A team of US officials is expected to visit India in the coming weeks for the next round of discussions on the proposed interim trade agreement between the two countries, sources said. The visit gains importance as India and the US are likely to agree on an interim trade agreement before July 9, with New Delhi pushing for full exemption from the 26 per cent reciprocal tariff on domestic goods.
India's merchandise exports in November dipped by 4.85 per cent to $32.11 billion against $33.75 billion a year ago, according to government data released on Monday. Imports increased by 27 per cent to $69.95 billion in November compared to $55.06 billion in the year-ago month.
Indian information technology (IT) service providers are expected to deliver low single-digit sequential growth in the first quarter (April-June) of 2025-26 (FY26), even as macroeconomic uncertainties continue to persist due to the volatile geopolitical environment.
Corporate India is embarking on an ambitious investment drive, with capital expenditure (capex) expected to double to $850 billion over the next five years, according to a report by S&P Global Ratings. Indian power & transmission, airlines, and green hydrogen sectors would spearhead the spending, the report said.
Last fortnight, State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty lifted the veil on a subject long spoken of in corporate corridors: Why can't our banks finance mergers and acquisitions (M&As)? Change is in the air: Indian Banks' Association (of which Setty is the chairman) is to "make a formal request" to Mint Road to make way for it. Thus far the exclusive turf of foreign banks even though its funding remains offshore - as in, it's not on these entities rupee-book (and a few select shadow banks) - a most lucrative segment in the investment banking suite, M&As, will be homeward-bound.
Foreign investors continue to show confidence in the country's equity market, infusing Rs 14,167 crore so far this month, largely driven by favourable global cues and robust domestic fundamentals. Notably, this inflow has come despite the ongoing military tensions between India and Pakistan.
Some of the key names include: Maruti, M&M, Ashok Leyland, Britannia, Ultratech, JK Cement, Havells, Voltas, Amber, Metro, Trent, LemonTree, Indian Hotels, Niva Bupa, HDFC Life, IGL, Acme Solar, Suzlon, Swiggy, Delhivery, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance," according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Simplifying GST rates, removing exemptions, easing disputes, and speeding up refunds can boost investment in India and offer the best reply to Trump's tariffs, observes V S Krishnan, former member, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
American sourcing firms and exporters in China are approaching Indian companies to supply goods to the US as high tariffs imposed by Washington are making it difficult for them to ship directly to America, apex exporters' body FIEO said on Monday. The US has imposed 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods entering the American market. For India, the duty is just 10 per cent.
US accounts for a large part of revenue for top Indian pharma companies like Gland Pharma (54 percent), Dr Reddy's (53 per cent), and Aurobindo Pharma (48 per cent).
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is likely to benefit from a major wave of patent expiries in the US, as small-molecule drugs worth $63.7 billion are expected to go off-patent between 2025-29, a 65 per cent rise over the previous five years, according to a report by Antique stock broking limited.
With the interest rate cut cycle nearing its end, several debt fund managers are shifting their focus towards interest income rather than betting on duration in anticipation of capital gains.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs), mostly mutual funds and insurance companies, overtook foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in ownership of NSE-listed companies in the March quarter of 2025. According to Prime Database, DIIs held a 17.62 per cent stake, up from 16.89 per cent in the December 2024 quarter.
They are not just underreporting income; they are reshaping what the income tax system perceives, says study.
The overall number of frauds, including those related to loan accounts and digital payments, jumped by three times in FY25, primarily due to reclassification of 122 cases as per a Supreme Court order, the Reserve Bank said on Thursday. The fraud value jumped to Rs 36,014 crore in FY25, up from Rs 12,230 crore in the previous fiscal year, while the number of fraud cases went down to 23,953 in FY25 from 36,060 in FY24.
From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, Zomato, Tata Steel and Nestle were the biggest gainers. UltraTech Cement, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra and State Bank of India were among the major laggards.
'Investors who remain calm, consistent, and disciplined through short-term volatility are usually the ones who benefit most in the long run.'
There is need for buyers to understand cancellation rules before entering into a purchase agreement with a developer.
The domestic stock market this week would monitor the geopolitical developments after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop military actions, analysts said. Moreover, macroeconomic data announcements, Q4 earnings, trading activity of foreign investors and global market trends are also likely to influence sentiments, traders said.
From the 30 blue-chip stocks, Titan, Asian Paints, Nestle, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Zomato, Larsen & Toubro and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards. Adani Ports, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel and Tata Motors were among the gainers.
India and China have announced a series of measures aimed at improving their relationship, including maintaining peace along the border, reopening border trade, and resuming direct flights.
With more than 1.2 million Indians stuck in green card backlogs, investor-driven EB-5 programme sees rising interest as a secure route for migration to the US.
Global trends, tariff-related updates and trading activity of foreign investors would be the key drivers for the equity market movement this week, analysts said. Markets witnessed a strong rebound last week, with the benchmark indices surging over 4 per cent.
The top 20 fund houses held 6.8 per cent of their portfolios in cash as of May 31, down from a record high of 7.2 per cent in April 2025.
It remains a mystery that when its scientists were accused of selling technologies which did not exist in ISRO, ISRO's leadership did not say to the public that they were searching in a dark room for a black cat which was not there, points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Reserve Bank on Friday decided to cut Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by a huge 1 per cent, which will unlock Rs 2.5 lakh crore liquidity to the banking system for lending to productive sectors of the economy. With the reduction in four equal tranches ending November 29, 2025, the CRR would come down to 3 per cent.
The Reserve Bank on Wednesday lowered the inflation projection for the current fiscal to 4 per cent from 4.2 per cent earlier, taking into account good agricultural output and falling crude prices.
Education loan growth is set to halve this fiscal (FY26) because disbursements for the US decelerate following a raft of policy changes there.
These super-rich Indians intend to reside in their chosen host country permanently while retaining their Indian citizenship.
At a time when the finance ministry is focusing on addressing employee grievances, the number of employees in most public-sector banks (PSBs) has declined over the last three financial years.
The Bombay High Court has ruled that a spouse threatening or attempting to commit suicide amounts to 'cruelty' and is a valid ground for divorce. The court upheld a family court's decision to dissolve a marriage where the husband alleged his wife threatened to send him and his family to jail by committing suicide. The court found that the husband's claim of cruelty was supported by evidence, including the wife's attempt to end her life.
The time is up for the over three-decades-old business model with the advent of artificial intelligence, HCL Technologies' chief executive C Vijayakumar said on Monday. Speaking at industry lobby grouping Nasscom's annual NTLF event in Mumbai, Vijayakumar said companies need to be "paranoid", given the wide-ranging impact of AI and stressed that this attitude will help them to be relevant and grow. "I strongly believe that the business model is ripe for disruption.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has said one should expect a trade deal between India and the US in the "not-too-distant future" as the two countries have found a place that works for them. "So the idea is when they put the right person and India put the right person on the other side of the table, and we've managed, I think, to be in a very, very good place," Lutnick said in his keynote address at the eighth edition of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington on Monday.
Algorithmic management (AM) in India has led to a decline in job quality, with "clear" evidence of increased monitoring, surveillance and work intensity, noted International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its latest report.
'This means that there will be more than 1,000 tech talent in India over the next 12-18 months.'
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries.
The five initial public offerings (IPOs) that closed on Monday attracted cumulative bids worth Rs 1.4 trillion against Rs 2,909 crore they were looking to raise. These offerings were subscribed between 11 and 195 times. Mamata Machinery, a limited manufacturer of machines used for making plastic bags, saw the highest oversubscription at 195x.
The US Fed interest rate decision, global trends, tariff-related developments and trading activity of foreign investors will drive the equity market movement this week, analysts said. Among macroeconomic data announcement, WPI inflation for February is scheduled to be announced on Monday.
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday permitted banks to increase charges on ATM cash withdrawals beyond the mandatory free monthly usage by Rs 2 to Rs 23 per transaction from May 1.
'Deposit and lending rates have started to fall considerably. It is likely to spur investment and consumption of durables.'