City New Delhi Financial News

Even as extended negotiations go on between Washington and New Delhi on trade, US President Donald Trump seems to have thrown another spanner in the works. On Sunday, he said India could face fresh tariffs if it didn’t cut Russian oil purchases. “We could raise tariffs on India if they don’t help on the Russian oil issue,” he said.

India is making steady progress on artificial intelligence (AI). After chairing the Global Partnership on AI Council in 2024, the country is preparing to host the five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi in mid-February. Apart from heads of state, CEOs of tech firms such as Google DeepMind, Anthropic, Adobe, Salesforce and Qualcomm are expected to attend.

New Delhi: Homegrown carmakers Tata Motors, and Mahindra and Mahindra are increasingly improving the speed at which they develop products to gain market share in an intensely competitive domestic market, according to senior executives at auto component makers working with the companies.Indian carmakers have reached parity with European, Japanese and Korean automakers and are increasingly catching up to the speed of Chinese carmakers in rolling out new products, according to top executives at US-based component major BorgWarner Inc. and homegrown auto part maker Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd.This comes in the backdrop of Indian automobile manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd reaching the number two rank in annual sales in 2025 for the first time in at least a decade, since retail registration data became available, toppling Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor India Ltd.The shift is inevitable, Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO of Mahindra’s automotive division, said.

New Delhi: IPO-bound Inox Clean Energy Ltd announced on Monday that its renewables independent power producer (IPP) arm Inox Neo Energies Ltd has acquired 250 megawatt-peak (MWp) of operational solar projects from SunSource Energy Private Ltd and is in the process of acquiring another 50 MWp.Although the company did not disclose the transaction value, two people in the know of the developments said the acquisition was done for about ₹1,000 crore. It will be funded through pre-IPO fundraises, internal accruals, and capital from the promoters, one these people said.MWp denotes the maximum direct-current power a system can produce under ideal laboratory conditions, representing its theoretical peak capacity, unlike MW, which indicates actual, real-world power output that fluctuates with weather and time.The acquisition is a strategic move in India’s rapidly expanding commercial & industrial (C&I) power market.

Caracas will determine the fate of India's multi-billion dollar investments and hefty dividends.Indian investments in Venezuela have been stuck, said an official with an official with a state-run firm with major stakes in the country. "Volatility brings in concern, but we will have to watch out for the way forward. An opening-up of the market may allow more supplies," the official said on the condition of anonymity.ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp.

New Delhi: The country’s second-largest battery manufacturer, Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Ltd, is betting on expansion in the US market as part of its bid to double the share of revenue from exports in the next five years.The Hyderabad-based auto ancillary firm is doubling down on building a local distribution network in the North American market to benefit from its edge in one of the advanced technologies in the lead acid battery industry to win incremental business at a time when tariffs in the US have brought uncertainty for Indian businesses, according to a top executive.“One of the most exciting opportunities, especially on the lead acid side, is building ourselves up in North America. That's where we see certain technology trends like a move towards AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries,” Harshavardhana Gourineni, executive director at Amara Raja, told Mint.“We're the only manufacturer in India that's supplying AGM batteries to the OEMs.

NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering extending the 5% concessional basic customs duty (BCD) on lithium-ion cells used in battery packs for electric vehicles (EVs) for another two years in the upcoming Union budget, according to two people familiar with the matter, as domestic manufacturing has failed to gain momentum.“The proposal from the country’s automobile industry came up during consultations with the ministry of finance,” said one of the two people cited above.“The recommendation is being considered by the Union ministry of finance,” said the second person. Both persons quoted earlier did not want to be identified.The battery accounts for up to half of an EV’s price, and India’s lithium-ion cell imports have surged to $3 billion in FY25 from $1.8 billion in FY22, according to data from the commerce ministry's trade portal.India currently only assembles imported batteries, and demand for these cells is expected to quadruple from the existing 15 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 60-65 GWh by FY30.

New Delhi: India’s two-wheeler market has just logged a record year, crossing 20 million units in sales, but the milestone comes with a fresh bout of regulatory uncertainty. Manufacturers are still awaiting a formal notification on the Centre’s proposal to mandate anti-lock braking systems (ABS) on all two-wheelers below 125 cc from 1 January.Even as the cost increase-wary industry pushes for a combined braking system (CBS) as an alternative, Mint explains why the government is pressing ahead with ABS and the safety trade-offs at the centre of the debate.For one, India is the world’s biggest two-wheeler market by sales.

DPIIT) has taken note of the recommendations of a high-level Niti Aayog committee that suggested a softer stance on restrictions on investments from China,” one of the two people cited above said on the condition of anonymity. “Some rounds of inter-ministerial consultations have already been held in this regard, with a recent such consultation taking place in December,” the person said.The shift in thinking marks an emphasis on effective control rather than mere equity holding, as India seeks to balance the need for capital inflows with security considerations.

New Delhi: Nearly two months after the cabinet cleared the export promotion mission (EPM) on 12 November, the government launched the market access support (MAS) intervention on Wednesday. The MAS will strengthen buyer connect, improve visibility of Indian products abroad, and support exporters, especially small businesses, in navigating entry into priority and emerging markets, the commerce ministry said in a statement.The MAS intervention will be implemented under the Niryat Disha sub-scheme of the EPM.

New Delhi: India’s top manufacturers of scooters, motorcycles and cars are set to close the year on a record high, with two-wheeler retail registrations crossing 20 million and four-wheeler registrations crossing 4.3 million for the first time.According to data from the government's Vahan portal, which records vehicle registrations after they have been sold at dealerships, two-wheeler registrations grew by 7% to 20.2 million units in 2025, breaking the all-time record of 19.6 million registrations in 2018. Meanwhile, passenger vehicle registrations (cars, sports utility vehicles and vans) grew 9% year-on-year to 4.38 million units, also a new record.This growth is reflected in investors' bullishness for the automobile sector, with the Nifty Auto rising 22% during the year, against 10% for the benchmark Nifty 50.Independent analysts have noted over the past few days that the automobile sector as a whole benefited from the goods and services tax (GST) cuts in September, helping it achieve record-high sales.“Following the GST rationalization, demand has picked up across segments and seems to have remained intact even after the festive season.

Mint examines what lies ahead for AI in India in the coming year.In a way, yes. India will host the next global AI summit, scheduled for 15 February in New Delhi.

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]’s trade policy in 2025 unfolded against a challenging global backdrop of high US tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty and slowing global demand.

New Delhi: India's rollout of surrogate advertising guidelines is likely to be delayed further, as the government struggles to find clear legal authority under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, two people familiar with the matter said. This complicates efforts to rein in indirect promotion of alcohol and indirect promotion ofbrands while prolonging regulatory uncertainty for companies operating under existing advertising restrictions.There is little clarity yet on a timeline for the guidelines even after one-and-a-half years of a government panel first meeting to fix these gaps from which surrogate promotions scrape throughThe consumer law does not define surrogate advertising or treat indirect promotion of prohibited products such as alcohol and tobacco as a standalone offence, limiting the government's ability to issue binding rules.“The consumer affairs ministry is examining whether the guidelines can be rolled out through executive action, while the department of consumer affairs is of the view that the current law allows intervention only when an advertisement is misleading with respect to the product being promoted, limiting the scope for such guidelines,” said the first of the two people cited above.In most such cases, the advertised product, such as packaged water, soda, music CDs or merchandise, is legally sold and not misleading in isolation, even if it uses the same brand name, logo or colours as a prohibited product.

Bengaluru: Indian consumer branding is undergoing a quiet transformation, as companies adopt culturally familiar brand personas rather than Westernised ones to win shoppers.A new generation of homegrown labels, such as Nicobar, Gully Labs, and Vahdam Teas, is keeping Indian aesthetics, local languages, regional stories, and indigenous craftsmanship at the forefront of their products and communication. From design motifs inspired by traditional art to campaigns rooted in everyday Indian experiences, these firms are tapping into the growing consumer appetite for authenticity and cultural relevance.New Delhi-based Gully Labs, which sells modern sneakers for men and women, curates all its products with local artisans and derives its name from the Hindi word 'gully,' meaning street.

New Delhi: India’s leading electric bus and truck makers are planning to ask for a one-year extension on exemptions to import rare earth magnet motors — that are critical for electric vehicles (EVs)—under a central government scheme, three executives directly aware of the development said.According to the executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, manufacturers may seek an import relaxation till March 2027 under the ₹10,900-crore PM-E Drive scheme.The earlier deadline for e-trucks and e-buses to switch to locally manufactured rare earth magnet motors was March 2026, which was in turn extended from 1 September 2025.The extension is being sought as supply disruptions persist in imports, while local production of rare earth magnets and alternative motor technologies is expected to take another one to two years.Manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Eka Mobility and Montra Electric are deliberating on sending a request to the ministry of heavy industries (MHI) to extend the import deadline, the executives said.A formal outreach to the government is expected in the next few weeks.

New Delhi: Companies must recognize the impact of the new labour codes in their December-quarter profit and loss statements, even as a new financial reporting format and lower compliance requirements for unlisted subsidiaries are in the pipeline, according to the head of the accounting profession’s self-regulator.Businesses are required to reflect any additional gratuity liability arising from the labour codes upfront in their December-quarter results, Charanjot Singh Nanda, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), said in an interview, citing a guidance note issued by the accounting rule-maker.The labour codes mandate that at least 50% of an employee's total remuneration must be treated as wages, the basis for gratuity calculation. This is expected to increase gratuity and leave benefit liabilities for many employers who currently compute gratuity on a smaller base because of allowances accounting for a larger share.The guidance note, reviewed by Mint, says that any increase in gratuity liability due to application of the new labour codes is ‘past service cost’ as it results in benefits payable.

New Delhi: To reduce India’s high burn-related mortality rates and standardise care across hospitals, the Centre has issued comprehensive treatment guidelines that formalise first-aid practices and discourage the use of common household remedies, according to two officials and a document seen by Mint.The development assumes significance given the rising burn injuries—an estimated 6-7 million injuries annually and around 150,000 deaths each year—with women and children disproportionately affected due to cooking fires and flammable liquids.The new framework, to be adopted by health centres with immediate effect, seeks to replace India’s fragmented, hospital-specific burn care protocols with a uniform, evidence-based system ranging from first responders, primary health centres (PHCs) and tertiary hospitals.The guidelines organise burn care into four levels—pre-hospital, primary, secondary and tertiary—clearly outlining responsibilities at each stage to reduce delays, inappropriate treatment and avoidable complications.They address a critical gap where healthcare professionals often relied on a mix of personal expertise and conflicting protocols due to resource constraints.The effectiveness of burn care in India has been constrained by chronic shortages of trained personnel, essential supplies and specialised equipment, gaps that are most acute in resource-limited settings, impacting patient recovery and complication rates."Standard treatment guidelines are vital because medical science is evidence-based, yet currently, individual hospitals often follow disparate protocols. It is crucial to collate best practices to ensure uniformity," said Dr.

The author is associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and visiting fellow at the Centre de Sciences Humaines, New Delhi.Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint.

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.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi/Karnal: In 2002, Rakshit Jagdale, a young MBA student, went pub crawling in Glasgow, Scotland. Not on a drunken soiree with batchmates but on a more onerous task, assigned by his father.