Business confidence in India Inc rose to a five-quarter high in December quarter of FY26, amid further reform expectations and steady domestic demand, a survey by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) showed. The CII Business Confidence Index (BCI) rose for the third consecutive quarter to 66.5 in the December quarter from 66 in the preceding September quarter.
With the Union Budget three months away, major industry chambers have submitted to the government proposals on common taxes, seeking simpler compliance and a quicker resolution of tax disputes.
A deepening payment paralysis in Telangana's liquor industry is beginning to choke manufacturing units and strain supplies, employment, and the broader investment landscape, industry bodies have warned, as unpaid dues accumulate to levels they describe as "unprecedented" and "severe".
The latest move removes one of the key friction points for visitors, temporary liquor permits, while allowing licensed hotels and restaurants operational flexibility.
'Our problem is not a budget deficit but a trust deficit. We need to trust our institutions and industries to innovate and lead. That is the way forward for India.'
'The real story of 2025 is that India officially stopped being a 'market of the future' and started acting as the world's primary economic engine.'
In a double-dose bid to boost growth and employment prospects, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 2.07 trillion outlay for a research development and innovation (RDI) Scheme to fund private sector innovations, and an employment-linked incentive (ELI) to create over 35 million new jobs over the next two years.
'We have to retain some fiscal headroom without compromising on the promised fiscal consolidation roadmap.'
Demanding bold actions from the government and the Reserve Bank of India exclusively aimed at salvaging the economy, the chamber expressed hope the political leadership, across party lines, would converge and their actions would be 'swift and decisive'.
Following the lacklustre growth numbers in the second quarter (Q2FY25), economists believe the upcoming Union Budget for 2025-26 should focus on reforms that will stimulate consumption, manufacturing and spur employment. India's growth unexpectedly slowed to 5.4 per cent in the second quarter, due to low capital formation, weak consumption, besides adverse weather impact.
The move came against the backdrop of Turkiye backing Pakistan and its condemnation of India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
Led by Ajay Shriram, chairman and senior managing director, DCM Shriram, the CEO's delegation seeks to convey to their American counterparts the sense of optimism amongst Indian industry.
Corporate India tempered its victory celebrations for the supposedly business-friendly Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance's landslide electoral victory by highlighting the need for immediate steps to create jobs through inclusive economic growth.
It may help do away with the economic loss and inconvenience, but it also curtails the workers' right to air their grievance.
India will emerge as the global leader in the services sector in the next few years not only in the software sector and IT-enabled services but also in health, design, engineering, education and maintenance,
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal's recent comments on large e-commerce players have reignited the debate about their impact on smaller offline retailers. On Wednesday, Goyal said that the rapid growth of e-commerce in India is a "cause for concern" and is diminishing the market share of small, mom-and-pop stores by offering high-margin products such as consumer electronics and apparel at discounted rates.
With November 22, 23 and 24 being among the most auspicious dates for marriage this year, hotels across the country are all booked, as are wedding-related ancillary services.
Federation of Indian Export Organisations president A Sakthivel said the quotations from the Chinese suppliers do not reflect the real value of the dollar, hurting the Indian interests.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has called for speedy implementation of key railway projects, such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor, high-speed rail corridors, rolling stock and other capacity enhancement works.
'I get enormous pleasure from seeing the uplift of an underprivileged or poor person.' 'I feel elated when I walk on the street and see someone who pushes a handcart talking on a cell phone.' A revealing glimpse from Peter Casey's The Story of Tata: 1968 to 2021.
Whether it's Carrefour, Ford, or other foreign majors, they are ready to adjust their strategies and design their plans in a way that would address the Indian consumption story.
Customers frequently sign without reading the terms and conditions, resulting in a poor understanding of coverage, and eventually leading to partial payouts
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CII hopes that the RBI would not wait for the next quarterly review but intervene sooner if the economic condition warrants a mid-course correction.
Das was the chief mentor of CII for the last five years. Prior to being the chief mentor, Das was the Director General of CII from 1974 to 2004.
RBI has been on a rate hike spree since March 2010.
Olympic Gold Quest, an initiative to support talented Indian sportspersons in their quest for Olympic medals, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Confederation of Indian Industry, on Friday, to promote sports at the grassroots level through the involvement of corporates.
CII will have a three-pronged approach. First, the chamber will concentrate on consumers and will urge companies to focus on the end users, says N Srinivasan.
The halt in the RBI's monetary tightening drive comes after 13 hikes since March, 2010.
Recovery from the second wave of the pandemic in April-May is expected to be swifter as compared to the first wave in 2020, according to the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) chief executive officers (CEOs) poll of 119 top corporate. During the second wave, the lockdowns were largely designed to limit social gatherings and impact on economic activities was restricted. This helped arrest the impact of the second wave on economic growth, according to a survey conducted by the industry lobby group Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). About 59 per cent of the CEOs polled expect the recovery in sales to be better than in the first wave for their companies, while 46 per cent of them expressed a similar trend for their respective industry sectors.
Signing a memorandum of understanding in this regard with Confederation of Indian Industry's deputy director general Indrani Kar, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the India Wildlife Business Council would lead the efforts to save tiger from becoming extinct.
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Industry's demand for a reduction in the repo rate, currently 8 per cent, has gained momentum after wholesale and retail inflation eased in February.
India Inc expects huge business opportunities to open up with the Nuclear Supplier's Group sanctioning an India specific waiver on Saturday.
The Federation of Indian Airlines, the group formed by various carriers, has appointed Amitabh Khosla from CII as Executive Director to head its secretariat and plans to have a Director General later.
High interest rates have been discouraging fresh investments and dragged industrial production down for nearly two years now.
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