India Financial News

Homegrown carmakers JSW Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) are open to adopting range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) if India’s policy framework expands incentives beyond pure electric vehicles, even as experts warn against equating the technology with battery-electric cars.REEVs, also called REX (range extender) hybrids, are always driven by an electric motor but carry a small internal combustion engine (ICE) whose sole role is to generate electricity when the battery charge runs low. Comparatively, strong hybrids have both an electric battery and a powerful ICE engine, both of which can run the vehicle.To be sure, no carmaker in India manufactures or sells REEVs currently.

Stock market recap: Indian equities ended mixed on the first trading day of 2026, as stock-specific moves and a lack of fresh triggers kept sentiment subdued. The Sensex slipped marginally, while the Nifty 50 closed slightly higher.

India’s quick commerce battle is set to turn even more intense in 2026 even as companies delivering groceries to electronics within minutes chase customer loyalty and improve unit economics.The ongoing year saw an explosion of the rapid delivery segment as companies expanded beyond metros to tier 2 and 3 cities, added more warehouses and went beyond everyday essentials, burning even more cash to win over customers.Backed by fresh funding, the three dominant players–Swiggy’s Instamart, Eternal’s Blinkit and Zepto–will look to create profitable models to solidify their market position in the coming year, according to industry executives.“Expect sharper credit terms with brands, stricter expiry control, and consolidated city hubs,” said Madhav Kasturia, founder and chief executive officer of hyperlocal delivery platform Zippee. “Capital sets the pace, but execution still decides who can convert density into contribution profit every single week.”Swiggy raised ₹10,000 crore in fresh capital via a qualified institutional placement (QIP) on 13 December, two months after Zepto raised $450 million at a valuation of $7 billion, led by US-based pension fund California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) in October.

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] rise of the micro-drama is the definitive trend for India’s streaming industry in 2025, as tight budgets and slowing subscription growth mean over-the-top (OTT) players remain selective about content and still rely on big-budget films.

diabetes burden of 100 million after China, and another 136 million in the pre-diabetes stage. A high sugar intake is associated with type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and other metabolic health risks.Until the covid-19 pandemic, sugar consumption grew at an annual rate of about 4.1%, said Prakash P.

Mint.Agricultural experts said that the move could help ramp up foodgrain production, including pulses and other crops, by improving seed quality and farm-level productivity.“Increasing productivity is critical if India has to meet future food demand without relying heavily on imports. Better seeds backed by strong research can help raise yields of pulses and other crops, stabilize supplies, and protect farmers from climate and market shocks,” said Bimal Kothari, chairman of the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).All the cotton varieties are still Bt-II hybrids, showing policy continuity without any new biotech traits, the order notified on Thursday said.

Over 80% of global trade by volume and more than 70% by value moves by sea and is handled at ports, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's (UNCTAD’s) Review of Maritime Transport. In India, about 95% of trade by volume and 68% by value is carried by maritime transport.

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.

₹336 per bag of 50 kg, as per Elara Securities (India).A key drag on the overall pricing trajectory came from the southern region, which registered the steepest sequential drop of 3.9% to ₹304 due to subdued demand. After witnessing the sharpest price hikes of nearly ₹20-45 per bag in April, cement prices in the south have consistently trended downward and ended 2025 on a weak note, said the Elara report dated 30 December.Prices in Tamil Nadu and Kerala fell by around ₹5 per bag, while prices in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were flat month-on-month in December.The problem of the South? The region has been primarily experiencing an oversupply, along with relatively lower demand growth.

tax-saving investments.Mid-March marks the final advance tax payment deadline, and by 31 March, you want to wrap up documentation and filings for the previous financial year. Completing these steps on time can help you avoid penalties and make the most of deductions available under Indian tax laws.For investment discipline, the first week of April (between 1 and 5 April) is the best time to make a lump-sum investment in Public Provident Fund (PPF), so your contribution earns interest for the full year.

The Indian stock market is no longer a place where bargains are easily available. Thanks to the rally over the past two years, all stocks, including midcaps, have moved up.Riding a mix of earnings growth, policy stability and steady domestic inflows, most now enjoy valuations way above their historical medians.In such an environment, the question for investors is no longer where growth exists; it is how to capitalise on it.

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The recent transformation of India's flagship rural employment guarantee programme puts a greater financial burden on states, highlighting a long-running source of friction in their relationship with the Union government.By law, the Union government collects direct taxes and shares it with states. But states say their share has not kept pace with the growth in tax revenues, even though they bear the bulk of social and development expenditure. States also argue that their autonomy is being eroded as the Union government forces them to co-finance centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) that they did not necessarily approve.Under the Constitution, only the Union government can collect direct taxes, with the Finance Commission (FC) setting the terms under which it is shared with states.

The Indian equity benchmarks concluded the final session of 2025 on a firm note, snapping a four-day losing streak as value buying emerged across sectors.Nifty 50 advanced 190.75 points (0.74%) to close at 26,129.60, while S&P BSE Sensex rose 545.52 points (0.64%) to settle at 85,220.60.Market sentiment was primarily bolstered by the metal sector, which surged following the government’s announcement of a three-year import tariff on select steel products to curb cheap shipments from China.JSW Steel (+4.8%) and Tata Steel (+2.4%) emerged as top gainers, leading Nifty Metal to a 1.43% rise. The overall market breadth was positive, as reflected in an encouraging advance-decline ratio, with mid-cap and small-cap indices outperforming the front liners.While thin year-end volumes and sustained FII outflows remained headwinds throughout December, the session highlighted resilient domestic liquidity.

Mint in an interview.From JSW Paints acquiring AkzoNobel to Torrent Group acquiring J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals to Bajaj Finance buying out Allianz, growth-hungry Indian business groups are now making substantive M&A moves, he said.“We have seen that capital from global investors is headed towards India, and domestic capital continues to flow unabated.

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] DELHI: India’s energy transition has come a long way, with 50% of the country’s electricity generation capacity already coming from non-fossil sources led by solar and wind.

The number of small businesses going public grew at a slower pace this year as stringent regulatory requirements to curb frenzy and unfavourable macroeconomic conditions dampened issuances.The number of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the small and medium enterprises (SME) platforms grew 12.5% so far this year compared with a 31% surge in 2024, according to a report from Pantomath Capital Advisors.The Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) regulatory curbs significantly contributed to the slowdown by tightening eligibility, governance, and fund-use norms starting late 2024 and into 2025, said Jay Jhaveri, partner at Bhuta Shah and Co. LLP.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. is exploring gig-like hiring arrangements for hard-to-retain specialists in certain roles, signalling a shift as India’s $283 billion offshoring sector grapples with a talent crunch amid uncertainty caused by artificial intelligence.India’s largest information technology (IT) services company will consider allowing data architects and data scientists to log in for a few hours with the option to work elsewhere, according to a senior executive at the company, who didn’t want to be identified as the information is not yet public.“For instance, data architects do not need to work for 8 hours; their work often gets done in four hours, and then why should they not be allowed to work somewhere else? We will look at these sorts of gig options for skilled employees, and that will be the future of the workplace,” the executive said.The contours of this plan are still being finalised, and the company will have to factor in data privacy and client confidentiality concerns, the executive said.India’s software services providers mostly hire full-time employees.

Stock market recap: The Indian stock market witnessed healthy cross-segment buying on the last day of 2025, driven by short covering triggered by optimism that the coming year will be better than the current one, due to anticipated earnings growth, a potential India-US trade deal, and the return of foreign investors to the Indian market.The Sensex jumped 546 points, or 0.64%, to close at 85,220.60, with Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Axis Bank as the top contributors to the gains. The Nifty 50 settled at 26,129.60, rising 191 points, or 0.74%.

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.

Mint. They argue that the Centre’s recent record of meeting deficit targets provides enough credibility and momentum to navigate the next phase of consolidation.“The discipline built over the past few years gives us room to navigate the current volatility without losing sight of the medium-term path,” said one of the persons mentioned above, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.According to this official, the Centre expects to end FY26 with a fiscal deficit of about 4.3% of GDP, slightly better than the 4.4% target, lifted by stronger dividends from state-run financial institutions and banks, a hefty transfer from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and buoyant non-tax revenues.The second official acknowledged near-term turbulence but maintained it does not derail the trajectory.“If revenues remain broadly stable and we keep our capital spending disciplined and purposeful, the medium-term trajectory stays intact,” the official above said.Recent reports indicate the Centre will likely limit fiscal deficit to 4.1-4.2% in FY27, keeping it aligned with the glide path to the FY31 debt goal.The central government’s debt stood at 57.1% of nominal GDP in FY25, according to FY26 union budget documents, which proposed a shift to debt-to-GDP targeting.