Why IDFC First Bank’s Haryana shocker is a governance wake-up call for others
The Rs 590-crore fraud and the state’s swift de-empanelment order underline the importance of governance, risk management in institutions
OPINION | As the US and Iran face-off, an escalatory spiral in the conflict seems certain
The US is the superior military force but it doesn’t have an easily achievable strategic goal. If the aim is regime change in Iran, there’s no quick answer. For the Iranian regime, survival is the ultimate victory, for which it will risk escalation
OPINION | Why India should re-negotiate the interim trade deal with the US
The joint statement provided a renegotiation opportunity if either country changed its agreed upon tariffs. India should use the US Supreme Court ruling to tweak some contentious provisions in in the deal
OPINION | FDI ambiguity in India’s evolving space data regime
India’s space reforms liberalise FDI, but overlaps between IN-SPACe rules, NGP framework, and DST Guidelines create ambiguity for geospatial data businesses and downstream value-added product developers
OPINION | Will Kerala’s 2026 assembly election be Pinarayi Vijayan’s last stand?
Local body polls show that UDF is in pole position. LDF hasn’t given up hope because many margins were narrow, but the weight of anti-incumbency may be hard to overcome
OPINION | CAFÉ Norms: A piece-wise linear approach may be worth a look to offset small car squeeze
India could draw lessons from global best practices, where countries like the United States, China, Korea, Japan specify the “minimum floor” and “maximum ceiling” by adopting a piece-wise linear approach
Chart of the Day | India's luxury homes: Bigger, costlier, and selling fast
India’s premium housing story in 2025 was less about speculation and more about structural transformation
The multiple ramifications of a US attack on Iran
A US attack on Iran may unsettle the Middle-East and shoot oil prices up, affecting the global economy. US President Donald Trump has indicated he is ready to wait 10 days if Iran agrees to a nuclear deal. But US military actions, including marshalling aircraft carriers and missile launchers, suggest it is ready to strike any day
Data Story: The message from the Flash PMIs for investors
Five major flash PMI releases this week paint a striking picture of a world that is growing faster outside the US than within it — with Europe recovering, Japan accelerating, India booming, and America cooling
How Torrent Power is reshaping its power generation capacity mix
The company has acquired Nabha Power from L&T
Donald Trump’s new flat-rate tariff is a boost for India, China and Brazil
US allies, including the UK, the EU and Japan, hardest hit after Supreme Court rules against previous levies
Beyond the Headlines: Why the US Supreme Court's tariff ruling makes global trade more volatile
The US Supreme Court has delivered a significant legal blow to Donald Trump's tariff authority, but by forcing a pivot to new, untested legal justifications, the ruling paradoxically deepens the uncertainty facing global trade and multinational firms
OPINION | Military overlap between Pakistan and China is overstated but India needs to be wary
NATO represents the reference point for military interoperability. By this yardstick, China-Pak collaboration is not quite there. Their differing strategic goals and challenges prevent anything more than tactical familiarisation
The Tariff is dead, Long live the Tariffs …
The US-India trade deal will continue being discussed and progress is likely to happen to reach an agreement. However, it does give more breathing room and negotiating power to the Indian side.
US tariff reversal positive, but will revive uncertainty on trade front
America’s Supreme Court strikes down President Trump’s emergency tariffs who is now looking for alternative ways to reimpose tariffs, with a 10% tariff already floated
The Reading List: February 20, 2026
Our research and opinion teams have curated a selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance for your weekend read
OPINION | India’s apple growers fear trade deals may cost them dear
India’s interim trade deal with the US followed the FTA with New Zealand. Barriers on apple imports have been lowered in the deals leading to apprehension here that growers are going to be squeezed
OPINION | Vault Matters: RBI’s directive on mis-selling is a band-aid on the wound, not a cure
RBI is trying to fix the distribution aspect of mis-selling. The role of mutual funds and insurers remains unaddressed. Sebi and IRDAI have to step up to address core issues
OPINION | India’s AI moment’s here but realising its full potential requires institutional redesign
AI is not something that can be layered on to the existing way of doing things. Organisations need to rethink entire processes
Nobody knows very much about where alpha comes from
Academic and computer-generated stock predictors show similar performance. Knowing the reason behind their success offers little advantage. Quantitative investors should focus on data-driven strategies rather than theoretical explanations
Is an AI price war about to begin?
Assumptions underpinning valuations of big US groups might be too optimistic
OPINION | Golwalkar’s Final Years: Leadership, duty, and legacy of RSS
RSSFACTS: Madhav Golwalkar led the RSS through critical years. Despite illness, he worked tirelessly, toured extensively, guided the organisation, supported national causes, and left a lasting leadership legacy
The government needs to address its spending capacity challenge
An analysis of the Union Budget reveals a pattern of systematic underspending, where welfare and infrastructure projects are sacrificed not just for fiscal prudence, but due to a deeper crisis in the government's capacity to execute its own grand plans
The Hedgehog and the Unicorn: Why old-school moats beat modern growth hacks
The meltdown of India's startup darlings proves that capital is not a moat—a lesson the gritty entrepreneurs of the License Raj understood all too well
Foreign holdings of US Treasuries continue to rise, but China and India are diversifying
A $652 billion surge in foreign holdings of US Treasury securities in 2025 looks like a ringing endorsement of the dollar, but China and India have been selling
