Economics
Trade, fiscal policy, banking, agriculture and economic indicators
India's January trade deficit widens before U.S. tariff relief kicks in
India's merchandise trade deficit surged to $34.68 billion in January 2026, up sharply from $23.43 billion in January 2025 and well above market...
NSE receives SEBI’s nod for setting up of natural gas futures contract
SEBI granted approval to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 16 February 2026 to begin the process of launching Indian Natural Gas Monthly Futures...
Currency in circulation jumps even as UPI transactions surge: SBI Research
SBI Research reported that Currency in Circulation (CiC) reached an all-time high of approximately Rs 40 lakh crore by January 2026 end, with year-on-year...
Thales adds India to global R&D network with new Bengaluru centre
French aerospace and defence major Thales inaugurated its Research & Technology (R&T) centre in Bengaluru on February 16, 2026, during the India AI Impact...
Indian Customs officials detain ship laden with 309 dry fruit containers for faking walnuts origin
Indian customs officials at Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) detained a ship carrying 309 containers of dry fruits, primarily walnuts, for...
MSMEs should pursue formalisation, maintain credit discipline: RBI Guv
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, at a stakeholder meeting with select MSMEs and representatives of MSME associations on 16 February 2026, emphasized that...
No question of ethanol inclusion in India-US deal: ISMA’s Deepak Ballani
ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani stated there is 'no question' of ethanol being included in the India-US bilateral trade agreement, asserting that...
Tamil Nadu Economic Survey says trillion-dollar economy achievable at current growth rate
Tamil Nadu's Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled before the state budget, projected that the state can achieve a $1 trillion economy if it sustains 15% nominal...
Accountability of agritech companies in issuing advisories a big challenge
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has flagged a major accountability gap: private agritech companies providing agricultural advisories to...
Data centres and climate stress powering Asia’s next greenhouse boom
Data centres across Asia are experiencing explosive growth driven by the artificial intelligence boom, cloud computing demand, and digital service expansion...
Tamil Nadu’s $1-trillion economy goal could be delayed by a year to 2031: Economic Survey
Tamil Nadu's $1 trillion economy target — originally set for 2030 — is likely to be delayed by at least a year, with economic analysts pointing to 2031 or...
Tata Steel, JSW and AM/NS bet big on scrap as green steel norms roll out
Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) are ramping up investments in scrap-based steelmaking in response to India's new Green Steel...
Urban co-op banks doubled loan book in 5 yrs, but stuck at under 2% of credit market—Sahakar Trends
Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) have doubled their loan portfolios over the past five years, with total advances reaching approximately ₹3.70 lakh crore and...
RBI eases on-lending, current a/c rules in final ECB framework
The Reserve Bank of India notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2026, overhauling India's External...
Improving access to timely, adequate formal credit for MSMEs remains a key policy priority: RBI Governor
At the same stakeholder meeting on MSMEs hosted by the Reserve Bank of India in February 2026, the RBI Deputy Governor highlighted that improving access to...
It’s skill or sink, say panellists at AI Impact Summit. ‘If you don’t do AI, AI will be done to you’
At panel discussions during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16-21, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi), experts and industry leaders delivered a stark...
India-US trade deal: Indian chief negotiator to visit US next week to finalise legal framework for BTA deal
India's chief trade negotiator Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, was scheduled to lead a delegation to Washington DC for trade talks...
Higher imports push India’s trade deficit to $34.68 billion in January
India's merchandise trade deficit widened sharply to $34.68 billion in January 2026, up from $25.04 billion in December 2025 and significantly above market...
DLI Scheme-Backed Chip Design Startups Continue to Attract Interest from Leading Investors
Semiconductor chip design startups supported under India's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme continue to attract significant venture capital interest...
Brand India was a lost cause. But the FTAs are bringing it back.
An analysis published in mid-February 2026 argued that after years of struggling to establish itself as a credible manufacturing and export destination...