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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.

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] goods companies are heading into 2026 expecting a pickup in volume-led growth, supported by stable commodity costs, easing inflation and revised goods and services tax (GST) rates, even as a weakening rupee continues to pose risks to margin guidance.Senior executives across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and consumer durables companies said demand conditions are improving after a prolonged period of sluggish growth, aided by easing food inflation, GST changes and a more supportive macroeconomic environment.“If I had to look ahead to 2026, a large part of growth is likely to be volume-led.

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 challenge of regulation: Economic theory on market behaviour under a duopoly is subsumed in the larger literature focused on economic dynamics under an oligopoly (few sellers).There has been extensive oligopoly research; the problem is not paucity of theory or models, but the lack of a model that predicts firm behaviour in particular contexts with accuracy and reliability.This is required, as it could form the basis for policy decisions on whether, how and under what circumstances the government ought to intervene with regulatory measures.Empirical research shows that firm performance varies along a continuum bound by perfect competition and perfect monopoly, but not in predictable ways. Thus, the difficulty in formulating useful public policy interventions is that duopoly behaviour is highly circumstantial.

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.

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narrated their misdeed in great detail and how Sebi’s surveillance system flagged this “unusual trading activity.” A thrilling read.Gensol & BluSmart: A tale of debt woesYet another investigation by Sood focused on two companies, one public, the second one private. BluSmart, the private business, once emerged as the third alternative in the ride-hailing business dominated by Uber and Ola back then. It became the go-to cab service for airport trips for many flyers.

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compressed natural gas (CNG) and city gas distribution (CGD) prices cheaper.Noting that the regulator is vested with power primarily to fix tariffs for natural gas pipelines, the report said: "However, other remaining major part of delivered cost of gas i.e. gas prices, regasification charges (including truck loading charges) are currently not in PNGRB’s regulatory oversight.

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Mint looks at how the world’s largest economy has defied expectations and stayed resilient in 2025 despite multiple challenges. Will this dream run continue in 2026?Yes.

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Even in a tough year, the Nifty has delivered 7–8% returns, Systematic Investment Plan flows remain strong, and this phase has been more of a time correction than a price correction, said Sunil Singhania, founder of Abakkus Asset Manager. As economic recovery gains pace, he is more optimistic about 2026 and 2027.While some markets, such as South Korea, have posted 60–70% gains in 2025, these gains reflect a catch-up after years of flat returns and are driven by just a handful of tech and AI stocks, making them vulnerable if the AI trade cools.

₹2,000-crore technology upgradation scheme for small businesses in the 2026-27 budget, aimed at boosting the adoption of energy-efficient machinery, two people aware of the development said.The technology upgradation scheme, proposed by the Union ministry of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), and currently under discussion, will cover MSMEs with annual turnover of less than ₹50 crore, offering them a 20% capital subsidy for purchase of energy-efficient machinery, smart manufacturing, and automation upgrades, said the first of the two persons cited earlier, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.A micro enterprise has an annual turnover of up to ₹5 crore, a small enterprise up to ₹50 crore, and a medium enterprise up to ₹500 crore.The plan comes amid several countries introducing their own carbon taxes on imports from nations with weaker climate regulations. The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) comes into effect from 1 January.

Grace Zhu in Beijing contributed to this article.Write to Peter Landers at [email protected] all the Business News , Economy news , Breaking News Events andLatest News Updates on Live Mint.

State-owned Central Bank of India is looking to change its loan book mix by stepping up corporate lending, even as retail, agriculture and MSME (RAM) segments remain its core strength, managing director Kalyan Kumar told Mint in an interview.As of September 2025, nearly 72% of the bank’s ₹2.93 trillion loan book was tilted towards RAM, with corporates accounting for just 28%. Kumar plans to change this mix to 65:35 by March 2026, without diluting the lender’s core focus on its rural and semi-urban franchise.Barely weeks after taking charge on 30 September, Kumar said that, “RAM will always remain our priority.

₹15,000-crore fruit economy, trapping apple growers in a cycle of rising input costs and recurring losses, even as the promise of crop insurance remains largely theoretical.Weighed down by low enthusiasm after another season of heavy losses, fruit growers have begun the new farming cycle, pruning apple trees in their orchards, amid Chilai Kalan, Kashmir's harshest forty days of winter.In Allaiepora village of Pulwama, Khursheed Ahmad Allaie tells Mint that the apple growers who once invested heavily in establishing high-density orchards, converting paddy fields into apple farms, now find themselves at a loss, as the impacts of the climate crisis have intensified over the past decade.“Global warming has changed everything. Heatwaves bring disease.

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: From the boardrooms of Mumbai to the policy corridors of Delhi, executives began huddling early this year over a little-known but indispensable component found in virtually every vehicle on the road: rare-earth magnets.When China imposed a ban on these materials in April 2025, not many were aware of the critical role these magnets played.

There are a lot of reasons, some deserved and some not, for Americans' distrust of their institutions. Lately I have been thinking about one of the more counterintuitive ones: Schools, governments and even employers are trying too hard to make things fair.In doing so, they are not only setting themselves up for failure—and eventually mistrust—but they are also misunderstanding the galvanizing role that unfairness plays in a competitive economy.Unfairness can be tempered, but it can never be eliminated.

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