director, Liberty General Insurance, answers readers health insurance queries.
FIFA World Cup revs up television sales in India
Rajesh Agarwal, the chartered accountant, was allegedly instrumental in providing accommodation entries to many high-profile people to help launder their funds.
But this could be shortlived as the rise has been buoyed on Chhattisgarh assembly poll freebies
The list has been sent to Governor Ram Naik for approval.
The officials said her statement was also recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED had recently conducted raids against her and her husband in connection with a Rs 8,000 crore money laundering case.
Lalu's daughter was grilled by the ED on Tuesday for about eight hours.
Given the controversy over Uttar Pradesh's population control moves, Hemant Shivsaran/Rediff.com digs deep to find out how many children BJP MLAs in UP have.
The bodies were so badly charred that doctors found it difficult to determine the gender of the victims.
Several promoters of suspended companies have floated new entities or taken board seats in other listed companies, which are functional, trading
Modi had promised during his election campaign that a decision on loan waiver would be taken at the first cabinet meeting of the BJP government in the state.
The proposed company, Yu Televentures, will import handsets from China and sell in the Indian market.
YU will be run as a separate business, not as an extension, says Rahul Sharma.
