The Times of India

BofA maintained its buy on Infosys, citing AI opportunities despite execution challenges. UBS upgraded ITC with a target price cut, anticipating price hikes in cigarettes. Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on LG Electronics with a buy rating, expecting faster industry growth. Morgan Stanley rated Dabur underweight, noting leadership changes.

Infosys CEO Salil Parekh believes AI tools will expand, not shrink, IT services opportunities. He argues that while AI automates some development, complex integration, testing, and maintenance in legacy systems remain significant challenges. Parekh sees AI as a substantial opportunity for IT firms, leading to increased demand for skilled professionals and a focus on reskilling.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has formed a special group to expedite high-profile cases, including those involving Gensol Engineering and IndusInd Bank. President Prasanna Kumar D anticipates findings within two months. He also highlighted the expanding role of chartered accountants in Global Capability Centres and the introduction of new digital audit standards.

Indian startup Sarvam has launched a 105-billion-parameter large language model, performing on par with global counterparts and outperforming others on Indian language benchmarks. This homegrown AI model, developed with government support, signifies India's capability to build state-of-the-art AI from scratch, targeting commercial applications.

Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis believes Artificial General Intelligence is a decade away, emphasizing its role in scientific breakthroughs rather than job displacement. He urged India to leverage AI in its strong sectors and advised youth to embrace AI tools. Hassabis highlighted AI's potential to accelerate scientific discovery, citing AlphaFold as an example, and cautioned about dual-use risks like cyber threats.

India is crucial to ServiceNow's innovation, housing nearly half of its global R&D. The company's Hyderabad and Bengaluru centers are its largest outside the US, driving core development in AI, security, and CRM.

India is set to host one of Asia's largest AI superclusters with Yotta Data Services investing $2 billion to deploy over 20,000 Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPUs by August 2026. This move addresses a critical compute gap in India's AI ecosystem, with a focus on inferencing to support scaled AI applications for millions.

Hindustan Unilever announced a significant investment of up to Rs 2,000 crore over two years to boost manufacturing capacity in premium beauty, wellbeing, and home care liquid categories. This strategic move aligns with HUL's focus on scaling brands and developing future categories to meet evolving consumer demands and strengthen its supply chain.

India is actively seeking to broaden its crude oil and coking coal suppliers, with a keen interest in high-quality US coking coal. Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted the US's potential to provide crucial technology like GPUs for AI and data center equipment, while India offers manufacturing prowess. Significant aircraft demand from the US also presents a key opportunity.

Piyush Goyal said India is looking to broaden its sourcing of crude oil and coking coal and would welcome supplies of premium-quality coking coal from the United States.

Investment in gold can happen through various avenues: physical pure gold like coins or bars, gold jewellery, or even through digital forms and investment avenues like exchange trade funds (ETFs), mutual funds, and sovereign gold bonds.

India has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian crude oil, with January imports hitting their lowest point since late 2022. This shift sees Middle Eastern suppliers, particularly Saudi Arabia, regaining prominence as India diversifies its energy sources. The move aligns with international pressures and India's commitment to strategic autonomy.

As India's private sector workforce steps into a new era of financial independence, individuals are urged to take charge of their retirement savings. The National Pension System (NPS) stands out as a strategic investment choice, boasting market-driven returns and offering recent updates that enhance user flexibility.

Piyush Goyal revealed India's ambitious economic diplomacy, emphasising engagement and trust to achieve trade success. He highlighted the nation's goal of becoming a $30-35 trillion economy by 2047, stressing the need for global integration. Goyal noted India's recent success in securing trade agreements from a position of strength, while safeguarding national interests.

Gold prices experienced a significant surge climbing Rs 1,297 to Rs 1,52,715 per 10 grams in futures trade. This rise was fueled by robust spot demand and fresh speculative buying. Globally, gold also saw an upward trend, with silver prices registering even stronger gains. Here are the current gold rates across major Indian cities.

NVIDIA's Shanker Trivedi urged India to boost AI infrastructure investment beyond $1.2 billion, aligning with global standards. He highlighted the Union Budget's 20-year tax holiday for foreign firms as a significant chance to build foundational AI capacity. With 1,800 global corporations operating in India, each requiring local AI factories, increased capital allocation is crucial for developing intelligence-led business processes.

Cigarette stocks surged on Dalal Street as manufacturers raised prices to offset increased excise duties. ITC, Godfrey Phillips India, and VST Industries saw significant gains following reports of price hikes aimed at protecting margins. This move comes after the government's notification on a new tobacco taxation framework.

Oman is revolutionising foreign worker hiring with a tiered fee system for work permits, directly linking costs to national employment targets. Companies meeting local hire quotas receive significant discounts, while those falling short face doubled fees. This initiative aims to boost Omani employment and reduce reliance on expatriate labour, reflecting a regional trend.

Indian consumer goods companies are raising prices by up to 5% due to rising input costs and a weakening rupee. This follows a period of holding back on revisions after September's GST cuts, as companies now exercise pricing power. Increased costs for commodities like crude oil derivatives and imported ingredients are impacting profitability across various product categories.

Gold price prediction today: Maneesh Sharma, AVP - Commodities & Currencies, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers is of the view that gold prices are likely to resume their upward trend in the long run. He takes a look at the top factors for gold prices in the coming days:

Meerut is set to launch India's fastest metro, boasting a maximum operational speed of 120 kmph. This 21-kilometer corridor will connect Meerut South to Modipuram with 12 stations, cutting travel time significantly. Notably, it will share tracks with semi-high-speed Namo Bharat trains, creating an integrated transport model.

Asian markets saw a slight uptick as investors assessed US-Iran nuclear talks and Japan's substantial investment pledges to Washington. Tokyo led the gains, buoyed by confirmed funding for infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, energy prices stabilized after earlier fluctuations, and global leaders convened in New Delhi to discuss AI governance amidst growing societal and environmental concerns.

Planning a bank visit? Be aware that Indian banks observe both national and state holidays, leading to varied closures. Today, February 18, Sikkim banks are closed for Losar. Maharashtra observes Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti on February 19, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrate State Day on February 20. Remember, second and fourth Saturdays also mean no branch operations.

Stock market today: Indian equity benchmarks opened flat in trade on Wednesday. While the 50-share index Nifty was near 25,700, the 30-share BSE Sensex was down marginally.

President Trump announced a MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan, unveiling $36 billion in Japanese investment for US projects. These initiatives, focusing on energy, power generation, and advanced manufacturing, are the first under Japan's $550 billion commitment. The deal includes slashing US tariffs on Japanese imports to 15%.

Stock market recommendations: Mehul Kothari, DVP - Technical Research, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers recommends buying Bharti Airtel, Finolex Industries, and Coal India as the top stock picks for February 18, 2026. The expert shares a detailed outlook on each stock along with target prices:

Gold imports saw a volume dip of 18.3% despite a 25% price rise, leading to cautious buyer behavior. Conversely, silver imports surged 56% in volume, more than doubling in value to $7.8 billion, driven by industrial demand alongside its price increase.

The RBI is proposing a significant overhaul to liberalize access to currency markets, offering increased opportunities for hedging foreign exchange risk and extending trading hours. The draft framework broadens derivative offerings and allows transactions across various global platforms, aiming to integrate Indian participants more firmly into international liquidity pools.

Maruti Suzuki enters the EV market with the e-Vitara, starting at Rs 10.99 lakh, featuring a unique Battery-as-a-Service model for lower upfront costs. The company aims to address customer concerns about range, charging, and service, positioning itself to disrupt the competitive Indian EV landscape.

Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani states AI is transforming businesses fundamentally. He emphasizes that companies must adapt their operations and employee roles for an AI-driven future. This shift involves moving beyond simple automation to integrating human judgment with machine intelligence. Nilekani points out that legacy systems pose a significant hurdle to this widespread organizational change.

Domestic help apps are booming in Indian metros, offering convenience for tasks beyond routine chores. Platforms like Snabbit and Urban Company's InstaHelp are seeing exponential growth, driven by repeat customers needing reliable backup for absent help or extra assistance. While user retention is strong, profitability remains a challenge due to onboarding investments.

RBI has overhauled external commercial borrowing rules, broadening access for entities like statutory bodies and LLPs. Overseas funding is now explicitly permitted for construction, township development, and industrial parks, fostering structured development and manufacturing-linked infrastructure. Selective agri activities also gain access to foreign capital.

Adani Group plans a massive $100 billion investment by 2035 to establish renewable energy-powered, AI-ready data centers across India. This initiative aims to foster a $250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem, building on existing partnerships and expanding renewable energy capacity to support India's ambition as an AI hub.

US stocks saw mixed trading as consumer confidence dipped and AI's impact on earnings remained a concern. General Mills and Genuine Parts faced significant drops due to weak consumer sentiment and company forecasts. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery saw gains amid buyout talks, while Big Tech stocks experienced volatility, raising questions about AI investment returns.

Infosys shares jumped significantly following a strategic partnership with Anthropic, integrating Claude AI models into its Topaz platform. This move aims to address investor concerns about AI's impact on IT services, focusing on sectors like telecom and finance. The collaboration seeks to leverage domain expertise for complex enterprise AI applications, potentially unlocking new service lines and a substantial market opportunity.

Senior representatives from Reliance Industries Ltd. and the Adani Group are actively scouting candidates at the event, where aspiring professionals are presenting their rsums and GitHub portfolios to highlight their technical projects and expertise.

Precious metals saw a significant dip in Delhi on Tuesday, with silver falling to Rs 2.45 lakh/kg and gold to Rs 1.57 lakh/10 grams. Subdued demand, Asian market holidays, and softer US inflation data fueled expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, impacting global prices and futures trade.

The Reserve Bank of India has bought 47% of the Centre's bond issuances in FY26 to inject Rs 6.39 lakh crore into the banking system. This move cushions liquidity amid heavy government borrowing, preventing excessive yield hikes and supporting credit growth. The RBI's actions have helped maintain stable money market rates despite market volatility.

India's power sector tendering pipeline is now shifting towards hybrid and storage-based projects, reflecting a growing focus on improving energy reliability and supporting renewable energy integration, according to a report by Nuvama Research.

Indian equity benchmarks concluded Tuesday higher for a second day, propelled by gains in banking, IT, and capital goods sectors. The BSE Sensex rose 173.81 points to 83,450.96, while the NSE Nifty climbed 42.65 points to 25,725.40. IT stocks continued their recovery, supported by strategic AI collaborations, while defence stocks also saw an uptick.

Co-Founders Nazm Salur and Serkan Boranl of Turkish food and grocery delivery startup, Getir, have filed a $700 million lawsuit against Abu Dhabi investor Mubadala Investment Company. They allege the sovereign wealth fund breached a 2024 restructuring agreement by withholding key assets, including the valuable Getir Finance platform. This legal action escalates a dispute following Uber's acquisition of Getir's Turkish operations.

New income tax rules for 2026-27 propose redesigned ITR forms with more pre-filled details, aiming for simplification. Eligibility criteria for simplified forms like ITR-1 and ITR-4 have been adjusted, allowing for two property ownership and expanding disqualifications to include new income streams. Taxpayers must carefully evaluate their eligibility annually to avoid defective returns.