The aggregate net worth of the country's 176 dollar billionaires dropped to $984.2 billion during 2025, down from a record $1,036.2 billion at the end of December 2024.
Global risks include a potential delay in the US-India trade agreement, the possibility of a sharp correction in US equity markets, and renewed geopolitical tensions.
On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system at the Rail Track Rocket Sled facility at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh.
'The sleeper variant is designed for long-distance journeys, with modern berths, improved interiors and enhanced safety features.'
There have been several instances in which Bangladeshi nationals who were pushed back after being identified as illegal entrants have re-entered Assam.
India and Canada are negotiating a long-term uranium supply agreement worth $2.8 billion. They are also exploring expanded civil nuclear cooperation after the passage of the SHANTI Bill.
Since 2004, 12 states have added 160 million people to their rolls.
Customs regimes can lead to labyrinthine legal disputes. Budget 2026 must recognise that an excessively defensive Customs posture can itself become a trade barrier, point out Mukesh Butani and Shankey Agrawal.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
'Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget.'
In a world fractured by uncertainty, India stands out for its policy consistency, paired with sustained ambition, points out Pritam Banerjee.
While many areas compete for resources, defence, education, and adaptation deserve focus for maximum impact, suggests Laveesh Bhandari.
Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, chief guests at the Republic Day parade.
The forthcoming Budget could think of maintaining public capital expenditure at 3 per cent so that domestic resources are available for private investments, points out N R Bhanumurthy.
'Once demographic fear becomes campaign language, it legitimises social targeting.'
'Of course, we are secular. Three of our Hindu brothers have won seats from our party. Tell me where AIMIM has managed that.'
The most common mistake is investing without assessing suitability and long-term implications.
'Marching on Kartavya Path is the greatest honour of our lives. Beneath the national flag, the full military might of the nation on display, the cheering crowds and our contingent making a debut -- it is a moment that will remain with us forever.' For the first time Scouts battalions drawn from different high-altitude regions and trained in mountain warfare featured in the Republic Day parade.
This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Sustaining 8 per cent-plus growth rates is necessary if we are to reach high-income status by 2047, points out Amitabh Kant.
'The volatility in the stock markets since September 2024 has hurt the pace of accretion of new investors.'
'This Budget has a one-year agenda, which you can call the sprint, and the marathon is towards Viksit Bharat.'
'Retail portfolios were going nowhere even as headline indices moved higher, prompting investors to sell holdings and shift money to IPOs, attracted by listing-day gains.'
'When the prime minister and home minister promised their full support for the development of Kerala, why should we not be a part of them?'
Investors and startup executives are calling for extending the period for an entity to be recognised as a startup from 10 to 15 years for deep-tech companies.
'When markets go into a budget with excessive optimism, the risk of disappointment is higher.'
Total pending Customs arrears, including amounts under litigation, court stays and cases where the appeal period has not expired, stood at about Rs 1.36 trillion at the end of December 2024.
India has been on an FTA-signing spree of late. Since 2021, it has signed eight trade agreements, three of which -- with the UK, Oman and New Zealand -- were finalised in 2025 alone.
Her mission: Making Mother Earth cleaner and greener!
Opposition parties have accused the state government of using force and ignoring rehabilitation concerns.
India was being evaluated for a potential weight of around 1 per cent in the index, an allocation that could have translated into $25 billion of inflows, spread over roughly 10 months.
This is the second-worst performance by the pack during this period over the last five years since CY20.
Ajit Pawar became a ray of hope for Muslims, the only man in power who could resolve their grievances.
On Christmas Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi along with a large congregation of Christians from Delhi and north India.
BJP leaders say Nitin Nabin's low-profile image has made him a favourite of Amit Shah, who was in search of such a leader to appoint to the top party position -- someone who follows the Modi-Shah line as BJP president without "ifs and buts".
'Mark had such a profound understanding of India, which was, of course, the land of his birth as well as of his death... He loved India, and lived two-thirds of his life here.'
'Grassroots-level corruption, which disrupts the last-mile work, cannot be ignored in your enthusiasm and drive to get going to complete the project.' 'Like it was in MGNREGA, in some states, it is the case with the Jal Jeevan mission.' 'The last minute levels of corruption can ruin the intent of the project itself.' 'When you see that people can game a particular well-intended and well-crafted project, you need to correct that.'
'The Kerala of today is not the Kerala of yesterday.' 'What has seeped into this society is the feeling of hatred towards other castes and religions.'
India has managed high government debt-to-GDP, a slowing domestic revenue engine, lower household savings and a more hostile geopolitical environment separately in the past. But together, they threaten to undo the growth narrative on which today's optimism rests, warns Debashis Basu.
The PM's overseas visits in 2025 picked up sharply after May, particularly following Operation Sindoor.
