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Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday strongly rejected a report published by The New York Times, calling it «factually incorrect and misleading.» Official sources stated that the report misrepresented facts and framed issues to suit a particular political narrative. Responding to allegations concerning Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a state-owned defence company, the MEA asserted that HAL has always complied with international rules on strategic trade controls and end-user commitments. «We (Ministry of External Affairs) have seen a report published by The New York Times. The said report is factually incorrect and misleading. It has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative. The Indian entity (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-HAL) mentioned in the report has scrupulously followed all its international obligations on strategic trade controls and end-user commitments,» MEA sources told news agency ANI. The ministry also highlighted India's strong legal and regulatory framework for strategic trade. It reaffirmed that all Indian companies conducting business overseas are guided by these regulations. «India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies. We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence while publishing such reports, which obviously was overlooked in the instant case,» sources added.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As speculation swirled last month about how auto tariffs would hammer foreign carmakers, Mercedes-Benz Chief Executive Ola Källenius had a ready answer. “We’re also an American company," he said, highlighting the carmaker’s 11,000 U.S.-based workers and that two of his three children were born in the country.

If you're still on the sidelines, there's no better time to explore the world of crypto. Thanks to a growing number of user-friendly apps, investing in crypto is now simpler than ever. Here’s a rundown of the top cryptocurrency apps in India as of 2025, focusing on what truly matters for new investors.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A Harley-Davidson isn’t cheap, no matter where you buy it. But if the European Union imposes a 50% retaliatory tariff on the company’s motorcycles in April, prices could reach astounding heights in Harley’s second-largest market by sales.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Its macroeconomic fundamentals are sound, corporate balance sheets have strengthened and the health of its financial sector has improved.

American economy really is exceptional. It is richer, more innovative, and continues to expand at a high rate compared to most of the developed world. It has been extra special the last 15 years, with its equity market outperforming any other country as growth prospects for China and Europe dimmed. But it seems exceptionalism might be ephemeral. Uncertainty around trade and the future strength of the dollar has led some big European investors to retreat from American stocks. And the problem may go deeper. Less than 100 days into a second Trump administration, commentators are already discussing the coming end of American exceptionalism. Many things make the American economy exceptional. For one, it houses the deepest and most liquid capital markets, which help channel money to its more productive uses. But what makes it truly extraordinary is its dynamism, which underpins innovation and productivity, attracting talent from around the world. To figure out if our best days are behind us, it is necessary to separate short-term exceptionalism based on current financial conditions and longer-term structural exceptionalism that has been a feature of the American economy for the last century. The short-term boom may indeed be fading, but exceptionalism should endure over the longer term because it is more durable than whatever damage any one president can do in a few months.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The conventional economic case for globalization and free trade has emphasized the aggregate gains that they bring, including enhanced productivity, faster technological change and wider consumer choice. However, a critical aspect often overlooked is that globalization inevitably creates both winners and losers in the short term, even though its long-term effects are broadly positive for society as a whole.

As we step into FY26, consumption may emerge as one of the hottest investment themes due to lowering of interest rates and income tax rate cuts, says Viraj Gandhi, CEO, SAMCO Mutual Fund. In this chat with ET Markets, he also talks about 2 other promising sectors — private sector banks and pharma. Edited excerpts:

Donald Trump has launched a volley of tariffs impacting allies and adversaries this year, promising «Liberation Day» on Wednesday with action targeting countries that have persistent trade gaps with his country.

F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, was developed in partnership with eight countries, making it a model of international cooperation. When President Donald Trump introduced its successor, the F-47, he praised its strengths — and said the version sold to allies would be deliberately downgraded. That made sense, Trump said last week, «because someday, maybe they're not our allies.» For many countries wedded to the United States, his remark confirmed a related conclusion: that America can no longer be trusted. Even nations not yet directly affected can see where things are heading, as Trump threatens allies' economies, their defense partnerships and even their sovereignty. For now, they are negotiating to minimize the pain from blow after blow, including a broad round of tariffs expected in April. But at the same time, they are pulling back. Preparing for intimidation to be a lasting feature of U.S. relations, they are trying to go their own way. A few examples:

Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day.” In India, which keeps getting pilloried by the US president as an exemplar of bad behavior in trade, the reciprocal tariff announcement of April 2 has acquired a fervent overtone. In preparation, New Delhi is offering one sacrifice after another, hoping that the angry god of the White House will let it go with nothing more serious than a slap on the wrist. The latest peace offering is the decision to do away with a 6% tax on ads that local businesses place with foreign search engines, social media and e-commerce firms. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s way of telling Trump, “Look, we aren’t China. Not only do we allow Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. to hog our digital-advertising pie, if you want us to make it cheaper for them to operate, that’s fine, too.” Also Read: India open to clearing import duty hurdle for US auto parts The sacrifice is a win for Trump, though it isn’t much of a loss for Modi. Known colloquially as the “Google Tax,” the levy was a bad idea when it was introduced in India’s 2016 budget. Since then, domestic advertisers have had to withhold 6 cents on the dollar when they get their bills from places like Ireland, where online platforms typically book their revenue. Just like Trump’s tariffs will be mostly paid by American consumers, the burden of the so-called Indian equalization levy had to be absorbed not by the tech platforms, but by the advertisers. It pushed up costs for local businesses. Where would they advertise, if not on Google or Facebook?

Authorities have looked in recent months to revive confidence in the Chinese economy, grappling with a prolonged property sector crisis and now under increasing pressure from fresh trade tensions with the United States. The Purchasing Managers' Index — a key measure of industrial output — came in at 50.5 in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), above the 50-point mark that separates growth and contraction. The reading for March was up from February's 50.2, and the highest in twelve months. Manufacturing was boosted by workers' return to work after the traditional Spring Festival travel period in February and the fact that «enterprises' production and operating activities accelerated,» NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.

On a rolling twelve-month basis, gold has surged nearly 37% to just shy of Friday's fresh lifetime record of $3,100 per troy ounce. It is extremely rare for any asset, including the hottest of stocks, to hit successive lifetime highs every third trading session. Gold has achieved that astonishing feat in 2025, building on the 30% plus gains last calendar year, as central banks and capital-protection funds continue to buy into the yellow metal.

Nifty ended March on a strong note, gaining 6% during the month, led by banking and financial stocks. When markets resume trading on Tuesday, several important domestic and global events lined up for the week are likely to impact them. Indian stock markets will remain closed on Monday due to Eid-Ul-Fitr.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Investors entered 2025 riding U.S. stocks to records.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The government is preparing to decriminalize more than 100 offences under various laws by the end of this year to improve investor confidence and unlock potential for faster economic growth, three persons familiar with the development said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dear reader, Last week, I wrote about the possibility of higher volatility due to the expiry of the March derivatives series. I also put forth my hypothesis that institutional players would be a dominant reason for markets to witness stability and/or upthrust.

Liberation Day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the reciprocal tariffs he plans to unveil this week will apply to all nations, not just a select group of 10 to 15 countries with the largest trade imbalances. Trump has pledged to introduce a sweeping tariff plan on Wednesday, a move he has dubbed «Liberation Day.» He has already imposed tariffs on aluminum, steel, and automobiles, alongside heightened duties on all imports from China. «You'd start with all countries,» Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. «Essentially all of the countries that we're talking about.» White House economics adviser Kevin Hassett recently told Fox Business that the administration’s tariff focus would be on 10 to 15 nations with the most significant trade imbalances, though he did not specify which ones. Meanwhile, India is considering reducing or even eliminating customs duties on auto parts imported from the US, a government official told ET. The move comes as part of efforts to strengthen trade ties, with officials believing it would not significantly impact the domestic industry. Trump views tariffs as a means of shielding the domestic economy from unfair global competition and as leverage for negotiating better trade terms for the U.S.

IndusInd Bank has done multiple deals with peer banks, transferring highly rated corporate loans in an attempt to shore up liquidity amid a likely flight of deposits, following the ongoing investigation into accounting lapses that could erode its net worth by ₹2,000 crore, said people familiar with the matter. ICICI Bank and Federal Bank have provided liquidity support to IndusInd by acquiring highly rated loans at an interest rate of 7.5-8% through the traditional Inter-Bank Participation Certificate (IBPC) market, they said.