Today’s Paper

Speaker after speaker assessed the likely impact of emerging technologies, especially AI, on risk and opportunity scale while exploring ways to make India future-ready at BS Manthan 2026

Facebook owner Meta Platforms will buy artificial intelligence chips from Advanced Micro Devices in a deal that will also give it the opportunity to buy up to a 10 per cent stake of the chip company. Meta will buy AMD's latest chips, the MI450, to help power data centres. The 6-gigawatt agreement will see shipments supporting the first gigawatt deployment set to start during the second half of this year. The agreement could potentially be worth more than USD 100 billion. Shares of AMD jumped more than 9 per cent before the market opened on Tuesday. The companies said that AMD issued Meta a performance-based warrant for up to 160 million shares of its common stock at USD 0.01 a piece, structured to vest as long as certain milestones are achieved. The first tranche vests with the initial 1-gigawatt of shipments, with additional tranches vesting as Meta's purchases scale to 6 gigawatts. News of the AMD deal comes just days after Meta announced a long-term partnership where it will us

Eris Lifesciences partners with Natco Pharma to commercialise semaglutide in India in 2026, as rising demand and impending patent expiry fuel intense competition in metabolic and weight-loss therapies

Balkrishna Industries earmarks Rs 3,500 crore to enter India's consumer tyre market, targeting a 2.2x rise in revenue by FY30 under its Vision 2030 strategy.

India's top 100 unlisted firms generated Rs 8.9 trn in revenue in 2025, led by Reliance Retail, with Tata Electronics and other fast-growing firms signalling a strong pipeline of IPO-ready companies

Andhra Pradesh clears a 200-MW solar project by CleanMax group firm Yashaswa Power, investing ₹1,200 crore, as the renewable player prepares for its ₹3,100-crore IPO next week

Voltas projects 25% AC sales growth this summer, launches AI-powered units, raises prices amid higher commodity costs and new BEE norms, with strong demand from tier II-III cities

FSIB has recommended Hitesh Joshi for the CMD post at GIC Re, marking the first selection process allowing private sector applicants; the final decision now moves to the Cabinet

Suzlon appoints Ajay Kapur as Group CEO and elevates J P Chalasani to its new Group Executive Council as the firm pursues its Suzlon 2.0 strategy to become a full-stack renewable energy provider

General Catalyst leads Xflow's $16.6 mn Series A at an $85 mn valuation, as the fintech backed by Stripe and PayPal Ventures plans expansion after a breakout year

India to resume US trade talks after clarity on tariff regime following Supreme Court ruling on Trump-era duties

Surge in gold and silver imports drives January trade deficit to $34.68 billion, raising concerns over a wider current account deficit in Q4FY26

PMIS, ELI and NAPS show promise but face low uptake, funding gaps and weak industry linkages, raising concerns over scale and job outcomes

RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta says retail inflation should remain benign, while India's underlying growth trend has steadily accelerated over four decades amid resilient macro fundamentals

Cabinet raises Powergrid's equity investment limit to Rs 7,500 crore per subsidiary, enabling greater participation in capital-intensive transmission projects and aiding renewable energy evacuation

Domestic travel forms 72% of corporate trips, says a Thomas Cook India report, with key hubs driving demand, rising costs prompting controls and more firms adopting digital tools

The outflows were due to liquidity tightness and consequent rise in yields, not due to a deterioration in the category's risk-return profile

More than three weeks after the 16th FC's recommendations became public, the southern states are no longer complaining about an unfair deal in the way central taxes are distributed among them

The US Supreme Court decision on tariffs could mark the start of a new era of uncertainty

The Eco Survey 2025-26 notes quarterly average housing sales stood at 101,300 units up to Q2, compared to 81,600 in FY22-FY24, reflecting healthy demand and renewed confidence in the housing market

There are reasonable questions that must be asked alongside this understandable enthusiasm. The availability of water and electricity, for example, looms large in any discussion on data centres

Strong Q4CY25 order inflow boosts outlook, but margin recovery and sustained execution pace remain key for ABB's re-rating

The initial public offering (IPO) of fertility services provider Gaudium IVF and Women Health received 7.27 times subscription on the final day of share sale on Tuesday

RBI proposes bank lending route as trusts raise record ₹37,742 crore in FY26

The Nifty IT index last closed at 30,054, its lowest level since August 3, 2023

At least 13 municipal bond issues of ₹50-200 crore are lined up, alongside two ₹1,000-crore proposals, as civic debt markets revive; Nashik plans a ₹200-crore maiden green bond issue

Sensex and Nifty fell sharply on renewed AI-driven IT sell-offs, tariff uncertainty and rising crude prices, with the Nifty IT index down 21% this month - its worst run in 23 years

AI capex boom may keep India markets under pressure as global funds shift to semiconductor-heavy markets like Taiwan and Korea, says Christopher Wood of Jefferies

Analysts at Centrum Research estimated aggregate industry volumes rose about 13 per cent Y-o-Y and 12 per cent sequentially, aided by a rebound in non-trade demand

NITI Aayog's Suman Bery says India must boost labour productivity, deepen investment, raise women's participation and leverage AI to reach per capita income levels required for Viksit Bharat 2047

As AI drives power-hungry data centres, experts urge India to embed renewable and green norms into its data centre policy to ensure sustainable digital growth

EAC-PM chief Mahendra Dev says India must raise investment, expand labour-intensive manufacturing, upgrade health and education and deepen state-level reforms to reach developed-economy status by 2047

ITC CMD Sanjiv Puri says government tax cuts and GST reductions are aiding consumption, as digitisation, rural demand and evolving GenZ and millennial preferences reshape FMCG growth

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls for a national debate on direct benefit transfer in fertilisers to curb diversion and ensure subsidies reach farmers

The PLI scheme for automobiles and auto components was approved by the Union Cabinet on September 15, 2021, with a total outlay of Rs 25,938 crore over five years

Dixon CMD Atul Lall says India is at an electronics manufacturing inflection point and must deepen value addition, create IP and expand global capacity as schemes drive rapid sectoral growth

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari headlined the first day of the summit

At BS Manthan 2026, ministers, industry leaders and policy experts debated AI, trade, demographics and sustainability as India navigates geopolitical shifts and prepares for a tech-driven future

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says India is accelerating trade deals, including talks with Gulf nations and Chile, as the country positions itself as a trusted partner in global supply chains

From a ₹49 lakh crisis-born firm to a ₹65,000 crore giant, Dixon's MD & CEO maps India's electronics leap, AI-led factories, global ambitions, and the long road to owning IP

GPU-led AI workloads are increasing data centre power use up to tenfold, forcing companies to rethink energy sourcing, efficiency, and long-term renewable power strategies

India will launch a nationwide, free and voluntary HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls, using Gardasil under strict quality norms, as part of efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal of Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. The Union Cabinet chaired by the prime minister approved the proposal for alterating the name of state of Kerala as 'Keralam', Vaishnaw said. After approval of Union Cabinet, the president of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the government of India will obtain the recommendation of the president for introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to alter the name of Kerala as 'Keralam' in Parliament, an official release said. The Legislative

Piyush Goyal says China-origin FDI is not banned and approvals will be sped up, as India considers a calibrated relaxation of Press Note 3 norms while advancing a broad FTA agenda

At the IPA summit, pharma leaders said India's 2047 ambitions depend on embedding AI, strengthening trust and accelerating innovation, as speed and quality become the sector's defining advantages

India's IT services sector is set to touch $315 bn in FY26, with AI revenues of $10-12 bn, modest headcount growth, and ER&D and GCCs driving expansion despite global headwinds

Trai has recommended FY27 spectrum auctions with lower reserve prices, a 35% spectrum cap, incentives for coverage deployment and retrieval of airwaves from firms under insolvency

Home-grown FMCG brands now command 79% of APAC market value, signalling a structural shift toward purpose-led, globally competitive local players

India readies first compliance carbon market, with 490 units notified; steel and fertiliser yet to get targets as CBAM pressure mounts

Have ₹15 trillion of monetisable highways ready, says minister

IDFC First Bank refunds Rs 583 crore to Haryana government after detecting a Rs 590-crore fraud, engages KPMG for a forensic audit and works with authorities on recovery

Fortnightly issuance hits ₹1.34 trn; outstanding at record ₹6.62 trn

Asserting that safety lapses cannot be simply blamed on pilots, aviation watchdog DGCA on Tuesday announced a raft of strict measures for non-scheduled operators, including intensive audits and a safety ranking mechanism, amid safety concerns raised in the wake of recent aircraft accidents. After a special audit found various lapses, the regulator has also grounded four planes of Non-Scheduled Operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, whose aircraft crashed at Baramati, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on January 28. A day after a plane, operated by a non-scheduled operator (NSOP), crashed in Jharkhand, killing seven people onboard, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held a meeting with all such operators on Tuesday. The meeting was held to "address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised the critical need for an increased focus on safety across the sector", the regulator said in a statement. It also happened on a day when a Pawan

Employees across sectors are expected to get a salary hike of 9.1 per cent on average in 2026, slightly higher than the increment of 8.9 per cent received last year, a survey said on Tuesday. The projected 9.1 per cent salary increase reflects a slight uptick from the actual 8.9 per cent hike recorded in 2025, which signals sustained salary movement, said global professional services firm AON, citing its 'Annual Salary Increase and Turnover Survey 2025-26 India'. The latest survey, the 32nd edition, is based on an analysis of data from more than 1,400 organisations across 45 industries in the country. The projected salary hikes will vary depending on industries, it said. The workforce in the real estate and infrastructure sectors is expected to get the maximum pay hike of 10.2 per cent on average, followed by those working in non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) at 10.1 per cent, it said. Employees in the automotive and vehicle manufacturing sectors are expected to get a hike o

Credit card spending eased to Rs 2 trillion in January after festive highs, though outstanding cards rose to 116.65 million as issuers recalibrated amid tighter norms and shifting customer profiles

Accelerating power demand, revival of long-term PPAs, stronger plant load factors and attractive valuations are triggering a fresh wave of M&A activity across thermal and renewable assets

Navtej Sarna's book is utterly fascinating for the insights it provides into the politics of the freedom movement, personal freedom and the flag

Technology shares have slid in recent weeks on fears AI could upend business models, with the weekend report from Citrini Research adding to concerns about widespread disruption and job losses

Iran nears deal with China for CM-302 anti-ship missiles as US carriers mass near its coast, raising stakes in regional standoff

The Citrini report has struck a chord with markets unnerved by AI's potential negative impact

France's spat with the US ambassador to Paris took another turn Tuesday with the French foreign minister saying the top US diplomat in France must respond to a summons and won't have access to French government officials until he complies. French authorities had summoned Ambassador Charles Kushner - the father of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner - for a meeting on Monday over comments from the Trump administration that France objected to. But Kushner did not show up, the foreign ministry said. The US Embassy did not immediately respond to repeated requests for comment. Speaking Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the failure to attend the meeting as "a surprise" that flew in the face of diplomatic protocol and will dent Charles Kushner's ability to serve as an ambassador. "It will, naturally, affect his capacity to exercise his mission in our country," Barrot said, speaking to public broadcaster France Info. He said that Kush

The measures target units of major Japanese industrial conglomerates such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (7011.T), opens new tab shipbuilding and aero engines divisions, the ministry said

It remains unclear whether and how companies will be refunded for tariff payments made under the regime annulled by the Supreme Court

China is willing to hold frank consultations during an upcoming sixth round of US-China economic and trade talks, the commerce ministry official added

The administration announced that a 10 per cent levy would be imposed beginning Tuesday morning, which Trump subsequently threatened to increase to 15 per cent