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.
Mumbai: India's economy is expected to grow above 7.5 per cent in real terms in FY27, supported by easing fiscal and monetary conditions, low inflation, and ongoing regulatory reforms, according to Axis Bank's India Economic Outlook 2026 report. "With fiscal and monetary headwinds receding, GDP growth has picked up in FY26. In FY27, the pace of fiscal consolidation should slow further (20bps), and lagged effects of monetary easing should become visible, pushing growth to 7.5 per cent (above trend)," said Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist at Axis Bank, while unveiling the report. Mishra also ruled out any repo rate cuts from the RBI on expectation of a rise in headline inflation. The report said that median inflation, a better gauge of underlying price pressures, has been stable near 3 per cent for 18 months and signals persistent slack in the economy. The Bank expects a rebound in food prices despite the above-trend and expects FY27 headline inflation to average 4 per cent. Speaking about rupee, Mishra downplayed concerns after the rupee weakened past 91 to the dollar, calling it a "mild but not wild depreciation. The report projected rupee at 90 to the dollar by June 2026 and 92 by June 2027, with the pace of depreciation dependent on the evolution of capital flows and global risk appetite. On the fiscal front, the pace of consolidation is expected to slow further, with the fiscal deficit projected to narrow to around 4.2 per cent of GDP in FY27. Improved debt management and rising demand for government securities could help the benchmark 10-year government bond yield drift lower to around 6.1% by FY27, the report added. Axis Bank expects the current account deficit to widen a notch, to 1.2 per cent of GDP in FY26 and 1.3 per cent in FY27, while the surge in capital outflows seen in 2Q/3Q of FY26 will likely abate.
nion Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje cited statistics in the Lok Sabha on Monday to show that youth unemployment rates in India were lower than global levels. The minister cited a report by the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Institute for Human Development (IHD) which states that the worldwide youth unemployment rate was 15.6 per cent in 2021. Further, as per World Employment and Social Outlook Trends, 2024 by ILO, globally, in 2023, the youth unemployment rate was 13.3 per cent. On the other hand, the latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS ...Read More >
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 >
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI -- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday slashed its economic growth forecast for the current financial year ending in March to 6.6% from the 7.2% projected in October after seeing "much lower than anticipated" gross domestic product expansion of 5.4% in July-September. "This decline in [the July-September quarter] growth was led mainly by a substantial deceleration in industrial growth from 7.4% in Q1 to 2.1% in Q2 due to subdued performance of manufacturing companies, contraction in mining activity and lower electricity demand," RBI Gov. Shaktikanta Das said in a televi ...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 (Karnataka) [India], December 13: IIFL Capital Services Limited (formerly IIFL Securities Limited) today announced the unveiling of its state-of-the-art office in Bengaluru, dedicated to wealth management services for High Networth Individuals (HNIs) and Ultra High Networth Individuals (UHNIs). IIFL Capital Services is one of the largest wealth managers in India, with about $30 billion (Rs 2.5 lac crore) worth of assets under management, advice and custody. Also Read | Big score is just around the corner for Steve Smith, Skipper Pat Cummins Backs Star Batter Ahead of IND vs AUS 3rd ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore from January to November this year, 'showcasing its transformative impact on financial transactions' in India, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday. The Finance Ministry also said that UPI is now accepted in seven countries including France, UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan and Nepal. The UPI system provides a cheaper and quicker alternative to the available channels of cross-border remittances. UPI has succeeded in increasing financial inclusion and promot ...Read More >
The chip makers around the world felt the relief of a rumor suggesting that the sales curb to China could be less severe than previously expected. But the news didn't necessarily translate in a strong rally. ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) - Europe's biggest chip equipment maker that predicted a 30% fall to its Chinese revenue next year - closed 0.22% lower yesterday, while Tokyo Electron - which was up by more than 6% yesterday - couldn't extend gains at today's session. With US markets paused for the Thanksgiving break, France was at the heart of the attention yesterday. The political drama, there, only ...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 >
New Delhi [India], January 21 (ANI): The Centre is expected to continue its fiscal consolidation efforts in FY26, with a fiscal deficit target of 4.5 per cent of GDP, according to a report by Emkay Research. For FY25, the report noted that the fiscal deficit is estimated to track close to 4.7 per cent, while states are likely to record a fiscal deficit of 3.2 per cent of GDP. It said "we do not see the Centre deviating from its consolidation path in FY26, and is likely to target 4.5 per cent GFD/GDP. States, on the other hand, are likely to now hug the 3 per cent of GDP target (+/-0.2 per ce ...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 >
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will commence customary pre-Budget consultations with various stakeholders beginning Friday. As part of the process, she will meet eminent economists on December 6 to seek their inputs regarding upcoming Budget amid seven-quarter low GDP print of 5.4 per cent recorded in the second quarter of the current financial year. It will be followed by a meeting with farmer associations and agriculture economists and stakeholders in MSME sector scheduled for December 7, sources said. Union Budget 2025-26 is likely to be tabled in Parliament o ...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 >
Mumbai: The rupee declined 14 paise and touched the crucial 86.00-mark (provisional) for the first time against the US dollar Friday as it failed to resist pressure from a stronger American currency and huge outflow of foreign funds. Surging crude oil prices overseas and negative sentiment in domestic equity markets also weighed down the Indian currency, forex traders said. Also, dollar strengthened on increased demand amid the anticipation of restrictive trade measures by the new US administration after Donald Trump takes over as president January 20. At the interbank foreign exchange, the ...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 >
Since our last publication, the higher risk-sensitive EUR/CHF cross pair has wobbled as it grappled with the Eurozone's economic weakness and a looming unfavorable external trade environment due to further global supply chain disruptions due to incoming US President-elect Trump's 10% to 20% tariffs threat on other countries' exports to the US, inclusive of the Eurozone. The EUR/CHF inched lower in the week of 18 November (ex-post US Presidential election outcome on 6 November) and retested a key intermediate support of 0.9255, a key swing low made almost a year ago on 29 December 2023. Fig 1 ...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 >
Despite its vast potential, the full capabilities of GST data remain largely unrealised. While aggregate data provides a broad overview of tax performance and health of the Indian economy, disaggregated sector-wise information is crucial for evidence-based policymaking. A closer look at the performance of GST revenue collection raises several questions. First, though the growth of GST revenue collection improved in the last seven years (13 per cent) compared to the pre-GST period 2012-17 (11.8 per cent), there has been hardly an increase in the tax base of GST in the last seven years compared ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 10 (ANI): The stock market ended Tuesday's trading session on a subdued note, with the benchmark indices showing little movement. The Sensex edged up by 1.59 points, closing at 81,510.05, while the Nifty declined by 8.95 points to end at 24,610.05. Also Read | Parliament Winter Session 2024: Congress, INDIA Bloc Allies Move No-Trust Motion Against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar; Alleges 'Proceedings in Upper House Conducted in Partisan Manner'. In the Nifty pack, 23 stocks advanced, while 27 ended in the red. Among the top gainers were Shriram F ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 17 (PTI) The rupee consolidated in a narrow range and settled for the day higher by 1 paisa at 84.90 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by disappointing trade balance data and weak domestic markets. Forex traders said the rupee is likely to remain under pressure due to concerns over slowdown in the economy and dollar demand from importers and foreign banks. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.89 and touched an all-time low of 84.93 against the greenback during intra-day trade. The unit finally ended the session marginally higher by ...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 >
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the federal budget for 2025 and the planned period of 2026-2027, with a significant 25 per cent increase in military spending compared to the previous year and a special focus on the development of transport corridors Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the federal budget for 2025 and the planned period of 2026-2027, with a significant 25 per cent increase in military spending compared to the previous year and a special focus on the development of transport corridors, including the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) - t ...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 >