Page 3 - Himanshi Bhardwaj

Wholesale inflation at 27-month low of -1.21% in Oct on favourable base

Food prices fall sharply in October, pulling WPI to -1.21 percent

Retail inflation dropped to series low of 0.25% in Oct on base effects

In rural India, retail prices slipped into deflationary zone with the NSO reporting a 0.25 per cent drop in the CPI (Rural), compared to a 1.07 per cent increase in September

20 states spent 26% of budgeted capital expenditure in H1 FY26: CAG data

Among the states analysed, Telangana emerged as the frontrunner with the highest utilisation at 60.8 per cent, followed by Kerala at 43.6 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh at 39.9 per cent

Thali cost dips in October as falling food prices ease inflation

Prices of vegetables, onions, potatoes, and broilers fell in October, bringing down the average cost of a home-cooked thali and extending deflation in essential commodities

Rising committed expenditure squeezing states' development spending: PRS

PRS Legislative Research says states spend over 60 per cent of revenue on salaries, pensions, and subsidies, limiting room for growth and welfare spending

Pvt investment, states key to achieving Viksit Bharat goal: EAC-PM chairman

S Mahendra Dev says sustaining growth towards Viksit Bharat 2047 hinges on private investment, cooperative federalism, and inclusive, sustainable development

Manufacturing the one cylinder that isn't firing: NITI's Suman Bery

Bery called for the future of manufacturing success to be built through fostering regional clusters focused on local competitive advantages and not a uniform national approach

Industrial output growth moderates to 3-month low of 4% in September

Manufacturing gains offset by weaker mining and electricity output; economists see GST cuts and festive demand boosting growth in coming months

Q2 biz confidence drops on US tariff; 1st fall after 3 qtrs of improvement

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) showed stable confidence, with their BCI inching up marginally from 137.1 to 138.2

Onion deflation at 6.5-year high in September amid subdued exports

So far in this current financial year (2025-26), only April saw a moderate inflation of 2.85 per cent in onions and since then it has seen a deflation in every succeeding month.

Wholesale inflation eases to 0.13% in September on benign food prices

This moderation was led by a fall in the prices of primary articles (-3.32 per cent) and the continued deflationary trend in the fuel and power segment

India's retail inflation slips to 99-month low of 1.54% in September

Inflation stood at 5.5 per cent in September 2024, with food prices rising over 9.2 per cent

Cost of home-cooked non-veg thali hits seven-month high in September

The vegetarian thali cost eased to ₹28.1 in September after touching an eight-month high of ₹29.1 in August, helped by a dip in tomato prices and softness in potato and onion costs

20 states spent 27% of capital expenditure in April-August: CAG data

States spent 27% of FY26 budgeted capex in April-August, with Telangana leading and Tripura lagging, even as rising borrowings raise fiscal concerns

Most states bunch up expenditure in March, CAG warns of fiscal risks

CAG warns most Indian states of fiscal imprudence as March spending overshoots limits, with key departments exhausting large portions of budgets in the last month of FY24

FY24 profits outpaced wage growth, worker productivity dipped

While corporate profits per factory rose 7 per cent to ₹41.3 million in FY24, the average wages paid per worker increased 5.5 per cent to ₹2,16,000

Flash PMI eases to 58.5 in September on weak export orders

India's Flash PMI slowed in September as weak export orders hurt manufacturing while domestic demand ahead of festivals offered support, easing price pressures and lifting confidence

India's external debt rose at fastest pace in 7 years in FY25: Report

The dollar-terms growth significantly outpaced the 6.4 per cent uptick recorded in FY24, when external debt had touched $663.8 billion

Centre may meet FY26 fiscal deficit target despite GST overhaul: Fitch

Separately, Bank of Baroda in a report said the impact of GST reforms will be minimal as it accounts for Rs 48,000 crore or only around 0.1-0.2 per cent of the GDP

Cost of veg thali rises to 8-month high of ₹29.1 in August, says Crisil

Crisil said veg thali cost rose to an eight-month high of Rs 29.1 in August due to high tomato prices, while both veg and non-veg thali costs were lower year-on-year