India Financial News

In India, the fastest-expanding major economy, economic growth quickened to close out 2024 on a pickup in government spending and strong rural-area consumption. Here are some of the charts that appeared on Bloomberg this week on the latest developments in the global economy, markets and geopolitics:

Indian retail market is expected to reach over Rs 190 lakh crore by 2034 and retailers capable of embracing the country's diverse demographics and contrasting consumer behaviours stand to gain the most, according to a report. With distinct consumer groups, each with their own unique needs even within a city, retailers will need to recognise the different opportunities and pick sharply where they want to play to be successful in 'Bharat' and 'India', said the report prepared jointly by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Retailers Association of India (RAI). The retail market in India reached a size of Rs 82 lakh crore in 2024, up from Rs 35 lakh crore in 2014, growing at over 8.9 per cent in the last decade, driven by the India's economic growth and an increasingly discerning and diverse consumer base, said the report titled 'Winning in Bharat & India: The Retail Kaleidoscope'. India's consumption growth trajectory has been secular, barring during the COVID-19 pandemic and it is set to witness the highest growth in consumption between 2024-2034, it noted.

For India, Virat Kohli is set to make his 300th ODI appearance, and he will be eager to make a mark after his match-winning century against Pakistan. Shubman Gill currently leads India’s batting charts in the tournament with 147 runs, while Mohammed Shami has been the standout bowler with five wickets to his name. On the New Zealand side, Tom Latham is leading the run-scoring charts with 173 runs, supported by Rachin Ravindra and Will Young. The Kiwi bowling unit, led by Michael Bracewell and William O'Rourke, has also been effective, each picking up five wickets in the tournament.

Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy escalated into open hostility in its final minutes recently. The confrontation began when Senator J.D. Vance criticized Zelenskyy for addressing U.S.

HPCL, the government headhunter struggled to find a suitable candidate for the top job at Bharat Petroleum, as most applicants were narrow specialists lacking multidisciplinary experience needed to run a large organisation. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) last month interviewed a dozen candidates including BPCL Director (Finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta and its Director (Refineries) S Khanna but found none suitable for the job of chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), according to a PESB order. It advised the administrative ministry «to choose an appropriate course of further action for selection including the search cum selection committee,» according to the order. Incumbent G Krishnakumar superannuates as chairman and managing director of BPCL on April 30 this year.

Manav Sharma, a Senior Process Associate at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), allegedly died by suicide in Agra on 24 February 2025. A live video recorded before his death surfaced, in which he blamed his wife, Niketa, for pushing him towards the drastic step. His family has accused her of harassment and making divorce difficult for him.

Tanuj Mahashabde, widely recognized for his role as Krishnan Subramaniam Iyer in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently opened up about his personal and professional life in an interview. Known for portraying a Chennai-based scientist and the husband of Babita (played by Munmun Dutta), his character also serves as the treasurer of Gokuldham Society. During the interview with the Times of India, Tanuj humorously addressed his single status, joking that he is the «real-life Popatlal,» a nod to a character in the show who struggles to find a life partner. He playfully remarked that while his on-screen character has a beautiful wife, in real life, he remains unmarried. When asked whether his busy schedule keeps him from pursuing a relationship, he admitted he wasn't sure about the reason.

Adani Group is reportedly reigniting its ambitions for significant investments in the United States, the Financial Times reported on March 2 citing sources «familiar with the development». This development assumes importance in light of ongoing criminal allegations against Gautam Adani, the conglomerate’s wealthy founder. The business group, which specializes in infrastructure, has resumed its interest in financing projects across various sectors in the US, including nuclear energy, utilities, and a port on the east coast, according to four individuals connected to Gautam Adani, the group’s founder and chairman, the FT report said. Following Donald Trump's election as president last year, Adani, who ranks among India's most influential industrialists, initially committed to investing $10 billion in the United States, a move that was expected to generate approximately 15,000 jobs. However, those intentions appeared to be sidelined shortly thereafter when Adani and seven others faced indictments from US authorities for their involvement in an alleged $265 million bribery scheme related to solar energy in India.

high-security registration plates (HSRPs), as per officials. The government has made HSRPs mandatory for vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, to curb vehicle theft and bring uniformity in identification, placing the onus on manufacturers to install them before handing the vehicles to customers. It extended the deadline to fit HSRPs till April 30. The state government has also mandated HSRPs for an estimated 2.10 crore older vehicles registered before April 1, 2019.

Nifty recorded its worst fall in February since the Covid, falling by 6% while the beginning to March series was equally uninspiring as both headline indices ended Friday, down 1.9%, breaking major support levels. When markets resume trading on Monday, a host of important domestic and global events lined up during the week are likely to impact them. Nifty closed at 22,124.70, lower by 420.35.

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Entrepreneur and political figure Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked fresh debate online after an old video of him conducting a home interview without wearing shoes resurfaced on social media. The 39-year-old, who is now running for governor of Ohio following his 2024 presidential campaign, found himself at the center of criticism as some users questioned his choice to go barefoot, calling it «uncivilised» and «un-American.» The video has placed him in the spotlight and has ignited conversations about cultural norms, political image and public expectations from American leaders. An X-user shared a screenshot of the interview on the micro-blogging platform and wrote, “Vivek will never be governor of Ohio. This is unacceptable for America.” The user also circled his bare feet in the photo. While some defended his actions, pointing out that being barefoot at home is a common practice in many cultures, while others saw it as a lack of decorum, particularly for a public figure.

Civilian Aviation Ministry launched its aircraft BOEING-737 flight from Kolkata to Goa via Hindon on Saturday. The project was inaugurated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu at Hindon, showcasing exemplary civilian-military coordination. Hindon Airport is located in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Due to its strategic location, dual-use capabilities, military infrastructure and capacity to handle diverse air traffic, it is a crucial asset for the nation. The introduction of flights from Hindon will go a long way in decongesting air traffic in NCR. This flight under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) project is a testament to the Indian Air Force's commitment to supporting both military and civilian air operations, facilitating improved access to varied locations.

India will aim to go into knockouts unbeaten when they face New Zealand in the final group encounter at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai today. Both India and New Zealand have qualified for the semifinals from Group B while Australia and South Africa have made it through from Group B.

Accenture. Notably, in view of the influx of automation enabled by generative AI, 97% of Indian executives surveyed expect that the tasks their employees perform will moderately-to-significantly shift towards innovation over the next three years.

Study abroad consultants across India are facing a surge in frantic calls. Students braving the end of the student direct stream programme in Canada and caps on the permits to international students — or already studying there — are desperate for clarity as the country's latest immigration regulations take effect. These students and their parents are also seeking help from the consultants to chart their way forward. Sudden permit cancellations, heightened scrutiny of visa applications and stricter enforcement of departure rules have already thrown thousands of the estimated 423,000 Indians in Canada into a tizzy. «We've had multiple clients lose their permits despite perfect academic records. The IRCC (the government department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) projects 7,000 more revocations this year — I think that's conservative,» said Nikhil Jain, founder of ForeignAdmits.

Shyam Gollakota has been able to pull off. A recipient of the Infosys Prize 2024, Gollakota, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, aims to augment human auditory perception using AI and change how humans interact with sound. The technology enables the programming of acoustic scenes, allowing specific sounds to be amplified or filtered out based on semantic descriptions. This means AI can isolate each sound, place it in a spatial context and manipulate what a listener should hear. “Humans naturally struggle to judge how far away a sound is coming from,” the professor explained. “If you close your eyes and try to estimate distance by listening, it’s difficult. Someone far away could be speaking loudly, while someone close might be speaking softly. But with AI-driven audio processing, we can create an effect where, as you move through a space, it feels like stepping through virtual sound walls — suddenly, you hear everything within your bubble and nothing outside it.”

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) steps into the new year facing a new set of challenges: Increasing competition, continued macro uncertainty, and an absence of mega deals. However, experts see opportunities for a demand uptick, deal consolidation, digital transformation projects, and artificial intelligence moving into the production stage, indicating that 2025 will be better than the previous year for the Tata Group company with an annual revenue of $29 billion. CEO K Krithivasan has stabilised the ship in a tough market since taking charge more than a year and a half ago, analysts say. He will now need to perform on reversing revenue erosion from account rampdowns, including its 4G network deal with state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) in India, its fastest growing market.

pharmaceutical industry say levying tariffs may make generic drugs marginally costlier for the US patients and even lead to drug shortages. Dilip Shanghvi, chairman and managing director at Sun Pharma, India's largest drug maker by sales and market cap, told an industry gathering that his company sells products between $1 and $5 per bottle in the US and a tariff of 10% or 25% may marginally change that cost. «Possibly it will not justify relocating manufacturing,» Shanghvi said, responding to Trump's frenetic calls to either set up manufacturing bases in the US or face tariffs. He added the profit margins for drugs sold in the US are so low that the ability to absorb tariffs is limited. «Ultimately it will get passed on to the consumers,» he noted. For FY24, Sun Pharma had 32% of its total sales of ₹47,800 crore from the US, a notch higher than 31% that came from its home market India.

Companies like Coursera, upGrad, Simplilearn, Emeritus and Newton School are all seeing significantly higher numbers of female enrolments. Emeritus has seen double the growth in female enrolments in India compared to other parts of the world in the last two years, and on the Simplilearn platform, there has been a 78% growth in women's enrolment compared to 2023. These edtech firms say women are driven by the need to stay ahead in current roles, secure better career opportunities and higher earning potential, as well as transition into emerging fields like AI and data analytics.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), driven by strong demand for its range of SUVs, raced past Korean rival Hyundai Motor in February to grab the second spot in India's passenger vehicle market behind leader Maurti Suzuki. The Mumbai-based manufacturer of the XUV700 and Thar Roxx SUVs sold 50,420 passenger vehicles, up 19% from a year earlier, in a month when industry sales were estimated to be subdued, growing just around 2% amid tepid consumer demand.