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.
BENGALURU (Reuters) -Easing inflation and a slowing economy will prompt the Reserve Bank of Australia to ease policy more than predicted in May, according to a Reuters poll of economists who expect the central bank to deliver a third 25 basis point rate cut on Tuesday. Financial markets and economists had previously forecast three RBA rate cuts this year but then in May raised their projections to four and now see five, a shift driven by inflation falling faster than expected and a weakening growth outlook. A strong majority of economists, 31 of 37, predicted the RBA will cut its official cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.60% at the end of its two-day meeting on July 8. Six expected no change, the survey showed. "The May meeting was notably more dovish in the outlook and that's going to manifest in cutting in July. I suspect the RBA will keep the option open for further easing and that's why there will be a follow-up cut in August," said Philip O'Donaghoe, chief economist for Australia and New Zealand at Deutsche Bank. "The post-COVID inflation surge is pretty much entirely out of the economy. And so the RBA's task now is to make sure we can get the growth that will keep the labour market strong...(so) the risk is we see more cuts." Over 60% of respondents in the June 30-July 3 Reuters poll, 23 of 36, forecast another quarter-point cut this quarter, taking the cash rate to 3.35%. While the median forecast pointed to a year-end cash rate of 3.10%, there was no clear consensus among economists on where the rate would end 2025: 16 of 33 projected 3.10%, 15 expected 3.35%, one each saw 3.60% and 2.85%. Australia's major banks - ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac - were similarly split, underscoring the uncertainty around the final leg of the RBA's easing cycle. The economy is forecast to grow 1.6% this year and 2.3% in 2026, a downgrade from 2.0% and 2.4% from the April poll, the poll predicted. Official data showed the economy expanded just 0.2% in Q1 2025, a slowdown from 0.6% in Q4 2024. "A large part of the reason why the RBA has now found itself on a rate-cutting path that's steeper than what it would have thought at the beginning of the year is because...consumption has been softer than the RBA anticipated," said Luci Ellis, chief economist at Westpac. Some economists flagged the lack of a trade deal ahead of the July 9 expiry of a 90-day pause on U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on trading partners announced in April as a downside risk to the economy and RBA rates.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that on his first day in office he would impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, citing concerns over illegal immigration and the trade of illicit drugs. "On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump said the tariffs would remain in place until the two countries ...Read More >
Iran plans to significantly expand its uranium enrichment capacity, raising proliferation concerns despite claims of peaceful intent Iran has informed the UN nuclear watchdog that it plans to install more than 6,000 extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its enrichment plants and bring more of those already in place online, a confidential report by the watchdog said on Thursday. The International Atomic Energy Agency report seen by Reuters details what Iran meant when it said it would add thousands of centrifuges in response to a resolution against it that the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Gover ...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 >
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's retail inflation eased in November as soaring vegetable prices moderated, boosting expectations of an interest rate cut by the central bank at its next policy review amid concerns around slowing growth. Retail inflation eased in November to 5.48%, lower than 6.21% in the previous month and below a 5.53% forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. Food inflation slowed down to 9.04% from 10.87% a month earlier. Food accounts for nearly half of the consumption basket. Vegetable prices rose 29.33% in November from a year earlier after rising 42.18% in October. Indi ...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, 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 >
India's growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of 5.4% in the three months ended 30 September, or the second quarter of 2024-25, was a shocker. It undershot even the most pessimistic forecasts. It's the lowest level seen since the third quarter of 2022-23 and a sharp drop from 8.1% growth in the same period last year and also from 6.7% in the first quarter of 2024-25. The consensus expectation stood at about 6.5% and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was expecting around 7% growth till its October policy, only to pare it to 6.8%. Growth in gross value added (GVA), which is the preferred measure ...Read More >
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia's third largest lender Gazprombank, which handles the energy trade, are behind the rouble's free fall in recent days, a top executive from VTB, Russia's second largest bank, said on Wednesday. "My assumption is that the sanctions against Gazprombank have had a significant impact, as it has ceased to be a channel for delivering foreign currency to the Moscow Exchange," Dmitry Pyanov told reporters. Pyanov added that stabilisation of the forex market within the next few days should be the focus of the central bank's attention. ...Read More >
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia and Canada on Monday signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that aims to strengthen economic ties between the two G20 members, three years after negotiations began. The agreement will take effect in 2026 and was signed in Jakarta by trade ministers of both countries. Indonesia's trade minister, Budi Santoso, said Indonesia appreciated Canada's support for its plan to prioritise its critical minerals sector, which was vital for its sustainable growth. "Together, we advance sustainable critical mineral management, supporting Indonesia's net ...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 >
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Import tariffs expected to be implemented by the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could lower economic growth and inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro, European Central Bank board member Piero Cipollone said on Tuesday. Most economists agree that the possible tariffs would impact growth, though views diverge on the effect on consumer prices. Some argue the U.S. trade barriers will push up the value of the dollar, making imports of key commodities more expensive, while likely retaliation from Europe will also raise costs. Cipollone, speaking i ...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 >
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, 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 >
The U.S. dollar continued its strong run on Monday, bolstered by soaring Treasury yields and expectations of limited Federal Reserve rate cuts. Meanwhile, the yen steadied ahead of a key speech by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, where he may hint at a possible rate hike in December, with markets pricing a 55% chance of such a move. Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato's warning on yen intervention caused a temporary pullback, while the dollar index touched a one-year high of 107.07. Analysts forecast further dollar gains as U.S. economic policies and performance outshine global peers. K ...Read More >
Euro zone government bond yields increased slightly as investors await upcoming inflation data that may influence the European Central Bank's policy direction. Concerns over potential tariff hikes from the U.S. could further impact ECB strategies. Germany's bond yields and political tensions in France also add to the economic uncertainties. On Tuesday, euro zone government bond yields saw a minor increase after hitting multi-week lows in the previous session. Investors are keenly awaiting inflation data later this week that could provide insight into the European Central Bank's potential poli ...Read More >
China and Hong Kong stock markets are experiencing a downturn due to rising concerns over the U.S.-China trade war, particularly regarding proposed tariffs and chip sales restrictions. The CSI300 and Shanghai Composite indexes fell, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 1.32%. Investors are wary of potential new restrictions on semiconductor and AI chip exports to China, further exacerbating market uncertainty. The automotive sector, led by BYD, also suffered from intense price competition among Chinese carmakers. Investor sentiment remains cautious, reflecting fears of escalating trade te ...Read More >
Key U.S. data this week includes the job openings due later in the day, the ADP employment report on Wednesday and the payrolls report on Friday. "The next big thing is going to be the payrolls on Friday night because it'll tell us whether the Fed is essentially going to green-light the interest rate cut in a couple of weeks," said Kyle Rodda, financial market analyst at Capital.com. Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Monday said with inflation still forecast to fall to 2%, he is inclined "at present" to support another rate cut later this month. The comments boosted expectations of a rate ...Read More >
The Chinese yuan was also facing its own challenges from the growing threat of more U.S. tariffs on China, pushing it down to a 13-month trough. Japan's tech-heavy Nikkei jumped 1.6% as of 0200 GMT, and South Korea's KOSPI advanced 1.7%. Taiwanese shares gained 1.1%. Australia's stocks benchmark rose 0.7% and reached a fresh all-time high. However, Chinese stocks were under pressure, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng edging slightly lower and mainland blue chips falling 0.3%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares added 0.7%. Both S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were flat after the cash indexes ...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 >
(Bloomberg) -- Indian bonds are poised to gain while the rupee is set to weaken as analysts bet on a softer monetary policy after the government named career bureaucrat Sanjay Malhotra as the new Reserve Bank of India governor. Most Read from Bloomberg Malhotra, a surprise pick, will take charge from Shaktikanta Das under whom the RBI kept borrowing costs unchanged for almost two years. While Malhotra's views on monetary policy are largely unknown, he recently urged revenue officials to prioritize economic growth, and the markets may read his appointment as dovish. The central bank is expec ...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 >
Still, the ongoing U.N. climate talks have thrown a spotlight on their efforts to tackle global warming. While the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, is tasked with agreeing a goal to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars for climate, leaders of the Group of 20 major economies half a world away in Rio are holding the purse strings. G20 countries account for 85% of the world's economy and are the largest contributors to multilateral development banks helping to steer climate finance. "The spotlight is naturally on the G20. They account for 80 percent of global emissions," U.N. Secretary Ge ...Read More >
Beijing: China has expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States following recent threats by former President Donald Trump to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods. The statement comes amid growing tensions between the two economic giants over trade practices, technology policies, and geopolitical issues. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said that China was open to "constructive dialogue" with the U.S., emphasizing the importance of cooperation to ensure global economic stability. "China believes that both countries should seek common ground and manag ...Read More >
TOI correspondent from Washington: In a warning shot that echoed across major world capitals and business majors on Tuesday, US President-elect Donald Trump said he will issue executive orders on day one of his presidency imposing new tariffs on all imported goods from China, Mexico and Canada, Washington's three largest trading partners, to stop the "invasion" of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump put the onus of containing illegal border crossings squarely on two immediate neighbors on its southern and northern borders, saying "b ...Read More >
Trump's pressure on countries to remain tied to a US-dollar-based financial system could backfire, with potential increased motivation for BRICS to create alternatives. While the dollar's dominance persists due to existing economic strengths, recent global currency agreements indicate a cautious shift away from reliance on the greenback.Donald Trump's pressure on countries around the world to stay anchored to a US-dollar-based financial system is a tactic that risks backfiring, market watchers say. Dollar dominance looks set to continue for the foreseeable future and emerging nations' idea of ...Read More >
Stock market today: The Indian stock market clocked healthy gains for the third consecutive session on Tuesday, December 3, led by gains in shares of select heavyweights, including Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and Larsen and Toubro. Benchmark index Nifty 50 jumped 0.70 per cent to the level of 24,445.80, breaking above its 50 and 100-day exponential moving averages (DEMA). According to Trendlyne, an equity research platform, Nifty 50 is above its 100-day EMA of 24,306 and 50-day EMA of 24,364. However, the index is yet to breach its 50-day and 100-day simple moving averages (SMAs) of 24,643 ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 13 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slumped on Friday morning dragged down by metal stocks, foreign fund outflows and weak global cues. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex tumbled 1,207.14 points to 80,082.82 in the late morning trade. The NSE Nifty tanked 367.9 points to 24,180.80. Among the 30-share Sensex blue-chip pack, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Larsen & Toubro, ITC and Mahindra & Mahindra were the biggest laggards. Bharti Airtel and Hindustan Unilever were the gainers. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities wor ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - India should do more to tax its super-rich given its high levels of inequality, French economist and author Thomas Piketty said on Friday. The writer of the best-selling book "Capital in the 21st Century" called on India to follow through on a July pledge by finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies to cooperate on effectively taxing the world's largest fortunes. "India should be active in taxing the rich," Piketty said at an event organised by Delhi-b ...Read More >