Economy News

In February, India's manufacturing PMI fell to a 14-month low amid softer increase in new orders and production. In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below 50 denotes contraction.

GST revenue from domestic transactions rose 8.8 per cent to Rs 1.49 lakh crore, while revenue from imported goods was higher 13.56 per cent to Rs 46,919 crore.

The RBI's monetary policy committee is expected cut benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in its policy review meeting next month to push growth, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said on Thursday.

The report said that leveraging 36 high-frequency indicators, the estimated GDP growth for the third quarter of the current financial year should be between 6.2 per cent and 6.3 per cent.

Imports increased by 10.28 per cent to USD 59.42 billion last month compared to USD 53.88 billion in January 2024. The trade deficit, or the gap between imports and exports, stood at USD 22.99 billion during the month under review.

For 2024, the Japanese economy eked out 0.1 per cent growth in seasonally adjusted real GDP, or gross domestic product, which measures the value of a nation's product and service. That's the fourth straight year of expansion.

Adhil Shetty, CEO, BankBazaar.com expressed his views on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposing restrictions on New India Co-operative Bank, including a moratorium on withdrawals and a ban on new loans, due to poor governance.

As per the data, inflation in food items eased to 5.88 per cent in January, as against 8.47 per cent in December 2024. Inflation in vegetables came down significantly to 8.35 per cent, as against 28.65 per cent in December 2024.

Issues relating to trade and tariffs figured extensively in a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump that took place hours after the US President announced a new reciprocal tariff policy for all the trading partners of the US.

Replying to a discussion on the general Budget in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Budget was prepared during a challenging time, with serious external challenges beyond estimates or forecasts.

Corporate India is likely to witness annual salary hikes in the range of 6-15 per cent this year, depending on the industry, role criticality, and niche skills and this figure may touch as high as 40 per cent for emerging skills and critical leadership roles, according to Michael Page 2025 Salary Guide.

Retail inflation slowed to 4.31 per cent in January mainly due to lower food prices, according to official data released on Wednesday.

Replying to a discussion on General Budget 2025-26, Sitharaman said the Budget has come in a time of immense uncertainties, changes in the global macro-economic environment, stagnating global growth and sticky inflation.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 87.45 against the greenback and touched the intraday high of 86.61 during the session. The unit settled at 86.82 (provisional) against the dollar, registering a gain of 63 paise from its previous close.