BUSINESS
Private sector activity eases in March to 58.6; business confidence hits 7-month low
The HSBC Flash India Composite PMI has stayed above the 58 mark for the second consecutive month after dipping to 57.9 in January
BUSINESS
Stats ministry to tap GSTN, MCA, Udyam portal to launch business register
The effort, a first of its kind outside the Economic Census, is expected to help track the changes in the business environment of the country
BUSINESS
India’s steel imports have become more concentrated in past decade
In 2024, 97 percent of India’s imported hot-rolled steel, one of the top traded commodities, came from the top five countries compared with 80 percent a decade ago and 93 percent prior to the pandemic
BUSINESS
Exports worth nearly $800 billion to the US, China, India and the EU in 2023 faced higher tariffs than a decade ago: MC Analysis
Energy, metals and machinery accounted for nearly 31% of the total imports that saw tariff increase in 2023. India was the worst performer, with 19.4% of total imports entering the country facing higher tariffs than a decade ago.
BUSINESS
Biggest challenge is to integrate survey, alternate and administrative data: Stats ministry secretary Saurabh Garg
The government has 200 administrative datasets. The challenge is to make the data publicly available while ensuring privacy and anonymity, Saurabh Garg has said
BUSINESS
India’s energy efficiency improved faster between 2000 and 2023, than BRICS and global average: RBI study
Although energy efficiency lagged developed markets, like the US and Germany, which witnessed an over 2 percent rise during this period, India was far ahead of its BRICS peers (1.62 percent)
BUSINESS
Pulses, oilseeds more rainfall dependent than cereals: RBI study
For maize, pulses and oilseeds, the effects of normal rainfall were even better, as a percent increase led to production rising by 0.159, 0.333 and 0.303 percent, respectively
BUSINESS
Gulf share of India’s remittances has declined; US pipped UAE in 2023-24: RBI survey
Analysis of data from the RBI bulletin shows that the United States, which was the second largest contributor to remittances in 2016-17, with a 22.9 percent share pipped UAE to become the largest contributor with a 27.7 percent share in India’s total remittances
BUSINESS
Not just India, Vietnam and Indonesia too have taken a protectionist turn
China, which lowered tariffs on more goods than it raised between 2013 and 2023, also increased duties in 2023 compared to the previous year, as India cut tariffs
BUSINESS
India to grow 6.5% in FY26; rising uncertainty to bring down global growth, says Fitch
The rating agency kept India’s FY26 forecast unchanged at 6.5 percent while projecting a higher 6.3 percent growth for FY27 from 6.2 percent in its December update
BUSINESS
Lower inflation has opened room for more easing; FY26 inflation expected at 4%: Morgan Stanley Research
Morgan Stanley expects inflation to settle at 3.9 percent in March and the Reserve Bank to cut rates by another 50 bps over the next two meetings to take the policy rate to 5.75 percent
BUSINESS
India may only be able to shift $3.5-5 billion worth of trade away from China, shows MC analysis
Out of the 4,251 goods imported by both countries where comparable data was available from the Ministry of Commerce, US had a price advantage in just 650 goods, while China’s price advantage extended to 3,601 goods.
BUSINESS
Shoes, sugar, cereal, toy imports into India saw steepest tariff rise between 2013 and 2023
The average tariff increase on footwear imports was highest at 23.8 percentage points, while cereals witnessed a 17-percentage point jump in tariff rates during this period.
BUSINESS
Indian exports to New Zealand have grown 62% since 2019
In 2024, India had a trade surplus of $85 million with New Zealand, continuing the trend that emerged after the covid outbreak
BUSINESS
OECD cuts India’s growth forecast for FY26 and FY27, forecasts 6.4% growth in FY25
OECD projected lower growth for FY27 as well, cutting India’s growth forecast to 6.6 percent from 6.8 percent earlier
BUSINESS
India has been cutting tariffs since 2023: MC Analysis
2023 was the first non-Covid year during the current government’s 10-year regime when the number of items facing tariff cuts was higher than the items witnessing a rise in tariffs
BUSINESS
Wholesale inflation rose to a two-month high of 2.38% in February
Retail inflation declined to a seven-month low of 3.6 percent, with food inflation declining to its lowest level in 21 months
BUSINESS
Reciprocal tariffs may not impact India much: SBI Research
India will also be able to take advantage of aluminium and steel tariffs imposed by the US last week
BUSINESS
Inflation high in Kerala as gold, personal care prices shoot up
Last month, Kerala’s retail inflation rose to a five-year high of 7.3 percent from 6.8 percent in the previous month, even as the overall figure for India eased to a seven-month low of 3.6 percent.
BUSINESS
Food inflation still pinched in February despite hitting a 21-month low
Prices of over half of the food items rose in February compared to a month ago, as households spending more on food and services felt the pinch of rise in prices more than others.
POLITICS
India deported more Nigerians than Bangladeshis in 2024
Deportations have remained below 15,000 in the past decade. India deported twice as many, totalling 30,000, between 2010 and 2013.
BUSINESS
Mutual fund industry’s AUM contracts 4% in February, the most in nearly three years
Although the industry is sitting at nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in assets compared with the previous year, the net assets under management declined to 4 percent in February from the previous month, its steepest fall since June 2022
BUSINESS
India relatively safe from US' steel and aluminium tariffs, levy to hit over 63 nations
India as well as China are more diversified than other steel exporting nations. Only 55 percent of Indian exports were headed to the top 10 trading partners compared with the global average of 86.5 percent
BUSINESS
Industrial production rises to eight-month high of 5% in January
The core sector slipped in January, as infrastructure industries' growth declined to 4.6 percent from 4.8 percent in the previous month
