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India's trade deals are a win, but fiscal vulnerabilities are also growing

India weathered the Trump tariff shock better than expected, but high public debt and slower fiscal consolidation pose risks even as trade deals lift growth and investor sentiment

India trade deals, trade agreement

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India's cities need mobility reform, not just infrastructure spending

The Budget puts cities at the heart of growth, but without fixing buses, walking and last-mile links, India's urban mobility crisis will keep choking productivity

India's cities need mobility reform, not just infrastructure spending
Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 10:44 PM IST

Defence spending rises in Union Budget, but capability gains remain key

Operation Sindoor shapes FY27 defence Budget as India lifts spending to 2% of GDP, boosts capital outlay and modernisation to prepare for a potential two-front conflict

Defence spending rises in Union Budget, but capability gains remain key
Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 10:38 PM IST

India's trade deals are a win, but fiscal vulnerabilities are also growing

India weathered the Trump tariff shock better than expected, but high public debt and slower fiscal consolidation pose risks even as trade deals lift growth and investor sentiment

India's trade deals are a win, but fiscal vulnerabilities are also growing
Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 10:32 PM IST

From sonar to AI, acoustics is emerging as a decisive weapon of war

If US action in Venezuela and the Ukraine war are anything to go by, acoustics will not merely support military power in future wars - it will shape it

From sonar to AI, acoustics is emerging as a decisive weapon of war
Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 10:28 PM IST

Pause and reflect: Why February may not be the time for rate cuts

With FY25-26 CPI inflation likely to average at 2.1 per cent Year-on-Year and FY26-27 CPI inflation to still average below the 4.0 per cent target, the question of 'space' is still easy to answer

Pause and reflect: Why February may not be the time for rate cuts
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 11:23 PM IST

Balancing between trade and politics in the evolving India-US equation

The new India-US reciprocal tariff deal offers relief and predictability, but ties market access to strategic concessions, reshaping how bilateral trade will be negotiated

Balancing between trade and politics in the evolving India-US equation
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 11:05 PM IST

Best of BS Opinion: India-US tariff pact offers a cautious breather

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Best of BS Opinion: India-US tariff pact offers a cautious breather
Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 6:15 AM IST

State power discom profits hide a deeper and unresolved fiscal problem

After a decade of losses, the state discoms reported profits of about ₹2,700 crore in 2024-25, a turnaround from the losses of over ₹25,000 crore the previous year

State power discom profits hide a deeper and unresolved fiscal problem
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 10:29 PM IST

Lower US tariffs help India, but diversification remains essential

US tariff relief lifts markets and sentiment, but India must use the trade deal to deepen reforms, attract capital flows and diversify exports

Lower US tariffs help India, but diversification remains essential
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 10:28 PM IST

Patience over retaliation: India's long game with Trump has paid off

India and the US have entered a new phase in their relationship, marked by greater parity

Patience over retaliation: India's long game with Trump has paid off
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 10:27 PM IST

India's trade breakthroughs must shift focus now to execution and reform

The 'mother of all trade deals', the Indo-US thaw, and a sensible Budget signal the beginning of the implementation phase

India's trade breakthroughs must shift focus now to execution and reform
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 10:25 PM IST

Budget 2026: Govt should have a clear road map for disinvestment target

Even for 2025-26, miscellaneous capital receipts were budgeted at ₹47,000 crore, but were later revised down

Budget 2026: Govt should have a clear road map for disinvestment target
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 1:21 AM IST

Devolution for growth: 16th FC rejigs inter-state formula with care

State governments have long argued that their space for policy experimentation and autonomy has been shrinking

Devolution for growth: 16th FC rejigs inter-state formula with care
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 1:20 AM IST

Best of BS Opinion: From fiscal transfers to a world without rules

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Best of BS Opinion: From fiscal transfers to a world without rules
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 6:25 AM IST

A world remade by rivalry: Each country must chart its own future

As the rules-based order fractures, geopolitics, minerals and energy rivalries are reshaping climate action, trade, and the future of global cooperation

A world remade by rivalry: Each country must chart its own future
Updated On : 03 Feb 2026 | 1:03 AM IST

Transfer design and emerging outcomes of the 16th Finance Commission

The Sixteenth Finance Commission's transfer framework raises questions on equity and fiscal equalisation as rigid tax devolution and limited grants reshape Centre-state finances

Transfer design and emerging outcomes of the 16th Finance Commission
Updated On : 02 Feb 2026 | 10:17 PM IST

Exim Matters: Trade deals help but competitiveness delivers export growth

As India courts global trade deals like the EU pact, the Economic Survey flags competitiveness-not protection-as the real key to sustainable export growth

Exim Matters: Trade deals help but competitiveness delivers export growth
Updated On : 02 Feb 2026 | 6:18 PM IST

Budget 2026: 16th FC avoids rocking the boat, but rewards GDP contributors

The Union Budget for 2026-27 has also placed a clear bet on urbanisation as an engine of growth

Budget 2026: 16th FC avoids rocking the boat, but rewards GDP contributors
Updated On : 02 Feb 2026 | 2:40 PM IST

Best of BS Opinion: What FM Sitharaman's much awaited Budget 2026 revealed

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Best of BS Opinion: What FM Sitharaman's much awaited Budget 2026 revealed
Updated On : 02 Feb 2026 | 6:15 AM IST

Budget 2026: Cautious & prudent, yet focusing on the long-term journey

Economic Survey and Budget 2026 chart a fiscally prudent, future-ready roadmap, betting on infrastructure, manufacturing and resilience amid global uncertainty

Budget 2026: Cautious & prudent, yet focusing on the long-term journey
Updated On : 02 Feb 2026 | 12:29 AM IST