Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the rupee’s fluctuations are driven by global and domestic factors, with the RBI intervening only to curb excessive volatility, not to fix a specific rate. She also highlighted India’s position as the fastest-growing major economy and addressed the Karnataka funding row, emphasizing the Finance Commission’s role in fund allocation.
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran defended India’s GDP statistics, stating the country does not artificially inflate growth figures through methodological changes. He emphasized that India follows internationally accepted practices and that revisions, like the recent rebasing, demonstrate transparency rather than manipulation. Nageswaran suggested criticism often stems from unmet expectations rather than data quality concerns.
Amazon is significantly increasing its investment in India, committing $35 billion by 2030 to expand its e-commerce, quick commerce, AI, and export operations. The company is entering its most aggressive expansion phase yet, aiming for long-term leadership in the rapidly growing Indian digital market. This push includes expanding Amazon Now to 100 cities with 1,000
Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron inaugurated Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, fostering India-France tech and innovation cooperation. The event connects Indian startups and institutions with global investors. Leaders emphasized shared vision and India’s growing role as a global innovation leader, highlighting achievements like Chandrayaan-3.
Indian stock markets are poised for a volatile week, with US inflation data, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, and crude oil price movements as key influencers. Investors are keenly watching the US-Iran deal’s progress, which could impact global oil prices and market sentiment. Foreign investor outflows also remain a significant concern.
Indian equities surged last week, with the top 10 most-valued companies collectively gaining Rs 1.90 lakh crore. ICICI Bank led the rally, adding over Rs 56,000 crore to its market cap. This upturn, driven by global sentiment and RBI measures, saw most major firms post gains, with Reliance Industries retaining its top spot.
BRICS nations have adopted the “Indore Declaration,” pledging enhanced cooperation in agriculture and launching new initiatives like a global forum on farmers’ seed rights and a digital agriculture network. These decisions, made under India’s presidency, aim to strengthen food security, support small farmers, and promote sustainable farming practices across member countries.
India assures ample energy supplies, with over 60 days of crude oil and natural gas reserves. Domestic LPG production has significantly reduced import reliance, ensuring 75-80 days of stock. Despite global price hikes due to the Iran conflict, India has kept domestic fuel prices stable, even seeing a slight decrease due to excise duty cuts.
