Economy

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

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

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

New GDP series to improve informal sector estimates, add double deflation

India's revamped GDP series will use richer data and double deflation to better capture the informal economy, address IMF concerns and improve accuracy from 2026

New Zealand to allow GI registration for Indian goods under FTA with India

A GI, a type of an intellectual property right, is primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory

India aims to conclude US trade talks sooner than later: Commerce Secretary

The talks are also important as the Donald Trump administration has imposed a steep 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods entering American markets

Benign inflation may keep India's policy rates low for a long time: RBI Guv

India's inflation rate picked up in November from a record low in the previous month but stayed well below the central bank's 4% target

India offers higher FDI, easier bank branch norms under New Zealand FTA

Under the India-New Zealand FTA's Financial Services Annex, India has offered higher FDI limits in banking and insurance and a simpler licensing regime for foreign bank branches

India-US to resume trade talks in January after year-end holiday pause

Talks are going on for the last nine months, with no outcome, despite over a half dozen rounds of in-person formal and informal negotiations

New CPI series to use e-commerce, online sources for price data: Govt

The new series of CPI (consumer price index-based inflation) with base year (2024=100) data is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2026

USISPF welcomes SHANTI Act as overhaul of India's civil nuclear framework

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum says the SHANTI Act modernises India's civil nuclear regime, opens scope for private and foreign participation, and clarifies liability

Name changer or game changer? MGNREGA replaced with 125-day promise

President Murmu clears the Viksit Bharat Rozgar Act, raising guaranteed rural workdays to 125 and overhauling funding norms, seasonality rules, and budget limits

India-New Zealand FTA to open new doors for skilled professionals: Diaspora

Negotiations for the FTA have been concluded and after completion of domestic approvals, it is expected to be implemented from next year

India-New Zealand FTA to help boost exports, attract investment: Experts

FIEO President S C Ralhan said upon entry into force, the free trade agreement (FTA) will provide zero-duty access on 100 per cent of India's exports, with tariff elimination across all tariff lines

Outward remittances under LRS slip 2% in Oct on travel, education dip

Outward remittances under RBI's LRS slipped to $2.36 billion in October 2025 as overseas travel and education outflows fell, while remittances for equity and debt investments rose sharply