The Economic Times

Leading cement makers reported strong double-digit year-on-year growth in sales volumes during the December 2025 quarter, even as their realisations came under pressure.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated the India-US trade deal was reached through constructive dialogue, not bargaining. He asserted the pact fully protects India's agriculture sector and farmers' interests. Key agricultural products vital to cultivators have been excluded from the agreement.

The edible oil and soybean processing industry has cautiously welcomed the India-US interim trade agreement but is waiting for clarity on tariff cuts, quotas and quality norms. The pact includes lower US tariffs on Indian goods and reduced Indian duties on several American food and farm products such as soybean oil and DDGS.

The successful conclusion of an interim trade framework agreement between India and the US will boost investor confidence, strengthen the foundation for capital flows, and deepen market participation as India integrates further with the world economy--directly advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat, said Sundararaman Ramamurthy, MD and CEO, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

After three consecutive months of heavy selling, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned net buyers in the first week of February, infusing more than Rs 8,100 crore in Indian equities, aided by improving risk sentiment, along with a trade deal with the US.

The combined market valuation of eight of the top 10 valued firms jumped by a whopping Rs 4.55 lakh crore last week, with Reliance Industries emerging as the biggest winner, in line with a remarkable rally in equities.

Walmart-backed PhonePe is preparing for an IPO likely in April, with plans to expand its presence in digital payments while growing its financial services and consumer platforms. The public offer will be entirely an offer for sale of 5.06 crore shares by existing investors, with no fresh issue component, after receiving Sebi approval earlier this year.

India will reduce tariffs on high-end American cars to 30% from up to 110% and remove duties on Harley-Davidson motorcycles under an interim trade pact with the United States, while keeping electric vehicles out of the concessions. The move follows an interim framework released by both countries after the U.S. said duties on Indian exports would be cut to 18% from 50%.

New Budget proposals offer a significant boost to India's data centre sector. A 20-year tax holiday until 2047 will attract foreign investment. This move allows Indian data centres to serve global clients without their foreign income facing Indian taxes. This ensures a level playing field for both domestic and foreign-promoted data centres.

The immediate reduction in US tariffs on Indian textile goods from 50% to 18% has brought long-awaited relief to an industry that had been grappling with margin compression, regulatory costs, and weakening demandparticularly in home textiles, where the market had declined by around 4% and smaller players were nearing shutdown.

The American financial system is structurally designed to accommodate, and often actively encourage, speculative behaviour. Indian markets, by contrast, are deliberately constructed to restrain it.

After a strong rally driven largely by a few AI-focused stocks, US equities are facing concerns around high valuations and narrow market leadership. Anand Rathi believes the long-term outlook for US markets remains positive, but broad-based gains may be limited in the medium term, prompting investors to moderate return expectations and look for better risk-reward opportunities globally.

Nifty IT remains at a crucial technical level, with a break below 35,400 likely to trigger sharp weakness in the sector, while holding above the level could lead to a meaningful recovery. Meanwhile, FII positioning in index futures has been largely bearish, driven more by the lack of a USIndia trade deal than the Budget.

Silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have plunged about 38% from their record high reached just seven trading sessions earlier on January 29, as higher margin requirements and profit-booking led to a sharp unwinding of leveraged bets.

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias declared India an indispensable partner for Europe, highlighting its growing strategic and economic significance. Speaking at the India-EU Forum 2026, he expressed strong support for the proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement, anticipating substantial mutual benefits. The forum concluded after two days of discussions on enhancing India-EU cooperation across various domains.

India-US trade deal: The framework targets balanced trade, supply chain resilience and deeper technology cooperation. India intends to buy $500 billion of US energy & tech products, aircraft & parts, precious metals, tech products, coking coal over 5 years.

India-US trade deal: India's exports of about $44 billion to the US will enter the American market at zero reciprocal tariffs under the first phase of the BTA, which is expected to be signed by mid-March. This will include spices, tea, coffee, copra, coconut oil, certain nuts, banana, guava, mango, bakery goods, and home decor.

India and the US have inked an interim trade deal, paving the way for duty-free exports across numerous sectors, including textiles, leather, and aviation. Global aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus are eyeing India as a major foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer base for aircraft components, signaling significant growth potential and excitement for the bilateral partnership.

There's no clarity yet on the level of import duty reduction by India on US tree nuts comprising walnuts, almonds and pistachios. The domestic industry however believes that any duty cut would lead to lower prices, driving consumption among Indian consumers.

Draft income tax rules: The changes include rationalisation of archaic perquisite thresholdssuch as tax-free at-work meal values and gifts received from employersbringing the tax framework closer in line with contemporary economic realities, tax experts said.

The budget proposed a revamped safe harbour regime for component warehousing linked to manufacturing, fixing taxable margins at 2% which would result in an effective tax rate of about 0.7%.

India's exports to the US will see a significant boost. An interim trade agreement between India and the US will reduce import duties on several Indian goods. This move is expected to greatly benefit labour-intensive sectors like apparel, footwear, and home decor. The US has removed punitive duties, and reciprocal tariffs are set to decrease.

Under the interim trade agreement between India and the US, New Delhi has agreed to address long-standing barriers to the trade in US medical devices; eliminate restrictive import licensing procedures that delay market access for, or impose quantitative restrictions on, US Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods.

India US trade deal: As part of the framework announced last night, both countries will reduce import duties on a number of goods to boost two-way trade.

India-US trade deal: India and the US on Saturday announced that they have reached a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement under which both sides will reduce import duties on a number of goods to boost two-way trade.

India and the US will sign a trade pact by mid-March. Around USD 44 billion of Indian exports will enter the US duty-free. This agreement will boost trade and benefit Indian industries. It aims to achieve USD 500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. The pact opens opportunities for MSMEs, farmers, and fishermen.

State Bank of India Chairman CS Setty views India-US trade deals and other FTAs as highly beneficial for India's economy. He notes the absence of tariff overhang opens global supply chain opportunities. The Reserve Bank of India's decision to maintain the repo rate was anticipated.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that Indian farmers' interests are fully protected under the Indo-US trade deal. He dismissed opposition claims that the pact will harm cultivators. Chouhan highlighted that the agreement safeguards basmati, rice, spices, and textiles. He added that increased exports will boost farmers' incomes.

Nifty ended a volatile, event-driven week with gains, holding above key moving averages. The broader trend remains positive, but consolidation persists near resistance, suggesting selective, stock-specific strategies as momentum indicators stay neutral to mildly positive.

India and the US have finalized an interim trade agreement. This deal focuses on electronics and intellectual property. It aims to boost trade in technology products like GPUs. Data centers are expected to see significant growth. This will create new opportunities for Indian startups and service providers. Investments in this sector are projected to exceed 200 billion dollars.

India and the US have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement, set to boost bilateral trade by reducing import duties on various goods. This move is seen by India Inc as a strong signal of confidence to global investors, enhancing competitiveness and supply chain resilience.

India has granted the US selective market access under a new trade agreement, allowing duty-free entry for products like animal feed, certain wines, and computer components. This calibrated approach aims to boost trade and economic growth while carefully protecting domestic industries and ensuring benefits for its citizens.

India has secured its farmers' interests in a new trade agreement with the US, with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal confirming no genetically modified products will be imported. The deal offers zero additional tariffs on numerous Indian agricultural exports to the US, aiming to boost farmer incomes and strengthen exports.

India has achieved zero-duty access for numerous exports to the United States. This interim trade deal benefits agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and manufactured goods. Farmers' interests are protected as key agricultural products like tea, spices, and coffee will face no US import tariffs. Pharmaceutical exports worth billions will also be duty-free. This agreement highlights India's export strength and future market access.

SBI Q3 Results: India's largest public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday reported 24% year-on-year (YoY) growth in its standalone net profit at Rs 21,028 crore in the third quarter. Net interest income for the same period increased 9% YoY to Rs 45,190 crore.

Indian markets closed strongly after the IndiaUS trade deal, snapping Niftys losing streak. Lower volatility, firm technical supports and selective sector strength support cautious optimism, though earnings visibility, FII consistency and IT sector weakness warrant consolidation and stock-specific strategies next week.

Alphabet-backed Aye Finance has raised Rs 454 crore from anchor investors ahead of its Rs 1,010 crore IPO opening on February 9. The anchor book includes Goldman Sachs and other global institutions, signalling strong confidence in the MSME-focused NBFCs scalable and profitable lending model.

The United States and India have agreed to an interim trade framework. This deal marks a significant step forward in bilateral economic ties. India has successfully protected its crucial agriculture and dairy sectors. The agreement focuses on specific tariff reductions and market access in non-sensitive areas. Further negotiations will continue towards a comprehensive trade agreement.

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb mistakenly transferred over $40 billion worth of bitcoin to users during a promotional event. The exchange quickly blocked trading and withdrawals for affected users, recovering nearly all the misplaced funds. Bithumb apologized for the incident, which caused brief price volatility on its platform.

India's former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant stated that an interim trade agreement with the US will significantly boost Indian exports by reducing tariffs to 18% from 50%. This deal is expected to enhance India's competitive edge over countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh, while also strengthening supply chains against China and supporting the Rupee.

India's National Stock Exchange has approved a new unit to manage a national coal trading platform. This platform will allow electronic trading of physical coal using standardized contracts. It aims to address price inefficiencies and improve access for smaller participants. The exchange will facilitate physical delivery and potentially derivative products in the future.

Big tech's planned $600 billion AI spending surge in 2026 is fueling investor unease, impacting shares of Amazon and Alphabet. While Nvidia and Microsoft saw gains, data analytics firms like Thomson Reuters and RELX faced significant selling pressure due to existential threats from AI models.

Crypto use in Iran is surging amid sanctions and currency collapse, prompting U.S. scrutiny of platforms for possible sanctions evasion, while researchers debate the scale of state-linked activity versus retail adoption as millions turn to digital assets nationwide economic strain.

India-US trade deal: India and the United States have agreed to an interim trade deal. Tariffs on many US food and farm goods will be reduced in India. The US will also lower duties on Indian products. Both nations aim to ease trade issues and boost market access. Negotiations for a broader trade pact will continue.

Indian stocks are navigating challenges despite trade agreements. Corporate earnings growth is lagging, and foreign investors are looking elsewhere. Recent AI advancements also impact tech giants. While trade deals offer some relief, the focus remains on strategic growth areas. Investors are cautiously optimistic about the Indian market's future.

Bihar government is establishing milk producer committees in all villages to boost dairy production, with plans to set up outlets in remaining villages within two years. The initiative aims to ensure fair prices for rearers and create employment opportunities, strengthening the rural economy. Sudha Milk outlets will be prioritized for JEEViKA 'didis' under the Saat Nischay-3 program.

Headline capex understates the Union Budgets infrastructure push. Adjusting for equity infusions, state and private spending, and extra-budgetary resources shows effective Centre infrastructure spending rose 18% year-on-year, led by defence, transport, housing, and water, alongside PLI and targeted tax incentives.