Business
India Offers Auto Duty Cuts, Lower Alcohol Tariffs Under US Trade Pact
NEW DELHI: India will extend quota-based duty concessions in the automobile sector and offer market access to alcoholic beverages through tariff reductions and minimum import price-based formulations under its trade pact with the United States, the government said on Monday. Under the agreement, tariffs on Indian exports worth $30.94...
Moody’s Projects India’s GDP To Grow 6.4% In FY27, Fastest Among G20 Economies
NEW DELHI: Moody’s Ratings on Monday projected India’s GDP to grow at 6.4 per cent in the next fiscal, the fastest pace among G-20 economies, driven by strong domestic consumption, policy measures, and a stable banking system. In its banking system outlook report, Moody’s said their asset quality will...
RBI Issues Norms Doubling Collateral-Free Loans To MSMEs
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank has issued amended guidelines, doubling the collateral-free loan limit to micro, small and medium enterprises from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, effective April 1, 2026, to increase their access to formal credit. “These amendments have been carried out to enhance the extant collateral-free...
NITI Aayog Charts ‘Development-First’ Road Map To Net Zero 2070 Goal
NEW DELHI: India becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047, when it seeks to be a “Viksit Bharat”, will not come in the way of the country’s greenhouse-gas emission achieving net zero 23 years later, with the transition anchored in demand moderation, large-scale electrification, and financial and institutional reform,...
Industry Split, Government Reviews Import Policy On Refurbished Med Devices
NEW DELHI: As India pushes ahead with bilateral trade agreements, the issue of importing refurbished medical equipment has emerged as a contentious flashpoint in the medical devices sector. Domestic players have warned against easing restrictions, flagging patient safety risks and concerns over unfair competition, while MNCs are advocating a...
IDBI Bank Sale Nearing Completion; Kotak, Emirates NBD, Fairfax To Place Final Bids Next Week
MUMBAI: After years in the making, the government is set to complete the divestment of its stake in the already privatised IDBI Bank next month, with the three bidders — Kotak Mahindra Bank, Emirates NBD Bank, and Fairfax India Holdings — set to submit their final bids next week...
RBI Promises Long Period Of Easy Money Even As It Opts For Status Quo On Repo Rate
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank-led rate-setting panel has opted for continuity in the final monetary policy review of the current fiscal, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% and also retaining the neutral policy stance. However, it has promised that lower rates are here to stay for longer unless macro...
India-EU FTA To Provide Better Access To European Markets For Indian Auto Component Firms: ICRA
NEW DELHI: The India-EU deal is expected to reshape competitive dynamics and market access on both sides while providing better access to European markets for Indian auto and component exports, aiding the sector’s long-term growth prospects, according to a report by ICRA. It is expected to give a boost...
Govt Extends Oil And Gas Block Auction Deadline For Fourth Time
NEW DELHI: The government has extended the deadline for submitting bids for India’s largest oil and gas acreage offering for a fourth time, granting potential investors an additional three months, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons said. “Bid submission closing date for OALP Bid Round X (has been) extended till...
Big Tech Capex To Hit $650 Billion This Year As AI Race Intensifies
Four of the biggest US technology companies together have forecast capital expenditures that will reach about $650 billion in 2026 — a mind-boggling tide of cash earmarked for new data centers and all the gear housed within them. The spending planned by Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc....
Headwinds May Be Turning Into Tailwinds For Foreign Inflows: FM
NEW DELHI: The headwinds may finally be turning into tailwinds for foreign investment flows into India with the announcement of a trade deal between New Delhi and Washington, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday, arguing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals were strong even when investors...
Experts Forecast Status Quo On Repo Rate As RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee Begins Meeting
MUMBAI: Mint Road observers are unanimous in forecasting a status quo on the policy rate front at the monetary policy review later this week, citing the growth-oriented budget, coupled with the trade deal with the EU as well as the long-delayed deal with the US. The Reserve Bank-led monetary...
SEBI Chief Rules Out More Curbs To Contain Futures And Options Volume, Hails Trade Deal With US
MUMBAI: Days after the government more than doubled the tax on futures and options trading, leading to a bloodbath in the market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said it is not planning any further regulatory reforms for the segment. “As a regulator, we are looking at...
‘Reforms To Continue Beyond Budget,’ Says FM Sitharaman
NEW DELHI: The Budget 2026-27 would have been no different – less or more aggressive or ambitious– even if the India-US trade deal had preceded it, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday, but stressed that more reforms would now take place even outside its explicit ambit in the...
Russia Says Ready For Close Cooperation With India In Hydrocarbons Trade
NEW DELHI: Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that it stands ready to continue close cooperation with India on hydrocarbons trade. “We are convinced that India’s purchase of Russian hydrocarbons is mutually beneficial and contributes to maintaining stability in the global energy market. We stand ready to...
India-US Trade Deal To Boost Fdi, Fii And Strengthen Rupee, Says EAC-PM Chairman
NEW DELHI: The Indo-US trade deal will boost FDI as well as portfolio investments in the country, having a positive impact on the value of rupee, Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) S Mahendra Dev said on Tuesday. India and the US agreed on a...
India To Restrict Russian Oil Buy, Import Only Where Supplies Are Irreplaceable
NEW DELHI: 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...
Agriculture, Dairy Shielded In India-US Deal; Trade Pact In Weeks
NEW DELHI: A day after announcements by PM Modi and US President Donald Trump that the two sides had reached a trade agreement, the govt asserted that sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy have been protected and labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, marine products and gems &...
