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digital arsenals" to interfere in Western democracies, while their messaging around the war in Ukraine had become increasingly aligned. «Foreign information manipulation and interference is a major security threat to the EU,» foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a report. «We must not underestimate the power that this has over us, or the intentions of those behind it.» In its latest annual report on the subject Brussels said that last year it tracked disinformation attacks against over 80 countries and more than 200 organisations. The war in Ukraine remains a major target for Russia — but events such as the Olympics in Paris, elections in Moldova and farmers' protests in Germany were also in the crosshairs.

«Gold looks on a better footing. It has delivered great return like equity, but we will have to realise whether we will be able to liquidate gold or not,» says Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak AMC. Gold and Nifty have given similar returns. I mean, why are we doing so much of analysis every day? So much of volatility. We look at macro, we look at rupee, we look at earnings, we look at PE. Life is so simple. Just buy gold, forget it. Nilesh Shah: So, we will have to figure out when Indians decide to sell gold, who will buy. Today, gold prices are up because we are one of the largest buyer. Fortunately, for India, central banks of the world have become like our housewives.

inter-ministerial committee to address issues being faced by the country’s fintech industry that has run into multiple regulatory hurdles over the past few years. The committee comprises representatives from the Department of Financial Services, Department of Economic Affairs, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Electronics & Information technology (MeitY), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), the Reserve Bank of India, markets regulator Sebi and founders of fintech firms Billdesk, Acko General Insurance, Groww, and Jupiter. ET has reviewed an order for the same issued by the financial services department on March 17.

NPCI) is working to phase out ‘collect calls’ for merchant payments as part of the government’s efforts to combat online frauds via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), two bankers familiar with the matter said. A collect call is a ‘pull’ transaction, where a merchant initiates a payment request to the customer. Given that merchants have a higher degree of control over these, there is a more chance of fraud. Authorities are instead encouraging ‘push’ transactions, where the customer initiates the payment by scanning a QR code or through other means.

reciprocal tariffs, which should be negated through higher export goals across both manufacturing and services fronts, SBI Research said Monday. This, it said, will be driven by India’s diversified exports kitty, value addition, alternate areas and new routes that transcend from Europe to the US via the Middle-East, redrawing new supply chain algorithms. “We estimated the decline in exports in the range of 3-3.5% which again should be negated through higher export goals across both manufacturing and services fronts,” SBI Research said, adding that India stands to gain in an increasingly uncertain world of tariffs. India has a $13 million trade deficit for aluminium and $406 million for steel with the US and can potentially take advantage of this. India is among the top 10 sources for aluminium for the US but its share has declined to 2.8% in 2024 from 3% in 2018. India is negotiating free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK, Canada, and the EU, targeting sectors like services, digital trade, and sustainable development. “The shift towards regional supply chains and the impact of geopolitical changes, such as the US tariff war are influencing India’s FTA strategies to ensure alignment with global trade dynamics,” it said.

Great Indian Sleep Scorecard (GISS) 2025 survey by D2C sleep and home solutions company Wakefit. Indian women tend to have more irregular sleeping patterns. Nearly six in ten (59%) sleep past 11 pm, with half waking up feeling fatigued, compared to 42% of men. While 9% of men report waking up three or more times every night, the figure stands at 13% for women. The survey covered 4,500 responses across India between March 2024 and February 2025. It is aimed at highlighting shifting sleep behaviours and their potential repercussions on daily life. The survey found digital habits are having a direct bearing on sleep. More than eight in ten (84%) respondents use their phones just before going to bed, leading to fragmented rest and delayed sleep onset. More than half (51%) pit the blame of their sleepless nights on binge-watching and late-night scrolling, leading to nearly six in ten feeling sleepy at work. With nine in ten respondents, phone usage before bedtime is most prevalent among the 25-30 age cohort.

But while Beijing braces for impact, India’s strategy is more of wait and watch. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently showered warm words for Trump. Speaking on a podcast with Lex Fridman, Modi described Trump as «far more prepared» for his second term, crediting him with a clear roadmap and strategic steps to achieve his goals. However, Modi's praise comes amid looming reciprocal tariff threats and the fact that Trump has time and again called out India to be among the nations that charge the US the highest tariffs. While Trump has praised Modi often, he has called India a tariff abuser. In the February meeting, Trump and Modi discussed trade issues and the nations are working on a trade deal. Trump, nonetheless, wants actions from India that should be beneficial for his land, including India buying more oil from the US. Trump's close ally Elon Musk meanwhile also seems to be getting some advantage in India these days. While Tesla is about to enter India, telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel also signed deals with Starlink.

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Ola Electric have suffered a significant loss of value. Meanwhile, IT stocks continue to be laggards due to the uncertainty triggered by factors in the US. Mobikwik Shares of One MobiKwik Systems, the parent company of digital payments provider MobiKwik, sank as much as 15% in early trade on Monday, hitting a fresh 52-week low of Rs 231.05. This is due to the expiration of a three-month lock-in period on nearly 46 lakh shares, or 6% of the company's outstanding stock, making them eligible for trade.

Airtel Payments Bank has surpassed one billion transactions on its platform in January 2025, reflecting a 47 per cent year-on-year growth in transaction volume across businesses, according to a top official. Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO at Airtel Payments Bank told PTI that the «milestone» underscores increasing adoption of digital banking and payment solutions. It also highlights the diverse business model that the bank has built over the years. The bank caters to three key customer segments, urban digital, underbanked, and industries and institutions. «The bank's extensive digital presence combined with its deep distribution of over 5,00,000 banking points across India has been instrumental in making its services accessible to millions of customers in both urban and rural areas. Today, the Bank's monthly transacting users exceed well above 100 million,» Biswas said.

The projects include data centres from China's Beijing Haoyang Cloud&Data Technology, Singapore-based Empyrion Digital, and Thai company, GSA Data Center 02, it said. Beijing Haoyang's plan in Thailand includes a 300 megawatt data centre, valued at 72.7 billion baht, while the Thai firm has proposed a 13.5 billion baht investment for a 35 MW data centre.

«Nifty 50 is broadly going to traverse something like 10% to 12% EPS growth. So, from here, 22,000 to expect 24,500 to 25,000 between December 25 and March 26 is certainly not out of place. So, from that point of view, a 10% to 12% Nifty gain is purely doable,» says Manish Sonthalia, Emkay Investment Managers. So, tell us a sum and summary. With so much of analysis you have done, tell us three stocks to buy. We will keep it very simple. You give me three stocks, one question and then I will let you go to a meeting. Manish Sonthalia: So, stock recommendations not doable because of regulations but look we have priced in most of the negative, that is one and whatever micro details you need to know about India is already known in public domain. There is nothing new to analyse just yet as things stand. We do not know all the information regarding tariffs, etc.

One MobiKwik Systems, the parent company of digital payments provider MobiKwik, slumped by as much as 14.6% on Monday, hitting a fresh 52-week low of Rs 231.05, after the expiration of a three-month lock-in period. The expiry has unlocked 46 lakh shares, or 6% of the company's outstanding stock, making them eligible for trade. The stock has experienced a significant decline, falling 61% from its post-listing high of nearly Rs 700. It has also dipped below its IPO price of Rs 269, adding to investor concerns. Over the last week, the shares have fallen by 13%, and in the past month, the drop has widened to 24%.

Delhi Police is introducing a merit-based examination for appointing Station House Officers (SHOs), marking a shift from the traditional system based on seniority and experience. For the first time, officers will be selected through a competitive process, starting with Cyber Police Stations, which handle digital crimes in the capital.

Ola Electric Mobility are expected to be in focus on Monday, March 17, after the company informed that a petition has been filed against its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ola Electric Technologies by M/s. Rosmerta Digital Services. The petition was submitted by Rosmerta Digital, which is an operational creditor of Ola, before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Bengaluru Bench. The creditor has alleged payment defaults for services rendered and has sought the initiation of a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) against Ola Electric Technologies.

Global leaders are arriving in New Delhi to participate in the Raisina Dialogue 2025, a key conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics. The foreign Ministers of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanar; the Philippines, Enrique A. Manalo; and Antigua and Barbuda, EP Chet Greene, have already arrived in the capital. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X, «Welcoming FM Mr. Juraj Blanar of Slovak Republic, FM Enrique A. Manalo of Philippines & FM E.P. Chet Greene of Antigua & Barbuda, as they arrive in New Delhi for the Raisina Dialogue 2025.» The Raisina Dialogue, India's premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, will be held in New Delhi from March 17 to 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 10th edition of the event today, with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the chief guest and delivering the keynote address. Representatives from about 125 countries, including ministers, former Heads of State and heads of government, military commanders, captains of industry, technology leaders, academics, journalists, scholars on strategic affairs, experts from leading think tanks, and youth will participate in the Raisina Dialogue.

Donald Trump to create a “strategic Bitcoin reserve and digital assets stockpile” has sent the crypto enthusiasts in India into a tizzy. Hoping to cash in on what they believe could be the next big rally, they have led a surge in trading volumes, with CoinDCX reporting a 36% hike and Mudrex registering a 30% spike. While the reserve will only include Bitcoin, already owned by the US government, not acquired or actively bought, the digital asset stockpile will consist of tokens other than the Bitcoin—Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and Cardano (ADA), which will also not be acquired. The announcement is significant because it’s the first time that Bitcoin has been recognised as a reserve asset of the US government. “This sends a powerful message to the world about how blockchain and digital assets are becoming mainstream,” says Sumit Gupta, co-founder of CoinDCX. Agrees Edul Patel, Co-founder of Mudrex: “There is a strong future for crypto and Bitcoin globally, not just in the US.”

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For the past two years, ever since the launch of ChatGPT, there has been a common refrain among companies and organizations of all sizes: We need an AI strategy! The frenzy is understandable. Nobody wants to be left behind, and miss the Next Big Thing.

Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed as a «commendable accomplishment» the Reserve Bank of India being selected for the Digital Transformation Award 2025, and said it reflects an emphasis towards innovation and efficiency in governance. In a post on X, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it has been selected for the Digital Transformation Award 2025 by Central Banking, London, UK.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Union Budget for 2024-25 rightly focused on promoting inclusive growth and enabling employment-led development in India. With a goal of assisting the poor and vulnerable groups, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a scheme for the socioeconomic upliftment of Indian workers as the government tries to help them raise their incomes and attain sustainable livelihoods for a better quality of life.

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" in the United States is further proof of President Donald Trump's support for the cryptocurrency sector. Trump earlier this month signed an executive order establishing the reserve, which White House crypto chief David Sacks has likened to «a digital Fort Knox», comparing it to the stockpiling of gold bars at the US military base. Gold is held in reserves by countries worldwide as the metal is seen as a safe-haven asset, protecting against financial instability such as high inflation. The metal on Friday surpassed $3,000 per ounce for the first time, boosted by an uncertain economic outlook amid Trump's tariffs. Gold reserves can help also stabilise a country's currency, while bars are used as collateral for loans and transactions.