Beyond Financial News

all-stock deal will bring Advent and Warburg Pincus onto Coforge’s board, a move that could bolster its fundraising prospects. Coforge will issue shares worth $1.89 billion to Encora’s shareholders at ₹1,815 apiece, and may raise about $550 million through a qualified institutional placement or a bridge loan to retire Encora’s term debt.The deal—India’s largest ever in IT services—could lift Coforge’s FY27 revenue by 28%, according to Jefferies India.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected] a year of testing the waters, India’s top law firms are heading into 2026 facing a decisive question: can artificial intelligence (AI) move from a promising pilot to everyday legal infrastructure? What began as cautious experimentation in 2025 is now shifting toward deeper, workflow-level integration, even as firms remain measured about governance, client confidentiality and the impact on pricing.

In what has become the latest entry in a flurry of inbound Japanese deals into India, Aica Kogyo Co. is set to acquire up to 53.12% stake in Indian laminates firm Stylam Industries Ltd for up to ₹2,030 crore.Stylam Industries Ltd’s promoters will sell up to 40% of their stake to the Japanese materials manufacturing major Aica Kogyo Co.

Mint examines what relief the government is considering for Vodafone Idea, why AGR recalculation alone may not be enough, how high tariffs would need to rise for the company to remain viable, and whether India’s telecom market can sustain repeated price hikes without losing subscribers or competition.In October, the Supreme Court allowed the government to reassess Vodafone Idea’s adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, which stood at ₹83,400 crore as of end of March 2025. The ruling came as a breather for the company, which has flagged concerns about its ability to survive beyond the current financial year without government support.AGR is the revenue base used to calculate licence fees and spectrum usage charges payable to the government.

steel prices in Q3FY26 to date are down 2-5% quarter-on-quarter, according to Antique Stock Broking.The impact is most visible in profitability. After Ebitda per tonne fell to ₹10,027 in Q2FY26, down 12.7% year-on-year and 36% sequentially, Nuvama Research expects a further decline in the December quarter (Q3FY26), to about ₹8,200. Ebitda is short for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.That implies a sequential drop of nearly ₹1,800 per tonne, driven by higher coking coal and iron ore costs.

₹500 for a plate of six pieces.“Sushi’s vibrant colour palette and visual presentation make it particularly appealing to younger consumers, many of whom are drawn to dishes that photograph well for social-media platforms such as Instagram,” said Shravan Singh, manager of the two-year-old restaurant.In Kanpur, the dish is the highlight of the menu of another such small restaurant, “Oishi the temple of Wok”. It offers a variety of sushi, including Prawn Tempura, Avocado Cream Cheese, and Smoked Salmon.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Payments banks are an odd hybrid—part bank, part wallet, part financial marketplace. They accept deposits like banks, but unlike full-service lenders, they are not allowed to lend.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A shopper tries on earmuffs at a Goodwill store. This year, some of Santa’s gifts have been given before.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Some ideas look compelling on paper, but execution is a challenging task. A similar challenge is likely to surface in the Association of Mutual Funds in India’s (Amfi) plan to train one lakh postmen to sell mutual funds (MFs).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India, the world’s tea-drinking heartland and home to sprawling tea estates, is witnessing a shift in consumer tastes as its youngest consumers embrace Southeast Asian variants like boba and matcha. Boba tea, which originated in Taiwan, is a cold, milk-based beverage featuring tapioca pearls, while matcha is finely ground green tea powder, most commonly consumed as an iced latte.

Mint unpacks how the store functions, whether Swiggy Instamart stands to gain meaningfully, and what this could mean for quick commerce.Swiggy Instamart did not respond to queries shared by Mint.Located in the upscale neighbourhood of M3M 65th Avenue of Gurugram, the store stands in the midst of a host of residential and commercial properties, including large housing complexes.At the outset, the store appears to be like any other department store—stocked with everyday products ranging from essentials such as pulses, fresh produce and grains to even nicotine products. Noice, Swiggy’s private label selling breads, paneer and snacks among other food items, also sits comfortably on the shelves.The store is run by PYD Retail Pvt Ltd, a seller that operates on Swiggy Instamart’s online app as well.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI: Millions of CNG and domestic PNG users across India could pay less for gas as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) simplifies transportation tariffs under its “One Nation, One Grid, One Tariff" vision. The regulator has reduced the number of tariff zones from three to two—up to 300 km and beyond 300 km—aiming to lower regional disparities and align natural gas pricing with competitive fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or cooking gas, and petrol.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL)’s acquisition of South Africa-based Twizza (Pty) is less about shoring up near-term earnings and more about extending its growth runway beyond India. While the domestic business remains resilient, stiff competition is creating challenges.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Indian stock markets: The Nifty hovered near the 26,000 mark on Monday, reflecting a cautious yet positive undertone in the market. Indian equities began the Christmas week on a steady note, with the Nifty 50 trading close to 26,000 after recovering from a four-day losing streak in the prior session.

In 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) won’t just be something companies talk about in press releases. It will become part of how everyday work gets done. Instead of being tested in small pilot projects or used in flashy demos, AI will be built into the core of how businesses operate.

₹5 and ₹10, even as ₹1 candies continue to dominate the market. The shift is part of the company’s effort to balance its portfolio in a candy market still heavily skewed toward ultra-low-value purchases.Nearly 70% of Perfetti’s business in India comes from the ₹1 segment, which dominates small mom-and-pop stores and drives the bulk of category sales. The company plans to increase the share of its ₹5-and-above portfolio from about 30% over the next three to four years; this number stood at just 7% in 2019.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India and Oman trade goods worth roughly $10 billion annually. Still, the CEPA signed last week comes at a pivotal moment for India’s trade policy, as it seeks deeper market access, supply-chain security and services expansion.

Amul and for India’s self-reliance in dairy.The impact was transformative. Buffalo milk was abundant in India, and millions of small farmers depended on it for income. By giving producers direct access to markets through cooperatives, the Amul model ensured fair prices and regular payments.

Accenture Plc reported $1.1 billion in advanced AI revenue in its first quarter (September-November 2025) on Thursday, compared to $500 million in the year-ago period, marking a 120% jump in the disruptive technology.Significantly, the world’s largest technology and consulting services company said it will not disclose numbers from AI business in the future, as the technology has become all-pervasive.“This will be the last quarter in which we share advanced AI bookings and revenues,” read Accenture’s earnings presentation on Thursday. “We have now reached a point where advanced AI is being embedded in some way across nearly everything we do, and many of our clients are focusing on moving beyond standalone proofs of concept or initiatives.”Accenture chair and chief executive Julie Sweet said, “It has become less meaningful to isolate the data specifically for advanced AI, as it does not reflect how the demand is evolving on the ground, the scope, the full scope of our AI work and the value we're creating.”At least one expert said Accenture’s move is also to avoid any confusion.“Accenture’s decision is pragmatic rather than evasive — GenAI is now deeply embedded across deals, pricing models, and delivery constructs, rather than a clean, standalone revenue line,” said Phil Ferhst, chief executive of HFS Research.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. LONDON—President Trump’s crackdown on Chinese imports in the U.S. has redirected a tsunami of cheap stuff into Europe.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: As the India-Oman free trade agreement (FTA) is set to be signed on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Muscat, the deal is being positioned as a key pillar of India’s expanding economic and strategic engagement with the Gulf, even as its immediate trade upside remains measured by the size of Oman’s market. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will be the final stop of the Prime Minister’s three-nation tour, which included Jordan and Ethiopia.