The government has increasingly been nudging taxpayers to opt for the new income tax regime. (AI image) Budget 2026 income tax expectations: Will FM Nirmala Sitharaman provide more reason to cheer for salaried and middle class taxpayers two years in a row? 2025 was a year of tax reforms – massive overhaul of the new […]
The Mutual Fund Advisor: What really makes a mutual fund ‘Good’? It’s not last year’s return
The most visible aspect of a fund is its past returns. That’s also the most dangerous thing to obsess over. (AI image) What really makes a mutual fund ‘Good’? It’s not last year’s return, the TV ad or the number of stars on the brochure.Let me guess what happens when you start looking at mutual […]
US markets today: Wall Street slips for second session as bank earnings disappoint; oil and gold climb
US stock markets edged lower again on Wednesday as mixed earnings from major banks and a rise in oil and gold prices kept investors cautious. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 per cent, extending its decline a day after hitting an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 84 points, or 0.2 per cent, while […]
RBI proposes changes to banks’ forex positions
The Reserve Bank on Wednesday proposed changes to rules governing banks’ foreign exchange positions. The amendments to net open position (NOP) were made following a comprehensive review of the existing instructions, according to an official statement. NOP refers to the difference between banks’ total foreign currency assets and liabilities, revealing their exposure to currency fluctuations […]
Budget 2026: CII pushes green hydrogen mandates with incentives to unlock demand; seeks policy clarity
Industry body CII has called on the government to issue clear green hydrogen mandates, supported by incentives, to accelerate demand creation and help India transition towards a cleaner industrial economy, PTI reported.The Confederation of Indian Industry said sectors that currently rely heavily on grey hydrogen — such as refining, fertilisers and natural gas — are […]
India-China trade: India’s exports to China rise in 2025, deficit climbs to record $116 bn
India’s shipments to China posted a rare year-on-year increase in 2025, even as the bilateral trade gap ballooned to an all-time high, underlining the persistent imbalance in the two-way economic relationship, PTI reported.Data released by Chinese customs on Wednesday showed that Indian exports to China rose by $5.5 billion during January–December 2025, taking total outbound […]
Auto trade: US tariffs to bite in H2 as contract uncertainty clouds outlook; ACMA flags margin stress
The auto component industry expects the real impact of US tariffs to play out in the second half of the current financial year, with uncertainty beginning to cloud fresh export contracts even as existing supplies continue, industry body ACMA said on Wednesday.Despite global headwinds, the sector posted steady growth in the first half of FY26. […]
US sales data: Retail sales rise 0.6% in November as holiday spending picks up; wholesale inflation stays modest
US retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in November as holiday shopping gathered momentum, following a revised 0.1% decline in October, according to data released by the Commerce Department. The report was delayed by more than a month due to the 43-day federal government shutdown, AP reported.Retail sales had edged up 0.1% in September, after […]
Infosys Q3 results: Net profit slips 2.2% to Rs 6,654 crore; revenue climbs 8.9% to Rs 45,479 crore
IT services major Infosys on Wednesday reported a 2.2 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,654 crore for the October–December quarter of FY26, even as revenue from operations rose nearly 9 per cent year-on-year.The Bengaluru-headquartered company had posted a net profit attributable to owners of the company of Rs 6,806 crore in […]
Quick commerce branding reset: Flipkart, Swiggy, Zepto stop using ‘10-minute delivery’ tagline; govt order cited
Walmart-owned Flipkart, Swiggy and IPO-bound Zepto have stopped promoting their grocery businesses as “10-minute” delivery services following a government intervention prompted by road safety concerns, according to a Reuters report.The move comes after the labour ministry, at a private meeting on Saturday, asked some companies to discontinue the “10-minute” branding amid concerns over rash driving […]