Business
India-US Trade Deal: Elated Exporters Eyeing Discount Cuts On Orders
NEW DELHI: A large garment exporter, who was at a party on Monday when Trump announced the removal of 50% tariffs, celebrated the news before getting on to calls with American buyers. Suddenly, the business dynamics looked different. From looking to relocate a part of ops to Sri Lanka,...
India Could Cut Fuel Import Bill By $3 Billion By Switching To Venezuelan Crude: SBI Report
NEW DELHI: India’s crude oil import bill could decline by up to USD 3 billion annually if the country shifts a portion of its crude sourcing from Russia to Venezuelan heavy crude, according to a new report by State Bank of India (SBI) Research. The report highlighted that reducing...
Economists Have Mixed Take On Macro Numbers, But Red Flags Lower Focus On Fiscal Consolidation
MUMBAI: Analysts and economists have said the budget 2026 targets are unambitious and unrealistic given the external pressures facing the economy. However, the meagre 10 bps to 4.3 per cent reduction in the fiscal deficit target, coupled with the higher market borrowing and the 10 per cent increase in...
Centre Pegs Fiscal Deficit At 4.3 Per Cent Of GDP For FY27
NEW DELHI: Continuing on the path of fiscal consolidation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday pegged fiscal deficit at 4.3 per cent of GDP for the next fiscal as against 4.4 per cent for the financial year ending March 2026. “Government has been delivering on our fiscal commitments consistently...
Record Rs 2.93 Lakh Crore Capex Anchors Railways’ Budget FY27
NEW DELHI: Indian Railways is on the cusp of a revolutionary growth phase with the allocation of its highest-ever capital expenditure in the Union Budget 2026-27, with a target of Rs 2.93 lakh crore. This historic allocation reflects the government’s aggressive move towards providing high-speed connectivity services, increasing freight...
Budget 2026: Services Sector Put In The Front Seat Of Growth Strategy
NEW DELHI: With the aim of capturing a 10 per cent share of global services exports by 2047, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman put a renewed emphasis on the services sector, pushing it to the forefront of the growth strategy. In her Budget speech, Sitharaman announced a high-powered standing committee...
Public Capex Takes Centre Stage As Budget 2026 Sharpens Growth Push
NEW DELHI: Taking a cue from the public investment-led growth model of recent years, the Union Budget for 2026-27 (FY27) has sought to push the government’s capital expenditure (capex) further, with a sharp focus on infrastructure asset creation. The Budget pegs effective capex for FY27 at ₹12.21 trillion, accounting...
Growth Forecast Of 6.8-7.2 Per Cent Neither Conservative Nor Overly Optimistic: CEA
NEW DELHI: Growth projection made in the Economic Survey 2025-2026 of 6.8-7.2 per cent range for FY27 is neither conservative nor overly optimistic, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said on Friday. At this projected rate, India would still retain the fastest growing major economy in the world. However,...
Govt Preparing To Launch AI Mission 2.0 After $70 Billion Investment In Computing Infrastructure
NEW DELHI: India is preparing to launch “AI Mission 2.0” following a massive $70 billion investment in computing infrastructure in the first phase, said minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday. The new phase will focus on democratising access to artificial intelligence across the country. Vaishnaw...
FTA With EU To Help India Diversify Trade Relations; Provide Greater Market To Exporters: Moody Ratings
NEW DELHI: The trade agreement with the European Union (EU) will help India diversify its trade relationships and provide greater market access to its exporters amid growing uncertainty due to high US tariffs, Moody’s Ratings has said.The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the EU was announced on...
Budget 2026-27 May Put Stress On Debt-To-GDP Ratio Management Rather Than Fiscal Deficit
NEW DELHI: The upcoming Budget is going to put emphasis on easing the debt-to-GDP ratio, which is around 56 per cent, instead of targetting a specific fiscal deficit number as the country has almost reached the end of the glide path envisaged in the FRBM legislation. A fiscal deficit...
Supreme Court To Examine Tax Treatment Of Delayed PF, ESI Deposits
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a long-standing dispute over whether delayed deposit of employees’ provident fund (PF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) contributions can be allowed as a tax deduction if paid before the income tax return filing deadline. A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala...
Economic Survey Maps Swadeshi Path To Strategic Resilience, Indispensability
NEW DELHI: India must move beyond defensive self-reliance and position itself as a systemically important node in global supply chains, aiming not merely for resilience but also for strategic indispensability, the FY26 Economic Survey argued, placing swadeshi at the heart of a broader shift in state strategy. “The nature...
India Unveils $250 Billion Energy Investment Opportunity To Global CEOs
GOA: India took the lead of the recent 9th Prime Minister’s Roundtable, organised in the national capital on Wednesday, with the global energy CEOs, to convey a clear message: it wants to be a reliable centre of gravity in the volatile global energy order. With 27 top executives of...
Economy On Stable Footing, GDP Growth Likely To Be 6.8% To 7.2% In FY27
NEW DELHI: The Economic Survey on Thursday projected the GDP growth in the range of 6.8-7.2 per cent for the next fiscal year on the back of the cumulative impact of reforms, and said the economy remains on a stable footing. The projection is a tad lower than the...
India Set To Achieve Growth Targets If It Focuses On Skilling, Business-Friendly Reforms: World Bank Chief
BHUBANESWAR: World Bank Group President Ajay Banga on Thursday exuded confidence about India’s ability to sustained high growth and said the economy is well placed to achieve the 6.8–7.2 per cent growth projected for 2026-27 in the Economic Survey, provided the country continues to invest in skilling, infrastructure and...
Labour Codes To Play Key Role In Employment; Private Investment Needed
NEW DELHI: Effective implementation of Labour Codes will play a key role in boosting formal employment and enhancing security for women and gig workers, the Economic Survey for 2025-26 stated, while outlining the need for investment and coordination from private sector companies. The document, tabled in Parliament by Finance...
Economic Foundation Has Grown Significantly: President Murmu
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the country’s economic foundation has grown significantly stronger over the past 11 years, and Government policies have resulted in higher incomes for citizens. In her address to both Houses of Parliament, the President said that the conclusion of negotiations for a...
