Budget 2026 is an intentional and ambitious one - From manufacturing growth to services supremacy, from technology consumption to AI-powered transformation. This is the blueprint for a $7 trillion economy built on intelligence, not just scale.
Adani group on Tuesday announced a $100 billion investment to develop hyperscale, artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data centres powered by renewable energy by 2035. The initiative is expected to catalyse an extra $150 billion in investment across server manufacturing, electrical infrastructure, Cloud platforms, and supporting industries over the next decade.
Lit fests in India have become vibrant cultural celebrations across India, bringing together celebrated authors, emerging voices, poets, thinkers and passionate readers, many of them very young, under one lively roof.
The Indian government informed Parliament that India and the US are engaged in negotiations for a mutually beneficial multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement. The two countries also cooperate on strategic, economic, and defense matters, managing divergences through high-level dialogues.
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
'The problem is not just slower growth, but also the quality of growth.'
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that an interim trade agreement between India and the US is likely to be signed in March and operationalised in April, with chief negotiators meeting in Washington to finalize the details.
The Budget emerges as a measured, credible and forward-looking policy document that reinforces India's commitment to remaining a stable, reform-oriented economy amid an increasingly fragmented global landscape, says A Balasubramanian.
India's indigenously developed 'Akashteer' air defense system performed exceedingly well during 'Operation Sindoor,' according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V Kamat. The fully automated system, deployed against terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, integrates various radar systems, sensors, and communication technologies. Kamat expressed confidence in the system's success drawing international interest, highlighting India's progress toward self-reliance in the defense sector. He also addressed the future of warfare, emphasizing the need for a blend of traditional and emerging technologies, and outlined the development timeline for the indigenous 5.5-generation stealth fighter aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Foreign investors have remained cautious ahead of the Union Budget amid expectations of limited policy changes.
'The day that the market realises that they've overspent (on AI) and there's a sudden collapse in the capex, then India can start outperforming again.'
Capex, infrastructure development, and prudent fiscal management are the key focus areas in the Budget, says Nilesh Shah.
'In any aviation emergency, the first rule is aviate -- fly the aircraft.' 'The fact that the commander's voice is not on the recording simply means he was focused entirely on flying. It does not imply anything more than that.'
'Despite a challenging FMCG environment, ITC Foods has grown at or above the industry rate.'
Indian information technology (IT) services companies reported lacklustre growth in the second quarter, at a time when the macroeconomic environment did not deteriorate further. HCLTech emerged the best performer among India's top six IT services firms with a constant-currency growth rate of 4.6 per cent, even though uncertainties continued to persist.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasized the need for Hindu unity, vigilance, and social harmony, advocating for family values and addressing concerns about infiltration and social divisions.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the Indian Coast Guard's role during Operation Sindoor and highlighted its importance in national security on the occasion of its 50th Raising Day.
India and the European Union have finalized a comprehensive mobility pact that will create new opportunities for Indian students and professionals in Europe. The agreement was reached during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top EU officials.
Guterres emphasised that global structures and institutions must reflect the complexity and the opportunity of the "new times and realities"
Strong performance in the beauty and personal care (BPC) segment, margin gains, and expectations of a breakeven in the fashion business lifted sentiment for FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa). The consumer technology platform's stock rose 7.5 per cent on Friday, extending gains over the past week to more than 17 per cent. Most brokerages have upgraded the stock following its third-quarter (October-December/Q3) performance and higher profit expectations ahead.
Two dedicated freight corridors -- Eastern and Western -- are in operation covering several states and districts.
While Infosys never had a presence, Wipro's Venezuelan unit was liquidated many years ago.
'There is not a single job role that doesn't require upskilling these days as technology is changing rapidly.'
The "huge mountain of debt" in developed economies and the risk of a possible unravelling is a matter of concern for India, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday, pointing to the recent spike in Japanese bond yields.
'Given that India underperformed emerging markets by 28 per cent in 2025, the worst performance in over 30 years, the timing of the sharp STT hike could have been better.'
The government's flagship Khelo India programme received an allocation of Rs 924.35 crore.
The Union Budget backs skilling across animation, gaming and comics. But creators and studios confront a hard question: who owns what comes next?
The XUV 7XO comes with high tech features, comfort and safety but it will be interesting to see if 7XO can match the popularity of XUV 700, notes Rediff's Hemant Waje.
The 2026-27 Budget, seeking to harmonise the government's imperative to grant certainty while ensuring a rational tax policy, had several notable announcements to usher in halcyon days, says Mukesh Butani.
India and Russia have called for an uncompromising global fight against terrorism without hidden agendas and double standards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the menace is a direct attack on the values of humanity.
As AI adoption replaces routine roles, hiring is increasingly shifting toward AI-specific skills.
Global risks include a potential delay in the US-India trade agreement, the possibility of a sharp correction in US equity markets, and renewed geopolitical tensions.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warns of a rising trend of white-collar terrorism, where highly educated individuals engage in anti-social and anti-national activities. He cited the Red Fort bombing as an example and emphasized the importance of values and ethics in education.
India's internet user base crossed 950 million in 2025, driven largely by rapid growth in rural connectivity, rising short-video consumption, and increasing adoption of AI, according to a report released by IAMAI on Thursday.
'The tools of warfare are changing. The MoD must deepen its engagement with technology thinkers that can present compelling visions of where warfare may be heading.'
Under the defence partnership, India and the UAE are eyeing defence industrial collaboration and cooperation in advanced technologies, cyberspace training, special operations, interoperability of their militaries and counter terrorism.
NPS Vatsalya offers a disciplined investment avenue that parents can use to create intergenerational wealth by contributing even small sums.
Network scale seen as central to tapping smaller markets.
The government's Budget announcements providing tax holiday for data centres, setting up of city economic regions (CERs) and funding to improve infrastructure in Tier-II and -III cities may give an indirect boost to India's realty sector, said industry executives.
Police on Tuesday arrested the director of a real estate group in connection with the death of a 27-year-old software engineer, whose car had plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Noida's Sector 150, officials said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances