Economy

Gold reserves, foreign currency assets push forex kitty by $4.4 bn

RBI data show gold reserves and foreign currency assets rose during the week, aided by a $5 billion USD/INR buy-sell swap and intervention in the rupee market

States spend only 38.3% of budgeted capex in Apr-Nov of FY26: CAG

Sixteen of 21 states spent under half of their budgeted capex in the first eight months of FY26, while the Centre's capex stood at 55.1 per cent of BE in April-October

Indian Railways to double originating train capacity in 48 cities by 2030

Indian Railways plans to double the capacity of major cities to originate new trains by 2030 through terminal upgrades, new terminals and maintenance facilities to meet travel demand

Govt issues EoI for unified customs portal to integrate ICEGATE, RMS, ICES

CBIC has floated an EoI to shortlist up to eight bidders for building a Customs Integrated System that unifies ICEGATE, RMS and ICES to cut cargo clearance time

Small business credit exposure rises 16% to ₹46 trillion: CRIF-Sidbi report

Small business credit exposure rose 16.2 per cent to ₹46 trillion as of September 2025, though growth moderated from the previous quarter amid cautious underwriting and seasonality

Retailers step up women hiring as sector rethinks frontline, leadership

Retailers are planning to ramp up women hiring across store floors and leadership pipelines, citing higher retention and better customer experience as organised retail expands

Subsidised onion sale begins as NCCF offers Rs 19/kg in Delhi-NCR

Onion retailing will be done through mobile vans operating across the Delhi-NCR region at 16 locations, including INA Market, R K Puram, Model Town, and Shalimar Bagh

India imposes anti-dumping duty on Chinese steel, refrigerant gas

As per a separate notification, India said it has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of 'Calcium Carbonate Filler Masterbatch' exported from Vietnam. It is widely used in plastic industry

India's Russian oil imports down 18% in Jan-Oct 2025, US imports zoom 83%

India slightly cut its reliance on Russian crude in early 2025, while imports from the US surged 83.3 per cent in value to $7.8 billion, reflecting a strategic shift toward alternative crude sources

States' debt burden and fiscal gaps persist, leaving capital spending muted

10 states with the highest debt to GSDP ratio have debt levels above 30% of GSDP

Five reasons customer-specific AI will outperform generic models in 2026

As AI reshapes customer-facing decisions, models trained on enterprise data, policies and real interactions are emerging as more relevant, controllable and defensible than generic systems

Landmark free trade milestone in 2025 injects momentum behind India-UK ties

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations dominated the headlines for the major part of the year as both sides looked determined to get the deal over

India in talks with US to join Pax Silica silicon supply chain block

After being left out initially, India is now in talks with the US to join the Pax Silica silicon supply chain initiative, with a US official signalling possible entry in early 2026 as the bloc expands

The great trade balancing act: India weathers US tariffs, diversifies trade

One lesson India learnt the hard way in 2025 was the danger of excessive dependence on the US market

Shake up: Odisha leads in GST growth, Telangana in direct taxes

Odisha was one of the few states to have outpaced the 14 per cent compensation-cess growth benchmark built into GST at its inception

India on track to be among largest regional networks: WTCA's Wang

India is set to emerge as one of WTCA's largest regional networks, with World Trade Centers expanding to around 50 cities as demand for premium offices, logistics and new-age sectors rises

CII lays out fiscal strategy to bolster macro stability ahead of budget

Ahead of the FY27 Union Budget, CII has outlined a four-point fiscal strategy focused on debt discipline, transparency, revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency

Easing supply of ultra-long bonds may flatten G-sec yield curve in FY27

Easing supply of ultra-long bonds and improving long-term demand may help flatten India's G-sec yield curve in FY27, aided by RBI liquidity support and index inclusion hopes

UP ramps up services to achieve $50 bn export goal, eyes $1-trn economy

To hit its $50-billion export target by 2030, Uttar Pradesh is ramping up services exports, focusing on IT and global capability centres under a new policy push

Union Budget 2026: Tracking what Budget 2025 promised and delivered

With the Union Budget 2026 around the corner, here is a status check on Budget 2025 promises, from tax reforms and insurance FDI to manufacturing, gig workers and innovation funding