The Times of India

Stock market today: Indian equity benchmarks are slowly inching upwards, with Nifty50 and BSE Sensex opening in green after three days of gains. While Nifty50 was above 25,850 in early trade, BSE Sensex rose over 100 points.

Top stock market recommendations: Sona BLW Precision Forgings, PFC, and NLC India are the top stocks that Aakash K Hindocha, Deputy Vice President - WM Research of Nuvama Professional Clients Group recommends buying today. Here is the experts view on Nifty, Bank Nifty for February 19, 2026:

UAE private sector employees now enjoy a two-hour daily reduction in working hours during Ramadan, a legal right for all regardless of faith. This adjustment supports work-life balance and respects the physical demands of fasting. While most benefit, some roles have exemptions and overtime rules ensure fair compensation for extra work.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He shared an AI-generated image of the two leaders. Macron attended the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The summit focused on responsible and development-focused AI. India is hosting the global AI gathering. Leaders discussed AI's future and its impact on people, planet, and progress.

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.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin advocates for a multi-faceted AI governance framework, emphasizing societal norms alongside legal and technical standards. He believes a single instrument is insufficient for regulating AI's development and use. Parmelin also highlighted Switzerland's commitment to a just peace in Ukraine and the importance of trade agreements in challenging global economic times.

Estonia offers its experience in societal digitalization and building trust in AI to India and the world. The nation has successfully moved most services online, enhancing efficiency and citizen convenience. Estonia also emphasizes collaborative efforts in AI education for students and teachers, aiming for smart AI integration.

A recent survey reveals that 35% of Indian children using edtech tools are now employing Generative AI, with a significant misconception that these tools are merely search engines. Despite high usage, especially among low-income households, a lack of AI literacy poses risks, as 46% of respondents identified wrong information as a key concern.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized a balanced techno-legal approach for AI development, combining technical solutions with legal frameworks. He noted that heavy regulation isn't needed yet, comparing AI's current stage to the first innings of the first match. Discussions are ongoing regarding social media's impact on children, with potential restrictions being considered.

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.

A disturbing surge in mob violence, fueled by child-lifting rumors, has led to innocent individuals being attacked across Madhya Pradesh. In Indore, a mentally ill woman was assaulted, and similar panic-driven attacks are occurring without any evidence of actual kidnappings. Police urge citizens to report suspicions rather than taking the law into their own hands.

The Bombay High Court ruled that a child raised solely by her mother cannot be forced to adopt her father's surname and caste. The court emphasized that a single mother's role in a child's civic identity is constitutional, not charitable. State formats should reflect welfare, not moral judgments, and school records must accurately represent lived guardianship.

Home Minister Amit Shah visited Mayapur, the birthplace of the Bhakti movement, to highlight the Matua community's role in unifying Hindu society. He praised reformers Harichand and Guruchand Thakur for their social welfare initiatives and described Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati as a bridge to modernity. Shah conveyed PM Modi's greetings, emphasizing the spread of the 'Viksit Bharat' and Sanatan dharma messages globally.

Tamil Nadu's assembly has tabled a report recommending diminished powers for state governors and greater state autonomy in constitutional amendments. The committee proposed binding the President to appoint governors from a list approved by state assemblies and imposing timelines for bill assent.

Uttar Pradesh farmer successfully sold surplus solar power directly to a Delhi shopkeeper via a blockchain-enabled platform. This marked the launch of India's peer-to-peer electricity trading program at the India AI Impact Summit. The transaction involved six units of solar power, earning the farmer Rs 30.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, CRPF established 43 temporary operating bases in Jammu and Kashmir, situated at 6,000 feet and above. These bases, housing 16-25 personnel, are crucial for tracking and eliminating terrorists in higher reaches, utilizing specialized equipment for prolonged operations.

Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh accused the Badal family of patronizing corruption within the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He alleged land is being sold by unscrupulous elements and urged a Sarbat Khalsa to free the SGPC. Singh also claimed he refused to issue a false statement under pressure.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate regarding a plea by Amit Katyal, an alleged associate of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Katyal, accused of cheating investors in a housing project and previously arrested in the railways jobs-for-land scam, seeks to transfer his case to the apex court.

Vijay Mallya's solicitors informed the Bombay High Court that he cannot precisely state when he will return to India, citing court orders in England preventing him from leaving or possessing travel documents. The court directed Mallya to file a fresh affidavit detailing these orders, as the Centre argued he has been absconding since 2016.

At least five deaths have been reported among wedding attendees in Bihar's Rohtas district following a 'tilak' ceremony on February 14. A probe has been launched by excise and district officials after speculation arose linking the fatalities to alleged liquor consumption. Four relatives died within three days of the event.

India's naval cadets now have dedicated 'floating classrooms' at sea with the launch of INS Krishna, the first of three indigenous training ships. These vessels offer hands-on experience in navigation and seamanship, serving as the Navy's core sea training infrastructure for three decades. They will also support international defense cooperation and humanitarian missions.

A new report reveals significant hurdles for persons with disabilities in accessing India's justice system. Inaccessible police stations, a lack of trained personnel like sign language interpreters, and inadequate legal aid are major concerns. Many PwDs remain unaware of their rights, facing infrastructural and attitudinal barriers when seeking help from law enforcement.