India has a comparative edge over key competitors in a majority of products it exports to the US and stands to gain market share as the US raises tariffs on its major trade partners, NITI Aayog said on Monday. In its quarterly trade report, it recommended that the government fast-track the India-US free trade agreement with time-bound goals to resolve non-tariff barriers and finalise digital trade rules on data flows and e-signatures to support services exports.
The government on Wednesday put out the draft of a new policy that projects the country's power sector will need Rs 50 trillion in investments by 2032 and Rs 200 trillion by 2047, proposing ambitious reforms in generation, transmission and distribution.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal assures Parliament that India will take necessary steps to protect its national interests following the US announcement of tariffs on Indian goods. The government is assessing the implications and engaging with stakeholders.
United States President Donald Trump announced a 50 per cent tariff on imports from Brazil, starting August 1, and called the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a 'witch hunt', adding that the 'trial should not take place'.
Indian envoy Vinay Mohan Kwatra discussed fair, balanced and mutually beneficial trade ties with US lawmakers amid ongoing tariff tensions between New Delhi and Washington.
The US's recent 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports will have a trickledown effect on India's affordable housing, potentially derailing demand as well as supply in this segment, according to experts. Pointing to worker incomes and jobs in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that typically make up majority of the customer base of affordable housing, would take a hit in the near terms due to the tariff change, further crippling India's affordable housing sector, already reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gold imports climbed 349.22 per cent to $12.07 billion in January, while silver imports rose 127 per cent to $2 billion.
New Delhi, while opting not to retaliate yet to the American tariffs, has in recent weeks sought to reinforce its friendship with Moscow, and recalibrate its ties with Beijing rather than surrender to Washington's diktats.
The comments come ahead of Trump's high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty fell on Friday, extending their downward journey to the third day, as investors continued to reel under pressure caused by the imposition of high tariffs and relentless foreign fund outflows.
India and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday announced the conclusion and finalisation of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA).
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.
The deal shifts the US posture towards India from hostile to neutral, and that matters for growth, points out T T Ram Mohan.
'In investing, poor sentiment is always a good vintage to build a portfolio.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed the West Asia crisis and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. They also reviewed progress in bilateral ties and anticipated upcoming deals in the energy sector.
Domestic equities surged on Tuesday, posting their best single-day gains in more than eight months after a long-awaited trade deal between India and the US. The deal, which lowered tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent, significantly improved investor sentiment and lifted a key overhang for the market.
India will restrict crude oil purchases from Russia as part of an agreement reached with the US in exchange for lower trade tariffs, sources said, adding imports will continue for now by refiners such as Nayara Energy, which have no other alternative source. US President Donald Trump announced overnight that the United States will cut the reciprocal tariff on imports of Indian goods to 18 per cent from 25 per cent under a broader bilateral understanding.
The country's exports rose marginally by 0.61 per cent to $36.56 billion in January, while trade deficit widened to a three-month high of $34.68 billion, government data showed on Monday.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
China firmly opposes the Trump administration's 50 percent tariffs on India as it is "unfair and unreasonable" and New Delhi and Beijing should scale up economic ties to jointly counter the challenge, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong said on Monday.
India and the US have entered a new phase in their relationship, marked by greater parity, point out Harsh V Pant and Vivek Mishra.
Modi also said that President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.
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.
'There is a lot of euphoria in the country after a trade agreement is signed. But it is an illusion for us. What is more important is making it real.'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said the US threats of tariffs against India and China are failing and there is a growing understanding in Washington of the futility of talking in such language with two ancient civilisations.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has travelled to Russia to hold crucial talks on bilateral energy and defence ties and to prepare ground for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India later this year.
India has completely protected the interests of its agriculture and dairy sector in the India-US trade agreement.
India's pharmaceuticals and medical devices industries are still hopeful that trade negotiations with the US could cut a fairer deal for both sides, after President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff rate on India on a social networking platform without divulging the finer details.
Almost 30 per cent of Maruti's auto-component exports are to the US, and about half of that is facing a duty of 25 per cent and the other half 50 per cent.
The India-US ties witnessed a major downturn after President Trump slapped a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent punitive levy over Russian oil purchases.
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant decline, primarily driven by a selloff in IT stocks due to concerns about AI disruption and renewed worries over global trade.
India has clarified its position on the proposed interim trade agreement with the US, stating that the joint statement remains the basis for mutual understanding. Amendments to a White House fact sheet reflect shared understandings, with both sides working towards finalizing the agreement.
A US federal court on Wednesday (local time) ruled against US President Donald Trump's large-scale imposition of sweeping tariffs, deeming that this move exceeds his legal authority and that it would affect a wide range of imported goods, as reported by CNN.
Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended 2.5 per cent higher on Tuesday after India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent.
'That way you're not hostage just to US sort of exports to India.'
Trump announced that India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff on Delhi, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.
The India-US trade deal has offered a much-needed breather for the Indian information technology (IT) industry, which has been grappling with global macroeconomic uncertainty and subdued client spending over the past few years.
'Based on the joint statement, a formal agreement will be drafted, which may take a month or month-and-a-half to finalise. We aim to sign the formal agreement by mid-March.'
India's new manufacturing project announcements more than halved in the fourth quarter of FY26, falling 60 per cent sequentially and 78 per cent year-on-year to approximately 1.7 trillion, driven by global uncertainties, geopolitical conflicts in West Asia, and existing unutilised manufacturing capacity.
Textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, gems and jewellery exports will receive a boost from the free trade agreement between India and the 27-nation European Union, according to exporters.
