Indian Buyers May Find Pistachios, Figs and Raisins Pricey Following Gulf Crisis
Indian buyers are likely to face higher prices for pistachios, figs and raisins as the Gulf crisis shuts key Iranian and Afghan export routes. Pistachio prices have risen about ₹100 per kilogram, while figs are up a similar amount and raisin costs are expected to climb. Walnut prices, however, should stay stable for the next one to two months thanks to ample domestic and Kashmiri stocks. The closure of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports has disrupted sea‑borne shipments, tightening supply across the dry‑fruit market.
VOC Port to Invest ₹15,000 Cr in Outer Harbour Project to Be a Transhipment Hub of South India
VO Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) announced a ₹15,000 crore investment in its Outer Harbour project, slated to add 4 million tonnes per annum of cargo capacity by 2030. The expansion includes two 18‑metre draft berths capable of handling vessels up to 250,000 DWT, complementing an...
Passengers Stranded at Delhi's IGI Airport Amid Escalated Israel-Iran Conflict
Passengers at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were left stranded after a wave of flight cancellations triggered by airspace closures across the Middle East. The closures follow coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, prompting the Ministry of Civil...
How AI Adoption Is Reshaping India’s Agri Sector: Risks, Opportunities & Advisory Imperatives
Artificial intelligence is moving from pilot projects to core policy in India’s agriculture, backed by the Digital Agriculture Mission, AgriStack and NITI Aayog’s AI strategy. AI‑driven precision farming, climate forecasting and market analytics are already improving yields, water use and...
China Eastern Airlines to Expand India Operations, Plans Mumbai-Shanghai Service From May
China Eastern Airlines will launch a Mumbai‑Shanghai service in May, operating four weekly flights with an Airbus A330. The carrier also plans to revive its Kunming‑Kolkata route for the summer season. Its Shanghai‑Delhi flight, upgraded to a daily schedule, is...
PM Modi Urges India Inc to Step up Investment in Infrastructure and Innovation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a post‑Budget webinar, urged India Inc to dramatically increase investment in infrastructure and innovation. He highlighted a ten‑fold rise in public capital expenditure over the past 11 years, from roughly ₹2 lakh crore to over ₹12 lakh crore,...
India’s Fiscal Deficit Touches ₹9.8 Lakh Crore in April–January
India’s fiscal deficit for April‑January 2026 hit ₹9.8 lakh crore, about 63 % of the government’s full‑year estimate. Net tax receipts climbed to ₹20.94 lakh crore, while non‑tax revenue rose to ₹5.57 lakh crore. Total government outlays increased to ₹36.9 lakh crore, with capital expenditure reaching ₹8.4 lakh crore. The widening...
Food Processing Minister Paswan Raises Concerns Regarding ‘False Narrative’ Against Processed Food by Influencers
India’s Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan warned that social‑media influencers are propagating a false narrative that processed foods are unhealthy, harming industry growth. Speaking at the ANVESH‑2026 conference, he urged a coordinated effort, including a national campaign and influencer partnerships,...
CDSCO Eases Drug Testing Approvals, New Fast-Track System From June 1, 2026
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) will issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) for drug‑sample testing immediately upon receipt of applications, eliminating the prior detailed specification review. Companies can begin laboratory testing at designated Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and other central...
Govt Plans to Expand Domestic Shipping Industry to Reduce Dependence on Foreign Vessels: Sanjeev Sanyal
India is launching a ₹77,000 crore programme to build a domestic merchant fleet and expand shipbuilding, aiming to cut its reliance on foreign vessels that handle more than 90% of imports and exports. The plan prioritises ship construction, port upgrades, and...
Acceleration in India’s per Capita Income Growth Has Been Faster than in GDP Growth: Poonam Gupta
RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta said India’s per‑capita income growth has outpaced overall GDP growth, driven by a sharp slowdown in population growth. From $274 in 1981, per‑capita income reached about $2,700 in 2024 and is projected to hit $4,346...
India Pauses Its Trade Team Visit to Evaluate US Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
India has postponed its scheduled trade delegation visit to Washington after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the reciprocal tariffs imposed by President Trump. The court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize the tariffs, prompting Trump...
‘Green’ Growth on Inland Waterways
The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) unveiled a ₹1,500 crore roadmap to expand India’s inland water transport network, laying foundations for projects exceeding ₹150 crore, including cruise jetties in six states. Cargo movement on national waterways surged to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024‑25,...
India’s GDP Growth to Moderate to 7.2% in Q3FY26: ICRA
ICRA projects India’s year‑on‑year GDP growth to ease to 7.2% in Q3 FY 2025‑26, down from 8.2% in the prior quarter. The slowdown is driven by weaker services (+7.8% versus +9.2%) and agriculture (+3.0% versus +3.5%) growth, even as industrial output...
Indian Labour-Intensive Exports to Face Lower 10% Surcharge After US Court Axes Trump’s Tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 18% reciprocal tariffs imposed on Indian goods, prompting President Trump to replace them with a uniform 15% worldwide tariff under Section 122. This adjustment lowers the levy on Indian labour‑intensive exports—textiles, leather, shrimp—from the...
RBI Likely to Go for a Prolonged Policy Rate Pause: ICICI Bank Report
The Reserve Bank of India kept its policy repo rate steady at 5.25% on February 6, signalling a neutral stance. ICICI Bank Global Markets expects this will translate into a prolonged pause through 2026‑27 as core inflation stays benign and oil‑price...
Strong Manufacturing Growth Lifts Flash PMI to Three-Month High of 59.3 in Feb
India’s flash Composite PMI rose to 59.3 in February, its strongest level in three months, driven by a surge in manufacturing activity. Total new orders grew at the fastest pace since November, pushing output to a four‑month high, while services...
Govt Identifies L1 Insurers for Restructured Weather Crop Insurance Scheme in J&K
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has appointed Agriculture Insurance Company of India and Tata AIG General Insurance as the lowest‑bid insurers for the Restructured Weather‑Based Crop Insurance Scheme. The scheme will protect apple and saffron growers in Kashmir and mango,...
Embraer and Mahindra Eye India MRO Hub if C-390 Wins IAF Contract
Embraer and India’s Mahindra Group announced a joint plan to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the C‑390 Millennium, contingent on the aircraft winning the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) contract. The two firms have...
APSEZ Signs MoU with French Port to Deepen Cooperation on Trade Facilitation
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with France’s Port of Marseille Fos to deepen cooperation on trade facilitation, port innovation and energy transition. The pact will create an IMEC Ports Club to coordinate the...
India’s Data Centre Boom Raises Concerns over Power Supply and Grid Capacity
India’s data‑centre market is expanding rapidly, with annual capacity additions of about 0.5 GW. Today, data centres already draw up to 15% of local grid capacity and could consume 30‑35% by 2030. Roughly one‑third of the power comes from renewable PPAs,...
Shahpurkandi Dam Set for Commissioning, Ravi Waters to Boost Irrigation in Jammu and Punjab
India’s Shahpurkandi Dam is slated for commissioning by March 31, 2026, enabling the diversion of surplus Ravi River flows that previously entered Pakistan. The project will channel this water into irrigation schemes across Jammu’s Kathua and Samba districts and Punjab’s drought‑prone...
Indian Entrepreneur to Invest ₹214 Crore in AI-Powered Hydroponic Farming in Karnataka
Indian entrepreneur Vivek Raj is investing ₹214 crore to build an AI‑powered hydroponic farm on 16 acres in Moodbidri, Karnataka. The venture, Panama Hydro‑X, has filed four AI patents covering disease detection, smart lighting and crop monitoring after spending ₹146 crore on...
Exports Rise 0.61% to $36.56 Billion in January
India's merchandise exports rose modestly by 0.61% to $36.56 billion in January, according to Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. Imports, however, jumped 19.2% to $71.24 billion, widening the monthly trade deficit to $34.68 billion. The fiscal‑year outlook remains positive, with total exports of goods...
Tamil Nadu’s $1-Trillion Economy Goal Could Be Delayed by a Year to 2031: Economic Survey
Tamil Nadu’s Economic Survey 2025‑26 projects its $1 trillion GDP ambition could slip from 2030 to 2031 if the rupee weakens faster than expected. The state posted a 16% nominal growth rate in 2024‑25, with manufacturing expanding 14.74% real and exports doubling...
IATA Expresses Concern over Suspension of Freighter Flights at Mumbai
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has voiced concern over a nine‑month suspension of dedicated freighter flights at Mumbai International Airport, slated from August 2026 to May 2027 for apron reconstruction. Mumbai handled 6.93 lakh metric tonnes of cargo between April...
Govt Aims to Revive Private Investment in Highway Construction
India’s government plans to award ₹1 lakh crore of highway projects to private developers by fiscal year 2027, aiming to raise private sector participation to 25 % of highway development next year from the current low single digits. The budget allocates ₹12.2 lakh crore to...
NISAR to Deliver 100m Soil Moisture Data Every 13 Days Across India: ISRO
ISRO announced that the NISAR satellite will provide soil‑moisture maps at 100‑metre resolution every 13 days, covering the entire Indian subcontinent. The data will be delivered to farmers, water‑resource managers and policymakers through existing digital platforms. By offering near‑real‑time moisture...
Dedicated Freight Corridor Won’t Divert Cargo Volumes to Competing Ports, Says APSEZ
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) says the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) will not erode cargo volumes at its flagship Mundra Port. The company cites Mundra’s deep draft, faster vessel turnaround and integrated logistics ecosystem as structural advantages...
India Must Shift From Growth at Scale to Productivity for Viksit Bharat 2047: KPMG Report
KPMG’s new report urges India to move from a scale‑driven growth model to one focused on productivity as it targets a Viksit Bharat by 2047. It outlines ten priority areas, including deepening manufacturing, upskilling a youthful workforce, modernising MSMEs, and...
Ixigo Buys Spanish Train Booking Platform Trenes for ₹125 Crore
Online travel platform ixigo announced a majority‑stake purchase of Spain’s Trenes, paying roughly ₹125 crore for 60% of the company. The deal also includes a 45% stake in Spanish tech start‑up Sqaas for about ₹5 crore, marking ixigo’s first overseas acquisition. Trenes,...