India’s central bank, led by new Governor Sanjay Malhotra, is confusing investors and markets with mixed signals about its monetary policy. While it’s taking aggressive steps to stimulate the economy, some of its decisions seem to contradict each other. Last week, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) surprised analysts by cutting interest rates more than expected and announcing a major cash injection for...
2025
Bharti Airtel has signed a long-term agreement with Swedish company Ericsson to manage its nationwide network through a centralized Network Operations Center (NOC). This strengthens the existing partnership between the two companies and supports their joint efforts to accelerate 5G deployment in India. The new deal builds on their earlier work together on Airtel’s 5G Core. Under this agreement, Ericsson...
On June 6, the RBI is expected to announce a third straight 25 bps rate cut after its bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting, helped by low inflation (3.16% in April). A likely cut in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) will improve liquidity, giving banks more funds to lend. This could benefit real estate—developers might access more capital, and banks may reduce home loan rates, boosting demand in the...
Apple has chosen the Tata Group to take over iPhone and MacBook repair operations in India, showing the tech giant’s growing trust in the Indian conglomerate. This move strengthens Tata's role in Apple’s supply chain as Apple shifts focus away from China. Tata already assembles iPhones in three factories in South India, and now, it will also handle after-sales repairs from its Karnataka campus. This...
Billionaire investor Ray Dalio has raised alarms over the rising U.S. debt, warning that it could lead to an “economic heart attack.” He believes the country's growing debt burden and rising interest payments are becoming unsustainable and may soon overwhelm government finances. Dalio noted that the U.S. is running a massive $2 trillion budget deficit this year, adding to a national debt of around $30...
Want a party dress in less than an hour? Many young Indian consumers do—and startups are scrambling to cash in on the new demand. Spurred by Gen Z's enthusiasm for spontaneity, social media phenomena, and instant gratification, a new market is unfolding: ultra-fast fashion. Firms such as Slikk, NEWME, Blip, Knot, and big platforms such as Myntra and...
India’s top stock exchanges, NSE and BSE, are expanding their co-location infrastructure to meet the rising demand from market participants who want faster access to trading systems. Co-location allows brokers to place their servers physically closer to the exchange’s systems, giving them a speed advantage. As demand for this service has steadily grown over the years, both exchanges are taking steps...
In 2025, Indian mutual funds have faced a rocky year, with most categories underperforming. Despite this, about 70% of mutual fund schemes have still managed to deliver positive year-to-date (YTD) returns. The broader stock market has been relatively flat — the Nifty 50 has gained just 4.68% by May 28, 2025. Meanwhile, mid- and small-cap indices have struggled: the Nifty Midcap 150 is slightly down by...
On May 27, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced an extension of the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the Assessment Year 2025-26. The due date has been pushed from July 31, 2025, to September 15, 2025. The Income Tax Department shared the update via a post on the X platform, citing multiple reasons for the extension. These include major revisions in the ITR forms, the need...
The Reserve Bank of India’s latest Report on Trend and Progress of Banking (2023–24) reveals a troubling development: bank frauds in India have jumped by 27.4%, reaching 18,461 cases in the first half of FY25 (April–September 2024), up from 14,480 cases the year before. Even more alarming is the eightfold increase in the amount involved—from Rs 2,623 crore in H1 FY24 to Rs 21,367 crore in H1...