Economy

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

Indian exporters can help NZ reduce China dependence, boost shipments: GTRI

GTRI's report stated that opportunities exist for various Indian sectors to increase penetration in the island nation, given a bilateral free trade agreement

IRFC to refinance World Bank's ₹10K crore loan for freight corridor

DFCCIL and IRFC have signed a refinancing pact for ₹10,000 crore of World Bank dollar loans for the Eastern freight corridor, a move expected to save the government ₹2,700 crore

PwC seeks clarity on GST input tax credit for data centre construction

PwC has urged the government to clarify whether hyperscale data centre infrastructure qualifies as plant and machinery for GST input tax credit, and to address PE and SEP risks for overseas players

Economy may grow at 7% in FY27 despite trade tensions: CareEdge Ratings

CareEdge Ratings expects 7% growth in FY27, citing a possible US-India trade deal, low inflation and strong capex, while warning US tariffs could weigh on goods exports

ICSI flags glitches, timeouts on MCA 3.0 portal as filing deadline nears

ICSI has flagged slowdowns, timeouts and outages on the MCA 21 version 3 portal; government sources say some issues stem from awareness gaps as fixes continue

India-New Zealand FTA: A strategic victory for both the economies

If utilised well, the India-New Zealand FTA will strengthen trade, investments and economic relations between the two countries

Navigating AI adoption under DPDPA: Privacy as cornerstone of trust

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act is reshaping how organisations design and deploy AI, embedding consent, governance and privacy safeguards as the foundation for trust-driven adoption

FTAs to open overseas opportunities for Indian professionals: Commerce secy

He has stated that India's demographic dividend offers immense potential to meet the rising global demand for professional services