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The government is discussing an extension or a completely new production-linked incentives plan for assembling mobile phones in India as the existing ₹40,995 crore scheme is set to expire in March, according to a top government official.A final call on the exact contours of the new or an extended mobile phone PLI scheme has not been taken, and the quantum of incentives has not been decided, S Krishnan, secretary at the ministry of electronics and IT (Meity), said in an interview.“There’s an analysis which shows that some degree of disability continues in the mobile phone electronics industry. While the situation has improved significantly, there still are areas that require improvement and support.

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.

electric vehicles, and electronics pushing the market into a supply deficit for the fifth consecutive year in 2025. Silver is currently trading at about $72 per ounce (oz), almost double the average of $36.6 per oz in the half-year ended September (H1FY26), and 1.4 times the FY25 average of $30.4 per oz. The persistent demand-supply mismatch is expected to keep prices firm.The rally brightens HZL’s earnings outlook.

Sebi)—moves that suggest growing institutional and promoter confidence in the sector.However, experts caution that rich valuations, lumpy growth and cash-flow risks mean only a handful of companies may be able to outperform the broader market from here. While sentiment around the defence theme has cooled, conviction in the sector’s long-term growth story remains intact.The key question, then, is whether there are enough cues for defence stocks to deliver market-beating returns.The prevailing view among market participants is that defence stocks may not deliver market-beating performance in the near to medium term.

rare earth magnets, a key input for sectors ranging from defence and electronics to renewable energy and electric vehicles.Mint unpacks the committee's recommendations and India's ambitions for rare earth magnets.Critical mineral security assumes significance amid geopolitical uncertainties and trade wars as nations try to leverage their resources to disrupt supply chains.China’s export ban on rare earth magnets in April 2025, which disrupted manufacturing supply chains globally, resulted from an escalating trade war, with the world’s second-largest economy retaliating to steep US tariffs.Beijing used its dominance in the sector–60% of the world’s rare earth mining and 90% of the world’s processing capacity–as a tool to disrupt supply chains, pushing manufacturers across the globe into a frenzy.The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its Sustainable Development Goals Pulse 2025 report in July this year, noted that minerals required for the energy transition – copper, zinc, germanium, tin, and nickel, among others – faced higher export restrictions compared to other traded critical minerals. “This trend reflects rising geopolitical sensitivities and growing domestic value chain ambitions in producing countries,” the report noted.The International Energy Agency narrowed and simplified this sentiment, focusing on how critical minerals are shaping the energy transition.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : As scrutiny over train accidents mounts, the Centre is considering its biggest-ever outlay on rail safety, with allocations likely to cross ₹1.3 trillion in FY27, according to two people aware of the development. The proposed outlay, around 12% higher than the current year’s budget, would be directed towards maintaining rolling stock and critical infrastructure, including track renewals, and the rollout of India’s indigenous automatic train protection system—Kavach, one of the people said, requesting anonymity.

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Defence and aerospace companies are competing with high-frequency trading companies and tech giants in the clamour for engineers from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), buoyed by their expansion plans and the entry of private firms in the space and defence sectors.These engineers are set to take on advanced manufacturing and product design projects in private companies based in India and seeking billion-dollar business avenues.“With the rise of space-tech startups—not just rocket makers like Skyroot, but also many promising satellite makers and space-intelligence-based startups in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and elsewhere—for the first time, India's top-tier candidates have a reliable and promising career opportunity to partake in truly world-class engineering right from India,” Temasek-backed Skyroot Aerospace said in an email response to Mint.Founded in Hyderabad by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, who were once colleagues at the Indian Space Research Organisation, Skyroot Aerospace is India’s highest-funded space startup with $95 million in venture capital funding to date. It is set to make its first commercial rocket launch from Indian soil by March 2026.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. About six months after China first began restricting the export of specific rare earth magnets, rattling manufacturers around the world, India announced a ₹7,280-crore incentive package on 26 November to set up five plants to produce rare earth magnets in the country.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem is entering a decisive phase. Rising defence spending, a sharper focus on indigenization and growing export ambition are creating a longer runway for domestic suppliers.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The stock of high-end computing solutions provider Netweb Technologies India has soared 80% in the past six months. In September the company bagged two orders for servers and artificial intelligence (AI) systems worth ₹2,184 crore.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Amber Enterprises India Ltd is entering a transition year, one that will test investor patience. Its core room air-conditioner (RAC) business is expected to grow 10–15% in FY26— ahead of industry—management said at a recent analyst meet.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s space technology is no longer just for scientists or policy experts; it’s becoming a real business opportunity. Companies are now making radar systems, satellite communication tools, precision electronics, and advanced mapping technology that support every space mission.

India presents a macroeconomic paradox today. GDP growth is among the fastest in the world, inflation is nearly zero and the fiscal deficit is in check. Yet the Indian rupee is Asia’s worst-performing currency.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A complaint lodged in the Lok Sabha has brought Indian laws around vaping into focus. Vapes or e-cigarettes are banned in India, yet a Member of Parliament (MP) was allegedly using one openly in the premises.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : The Union government has rolled back the use of the revamped version of the electronic agriculture trading portal (e-NAM 2.0) across most of Rajasthan for now and will continue operating the previous version of the platform in all 173 mandis, or wholesale markets, restricting the upgraded platform to just 10 mandis, two people with direct knowledge of the development said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Three-quarters of India’s exports to Mexico are set to face a major setback from 1 January 2026, according to a report released on Friday by Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), after the Mexican senate approved steep tariff increases on goods imported from countries that don’t have a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Mexico.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A wave of warnings over Kaynes Technology’s finances has rattled India’s electronics manufacturing sector (EMS), sharpening focus on the industry’s ability to fund the heavy investments required to tap upcoming government incentives. Brokerage firm Kotak Securities’ notes on the company this month has had a cascade effect on the wider sector.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The rupee has surpassed the 90 per dollar mark, down over 5% from the start of 2025. While the exchange rate has depreciated quite a bit this year, the most recent trigger was the 12% year-on-year contraction in exports for the month of October, driven mainly by a decline in exports to the US.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The tunnel swallows us whole. One moment, the autumn sunshine in northern Italy is glinting off the Temerario’s sculpted bonnet; the next, we’re plunged into artificial twilight.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. After four years of blistering growth, PG Electroplast Ltd seems to be moving past its phase as a small-cap dream stock. Between FY21 and FY25, the company’s operating revenue jumped from ₹703 crore to nearly ₹4,870 crore—a growth of more than 62% a year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Indian rupee's recent slide beyond the 90-per-dollar mark offers little relief to its exporters, most of which are struggling under the weight of crippling tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration. The only clear winners from the depreciation are the country's dominant information technology (IT) companies, while sectors with high import content grapple with surging production costs.