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The news that US authorities had slapped countervailing duties on solar imports from India, citing unfair government subsidies, left investors jittery. For Waaree Energies Ltd, given 30-35% revenue-share from exports and US manufacturing, fears around export viability and margin erosion took centre stage.

In November 2023, a few governments and technologists gathered at Bletchley Park to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), seeking to come to terms with the technology they were developing. The mood was sombre and fear was the dominant register.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. “I have to giggle," says Jim Chanos, asked if investors have become overly optimistic about artificial intelligence. “We’ve got to the ‘data-centres-in-space’ stage of the cycle." Firms from SpaceX and Blue Origin to Alphabet plan to shrug off earthly constraints on the computing clusters that power AI, and launch them into orbit.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IDFC First Bank’s investors are shaken, pulling the stock down as much as 20% following reports of a fraud at the fast-growing lender. What began as a disappointing de-empanelment of IDFC and AU Small Finance Bank by the Haryana government—affecting 0.5% of their deposits—quickly evolved into something far more unsettling.

The JSW Group, which acquired Akzo Nobel India Ltd last year, plans to plough the money that used to be paid as royalty for the Dulux brand back into its paints business and widen its market share.JSW Paints acquired the decorative paints business of Akzo Nobel India, which includes the popular Dulux brand, for ₹9,000 crore in June 2025. Earlier, 3% of the value of decorative paints sales was paid as royalty to its global parent for use of the brand, but that has now stopped.“In the month of June 2025, we acquired the decorative IP and the Dulux brand is now owned by Akzo Nobel India… So, the royalty ceased to exist, which translates to roughly around 60 crore to 65 crore rupees, depending on the revenue trajectory,” Krishna R, chief financial officer of Akzo Nobel India, said during a post-earnings interaction with analysts.

Mumbai: India is increasingly seeing private equity and venture capital backed companies tap public markets at an earlier stage in their lifecycle, driven by factors such as greater predictability in business performance, liquidity needs, and conducive regulatory policies, making IPOs an attractive option.“Over the past few years, public markets have also become more willing to underwrite newer business models. That increases confidence for sponsors to view IPOs (initial public offerings) as a viable, attractive exit option earlier in the company lifecycle,” Gaurav Sood, managing director and head of equity capital markets of Avendus Capital.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Brookfield-backed CleanMax Enviro, one of the leading early movers in India's corporate renewable energy sector, is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on 23 February. As of FY25, the company commands an 8% market share of annual open-access renewable energy capacity additions, reinforcing its position as a primary provider of decarbonization solutions.

₹150–200 crore in primary funding, as the company looks to accelerate expansion, two people familiar with the matter said.The proposed round comes at a time when non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) face tighter regulatory scrutiny and rising stress in unsecured lending, making fresh capital crucial to strengthen balance sheets and support calibrated growth.“Several mid-market private equity firms or late/growth stage venture capital firms will be tapped as a part of the process. The deal is expected to be launched in the coming weeks,” one of the people cited above said.“The company is looking to double down its presence in its existing areas of operations after it became PAT positive in the current financial year,” a second person said.Both the people spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Stock market recap: On Monday, the Indian equity benchmarks staged a robust late-session recovery, snapping a two-day losing streak as Nifty 50 surged 211.65 points (0.83%) to finish at 25,682.75. Similarly, S&P BSE Sensex reclaimed 83,000, jumping 650.39 points (0.79%) to close at 83,277.15.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The confidence with which artificial intelligence (AI) can eye human jobs has taken a leap, thanks to the rise of AI agents.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Moltbook, a social network designed specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) agents, has rapidly gained attention since its January launch. Unlike traditional chatbots that respond to prompts, AI agents are autonomous systems that can use tools, follow multi-step plans and execute tasks independently.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Gold loan company Muthoot Finance Ltd posted impressive earnings in the December quarter (Q3FY26), with gold loan assets under management (AUM) rising 50% year-on-year to around ₹1.4 trillion, beating expectations. This was backed by strong demand for gold loans amid elevated gold prices.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Just as nerves were fraying, a breakthrough in US-India trade negotiations offered domestic markets much-needed succour. Against this backdrop, Mint’s sixth quarterly market survey, conducted between 5 and 11 February, captured the precise moment when investor sentiment began to pivot.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. SEOUL—The young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears increasingly positioned to become the rogue nation’s next leader, Seoul’s spy agency said, though Pyongyang itself has stayed mum on succession plans. Kim Ju Ae, believed to be about 13 years old, has attracted widespread speculation since first appearing in public more than three years ago.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India is in the advanced stages of finalising the next phase of emission norms for tractors and may delay the rollout of the stricter rules for models in the 25–75 horsepower (hp) range, following lobbying by manufacturers who have argued that tighter standards could raise compliance costs and make these machines more expensive for small farmers, two industry executives aware of the matter said. Faridabad-based Escorts Kubota chief financial officer Bharat Madan told Mint that the industry has held meetings with the Union ministry of agriculture, and final recommendations have been submitted to the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. There is little that beats the security of a parental nest. The knowledge that there exists a fallback option in a parent or two at home who will rush to protect you—and even fight for you—is a safety blanket that upwardly mobile young employees are refusing to let go of.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: From visiting Sona Comstar’s manufacturing and R&D facilities to presenting a Harvard Business School case study on the company's turnaround led by her late husband Sunjay Kapur, Priya Sachdev Kapur is making her presence felt at India’s eighth-largest auto component maker, even as a court battle over control of the promoter entity continues.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Like a nonagenarian on a ventilator, the most significant arms-control treaty of the last half century quietly expired last week. Those who were responsible for keeping it alive—septuagenarians and octogenarians all—shrugged: ‘What’s to be done, it’s time had come.’ In the salacious excitement of the Epstein revelations of naughty A-lister names, the death of the most meaningful collective security agreement of our lifetime and what it implies barely merited headlines.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It is not often that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor’s statement on monetary policy includes an announcement that directly touches the lives of Indians at large. Repo rate changes and liquidity measures—the stuff that such statements are usually made of—are one stage removed, as their impact plays out through the banking system.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Stock market update: A sharp rise in bullish sentiment followed clarity on the US-India trade deal. The gap-up opening, which we anticipated, pushed out above 25,800, a signal of bullishness in store.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Kannan Hari walked onto the Startup Singam set carrying karupatti—palm jaggery—made from the palmyra, the state tree of Tamil Nadu. He runs Palm Era, a palm jaggery and natural sweeteners brand.