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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.

passage of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act in July 2025, US lawmakers added to the sense that crypto is here to stay. But look beyond the hype and an uncomfortable issue remains unresolved: Are cryptocurrencies a genuine innovation capable of serving the common good, or a speculative threat to financial and social stability?Of course, not all cryptocurrencies are alike.

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European Union, sent a shudder through cosmopolitan elites across the West.As many rushed to stockpile goods in the event of a “no-deal” Brexit, I remember being asked whether the sight of half-empty supermarket shelves reminded me of Albania under Hoxha (they did not). Yet with hindsight—after US President Donald Trump’s first election, a global pandemic, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and Trump’s return to the White House—even die-hard opponents of Brexit might now concede that their panic was somewhat overblown.Or was it? Next year, Brexit will mark its tenth anniversary—certainly an important symbolic milestone in the current age of globalization.

US Federal Reserve fueled this cycle by keeping its policy rate “low for long” after the 2008 global financial crisis. For too many, “long” was interpreted as “forever.” They simply took it for granted that US growth would be consistently higher than the real interest rate on government debt, which itself would remain exceptionally low by historical standards.

lawsuits were filed in the last week of December by individuals in states including Arizona and California, who claimed they lost sensitive personal data such as financial account details, social security numbers, and addresses. Mint could not independently ascertain whether Cognizant intends to settle the claims.The 23 December complaint alleged that Cognizant did not disclose critical details of the cyberattack.“Defendants (Cognizant) have not disclosed the details of the cyberattack to Plaintiffs (complainants) or Class members, including the root cause of the data breach, the vulnerabilities exploited, and the remedial measures undertaken to ensure such a breach does not occur again.

Justice Department has stated explicitly that it is no longer in the business of routinely complying with orders from federal district courts or courts of appeal, and the administration has treated laws mandating spending (and more) as optional.The rhetorical foundation for these moves is Trump’s claim to have a “mandate” in the form of his (slender) election victory in November 2024. Never mind that, under the US constitutional system, presidents exercise authority within the terms set by the country’s laws.

2014 invasion of Crimea, when the West told Ukrainians to stand down and tacitly accepted Russian control of the peninsula. On the eve of the 2022 full-scale invasion, we prepared to support a long Ukrainian guerilla war against Russian occupation and were cautious about giving the Ukrainian government weapons that we assumed would only fall into Russian hands. As the Kremlin’s tanks crossed the border, we offered President Volodymyr Zelensky an escape route, so he could lead Ukraine’s government in exile.Even after the Ukrainian people showed that they had the will and the strength not to be conquered, we have been collectively hesitant about giving them the tools that they need to win.

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.

globalization. Faced with so much chaos and uncertainty, can we say anything with confidence about where the US and global economies are heading?One thing we can say is that the US economy is not doing as well as Trump, ever the con man, would have us believe.

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%.

Mint examines how the economy fared in 2025, and what lies ahead in 2026.Quite strong. The economy expanded at a brisk pace, clocking average gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.8% in the first three quarters of the year, with growth in the final quarter (October–December) estimated at 7%. This sets the stage for GDP growth of about 7.6% in calendar year 2025, once again making India the fastest-growing large economy in the world.

The impact of Trump 2.0: The year saw a stark turn in US engagement, with Trump’s approach to the Indo-Pacific characterized by unpredictability at best and rent-seeking at worst.The recently-released US National Security Strategy was emblematic of this ambiguity, prioritizing quid pro quo ties over legacy commitments and the use of muscular rhetoric while offering little doctrinal clarity.This has sent out mixed signals on China, as its deterrence rhetoric coexists with policy fuzziness and even deference in some parts, with US partners struggling to identify US thresholds for action, particularly on high-stakes issues such as Taiwan.Despite the rhetorical turbulence emanating from Washington, alliance architectures did not collapse, although they didn’t sprint forward either.Traditional security partnerships with Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines have endured amid a sobering realization of the magnitude of US capabilities, particularly vis-à-vis strategic concerns about China.Nonetheless, the pace and predictability of strategic cooperation have waned, which is telling in the context of a tenuous regional landscape.Hence, although formal alliances will continue to matter, their political meaning has shifted, with partner countries less willing now to outsource strategy entirely to Washington and more inclined to shape outcomes independently, reflecting a post-‘hub-and-spokes complacency’ mindset.Similarly, multilateral formats like the Quad persisted and adapted, but the coherence of their agenda often reflected leadership from partners as much as from Washington.Initiatives such as maritime domain awareness and cooperation on critical minerals, for example, were driven more on the ground by Canberra,

2026 is poised to be a year of monumental moments, marked by a summer of Assembly elections in India, an intensifying global space race, and major sporting events — notably the FIFA World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.The year also marks the US completing 250 years of independence, Bangladesh heading to the polls for the first time since former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, India hosting the 18th Brics Summit, Apple turning 50, and the long-awaited release of GTA VI, the open-world action-adventure franchise. All of these set the stage for a packed year ahead.

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John Lennon wrote and recorded a song in 1975 with these evocative lyrics: So this is Christmas/ What have you done?/ Another year over/ And a new one just begun. This song was part of his anti-war activism, but the words could apply to various causes.As the sun sets on 2025 and the calendar gets reset for 2026, it might be worthwhile to take a moment to reflect upon what whizzed past as a means of getting a better handle on what awaits us.

Indian stock markets: The Indian stock market ended largely flat on Tuesday, 30 December, as investors stayed cautious amid a lack of fresh domestic triggers and mixed global cues. The Sensex closed at 84,675.08, down 20 points, or 0.02%, while the Nifty 50 slipped 3 points, or 0.01%, to 25,938.85.

Today, we revisit the biggest data stories featured in Mint’s Plain Facts section through the year. Our coverage spanned socio-economic trends, US tariffs, data quality, politics, cinema and climate, with our trademark charts telling important stories about the India of 2025. Each link in this piece leads to the corresponding story, which offers more charts and in-depth analysis.The second edition of the government’s time-use survey gave an insight into the daily lives and routines of India.

Indian equities navigated a paradoxical 2025, remaining historically stoic despite the lingering shadow of late-2024 corrections and the pressure of US tariffs. With a maximum drawdown—the peak-to-trough decline within the year—of just 9% and a year-end return of 8%, 2025 stands as a year of relative calm.This performance is not a rarity, though.

Despite domestic equities becoming the worst-performing among emerging markets in 2025, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have continued to invest in India through its primary markets, and the trend is expected to persist next year.Investment bankers and money managers have attributed this trend to FPIs' conviction in the country's long-term structural growth prospects, even as the cohorts tactically reduce their cash market exposure due to a range of factors, including softer US interest rates and a slowdown in earnings growth.While FPIs have net sold a record ₹2.34 trillion of cash or secondary market shares this calendar year, following steeper valuations compared to emerging market (EM) peers amid an earnings growth pause, their purchases through the primary route at ₹73,749 crore this year have been the second-highest, only to the record ₹80,314 crore inflows in 2021.This bullishness on India is also evident historically. From 2015 to the end of 2025, FPIs have been net sellers six out of 11 times in the cash market.

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