India's manufacturing sector activity reached a three-month high in May, with the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 55.0, driven by robust domestic demand, infrastructure projects, and new business gains despite ongoing inflationary pressures.
Gautam Adani emphasised the importance of energy security and digital infrastructure in shaping geopolitical power, urging India to develop sovereign capabilities across the AI value chain.
Production growth in India's eight core infrastructure sectors slowed to a three-month low of 2.3 per cent in February, impacted by contractions in crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products output.
Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stated that India's economy is projected to return to a 7 per cent-plus growth trajectory by 2027-28 (FY28), or sooner if external conditions improve, despite near-term challenges from the West Asia crisis.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a war threat against India, citing water security as a national concern. This comes as Pakistan grapples with a severe internal water crisis, attributed by experts to mismanagement, and India maintains its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following a terror attack. Asif accused India of "weaponising water" but admitted to lacking current data on the situation.
Trade deals ease risks for Indian equities, but weak demand and stretched valuations raise questions over whether optimism -- especially in smallcaps -- can turn into a sustained bull run, points out Debashis Basu.
The report notes that equities had faced pressure from elevated valuation premiums, subdued nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and earnings growth, sustained foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure euphoria, and external shocks including US tariffs and a spike in crude oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. However, several of these factors are now reversing.
Monthly gold imports have declined to 25-30 tonnes from 70-80 tonnes while recycling of old jewellery has increased following the recent hike in import duties.
We have built an economy that can deliver everything -- from iPhones to biryani -- to a doorstep in 10 minutes, but it cannot deliver a fire engine through a lane in 20, points out Amit Kapoor.
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has expressed caution regarding 'extreme volatility' risks stemming from the West Asian conflict, which could impact global oil demand and the company's margins, while also noting that near-term retail consumption demand may remain sensitive to macro conditions. Chairman Mukesh Ambani, in the annual report, remained silent on the timeline for Jio Platforms' anticipated public listing, stating the group will 'continue to evaluate strategic pathways'.
Semiconductor startup C2i Semiconductors announced it has taped out a smart power stage chip designed for artificial intelligence infrastructure, marking a significant milestone for India's ambitions in domestic semiconductor production.
State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty has expressed support for a 'pause' in policy rates by the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee, believing it will help stabilise conditions and support economic growth. He also urged investors to look beyond short-term equity market movements and focus on India's structural transformation, driven by reforms and digital infrastructure.
Fintech platform Decentro has received final approval for a Payment Service Provider (PSP) licence from the IFSCA at GIFT City, enhancing its cross-border payment capabilities.
As the rupee weakens, wealthy families are accelerating investments in global assets.
Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar announced that the TVK regime, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, will take steps to ensure fair financial devolution from the Centre, including pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court. The government also plans to conduct a 'Social Justice Survey' and address the state's severe financial deterioration.
Krutrim, India's first AI unicorn, has successfully repositioned itself as a focused domestic AI Cloud Services provider, reporting its first annual net profit in FY26.
India's EV ecosystem is growing, but remains too underdeveloped to cushion a major oil supply shock.
Weighing 190 kg, Mission Drishti is India's heaviest privately developed Earth observation satellite.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
The Indian banking sector is projected to experience a steady 9-13 per cent industrial credit growth in the first half of 2026, driven by capital expenditure, infrastructure development, and sectoral demand recovery, according to a Ficci-IBA survey.
Escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia are prompting investors with exposure to Dubai's real estate market to reassess their portfolios. And, in this rejig, India is emerging as a stable destination for capital investment and long-term growth.
Reliance Industries has delivered the first batch of solar modules from its green energy complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat, marking the operational rollout of its New Energy business. The company is developing an integrated clean energy manufacturing ecosystem, including solar modules, batteries, green hydrogen, and bio-energy infrastructure.
'Historically, India has depended on the Middle Eastern Gulf for nearly 90 per cent of its LPG imports. Shifting to alternative suppliers is not something that can happen quickly.'
The rupee weakened to a record low against the US dollar due to Gulf tensions, rising oil prices, and foreign capital outflows.
Members of Parliament questioned top National Testing Agency (NTA) officials about the NEET-UG paper leak, with the NTA stating the CBI is investigating the matter. The parliamentary panel also discussed measures to prevent future leaks and reforms within the NTA.
The rupee recovered to 95.18 against the US dollar after hitting an all-time intra-day low of 95.44. The recovery was supported by possible RBI intervention amid renewed Gulf tensions and rising crude oil prices.
Yield-generating instruments like Infrastructure Investment Trusts (Invits), Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits), and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) are witnessing a surge in investor interest, contrasting with a notable slowdown in the equity primary market, which saw only one IPO in April.
Brokerage Bernstein has warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India risks squandering recent economic gains unless it accelerates structural reforms, particularly in jobs, manufacturing and innovation.
India possesses two months of fuel stockpiles and faces no supply concerns despite global energy disruptions, according to Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. However, state-run fuel retailers are incurring losses of up to Rs 1 lakh crore in a single quarter due to elevated crude prices and unchanged retail fuel prices, raising questions about the sustainability of these losses.
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.
'Monsoon is the pran (life) of our water system.' 'A weak monsoon will have a very negative impact on crops and people's lives.'
India's rapidly ageing truck fleet, with 42% of vehicles over 12 years old, is set to trigger a replacement-driven growth of 3-5% annually over the next five years.
India's first trillion-dollar company will be built on technology it owns, not just operates, predicts Ajay Kumar.
'Mobius made EMs investable and India his most enduring belief.'
Major paint companies in India, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Akzo Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, have announced price hikes ranging from 1% to 8% across various product lines, effective from mid-March to late April, in response to persistently high crude oil and gas prices.
Is the current rally telegraphing a durable peace plan in West Asia, boosted by United States (US) President Donald Trump's incoherent and contradictory posts on social media?
For engineers across the country, the Oracle job cuts served as a rude reminder of what the AI era has in store for the tech world.
The Indian government has increased measures to secure fuel and gas supplies following the Strait of Hormuz closure, urging citizens to avoid panic buying. Refineries are operating at high capacity, and sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are available nationwide.
Domestic automobile retail sales in India experienced a significant surge of 26 per cent year-on-year in February, driven by improved affordability and market confidence across various segments, according to FADA.
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
