Rediff

India's economy recorded a robust 7.8 per cent growth in the April-June quarter of fiscal year 2026-27, surpassing both market expectations and the Reserve Bank of India's forecast. This strong performance positions India as the world's fastest-growing major economy, demonstrating resilience despite global economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, including the conflict in Iran. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation highlighted the sustained growth momentum amidst globa

Indian stock markets closed lower due to selling in IT and FMCG shares, triggered by renewed tensions in West Asia which led to a rally in crude oil prices and concerns over inflation and interest rates.

Smallcap funds have emerged as the primary beneficiaries of the systematic investment plan (SIP) wave in Indian mutual funds over the past five years, with their SIP assets surging to approximately 1.83 trillion by March 2026, a fivefold increase.

Shares of HDFC Bank rose nearly 3 per cent after its Managing Director and Chief Executive Sashidhar Jagdishan decided not to seek reappointment after his current term concludes on October 26.

Fintech giant PhonePe has launched 'PhonePe UPI 123Pay', a new service enabling UPI transactions for feature phone users without requiring an internet connection. This initiative aims to bring digital payment capabilities to over 200 million feature phone users, promoting financial inclusion across India.

Augmont Enterprises Ltd, an integrated gold and silver platform, saw its shares list with a premium of nearly 22 per cent against the issue price of Rs 788 on its market debut.

'The number of airport bundles that may be awarded to a single bidder would be capped.'

Subhash Chandra hoped that the lenders would discuss the matter with the borrowers, reconcile the outstanding accounts, and get paid by the borrowers.

Surging growth in sales by companies hasn't translated into higher salaries just yet.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that India is likely to sustain economic growth of 7 per cent or more in 2026-27, continuing the pace recorded since the Covid-19 pandemic, despite geopolitical uncertainties and supply-chain disruptions.

India's fertiliser ministry has introduced a new analytical tool and a national-to-retail dashboard to monitor fertiliser dispatches, movement, and inventories in real time, aiming to prevent localised shortages and ensure equitable access for farmers.

The reforms, undertaken by the Department of Defence Production, remove stakeholder consultation for exports of non-lethal defence items to most destinations, while retaining safeguards for sensitive countries.

Making UPI payments fee-based for some transactions could enhance mental reservations against digital payments -- which have largely been overcome -- once more. Do we want to regress?, asks R Jagannthan.

'There is mis-alignment in strategic thinking of the board and management.' 'As the business environment and customer behaviour evolve rapidly, boards are increasingly looking for leaders who can bring new ideas and challenge legacy approaches.'

Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced declines in early trade due to renewed tensions in West Asia, which led to a rebound in crude oil prices, coupled with weak global market trends and foreign fund outflows.

Corporate leaders' half-life has shrunk over the past few decades. That is the Tata experience as well. Over 144 years till 2012, Tata Sons had just five chairmen. However, in the 15 years till 2027, the same group will see three, points out R Gopalakrishnan.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved media baron Subhash Chandra's personal insolvency resolution plan, which proposes to pay Rs 6.5 crore against admitted creditor claims of approximately Rs 22,006.57 crore, despite allegations from dissenting lenders that five family-linked entities controlled 61.78 per cent of the voting share.

India has become a significant supplier of gasoline to Russia, with Indian refiners providing 1 million barrels in the last two months, as Ukrainian drone attacks severely disrupt Russia's domestic fuel production.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have injected Rs 30,919 crore into Indian equities in August, marking their second consecutive month of net buying. This follows a Rs 20,200 crore investment in July, indicating a potential reversal after four months of significant outflows, driven by improving corporate earnings, resilient economic activity, and a stable rupee.

Analysts predict that the Indian stock market's sentiment this week will be primarily influenced by the domestic GDP data announcement, crude oil prices, and the crucial US non-farm payrolls report.

Sashidhar Jagdishan, the managing director and chief executive of HDFC Bank, has opted out of being considered for reappointment after his current term ends on October 26, choosing to retire after nearly three decades with the lender.

Tempsens Instruments India has emerged as the strongest mainboard IPO debutant of calendar year 2026 so far, delivering a 95.55 per cent gain on its listing day, surpassing all previous top performers and contributing to August being the strongest month for listing gains this year.

Essel Group founder Subhash Chandra has called for an independent audit to examine the group's borrowings, defaults, and repayments, stating that approximately 43,000 crore of its 45,000 crore total debt has been repaid.

The absolute amount of money raised is more than three times the 2 trillion seen before the pandemic (June 2019).

India's foreign exchange reserves have surged by $12.42 billion, reaching a new all-time high of $729.33 billion for the week ended August 21, driven by increases in foreign currency assets and gold reserves.

India's industrial production increased by 6.7 per cent in July 2026, primarily driven by a 7.3 per cent growth in the manufacturing sector and a strong 8.7 per cent rise in electricity and gas supply, despite a contraction in the mining sector.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an end-to-end sovereign AI stack for Indian enterprises and public institutions. He emphasised that new technologies, including AI, will enhance ease of work and create more jobs, drawing parallels with the IT industry's growth. The initiative, backed by the India AI Mission, aims for self-reliance and includes the Gnani Evon v3.3 language model and Gnani Plexus AI platform, offering cost-effective Indic language capabilities.

Jio Platforms Ltd, the digital services arm of Reliance Industries, has secured Sebi's final observation to launch an initial public offering (IPO) aiming to raise approximately USD 4 billion (Rs 37,700 crore), potentially making it the largest IPO in India's history.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded UPI on its 10th anniversary, highlighting its role in India's digital transformation. Launched by NPCI in 2016, UPI has become the world's largest real-time payment system, witnessing a massive surge in transaction volume and value, demonstrating its success in empowering people with swift, seamless, and secure digital transactions.

'It is not because of the war in West Asia, which began on February 28.' 'Petroleum product prices are already going through the roof. They are bound to have a serious inflationary impact.' 'A country's leadership is tested in trying times. It is here that the current leadership is failing.'