India's latest trade data reveals a significant geographical realignment, with trade surpluses growing decisively with Asian and African nations, even as surpluses with traditional partners like the US and Netherlands narrow.
The arms trade surplus grew tenfold, reaching $691 million in FY26 from $63 million in FY18.
India's exports of printed circuit boards (PCBs) to China dramatically increased over 40-fold to $1.5 billion in FY26, indicating a significant shift where China is increasingly importing simpler electronic assemblies from India as it focuses on higher-value manufacturing domestically.
Indian stock markets this week will be primarily influenced by a series of corporate Q1 earnings, the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia, and fluctuations in crude oil prices, according to market analysts.
In a major shift in Middle Eastern energy and security dynamics, the US Department of the Treasury on Monday issued a temporary 60-day general licence authorising transactions related to the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemicals, and petroleum products.
Your children may always love you but should you expect them to to finance your retirement in today's economy?
'I don't see fear becoming a dominant factor for retail investors.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has strongly defended India's decision to purchase Russian crude oil, stating that the country's energy choices are based on cost and availability, and highlighting the West's 'hypocrisy' in criticising India while historically supplying weapons used against it.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
Beijing has been wary of Sanae Takaichi's efforts to boost Japan's military profile since taking office six months ago, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
The boundary mess between India and Nepal needs a solution in a manner as mentioned by Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal: 'On evidence not emotions', counsels Lieutenant General Shakti Gurung (retd).
India's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is projected to maintain an annual run-rate of approximately $200 billion, evenly split between domestic, inbound, and outbound transactions, despite global geopolitical turbulence, according to Rajesh Singhi, global co-head, M&A Advisory, Standard Chartered Bank.
India's mutual fund industry has significantly increased its share of public trading in the stock market, widening its lead over the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for the fifth consecutive year. While LIC's share of free-float listed shares has fallen to 7.42% as of March 2026, the mutual fund industry's share has surged to 22.92% from 7.06% in 2012.
'I own a few cars that I have had specified minutely to my taste, and it does feel nice to know that there are no other vehicles like them anywhere in the world.'
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The US-China rapprochement, however tenuous, is not without implications for India. Both China and Pakistan have become closer to the US, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
API Holdings, the parent company of online pharmacy PharmEasy, has significantly reduced its debt from 1,800 crore to 1,050 crore and refinanced it at lower interest rates under CEO Rahul Guha, shifting its focus from 'growth at any cost' to profitability and aiming for a debt-free balance sheet before a potential stock market listing.
India's electric motorcycle market is experiencing significant growth, with a 28 per cent year-on-year increase in volumes, as new product launches and improved total cost of ownership attract a broader base of riders beyond early adopters.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on Futures and Options trade with a view to discouraging small investors from speculative trading in derivatives, which led to a sharp decline in the stock market.
A trade deal makes sense only if it is fair and reciprocal. If the cost is strategic dependence or loss of policy space, waiting is the wiser option, asserts Ajay Srivastava.
Passenger vehicle (PV) sales growth in India is expected to moderate to 3-5 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in financial year 2027 (FY27) due to a high base and preponed replacement demand, according to a report released by India Ratings and Research on Thursday.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's remarks come ahead of a high-level summit where India and the European Union are expected to formally announce the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement.
Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, has surpassed Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's richest person, with a net worth of USD 92.6 billion, placing him 19th globally according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Apple CEO Tim Cook's strategic pivot, from initial rejections to local partnerships and leveraging government policies like PLI, transformed India into a major iPhone manufacturing and export hub, now accounting for one in every four iPhones assembled globally.
India has emerged as the most impacted market within emerging economies, experiencing $3.7 billion in outflows over the past three weeks, matching the total outflows from the entire emerging market basket, as global equity funds turn negative for the first time since January 2026 due to escalating geopolitical tensions.
The JD(U) stated that it supported the BJP for the Bihar chief minister's post to reciprocate past support, as the new government prepares for a vote of confidence.
In the present hyper-connected world, there are many domestic and global factors that affect financial markets. Of them, the most powerful and often least predictable are geopolitical events, which often boil down to one diplomatic headline.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's energy decisions are guided by national interest.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes MS Dhoni should retire if he's relegated to an 'Impact Player' role for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), suggesting it's time for the veteran to consider hanging up his boots.
'Narendra Modi -- a man with deep and vital experience of Indian politics -- has seen the BJP lose many elections between 1975 and 2015, and with every defeat, he learned lessons that made sure he would never allow his party to be defeated so easily again.'
The inauguration of Noida International Airport (NIA) is set to significantly increase property values in micro-markets along the Yamuna Expressway, with projections indicating a 28 per cent rise for plots and 22 per cent for apartments over the next two years, according to Colliers.
Macroeconomic data, global geopolitical developments and rising concerns over AI-related disruptions are likely to dictate sentiment in the stock market next week, even as investors may remain cautious amid ongoing volatility, according to analysts.
A senior US official has emphasised India's crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring a balanced power dynamic in Asia, advocating for stronger defence ties between the two nations.
The Lucknow Super Giants head into IPL 2026 with a simple goal -- fix what went wrong last season.
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
The reduction in the goods and services tax (GST) rates has increased the momentum in India's economic activity both on the supply and demand sides, while robust agricultural activity - reflected in the strong onset of rabi sowing and adequate reservoir levels - has reinforced the outlook for food supply and rural incomes, the finance ministry said on Thursday.
'I'm not sure how many games he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot.'
Tech giant Apple has recorded its highest-ever value share of 28 per cent in the Indian smartphone market, driven by a surging "premiumisation" trend where consumers are increasingly opting for high-end devices, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
