Business
Highway Projects Slow Down To Speed Up; Funding Prospects Bright
NEW DELHI: The 2025 was a year of reset for the highway sector when the groundwork was laid down for speedier execution in the years to come while taking a small hit in the current financial year on award and construction targets. Another change was the finalisation of the...
Overall Exports To Grow 3% In 2025-26 Amid External Headwinds
NEW DELHI: India’s overall exports are expected to touch $ 850 billion in 2025-26, up marginally from $ 825 billion last year, according to an analysis by Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). In FY26, goods exports are likely to stay broadly flat, squeezed by weak global demand and renewed...
CII Lays Out Fiscal Strategy To Bolster Macro Stability Ahead Of Budget
NEW DELHI: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday outlined a four-point fiscal strategy for sustaining macroeconomic stability, calling for strict adherence to the government’s debt glide path, stronger fiscal transparency, higher revenue mobilisation, and sharper expenditure efficiency ahead of the 2026-2027 (FY27) Union Budget. The alignment of...
Indian IT Services Poised For Cautious Revival In New Year
MUMBAI: After nearly two years of muted tech spending, the IT services industry is positioned for a year of recovery in 2026 as early signs that the prolonged demand slowdown is beginning to ease emerge. Discretionary cycles that stalled transformation programmes through 2023–25 are expected to gradually unfreeze, and...
Repo Rate Transmission To NBFCs Remains Gradual Despite Funding Diversification
MUMBAI: Transmission of repo rate changes to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) continues to be slow and uneven, even as many lenders steadily reduce their dependence on bank borrowings by tapping bond markets and other funding sources, according to industry executives and analysts. Umesh Revankar, executive vice-chairman of Shriram Finance,...
Economic Outlook In 2026: Indian Economy Neutralized Global Uncertainties In 2025
The first and second quarter 2025-26 real GDP growth rates at 7.8% and 8.2% respectively provide a post-Covid robust growth performance. The full year growth is expected to be more than 7%. The RBI has revised its full year growth estimate upwards to 7.3%. Considering the post-Covid period while...
US Visa Restrictions, AI Surge Shape Cautious Outlook For Indian It In 2026
NEW DELHI: India’s USD 280-billion IT industry heads into 2026, balancing visa-related headwinds and global trade uncertainty against its biggest-ever push into artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of global capability centres (GCCs). Heightened scrutiny of the US H-1B visa programme — including a proposed USD 100,000 fee for...
Budget May Consolidate Growth By Backing Domestic Demand: EY Report
NEW DELHI: The Union Budget for 2026-27 may reinforce growth by backing strong domestic demand through targeted fiscal support, complementing the RBI’s growth-oriented monetary stance, the EY Economy Watch report said on Tuesday. It said although there may be some revenue sacrifice due to income tax and GST reforms...
New Rules Soon On Mandatory Labelling Of AI-Generated Content: MeitY Secretary
NEW DELHI: The government has completed consultations with the industry on the proposed mandatory labelling of AI-generated content, and the related rules are set to be issued shortly, IT Secretary S Krishnan has said. Krishnan told PTI in an interview that the industry has been “fairly responsible”, understands the...
RBI To Infuse Rs 3 Trillion Liquidity Via OMOs, Buy-Sell Swap After Rupee Defence
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday announced a fresh round of liquidity measures through open-market operations (OMOs) and a foreign exchange buy-sell swap, under which it will inject close to ₹3 trillion into the banking system. The central bank said it would purchase Government of India...
HMEL Invests Rs 2,600 Crore In Bathinda Refinery Expansion
NEW DELHI: HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) will invest Rs 2,600 crore to expand operations at its Guru Gobind Singh Refinery in Bathinda, setting up polypropylene downstream units and fine chemical projects, the firm said Tuesday. HMEL Managing Director and CEO Prabh Das said apart from producing fuels such...
India Secures Trade Deal With New Zealand; NZ Commits To $20 Billion FDI In 15 Years; Dairy Items Excluded
NEW DELHI: India and New Zealand on Monday announced the conclusion of talks on a free-trade agreement (FTA), under which Wellington will grant zero-duty access to 100 per cent of Indian exports and commit $20 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the next 15 years. India, in return,...
Core Sector Growth Rises To 1.8% In November; Four Sectors Still Contract
NEW DELHI: India’s core sector output recovered slightly in November to rise 1.8 per cent, after recording its first contraction in 15 months this October according to revised official data, but four of the eight sectors continued to record a year-on-year dip in production, including electricity, even as cement...
Government Steps Up Efforts To Reduce Tax Shortfall
NEW DELHI: As the gross tax revenue is projected to fall short of the budget target in the current financial year, the government has intensified efforts to reduce the shortfall. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has asked field formations to take additional steps to recover tax demands, especially...
US Tariff Accelerates Market Diversification By Indian Exporters
CHENNAI/AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: The uncertainty over a US–India trade deal has helped increase the pace of diversification of India’s export markets. Players in export-intensive sectors such as gems & jewellery, textiles & apparels, and marine products are beginning to see the results from a renewed push to diversify into alternative...
Policies Helped Build Economic Resilience In 2025 Amid External Headwinds: RBI Bulletin
NEW DELHI: While the Indian economy was not fully immune to the external sector headwinds, coordinated fiscal, monetary and regulatory policies have helped to build resilience in 2025, according to note in the Reserve Bank of India’s December Bulletin. Demand conditions have remained robust of late, with indicators of...
Zero-Margin Deals, Tariff-Exempt Sectors Push Exports To US In November
NEW DELHI: Exports to the US declined sharply between May-September as buyers delayed new orders in the face of the imminent tariff escalation, but November saw an unexpected 22% rise in shipments to the world’s largest economy. Has the adverse impact of the additional 50% tariffs been quickly nullified...
Feasible To Meet 4.4 Per Cent Fiscal Deficit Target For FY26: Economists
NEW DELHI: Even amid slowing nominal GDP growth and ambitious fiscal consolidation plan, economists broadly agree that the Union government can still meet its headline fiscal deficit goal of 4.4% of GDP for FY26, compared with 4.8% in FY25. The management will, however, be anchored by expenditure discipline. While...
