Business

Indian Rupee Opens Marginally Higher Amid Mixed Global and Domestic Cues Mumbai, February 17: The Indian rupee edged higher by 1 paisa to 90.73 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, drawing support from softer global crude oil prices.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.72 against the greenback before slipping slightly to 90.73. The local currency had settled 8 paise lower at 90.74 in the previous session.Stronger Dollar, FII Outflows Limit Rupee Gains Despite the initial uptick, gains in the rupee remained capped due to a strengthening US dollar and continued foreign institutional investor outflows, according to forex traders.Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director at...

Indian Stock Market Opens Lower Amid Weekly Expiry Volatility; Metal Stocks Drag Indices Sensex, Nifty Trade in Red as Broader Markets Mirror Weakness Mumbai, February 17: Indian equity markets opened on a subdued note on Tuesday, with volatility surrounding the Nifty weekly expiry and weakness in metal stocks weighing on investor sentiment.At 9:30 am, the benchmark BSE Sensex slipped 232 points or 0.28 percent to 83,044, while the NSE Nifty 50 declined 92 points or 0.36 percent to trade at 25,590.The broader markets moved largely in tandem with the benchmarks. The Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 0.28 percent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 edged lower by 0.05 percent, indicating cautious participation beyond frontline stocks.Sectoral...

Bengaluru, February 17, 2026: Infosys Limited (NSE: INFY, BSE: INFY, NYSE: INFY) on Monday announced a strategic collaboration with AI research firm Anthropic to develop and deploy advanced enterprise AI solutions across complex and highly regulated industries, beginning with telecommunications.The partnership will integrate Infosys Topaz AI offerings with Anthropic’s Claude models, including Claude Code, to automate complex workflows, accelerate software development cycles, and enable agentic AI systems across sectors such as financial services, manufacturing, and engineering.Collaboration to Begin in Telecom with Dedicated AI Center of Excellence As part of the initial rollout, Infosys will establish a dedicated Anthropic Center...

UN Roundtable to Spotlight India’s Renewable Energy Leadership United Nations, February 17: With India emerging as a global leader in renewable energy expansion, the United Nations is convening a high-level roundtable in New Delhi during the visit of Antonio Guterres, underscoring clean energy transition as a top global priority.According to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the meeting will bring together senior leaders from industry, finance, policymaking, and civil society to deliberate on renewable energy and the broader energy transition agenda.The roundtable forms part of the Secretary-General’s continued efforts to accelerate a faster, fairer, and more inclusive global energy transition in alignment with the Paris...

Nirmala Sitharaman Highlights India Growth Opportunities During Norway Visit Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 17 underscored India’s strong economic growth and expanding investment potential during her official visit to Norway, positioning the country as a key destination for global capital and strategic partnerships.Talks with Norway Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg Focus on Renewable Energy and TEPA During her meeting with Nirmala Sitharaman and Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, discussions centered on deepening collaboration in renewable energy and emerging sectors.Key focus areas included:Solar power Rare earth processing Carbon capture and storageBoth leaders agreed to leverage the Trade and...

Artificial Intelligence is steadily reshaping the fundamentals of filmmaking, enabling creators to visualize entire cinematic worlds even before production begins. Speaking at the AI Impact Expo 2026 in New Delhi on Monday, actor Rana Daggubati highlighted how AI is redefining large scale storytelling and creative execution.AI Enables Filmmakers to Preview Films Before Shooting Addressing a session titled ‘AI x Creativity: Skilling for Innovation in the Intelligent Economy’ on the opening day of the five day summit, Daggubati said that AI tools now allow filmmakers to effectively watch their movies before a single frame is shot.Scenes that previously existed only in imagination or rough storyboards can now be visualized in detail...

Artificial Intelligence is accelerating productivity and redefining how work is performed, but senior executives at leading global financial institutions have cautioned that the rapid transformation also raises concerns around education gaps and human accountability.Speaking at a panel discussion during the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Monday, industry leaders outlined both the opportunities and structural risks emerging from widespread AI adoption.AI to Drive 20 to 30 Percent Higher Value Creation: Temasek Executive Srijay Ghosh, a senior executive at Temasek, said AI presents a significant opportunity to move up the value chain by enabling employees to use their time more productively.According to Ghosh, AI could help...

Silver Prices Fall 2% to ₹2.5 Lakh per Kg in Delhi; Gold Gains ₹700 Amid Mixed Global Cues Silver prices declined by 2 per cent in the national capital on Monday, while gold advanced by ₹700 per 10 grams, reflecting divergent trends in the domestic bullion market.Silver Drops ₹5,000 per Kg in Delhi According to the All India Sarafa Association, silver prices fell by ₹5,000, or 1.96 per cent, to ₹2,50,000 per kilogram, including all taxes. The white metal had closed at ₹2,55,000 per kg on Friday.In the global market, spot silver declined nearly 1 per cent to USD 76.94 per ounce.Gaurav Garg, Research Analyst at Lemonn Markets Desk, said silver began the week on a softer note as investors booked profits following the weekend rally...

India and the UK are making a genuine effort to operationalise their bilateral free trade agreement by April this year, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, signalling momentum in one of India’s key trade partnerships.India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on July 24, 2025. Under the pact, 99 percent of Indian exports will gain zero duty access to the British market. In return, India will reduce tariffs on select British products, including cars and whisky.The agreement requires approval from the UK Parliament before implementation. In India, such agreements are cleared by the Union Cabinet. Once the British Parliament gives its nod, the pact will be enforced on a mutually agreed date...

An Indian entrepreneur who once lost his entire crop to drought is now investing ₹214 crore in artificial intelligence-enabled hydroponic farming to cultivate high-value spices and medicinal plants in Karnataka.Vivek Raj, Founder and CEO of Mangalore-based Panama Hydro-X, announced the large-scale investment as the company prepares to commercialize its patented AI-driven farming technologies.AI Patents Backed by ₹146 Crore R&D Spend Raj said the company has invested ₹146 crore in research and development over several years, resulting in four patented artificial intelligence technologies. These include:An AI-enabled smart farming monitor A hydroponic saffron disease detection system A Diffused Concurrent Convolutional Neural...

Congress Alleges India US Interim Trade Deal Compromises Farmers, Energy Security and Sovereignty The Indian National Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of surrendering to US President Donald Trump by agreeing to the India US interim trade deal. The party claimed the agreement would devastate the livelihoods of millions of farmers and compromise India’s energy security, digital sovereignty and economic self reliance.Congress Terms Deal One Sided and Unequal Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said trade agreements should not come at the cost of a country’s sovereignty. He asserted that national and public interests cannot be sacrificed under the guise of a trade...

An Indian entrepreneur who lost his entire crop to drought a decade ago is now investing ₹214 crore in artificial intelligence-enabled hydroponic farming to cultivate high-value spices and medicinal plants in Karnataka.Vivek Raj Develops Patented AI Farming Technologies Vivek Raj, Founder and CEO of Panama Hydro-X, said the company has developed four patented AI technologies after investing ₹146 crore in research and development over several years.Speaking in New Delhi during the AI Impact Summit 2026, Raj said the systems can detect crop diseases before physical symptoms appear and provide optimized artificial lighting to enhance photosynthesis.The company has received patents from the UK, Germany, and Australia. Raj confirmed...

New ‘Factory of the Future’ to Strengthen Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities New Delhi, February 16: SKF India (Industrial) on Monday announced an investment of ₹653 crore to establish a new manufacturing facility in Pune, marking a major expansion of its production footprint in the country.The upcoming plant, which is expected to be operational by 2030, is positioned as a “Factory of the Future” and is aimed at enhancing the company’s advanced manufacturing capabilities in India. The investment underscores SKF India’s long-term focus on digitalization, sustainability, and building resilient supply chains.Long-Term Commitment to India’s Manufacturing GrowthAccording to the company, the new facility reflects its strategic...

Mumbai, February 16: IIFL Finance is preparing to increase the share of External Commercial Borrowings and foreign currency borrowings in its overall liability profile to 20 per cent by FY27, up from the current 13 per cent, according to a senior company official.Managing Director and Founder Nirmal Jain said the company plans to mobilise a substantial amount through these instruments over the next few months as part of its funding strategy. Current External Borrowing Position At present, the company’s standalone total external borrowing stands at Rs 5,937 crore. This includes:Rs 2,257 crore in external loans Rs 3,680 crore in dollar bondsJain noted that External Commercial Borrowings and foreign currency borrowings account for 13...

Formal Credit Flow to MSMEs Remains Key Policy Focus Mumbai, February 16: Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Monday reiterated that improving access to timely and adequate formal credit for micro, small and medium enterprises remains a core policy priority of the central bank.The statement came after the governor held a meeting with select MSMEs and representatives of MSME associations as part of the Reserve Bank’s ongoing engagement with stakeholders.MSMEs’ Contribution to India’s Economic Landscape Highlighted According to an official statement, Malhotra underlined the critical role played by the MSME sector in India’s economic framework. He noted that MSMEs make a significant contribution to the country’s gross...

Joblessness Edges Higher Amid Seasonal Factors in Rural Economy New Delhi, February 16: India’s unemployment rate among persons aged 15 years and above rose marginally to 5 per cent in January 2026, up from 4.8 per cent in December 2025, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the National Statistics Office.The data shows that the increase in unemployment was accompanied by a decline in both the Labour Force Participation Rate and the Worker Population Ratio across rural and urban areas.Rural Factors Drive Rise in Unemployment Rate The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation attributed the rise in the unemployment rate primarily to rural factors. Seasonal...

India’s real estate sector is poised for a sharp expansion over the next five years, with the market projected to grow more than three-fold to Rs 88 lakh crore by 2030, according to a joint report released by KPMG and Naredco.The report, titled The Role of Real Estate in Viksit Bharat@2047, positions the sector as a central pillar in India’s long-term economic transformation.Real Estate Market to Triple by 2030 According to the findings, the Indian real estate market is currently valued at around Rs 26.4 trillion in 2025. It is expected to expand significantly to approximately Rs 88 trillion by 2030, reflecting strong growth momentum across residential, commercial, and infrastructure segments.The report underscores that as India...

A team of Indian officials will travel to the United States next week to finalize the legal framework of the proposed temporary trade agreement between the two countries. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday that the visit is expected to begin on February 23, with both sides working toward signing the pact in March.Legal Drafting Underway for Interim Trade Deal Earlier this month, India and the US issued a joint statement confirming that a framework for the temporary trade agreement had been finalized. The next step involves translating that framework into a legally binding document.“The joint statement lays out the details of the agreement. Now, these details need to be translated into a legal agreement, which will be...

India’s Labour Force Participation Rate Remains Steady in January 2026, Urban Employment Holds Firm India’s labour market displayed broad stability in January 2026, with key indicators such as the Labour Force Participation Rate and Worker Population Ratio showing limited movement, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Monday.The latest figures indicate that urban workforce participation across genders remained largely unchanged, while rural areas experienced marginal seasonal pressures linked to winter slowdown and post harvest slack.Overall Labour Force Participation Rate at 55.9% The Labour Force Participation Rate for individuals aged 15 years and above stood at 55.9 percent in...

New Delhi, February 16: Artificial intelligence presents a defining opportunity for India, with experts calling for a decisive shift from being primarily an AI consumer to emerging as a global AI creator.Speaking on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, industry leaders and innovators underscored that building AI solutions with global relevance can strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem while opening up new employment avenues.AI Adoption Opens Door to Job Creation Ankush Sabharwal, Founder and CEO of CoRover AI and BharatGPT AI, said artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded in nearly every new application being developed today.“As AI adoption grows, most people will naturally become AI users. However, for...