While demand for sub Rs 50-lakh affordable housing prevails, market players cite increased land rates, escalated construction costs and low margins as key prohibiting factors.
What does this mean for you? Ramalingam Kalirajan explains.
Noting that recent uncertainties created by global tariffs have not impacted the Indian economy severely, Anuradha Thakur, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, said the central government is hopeful that the recent goods and services tax (GST) rationalisation will ignite the much needed animal spirits in the financial sector.
Notwithstanding global headwinds, the Indian economy saw further momentum in October on the back of goods and services tax (GST) rate rationalisation and festival spending, as indicated by high-frequency indicators, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) monthly State of the Economy report said.
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India's gems & jewellery exports witnessed 30.6 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) contraction in October to $2.17 million, amid the imposition of a steep 50 per cent tariff by the United States (US) on several Indian products.
Pune-based two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto posted its highest ever quarterly revenue and profit after tax (PAT) in Q2FY26. Even as consolidated revenues were up 18.8 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 15,734.7 crore, PAT zoomed 53.2 per cent to Rs 2,122 crore.
FinMin does not expect tax or non-tax revenue to reach anywhere close to the targets set in the interim Budget. Sources say that the challenge before the new government will be either to accept the reduced projection and tailor the Budget accordingly or set a more ambitious target.
The industry body also asked for extending cost subsidies to all cold chain projects ranging from 25-50 per cent of the total cost.
India's corporate bond market, driven by public sector undertaking (PSU) banks and financial institutions last year, is losing momentum since the second quarter of FY26.
Automotive (auto) stocks have been among the best performers in the BSE 200 index in recent months. More than half of the top 15 gainers over the past one, two, and three months have come from the sector.
New lower GST rates kicked in from Monday, resulting in a slashing of prices of as many as 375 items ranging from toothpaste and shampoo to cars and television sets, a move seen as an attempt to boost consumption to cushion an economy facing tariff headwinds. Tax rates of 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent have been clubbed into two rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, resulting in a reduced price of 99 per cent of daily use items.
Gold prices dropped by Rs 4,100 to Rs 121,800 per 10 grams in the national capital and slipped below $4,000 an ounce in the global markets on Tuesday as easing US-China trade tensions dampened safe-haven appeal. According to the All India Sarafa Association, the precious metal had closed at Rs 125,900 per 10 grams on Monday.
Brokerages expect the company to continue outperforming in the auto segment, driven by launches and the strong trajectory of healthy bookings.
Prime Minister Modi urged the people of the country to take pride in selling and buying indigenous goods.
With gains of over 28 per cent, Hero MotoCorp has emerged as the best-performing largecap automotive stock over the past three months. The rally has been driven by an improved outlook for the rural segment, higher demand during the ongoing festival season, and rising affordability following cuts in goods and services tax (GST) rates.
'We currently have new proposals worth Rs 1.48 trillion in the pipeline.'
BCCI's vice-president Rajiv Shukla said the Indian cricket team's new jersey sponsor will be finalised in the next two to three weeks.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Delhi have already announced cut in value added tax on petrol.
Despite a strong 7.8 per cent growth in the first quarter, the Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent in the current financial year as the impact of US tariffs on Indian exports will reduce prospects, particularly in the second half, ADB said on Tuesday.
The passenger vehicle (PV) business of Tata Motors, which also includes the electric vehicle and Jaguar Land Rover businesses, post-demerger is now valued at Rs 1.45 trillion.
The Economic Competitiveness Policy Group, led by John Redwood, said that the tax needed "simplification or flattening" to attract more investment in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Consumer durables makers are hopeful that the government's proposal to reduce goods and services tax (GST) on air conditioners and television panels above 32 inches to 18 per cent would help revive the sector.
Gold prices rallied for the third straight day and gained Rs 2,600 to hit a fresh lifetime high of Rs 1,26,600 per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday in line with strong global trends amid looming geopolitical uncertainties triggered by the prolonged shutdown of the US government.
Reduction of GST on health insurance premium from 18% to 0% looks like a straight 18% reduction in what consumers pay. The truth, however, is...
'GST reduction will help larger and high-end cars too.'
Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan on Friday asked industry chambers not to clamour for tax rate cuts, saying the rates were already moderate by international standards.
: Build lasting wealth via disciplined, long-term mutual fund investing in India's compounding marathon, Shanaihi, Shanaihi, says Ramalingam Kalirajan
India's real GDP growth in FY26 will slide further to 6.2 per cent in FY26 from 6.5 per cent in FY25, a Japanese brokerage said on Monday. In a research report, Nomura said there is a "divergence" between the growth in GST collections and across other high-frequency growth indicators like auto sales and bank credit growth.
While the government has not made the report public, sources said the panel had recommended a sharp cut in all taxes on the gold business, including import duty and goods and services tax which amounts to over 13%.
'It must become faceless, just as the entire direct tax assessment system has already become fully online, without any human intervention in the normal course,' recommends A K Bhattacharya.
Retail inflation slipped to 1.54 per cent in September from 2.07 per cent in the preceding month mainly due to subdued prices of food items, including vegetables and pulses, according to government data released on Monday. The consumer price index (CPI) based inflation was 5.49 per cent in September 2024.
Moody's Ratings on Wednesday said India's economic growth will exceed 6.5 per cent in the next fiscal, up from 6.3 per cent this year, on higher government capex and consumption boost from tax cuts and interest rate reduction. Projecting a stable outlook for the banking sector, Moody's said although the operating environment of Indian banks will remain favourable in the next fiscal, their asset quality will deteriorate moderately after substantial improvements in recent years, with some stress in unsecured retail loans, microfinance loans and small business loans.
Excise duty and other tax exemptions for attracting industries to hilly states may not go away, but could be limited to fresh investments in the Budget for 2007-08.
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India's manufacturing sector activity eased in September, as new orders, output and input buying rose at the slowest rates in four months, while job creation retreated to one-year low, a monthly survey said on Wednesday.
Colgate-Palmolive India's September quarter (Q2FY26) performance has reinforced concerns among brokerages about the company's continued market challenges.
Since items in the 12% category account for only about 5% of total GST, the additional boost to consumption may not be significant, points out M Govinda Rao.
