Hospital stocks have emerged as a strong theme in 2026, outperforming benchmark indices due to robust earnings growth, improved occupancy, higher average revenue per occupied bed, and aggressive expansion plans by major chains.
The West Bengal government has mandated the singing of 'Vande Mataram' at assembly prayers in all madrassas with immediate effect. This decision follows a similar directive for all schools in the state and aims to bring uniformity in assembly practices across institutions.
Despite current headwinds, India remains the world's fastest-growing major economy and should not allow near-term challenges to obscure its long-term growth potential, said Jane Fraser, Citi Chair and Chief Executive Officer.
Foreign universities are unlikely to gain major ground in India's higher education market in the near term, as students and families continue to prioritise return on investment over brand value in a highly price-sensitive sector.
From online abuse targeting cricketers' families to paid hate campaigns and bot-driven fan wars, cricket's social media ecosystem has spiraled into a toxic industry driven by outrage, algorithms and commercial interests.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
'In the (election) affidavit, he had declared Rs 1,400 crores as his assets. He has educational institutions, real estate, malls, etc.'
A wellspring fuelling the CJP tsunami is the high levels of youth unemployment. Millions of youngsters, including extremely over-qualified people, apply in desperation for any job that is advertised. No government has been able to deliver on this front and things may get worse as artificial intelligence enters the workforce, points out Devangshu Datta.
It seems odd to criticise a country for delivering growth rates in standards of living and consumption that have been perhaps the fastest, longest, and most broad-based (affecting hundreds of millions of people) in history, points out Arvind Subramanian.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) removed Col Ashok Yadav (Retd) from the ad-hoc committee running the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) citing infighting and disagreements within the panel.
Kanwal Rekhi is a peaceful techie who ardently believes in competitive market economics and democracy, despite the trauma his family suffered during Partition and his narrow escape from violent mobs in 1984.
'Whether you will bring this down and cause hurt to senior citizens, who are probably living on that little interest rate that they earn out of it... But equally, if I just look at the kitty of the National Small Savings Fund, it is from that same kitty that I'm borrowing.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the TMC, accusing the party of looting West Bengal for 15 years, destroying the state's identity through corruption and infiltration, and turning Jadavpur University into a symbol of disorder.
'Markets never fully lose hope. But an important shift could come if the Strait remains closed -- moving from high prices to no prices.'
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
'Once the market decides it wants to go up, it goes up -- no amount of bad news can really hold it back.'
The BJP must respect Bengal's pluralistic ethos and with this historic mandate give the state the constructive change it truly deserves, expects Kolkata native Payal Singh Mohanka.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
Markets face risk of a prolonged bear phase as oil shocks and geopolitical tensions test inflation, growth and investor confidence globally, points out Debashis Basu.
'... with the rest split between mid and smallcaps, as valuations are becoming more attractive across segments.'
With Income Tax Act 2025 in force, your tax choice can quietly cost you big money if you're not paying attention. Ramalingam Kalirajan explains how
Mumbai-based menswear designer Priya Patil who recently showcased at Paris Fashion Week 2026, talks about her inspiration to design and transform menswear fashion in India.
Karuppu begins with a striking idea of God battling a broken justice system, only to turn into a routine Suriya mass spectacle.
Delhi University's Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce hosted an international conference focusing on the transformative role of AI in management, featuring discussions on ethical considerations, customised education, and cross-domain relevance.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has accused the BJP of attempting to intimidate bishops and church leaders in Kerala to gain their support, asserting that such tactics will not succeed in the state.
Best in class asset quality, strong retail granularity, and a sustainable return ratio -- these are the things we will look at, says Yes Bank's new MD and CEO Vinay Tonse.
Direct plans of mutual fund schemes added nearly 21 million individual investor folios in FY26 (as of February), surpassing regular plans' 15 million net additions, marking only the second time direct plans have outpaced regular plans in annual folio growth, despite turbulent equity markets.
'Even last year, when India bought gold, the physical quantity was much less than the previous years.'
The Indian commodity market has experienced significant growth over the past decade, allowing Indian traders to capitalise on price fluctuations in commodities such as gold, crude oil, and natural gas. Earlier, commodity trading required substantial capital as these contracts were only available in bulk quantities. But to make the commodity market more accessible, exchanges such as the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) have launched smaller and more flexible commodities contracts, including mini and micro contracts. These changes in the commodity lot size have changed the way small traders trade in commodity markets.
Indian bank credit expanded by 16.08 per cent year-on-year in FY26, marking its fastest pace since FY24, while deposits grew by 13.47 per cent, according to RBI data. Experts caution that year-end figures may be inflated due to reporting date changes, but acknowledge strong momentum in corporate, MSME, and retail segments.
'Many of the children I work with had never attended school before and had never been given the right environment or opportunity to learn.'
'When education became accessible -- through flexible learning spaces, creative methods and community-based classrooms -- these same children began to thrive.'
'Over time, many who had never stepped into a formal classroom not only entered the education system but continued their studies further, with some going on to university.'
Kerala's voters are sophisticated, educated, and unforgiving. They have once again made it clear that no government is entitled to remain in power. The Congress would do well to remember this, points out Ramesh Menon.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor discusses India's role in the US-Iran peace talks taking place in Islamabad, emphasising the importance of peace over competition with Pakistan and highlighting India's regional interests.
The Reserve Bank of India's 2024 norms for the voluntary conversion of Small Finance Banks (SFBs) into universal banks, particularly the subjective 'diversified loan portfolio' criterion, are proving to be a significant hurdle, with Ujjivan SFB and Jana SFB having their applications returned.
The Indian rupee saw a significant appreciation against the US dollar following President Trump's suspension of military strikes against Iran and the Reserve Bank of India's decision to maintain its key interest rate. Market sentiment was further buoyed by positive comments from the RBI regarding the health of the banking sector.
rediffGURU Vipul Bhavsar answers readers' personal income tax queries
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Infosys shares experienced a significant drop, hitting a 52-week low, after the company announced its Q4FY26 results and provided a modest revenue growth guidance of 1.5-3.5 per cent in constant currency for FY27, falling below market expectations and raising concerns about AI-led deflation and margin pressures.
