Economy

India, EU near FTA finish line, aim to close talks at January 27 summit

India and the European Union are in the final and most difficult phase of free trade agreement talks, with both sides aiming to announce the conclusion at the India-EU Summit in New Delhi on January 2

Private sector activity rebounds to two-month high in January: Flash PMI

The HSBC flash India Manufacturing PMI rose to 56.8 in January from 55 in December

GSTAT eases appeal scrutiny norms in initial phase to help taxpayers

In a relief for taxpayers, the GST Appellate Tribunal has asked registries to take a lenient view on procedural defects in appeals during the initial six months

How India's 2027 housing Census questionnaire is different from 2011 Census

India's 2027 housing census trims questions but adds digital-age indicators like internet and smartphones, marking a shift from the 2011 houselisting approach

India, EU likely to seal long-pending free trade pact at summit on Jan 27

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, von der Leyen signalled progress, stating the European Union is close to concluding the agreement but acknowledged that additional work remains

India's flash PMI rises to 59.5 in January against 57.8 in Dec 2025

Flash PMI January 2026: Both manufacturing and services showed similar rates of growth during the month

India cancels more South American soy oil imports as rupee slumps

About 35,000 to 40,000 tonnes of the commodity from Brazil and Argentina, booked for delivery in February and April-July period, have been scrapped, with total cancellations to exceed 50,000 tonnes

Record $32 billion raised in 2025 through overseas syndicated loans

Pipeline robust as firms look at more acquisitions

Datanomics: Skew towards UAE continues in bilateral trade with India

India-UAE trade crossed $100 billion in FY25, but rising imports-especially energy-have widened India's trade deficit despite CEPA-driven export diversification

Open to partners across economic spectrum: Union Minister Vaishnaw

At WEF Davos, Ashwini Vaishnaw says India is open to partnerships across sectors and remains resilient amid global debt concerns

European Union suspends GSP export benefits; to impact India's shipments

EU has withdrawn GSP tariff benefits on 87% of Indian exports from January 2026, raising duties on key sectors and hitting competitiveness ahead of the India-EU FTA

Canada PM Mark Carney's likely India visit to boost Cepa trade talks

Both sides working to ensure Carney visits New Delhi before March-end

India-EU FTA: European auto lobby flags risks of 'restricted' access

ACEA urges full tariff removal on auto parts, cautions against licences and residual duties as India and EU eye announcing deal at January 27 summit

EAM Jaishankar meets EU envoys, pushes for stronger trade, security tieups

Ahead of the India-EU Summit on January 27, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met EU ambassadors and pitched stronger trade, mobility and security ties to help stabilise a volatile global order

Budget 2026: Exporters seek fix for inverted duty structure, lower taxes

Ahead of Budget FY27, exporters seek correction of inverted duties, lower taxes for MSME manufacturers and targeted support for shipping and R&D

LIC demerger: Why it is not a good idea for India's insurance system

From a macroeconomic perspective, LIC's integrated balance sheet enables counter-cyclical investment, stabilisation of long-term bond markets and long-term infrastructure financing

Madhya Pradesh govt signs MoU with DP World to boost logistics, investment

At WEF Davos, Madhya Pradesh signs MoU with DP World to boost logistics, infrastructure and integration with global supply chains

Budget 2026 can catalyse India's journey towards becoming global data hub

With long-term capex needs, the data centre sector is seeking a stable, predictable tax regime in Budget 2026 to boost investor confidence and position India as a global data hub

Net FDI negative for 3rd straight month in Nov due to high repatriation

Net FDI in April-Nov period grows 7x to $5.6 billion compared to same period last year

MMRDA signs MoUs worth ₹9 trillion on day two of WEF 2026

MMRDA signed MoUs worth ₹9.52 trillion on day two of WEF 2026, taking total commitments to ₹18.25 trillion and reinforcing global investor confidence in MMR