Budget 2026 sticks to fiscal discipline, shuns populist measures despite five key state elections coming up, but ends up rattling stock markets with a higher transaction tax on derivatives trading.
The government on Sunday gave a strong push to upgradation and expansion of healthcare infrastructure, medical education and pharma sector with the Union Budget 2026-27 announcing a slew of steps, including those aimed at making India a global hub for allied healthcare professionals and biopharma manufacturing.
India should resist knee-jerk responses to tariff volatility in the US and instead use the current geopolitical churn to build manufacturing scale at home, former G20 Sherpa and former chief executive officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.
At the heart of this debate is Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, a safeguard designed to prevent drugmakers from extending monopoly protection through trivial modifications to existing medicines.
'Instant home services act as an on-demand household support system, bridging the gap between informal domestic help and structured service platforms,'
In a strategic move to boost offshore energy exploration and operational efficiency, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Ltd have signed an agreement to share resources such as supply vessels used in finding and producing oil and gas.
Leasing of retail space in shopping malls and high streets across India's top eight cities is estimated to rise 15 per cent to nearly 9 million sq ft this year on increased supply amid high demand from retailers, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The leasing of retail spaces stood at 7.8 million sq ft in 2024.
After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
The Indian Rice Exporter's Federation (IREF) on Tuesday urged the government to provide tax incentives, interest subvention and freight support in the upcoming 2026 Budget to strengthen the sector's competitiveness while addressing sustainability concerns.
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.
'This is not a case of tax evasion but the result of long-standing ambiguities in GST rules and unawareness.'
The fiscal tilt towards capex benefits companies in investment-related sectors like capital goods, defence equipment, engineering & construction and metal & mining. The planned cut in revenue expenditure will weigh on companies in consumption sectors like FMCG, consumer durables and retail.
Cities across the north east have recorded significant year-on-year growth in air traffic, pointing to a clear link between screen exposure and travel intent.
The Indian metal market is a promising sector to invest in as it provides a good balance between the prospects of growth and stability in dynamic economic conditions and a changing geopolitical environment. Metals such as gold, silver, copper, etc, have gained renewed significance in 2025, amidst growing inflation and India's push towards infrastructural growth and green energy initiatives.
The Indian metal market is a promising sector to invest in as it provides a good balance between the prospects of growth and stability in dynamic economic conditions and a changing geopolitical environment. Metals such as gold, silver, copper, etc, have gained renewed significance in 2025, amidst growing inflation and India's push towards infrastructural growth and green energy initiatives.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
A neutral monetary policy stance, heavy government borrowing, and issuers adjusting to a higher-for-longer yield environment have set the stage for a largely stable corporate bond market in 2026.
Leading non-banking financial company (NBFC) Shriram Finance on Friday said Japan-based MUFG Bank would invest Rs 39,618 crore, or $4.4 billion, to acquire a 20 per cent stake on a fully diluted basis through a preferential issue of equity shares.
The growing YOLO (You Only Live Once) mindset, coupled with a desire for immersive outdoor experiences, is driving demand, primarily across age groups from 20 to 45 years.
While gold continues to provide safety after its strong 2025 rally, well-chosen real estate investments held with a long-term view remain attractive.
State debt is rising because revenues are disappointingly weak. Ten states have debt ratios exceeding 30 per cent. In 2023-2024, states were borrowing simply to meet day-to-day expenses, points out Debashis Basu.
The Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati has inaugurated a new nature-themed terminal building, designed to handle 13.1 million passengers per year and serve as a key aviation hub for the northeast and a gateway to Southeast Asia.
After three post-pandemic years of an upcycle, it was a mixed bag for the realty sector in 2025, with sales volumes in the residential real estate moderating across top cities, and commercial real estate and institutional investments emerging as standout performers. Residential: Volumes soften, value holds firm.
Stock market sentiment is likely to remain optimistic going ahead, though some consolidation cannot be ruled out after the recent sharp rally in the benchmarks, analysts said. According to experts, the Nifty and Sensex could indeed move towards new record highs before the end of the year, if global cues stay supportive, crude oil prices remain benign and there is continued domestic earnings momentum.
'New investors should enter gradually and stay cautious.' 'Silver is a structural multi-year story, but timing matters in a high-volatility metal.'
'They are a poor fit for anyone with near-term goals, low volatility tolerance, or a need for steady income or liquidity.' 'First-time investors should typically avoid them.'
The key question is how much of the latest growth record represents recovery from the 2020-2021 downturn, and what is the sustainable growth rate now, asks T N Ninan.
Festivals also contribute to the rise in overall automobile retail sales, says dealers association.
Nearly three decades after the ambitious project was first conceived to decongest the existing airport in the financial capital, the greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport became a reality on Thursday as an IndiGo Airbus A320 from Bengaluru landed on the tarmac at 8 am amid a traditional water cannon salute.
Foreign investors fled Indian equities in 2025 at a scale never seen before, pulling out a record Rs 1.6 lakh crore (USD 18 billion) as volatile currency movements, global trade tensions, especially potential US tariffs, and stretched valuations eroded risk appetite, though flows are expected to turn sustainably positive in 2026.
Domestic PMI data, US Federal Reserve meeting minutes and the progress on India-US trade deal negotiations are likely to influence movement in the equity market in the week ahead, according to analysts. Moreover, the trading activity of foreign investors would also influence the equity market trends.
'...aggressive pricing amid volatility, but these are exceptions.'
Ahead of the key meeting called by the steel ministry with the industry captains on Monday to discuss the impact of rising steel imports, companies have raised the issue of cheaper 'substandard' inflows from China, Vietnam, and South Korea, saying they are setting the benchmark for domestic prices and squeezing the profitability of Indian producers.
'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.'
The Indian government should urgently consider imposing safeguard or anti-dumping duties on imports of two construction equipment segments - crawler excavators and tower cranes - as Chinese companies are rapidly expanding their presence in these markets in India through 'predatory' pricing supported by lower raw material costs, substantial export subsidies, and extended credit schemes, said Sorab Agarwal, executive director at Action Construction Equipment (ACE).
Tata Motors, which now houses the company's commercial vehicle business, on Thursday reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 867 crore in the September quarter, impacted by mark-to-market losses of Rs 2,026 crore on account of investment in Tata Capital.
'We expect inbound numbers in 2025 to come close to pre-pandemic levels -- if not fully match them -- by early 2026.'
ITC Hotels on Friday reported nearly 74 per cent rise in consolidated net profit for the second quarter ended September at Rs 133.29 crore, on higher revenue from operations. The company, which listed on the stock exchanges earlier this year post its demerger from ITC Limited, had posted a net profit of Rs 76.63 crore a year ago.
Office space owners are looking at good times ahead as rentals are expected to rise due to demand for Grade A office spaces outpacing supply that has been sluggish due to construction delays, long gestation periods and developers' interests shifting to residential.
Private investment projects constitute well over 70 per cent of the nearly Rs 34 trillion of fresh investments announced in H1 this year.
