Business

Seoul, February 15 – Major South Korean brokerage firms achieved record earnings last year due to a strong performance in the local stock market, according to industry data released on Sunday.The combined net profit of the country's 27 securities firms is estimated to be 10.23 trillion won (US$7.03 billion) for 2025, a significant increase from the previous year's 6.97 trillion won, reports Yonhap news agency.Korea Investment & Securities Co. posted the largest net income of 2.01 trillion won last year, up 79% from a year earlier, followed by Mirae Asset Securities Co. with 1.59 trillion won in net profit.Kiwoom Investment & Securities Co. reported a net profit of 1.12 trillion won, while NH Investment & Securities Co. and Samsung...

Seoul, February 15 – South Korea is preparing to form a team of specialists to support a newly established government committee tasked with conducting a preliminary review of potential investment projects in the United States as part of a trade deal between the two countries, trade authorities said on Sunday.The move comes shortly after the Korea-U.S. strategic investment memorandum of understanding (MOU) implementation committee held its inaugural meeting on Friday to explore potential projects, as the National Assembly is also seeking to pass a special bill to support possible investments, according to the authorities, reports Yonhap news agency.Led by Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and comprising vice ministerial officials from...

New Delhi, February 15 – M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), has emphasized the need to improve the Credit-GDP ratio – making our financial institutions more agile and exploring new ways of financing on a larger scale in line with the goals of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).Speaking at a ‘Chintan Shivir’ (Deep Thinking Session) of the DFS in Coorg, Karnataka, he stated that the ideas generated during the session will pave the way for a shared vision and action plan for the Department and its financial institutions.At the event, experts from public policy, as well as practitioners from various fields of financing, presented their views and ideas.Amitabh Kant, former CEO, NITI Aayog, spoke about the key...

New Delhi, February 14, 2026 – Religare Enterprises Limited (BSE: 532915 | NSE: RELIGARE) has approved a strategic demerger of its financial services undertaking into its wholly owned subsidiary Religare Finvest Limited (RFL), with shareholders set to receive equity shares in the resulting entity on a 1:1 basis. The Board cleared the Scheme of Arrangement at its meeting held on Friday, aiming to segregate the financial services and insurance businesses into two independently listed entities. Financial Services Undertaking: ₹457.29 Crore Turnover, 6.2% of FY25 Revenue The demerged undertaking comprises REL’s financial services business, including:Lending activities Broking activities Investment activities Ancillary and support services...

Pune, February 14 – Shaurya Doval, the founding director of the India Foundation, a think tank based in Delhi, said on Saturday that India has created a strong foundation for a future economy by developing the digital infrastructure needed for long-term growth.Speaking about India's economic journey, Doval said that the country has become future-ready by investing in systems that can support an economy worth $30 to $40 trillion in the coming decades.He explained that digital platforms, governance reforms, and technology-driven systems are laying the groundwork for sustained expansion and global competitiveness."The first thing that has happened is that we have laid the foundation for what I believe will be a future economy. We are...

New Delhi, February 14 – Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced on Saturday that Indian Railways has approved two new reforms as part of its plan to implement "52 reforms in 52 weeks" during 2026.He stated that these reforms are not one-time decisions, but an ongoing process aimed at continuously improving the railway system.The Minister said that the visible results of sustained reforms are already apparent, with Indian Railways emerging as the second largest cargo carrier in the world."New-generation trains and modern working practices are being adopted across the network," Vaishnaw mentioned.Explaining the first reform, Vaishnaw said...

Mumbai, February 14, 2026 – Hubtown Limited (BSE: 532799 | NSE: HUBTOWN) on Saturday informed the exchanges that a search and seizure/inspection operation conducted by the Goods and Services Tax Department at its registered office and at its subsidiary has concluded, with the company stating that there is no material impact on its financials or operations.The action covered Hubtown Limited and its subsidiary, Joynest Premises Private Limited. The search commenced on February 9, 2026 and concluded on February 13, 2026.Details of the Inspection As outlined in the company’s communication dated February 14, 2026 , the inspection was conducted by the Assistant Commissioner of State Tax, Investigation-C, Mazgaon, Mumbai.The scope of the...

New Delhi, February 14 – Nvidia Corp confirmed on Saturday that its Chief Executive Officer, Jensen Huang, will not attend the India AI Impact Summit, scheduled to begin next week in the national capital.Huang was originally scheduled to speak to the media on February 17, but his visit has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, the company said."Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jensen Huang is unable to travel to India at this time," it said."NVIDIA remains deeply committed to the AI Impact Summit and to India's rapidly advancing AI ecosystem," the firm stated.Despite this development, the India AI Impact Summit is set to proceed as planned and is expected to remain a major international event."A senior NVIDIA...

New Delhi, February 14 – India’s innovation ecosystem has reached a stage where opportunities are fully democratized and accessible “on a mobile phone,” Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Saturday, urging young people to move beyond the traditional aspiration of government jobs and embrace entrepreneurship.Addressing the inaugural session of the Research–Industry–Startup–Entrepreneurship (RISE) Conclave 2026 in Chennai, Dr Singh stressed that government employment alone cannot be the only career goal for India’s youth.He called for a decisive shift in mindset towards innovation-led entrepreneurship and job creation, saying that India has transformed from a late entrant into a global innovation hub.The two-day conclave, to be...

Mumbai, February 14 – Rising geopolitical tensions involving the United States, China, and Russia are prompting Europe and Canada to accelerate their economic and strategic engagement with India, positioning the country as "a viable third pole," according to a new report.The report from National Interest argued, "With the United States, China, and Russia creating a hostile world, Brussels and Canada have no choice but to deepen ties with India.""India offers scale without the geopolitical and normative baggage associated with China. It is not a substitute for the US security umbrella, nor a replica of China's manufacturing ecosystem, but it represents a viable third pole in an increasingly fragmented global economy," the report...

New Delhi, February 14 – Pakistan's fragile economy has received temporary relief after the United Arab Emirates extended $2 billion in maturing loans for one month at an interest rate of 6.5 per cent.The extension covers two separate $1 billion loans that matured in mid-January 2026. However, the short tenure of just one month highlights the ongoing financial stress faced by Islamabad, as it negotiates for a longer rollover period of up to two years at a lower rate.The move underscores Pakistan's heavy reliance on friendly countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and China to avoid default.In the current fiscal year 2025–26, Pakistan faces external debt repayments of around $23-26 billion.Despite some progress in achieving...

Mumbai, February 14. Generative AI is not causing widespread job displacement in India's IT sector, but is restructuring work, increasing productivity, and shifting demand towards hybrid skill sets, according to a report released on Saturday.The report from the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and OpenAI found modest moderation in hiring at entry-level positions, while mid-level and senior-level hiring remained stable, and noted productivity gains from AI outnumbering declines by a ratio of 3.5 to 1 across affected business divisions."Companies report a modest moderation in hiring, primarily concentrated at the entry level, alongside stability at mid and senior levels. Researchers note that...

Mumbai, February 14 – The European Union should move quickly to provisionally apply the EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement and expedite the provisional application of the EU–India free trade agreement in response to urgent geopolitical pressures, including from the United States, a new report has said."The agreements with Mercosur and India would create the world's two largest free trade zones and send a strong message of enhanced cooperation between democracies in this age of great power rivalry and spheres of influence," the report from EU lawlive said.It reminded that the United States was threatening its European allies with tariffs and military force."Advancing these agreements is exactly the spirit Prime Minister Mark...

New Delhi, February 14 – The Union Cabinet has approved projects worth ₹1,60,504 crore in its final meeting at the South Block, before passing a resolution to shift its operations to the Seva Teerth complex, Union Minister for Railways and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said on Saturday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new complex, named ‘Seva Teerth’, on Friday, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), and the Cabinet Secretariat.In its final session at the South Block, the Cabinet cleared major decisions related to railways, national highways, metro expansion, urban reforms, and startup funding.This marks a significant shift in the approach to urban...

New Delhi, February 14 – Skyways Air Services Ltd, a Delhi-based air freight forwarding and logistics company that is preparing for an IPO, is facing an FIR (First Information Report) filed by PG Paper Company Limited, a UK-based company, with the Delhi wing of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The alleged "large-scale fraud" involves nine firms/persons, including Skyways Air Services Ltd, and amounts to approximately Rs 480 crore.According to the FIR filed with the EOW in Delhi, PG Paper Company Limited, through its directors and key managerial personnel, accused Skyways Air Services Ltd and others of offences under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), and The Foreign Exchange...

Noida, February 14, 2026 (IST) – Dixon Technologies (India) Limited (BSE: 540699 | NSE: DIXON) has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with Longcheer Intelligence Pte. Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary Dixtel Infocom Private Limited to strengthen its position in high-growth electronics manufacturing segments. The agreement, executed on February 14, 2026, formalizes the operational and management framework of the joint venture company. Upon closing, Dixon will hold a 74% stake, while Longcheer will own the remaining 26% on a fully diluted basis. JV Structure and ShareholdingParticularsDetailsJV CompanyDixtel Infocom Private LimitedEquity HoldingDixon – 74%Longcheer – 26%BasisFully diluted share capital...

Mumbai, February 14 – The Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) Research and Development institution, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), has signed an agreement with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited to jointly develop an automated tool that will detect, classify, and report "quantum-vulnerable cryptographic algorithms in target devices," the government said on Saturday.The agreement aims to create an automated tool to scan devices, identify their cryptographic algorithms and security mechanisms. The tool will flag security vulnerabilities, distinguish quantum-safe from quantum-vulnerable algorithms, according to an official statement."Finally, it will generate a detailed report highlighting quantum-vulnerable...

Mumbai, February 14 – The tax holiday for foreign cloud service providers aims to “provide investment certainty, anchor high-value digital infrastructure within the country, and strengthen India’s role in global digital value chains,” the government said on Saturday.The government has announced a tax holiday until 2047 in the 2026-27 budget for eligible foreign cloud service providers operating through India-based data center infrastructure. The income of such companies will be exempt from Indian taxation from the 2026–27 tax year until 2046–47, subject to certain conditions.“The proposed tax framework extending to 2047 provides long-term policy visibility for such capital-intensive investments. The tax holiday for foreign cloud...

New Delhi, February 14 – The US Department of Defense has decided to add several major Chinese companies, including Alibaba and BYD, to a list of firms it believes have links to China's military, according to a report.The move comes just weeks before US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, raising the possibility of fresh tensions between the two countries, according to the Financial Times report.The Pentagon submitted its updated "Chinese Military Companies" list, also known as the 1260H list, to the Federal Register on Friday.However, the document was suddenly removed from the Pentagon's website without explanation, according to the report.A defence official later said the revised...

New Delhi, February 14 – In an effort to improve road connectivity in Gujarat, the government approved on Saturday the upgrade of two sections of National Highway-56 to a 4-lane configuration in Gujarat, with an outlay of ₹4,583.64 crore.This involves the construction of 4-lane sections of the Dhamasiya–Bitada/Movi (47.46 km) and Nasarpore–Malotha (60.21 km) sections within the state, for a total project length of 107.67 km, according to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The project is part of NH-56, which begins in Nimbahera in the state of Rajasthan, traverses through the Dahod District in Gujarat, the Alirajpur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and then re-enters...