India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): India's manufacturing sector ended the first quarter of the financial year on a high note, as shown by the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which rose to 58.4 in June from 57.6 in May. According to HSBC, this is the highest level in 14 months and well above the long-term average of 54.1, indicating a strong improvement in business conditions. One of the key highlights in June was a sharp rise in international orders. Export demand increased at the third-fastest pace since the survey began in 2005, with the United States mentioned frequently by companies as a major source of demand. This strong global interest helped boost overall sales and output. Production volumes grew at the fastest rate since April 2024, driven mainly by intermediate goods manufacturers. However, consumer and capital goods producers saw slower growth. New orders also rose more quickly, supported by active marketing efforts and growing exports. The strong increase in demand led to a record rise in employment. After stagnating in May, backlogs of work increased in June, prompting many companies to hire more workers. Most of this hiring was for short-term needs, aimed at handling increased workloads. While raw material prices such as iron and steel remained high, overall input cost inflation eased to its lowest level since February and was below the historical average. Despite this, selling prices continued to rise as companies passed on higher costs -- including freight, labour, and materials -- to their customers. Many firms said they were able to raise prices because of strong demand. Manufacturers also increased their purchases of raw materials, marking the strongest rise in buying activity in 14 months. This helped boost pre-production inventories, while stocks of finished goods declined as companies drew from existing inventory to meet customer demand. The drop in finished goods inventory was significant by historical standards. Supply chains continued to improve, with faster delivery times reported -- the best in five months. Despite higher demand for raw materials, vendor performance remained strong. Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist at HSBC, said, 'To keep up with strong demand -- particularly from international markets, as evidenced by the substantial rise in new export orders -- Indian manufacturing firms had to tap deeper into their inventories, causing the stock of finished goods to continue shrinking. Finally, input prices moderated while average selling prices rose as some manufacturers passed on additional cost burdens to clients.' Looking ahead, the outlook for the manufacturing sector remains generally positive. However, businesses expressed some caution due to uncertainties around inflation, rising competition, and changing consumer preferences. Even so, with strong export growth, easing input costs, and higher employment, the sector appears well-positioned for continued expansion in the coming months. (ANI)
India's manufacturing sector growth fell to a joint 11-month low, restricted by competitive conditions and inflationary pressures India's manufacturing sector growth fell to a joint 11-month low of 56.5 in November, restricted by competitive conditions and inflationary pressures amid a softer increase in factory orders, a monthly survey said on Monday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell from 57.5 in October to 56.5 in November, signalling a softer improvement in the health of the sector. However, the pace of growth remained above its long-r ...Read More >
The Reserve Bank of India raised the interest rate caps on Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank (FCNR-B) deposits to attract more capital inflows, amid pressures on the rupee. Starting December 6, banks can offer higher rates -- up to 400 basis points for 1-3 year deposits and 500 basis points for 3-5 year deposits -- until March 31, 2025. This move comes as the rupee faces volatility.The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced a raise in the interest rate caps on the Indian diaspora's foreign cu ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 11 (ANI): The Indian stock markets continue to be in a consolidation phase as both indices opened flat on Wednesday. The Nifty 50 index opened at 24,620.50 points with a surge of 10.45 points or 0.04 per cent, while the BSE Sensex opened at 81,568.39 with a gain of 58.34 points or 0.07 per cent. Also Read | 'Suriya 45': Is Trisha Krishnan the Female Lead in Suriya Sivakumar's Upcoming Film With RJ Balaji? Check Out the Viral Photos. Experts noted that the US Consumer Price Inflation data will be the major event for markets globally. However, the consol ...Read More >
Bengaluru -- Gold prices rose for a second session on Tuesday as the dollar weakened, with markets evaluating the possible consequences of US President Donald Trump's policies in his second term after his inauguration. Spot gold gained 0.6% to $2,724.74/oz by 2.40am GMT. US gold futures was 0.2% lower at $2,742.50. The dollar was down about 1% after reports suggested any new taxes would be imposed in a "measured" way. A weaker dollar makes gold more attractive to foreign buyers. "There is a sense of relief in risk sentiment to know that tariffs have not been an immediate focus. The unwindin ...Read More >
Mumbai, Feb 10: The rupee on Monday plunged 45 paise and moved closer to the 88 per US dollar-level, weighed down by the strength of the American currency tariff concerns, but eventually settled at 87.45, up 5 paise, following RBI intervention. The American currency gained in the overseas market after US President Donald Trump's plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, along with reciprocal tariffs targeting countries taxing US exports. The move has added jitters over the global trade war with China's reciprocal duties coming into effect, they said. At the interban ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 5 (PTI) The rupee snapped its two-day losing streak and closed 8 paise higher at 85.79 against the US dollar on Thursday, supported by positive domestic equities and a rise in Asian currencies. Forex traders said overnight softening of crude oil prices favoured the rupee. However, a strong US dollar index capped sharp gains. Besides, market participants are now keenly awaiting the outcome of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) monetary policy meeting for further cues, they said. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit witnessed a volatile trading session -- it opene ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Economists across the board have welcomed the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) latest policy decision, terming the 50 basis points (bps) repo rate cut as a pro-growth move that is expected to significantly boost liquidity and economic activity in the country. On Friday, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), stating that the policy repo rate has been reduced from 6 per cent to 5.5 per cent. Also Read | Citigroup Layoffs: Banking Giant To Cut 3,500 Tech Roles From China Citi Solution Centres in Shanghai and Dal ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Indian equities surged sharply after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) delivered a larger-than-expected 50 basis points repo rate cut, reducing it to 5.5% in today's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The move, led by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, exceeded market expectations of a modest 25 basis points cut, thus fueling a broad-based rally. The BSE Sensex zoomed by about 800 points to trade above 82,200 level while the NSE Nifty surge more than 250 points to trade around 25,000 level as of 12.15 pm. Stocks in the rate-sensitive sectors like realty, banking, NFBC and auto counters ...Read More >
Mumbai, December 4: The domestic benchmark equity indices closed in green on Wednesday as buying was seen in PSU bank and realty sectors. The investors are keenly watching the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting which will announce its decision around the repo rate on Friday. Banking stocks rose amid volatile sessions in the market due to the possibility of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) cut by the central bank. Sensex settled at 80,956.3, higher by 110.58 points, or 0.14 per cent, while the Nifty ended at 24,467.45, up by 10.30 points, or 0.04 per cent. Stock Mark ...Read More >
Leading investment and trading platform Kotak Securities is cautious in its market outlook for 2025, balancing India's fundamentals with concerns over valuation and global uncertainties, but has not ruled out a level of 29,000 on the Nifty 50 index. While the country's growth trajectory remains robust, recent economic data and corporate results indicate a slowdown in some areas, prompting a more tempered outlook, said the note. Kotak Securities has highlighted the slowdown in rural demand during ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (VOICE) The output of India's eight core sector industries rose 4 per cent year-on-year in December, driven by an increase in the production of coal, steel, and electricity during the month, according to government data released on Friday.The eight core industries include coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products, fertilisers, cement, steel and electricity which comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The growth rate of the core industries, therefore, is an indicator of the overall industrial growth rate. Apa ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's coal sector has registered a 5.88 per cent increase in production to 830.66 million tonnes (MT) during April 2024 to January 2025 of the current financial year, from 784.51 MT recorded during the same period of 2023-24, according to a Coal Ministry statement issued on Monday. The total coal production during January 2025 has reached 104.43 MT, reflecting a 4.38 per cent increase over 100.05 MT recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year. The contribution from captive, commercial, and other entities for January 2025 has also been particularly strong, with ...Read More >
New Delhi: A surge in sales may be around the corner for some of India's leading packaged consumer goods makers, as cheaper inputs and lower import duties craft a perfect recipe for their next stage of growth. Companies and analysts alike said that falling prices of wheat, maize, barley and oils will help expand volumes, in a change from the recent experience of pricier products driving revenue. On 31 May, the government halved the basic customs duty on crude soybean oil, crude palm oil, and crude sunflower oil to 10%, eight months after raising it from nil to 20%. The move had prompted pack ...Read More >
[MUMBAI] The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its key repo rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points on Friday, a third consecutive reduction, and slashed the reserve ratio for banks as muted inflation provided space for policymakers to focus on supporting economic growth. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which consists of three RBI officials and three external members, cut the repo rate to 5.50 per cent. It has now cut rates by 100 basis points in 2025, starting with a quarter-point reduction in February, its first cut since May 2020. It made a similar-sized cut in April. The RBI al ...Read More >
As per Moneycontrol's calculations, a 7 per cent growth in the remaining two quarters will put India's GDP at 6.5 per cent. The Indian economy would find it challenging to achieve over 7 per cent growth for the fourth consecutive year, economists said. They pointed out that the second-quarter (Q2) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, which was announced on November 29, has made the task even more daunting for the government. "A sharper than expected growth slowdown in Q2 has tilted risks to our outlook of 6.8 per cent for the current fiscal downwards," said DK Joshi, chief economist, Crisil. ...Read More >
India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) witnessed a significant slowdown in October 2024, registering a mere 3.5% year-on-year growth. This decline is primarily attributed to weak performance across key sectors like mining, power, and manufacturing. Compared to the robust 11.9% growth in October 2023, the latest figures highlight a concerning trend. New Delhi: India's industrial production (IIP) growth slowed to 3.5 per cent year-on-year in October 2024, mainly due to poor performance of mining, power and manufacturing, as per official data released on Thursday. The IIP recorded a growt ...Read More >
Mumbai: The RBI is likely to reduce the key interest rate by 25 basis points this week after keeping it on hold for two years, complementing the Union Budget initiatives to push consumption-led demand, though the sliding rupee continues to be a concern. As the retail inflation has remained within the Reserve Bank's comfort zone (less than 6 per cent) for most of the year, the central bank can take rate action to boost growth hit by sluggish consumption, opined experts. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate (short-term lending rate) unchanged at 6.5 per cent since February 20 ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Indian equity markets opened on a strong note Friday, buoyed by the Reserve Bank of India's unexpected 50 basis point repo rate cut, which lifted investor sentiment and sparked a broad-based rally from early lows. The BSE Sensex rose 96 points or 0.12% to 81,538, recovering nearly 350 points from the day's intraday low. Similarly, the NSE Nifty50 gained 29 points or 0.12%, trading at 24,780, as markets welcomed the central bank's proactive move to support growth. Market Highlights The RBI cut the repo rate to 5.50%, exceeding market expectations. Governor Sanjay Malhotra noted that ...Read More >
Trump warns BRICS nations against replacing US dollar Dec 2 (Reuters) - A gauge of emerging market stocks rose on Monday, driven by positive manufacturing data from China and expectations of continued policy support from Beijing, while India's rupee hit a record low because of weaker-than-expected economic data. As of 0932 GMT, the MSCI's index for emerging market stocks had risen by 0.7%, on track for its biggest percentage gain in over three weeks. China's blue-chip CSI 300 climbed 0.8%, and the Shanghai Composite index jumped 1.1% after a private survey indicated that Chinese factory act ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth rate for October 2024 registered a modest increase to 3.5 per cent, up from 3.1 per cent in September 2024, according to the Quick Estimates released on December 12. According to the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, sectoral analysis reveals mixed performances. Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity sectors reported growth rates of 0.9 per cent, 4.1 per cent, and 2.0 per cent, respectively. The manufacturing sector demonstrated resilience, with 18 out of 23 industry groups at the 2-digit N ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The government on Thursday came out with the definition of green steel and asked the industry to take measures to bring down carbon emissions below the level of 2.2 tonnes on per tonne of finished products. Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy also released a 'taxonomy on green steel' with parameters for giving star ratings on products based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during the production process. The steel industry has been the backbone of India's industrial growth and it is imperative that this vital sector undergoes a transformative shift towards ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) Terming the 5.4 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter as a "temporary phenomena", FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal on Thursday said the industry body expects India to achieve 6.5-7 per cent economic growth in the current financial year, while projecting a pick up in private investment. In an interview to PTI, Agarwal, who is also the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Emami Ltd, said the RBI needs to manoeuvre a "tight-rope balancing act" between inflation and economic growth, as he opined that the central bank has been doing a prudent job. Notably, the FI ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) IT service provider Tech Mahindra on Friday announced the opening of an advanced Manufacturing Experience Centre at its Chennai campus. The centre was inaugurated by Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra and Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi, according to a company statement. The centre will help manufacturers to quickly prototype and scale AI-based innovations to tackle industry issues like high operational expenses, inefficiencies in processes, supply chain disruptions, and complex operational challenges. Additionally, it will function as a hub where customers can vis ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
MUMBAI, India -- India's central bank cut interest rates more than expected on Friday. For this, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cited muted inflation and a need to kickstart economic growth. This happened as the impact of US tariffs weighed on the country's outlook. The RBI lowered the benchmark repo rate, the level at which it lends to commercial banks. This went down by 50 basis points to 5.5 percent. A majority of analysts had expected a 25-basis-point reduction. The cut was RBI's third in a row. This comes a week after government data showed India's economy expanded at its slowest pace ...Read More >
Markets opened on a cautiously optimistic note on Wednesday, with the Sensex and Nifty showing marginal gains, while investors closely monitored global economic indicators and upcoming domestic policy decisions. The Sensex opened higher at 81,036.22 from its previous close of 80,845.75 and is currently trading at 81,168.92 as of 9.45 am, up by 323.17 points or 0.40 per cent. Similarly, the Nifty opened at 24,488.75 compared to its previous close of 24,457.15 and is now at 24,558.20, rising by 101 ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Tuesday said the government has taken measures to lower fiscal deficit and delivered a non-inflationary Budget, and hoped that the RBI's monetary policy will work in tandem with fiscal policy to support growth. He also said that although rupee depreciation increases inflation on imported inputs, it also adds to export competitiveness. Pandey said that the government has bettered its fiscal deficit projections for the current fiscal as well as the next. The fiscal deficit for FY'25 has been pegged lower at 4.8 per cent of GDP, low ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The Indian stock markets bounced back strongly on Friday with both the Sensex and Nifty rising sharply during the intra-day trade after a cautious start. The rally was driven by positive global cues and heavy buying in the IT and FMCG stocks. The Sensex jumped 953 points, or 1.17 per cent, to hit an intra-day high of 81, 905. Meanwhile, the Nifty climbed 299 points, or 1.21 per cent, to cross the 24, 900 mark, reaching a high of 24, 909 during early trade. However, the market gave up some of its early gains as the session progressed. Around 1 p.m., the Sensex was trading at 81, 800.8 ...Read More >
New Delhi: Rare earth magnets, essential for EV motors, have become the latest flashpoint in India's growing electric mobility ambitions. These magnets power the core of Brushless DC (BLDC) and Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM), which drive most electric vehicles today, particularly two-wheelers. With China tightening export controls, Indian automakers now face serious supply-side disruptions. If the situation continues, industry experts warn that EV prices could rise, production could slow and expansion plans may take a hit. In April this year, China imposed an export curb on rare- ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 18 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty stayed on the back foot for the third straight session on Wednesday as investors offloaded utility, capital goods and metal stocks amid foreign fund outflows. Besides, investor sentiment remained subdued ahead of the outcome of the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, traders said. The 30-share BSE benchmark tumbled 502.25 points or 0.62 per cent to settle at 80,182.20, taking its downtrend to the third day. During the day, it tanked 634.38 points or 0.78 per cent to 80,050.07. As many as 2,563 stocks de ...Read More >