China Financial News

The essential accoutrement for auto executives this year was a cap. As in, of the red baseball variety.

. Vasdev’s politics ranged far left, however, and his customers were unaware that while he fixed their timepieces, he also secretly financed Mau Mau insurgents who fought the British in a bloody conflict in the 1950s.He funded trade unionist Makhan Singh’s printing press, which churned out pro-independence leaflets. Makhan spent 11 years behind bars for his activism.

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] Chinese zodiac predicts that 2026 will be the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing bold decisions, ambition and sharply moving away from the strategic thinking that was 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake.For both the employer and the employee in India Inc, there will be three prominent trends, says experts.

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rare earth magnets, a key input for sectors ranging from defence and electronics to renewable energy and electric vehicles.Mint unpacks the committee's recommendations and India's ambitions for rare earth magnets.Critical mineral security assumes significance amid geopolitical uncertainties and trade wars as nations try to leverage their resources to disrupt supply chains.China’s export ban on rare earth magnets in April 2025, which disrupted manufacturing supply chains globally, resulted from an escalating trade war, with the world’s second-largest economy retaliating to steep US tariffs.Beijing used its dominance in the sector–60% of the world’s rare earth mining and 90% of the world’s processing capacity–as a tool to disrupt supply chains, pushing manufacturers across the globe into a frenzy.The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its Sustainable Development Goals Pulse 2025 report in July this year, noted that minerals required for the energy transition – copper, zinc, germanium, tin, and nickel, among others – faced higher export restrictions compared to other traded critical minerals. “This trend reflects rising geopolitical sensitivities and growing domestic value chain ambitions in producing countries,” the report noted.The International Energy Agency narrowed and simplified this sentiment, focusing on how critical minerals are shaping the energy transition.

Japanese businesses are pivoting towards India as an investment destination promising robust returns—but also, how Tokyo, after over three decades of diplomatic efforts, is ready to walk the talk on deepening strategic relationships with New Delhi as both countries want to develop a meaningful counter to China’s might.For India’s financial sector, the deals in 2025 mark a moment worth noting. Foreign investors are returning with conviction, and Japan—long a steady but cautious partner—appears increasingly willing to deploy serious capital.It is a striking contrast to the dismissive description of India as a “dead economy” offered earlier this year by US President Donald Trump.

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] global trading system is undergoing a profound transformation.

Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

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 marked by punishing US tariffs, climate-linked disruptions, and global uncertainty, India may finally be approaching a payoff phase.

As part of a broader effort to cut costs, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will shut down its 3G mobile services nationwide. The state-owned telecom operator also plans to terminate annual maintenance contracts (AMCs) with vendors such as Nokia and Chinese equipment maker ZTE for the 3G sites, according to two officials familiar with the matter and letters seen by Mint.The move comes as the state-run telecom operator focuses on its 4G network, having currently installed 97,481 4G towers across the country.

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI : Elevated inflation risks, volatility in global equity markets, and steady physical demand from India and China have together reinforced gold’s role as a portfolio stabilizer at a time when economic visibility remains poor. Gold has continued to attract investors for its safe-haven status amid currency weakness and geopolitical stress.

Bajaj Auto Ltd is crafting a turnaround for KTM, its biggest acquisition, to boost profitability even as it loses market share in its home market.Pune-based Bajaj Auto will look to discontinue smaller brands under KTM, rejig core operations and unlock synergies between the supply chains of Bajaj and KTM to reduce costs, according to management commentary during the earnings call and meetings with analysts.“After the KTM acquisition, Bajaj Auto would now focus on the restructuring of the core operations. They would also look to leverage synergy benefits in manufacturing operations, the supply chain, and the distribution network,” analysts at Motilal Oswal wrote in a 15 December note after meeting Bajaj Auto's leadership team.A revival plan for KTM is aimed at bolstering its premium offerings, as its exports remain profitable, while India’s fourth-largest two-wheeler maker’s domestic market share continues to decline.Bajaj Auto acquired struggling motorcycle maker KTM for about €800 million.

William Shakespeare excelled at stagecraft. The themes in his plays were simple, but their effect dramatic. The bard’s words still resonate in many contexts—such as the economic themes of 2025.

₹10,000 becomes ₹20,000. As per media reports, the 8th CPC may recommend the fitment factor of 1.92-2.86, largely in line with 1.86 recommended by the 6th CPC and 2.57 by the 7th CPC.While the pay increases add to the government's employee costs, recent trends show they have become less cumbersome.The central government spent ₹2.75 trillion on the pay and allowances of its regular civilian employees in FY23, accounting for 6.6% of the total budgetary expenditure.

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] the past decade, a silent crisis has been unfolding in India's middle class.

. The company ditched plans last year for its Cruise robotaxi program after spending $10 billion and a decade on its development. It has suffered setbacks around its EV and autonomous-driving strategies.

Russian energy, has also agreed to meet some of its demand from the US. Yet Russia remains relevant, having worked around the trading system through bilateral deals and its shadow fleet.On the other hand, Washington's attempts to derail China’s economy have largely fallen flat.

Reuters report.The massive, factory-sized system has reportedly been dubbed China’s “Manhattan Project”, a reference to the top-secret US effort during World War II to develop the atomic bomb ahead of Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s.The development has profound implications for the global balance of technological and strategic power. At its core, it can dismantle the West’s near-monopoly over the production of the world’s most advanced chips—those that power AI systems, smartphones, and modern military platforms.A 2024 study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute pointed to a “stunning shift in research leadership over the past two decades towards large economies in the Indo-Pacific, led by China’s exceptional gains.“The US led in 60 of 64 technologies in the five years from 2003 to 2007.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. FRANKFURT—Across Germany, railcar factories are being retooled to build military vehicles, auto suppliers are joining with defense contractors, and former soldiers are suddenly hot commodities in the jobs market. After Berlin pledged to spend more than half a trillion dollars on defense in the next decade, manufacturers facing stubborn economic stagnation and falling exports to the U.S.