Business & Economy

New Delhi: Investors looking beyond fixed deposits, stocks, gold, silver, or real estate can now consider municipal bonds as a lucrative option. The recently announced Union Budget has given fresh momentum to India’s emerging municipal bond market, making it an attractive avenue for stable returns. A New Investment Option The budget proposes incentives for cities raising over ₹1,000 crore through municipal bonds, offering a ₹100 crore reward. Smaller bonds, up to ₹200 crore, will continue to receive support under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) program. The move aims to encourage large urban local bodies to raise funds from capital markets rather than relying heavily on government grants or bank loans, while also keeping smaller municipalities engag...

New Delhi: Fractal Analytics, a pioneer in data analytics and AI solutions, has opened its IPO for subscription, marking a milestone in a remarkable journey that began in 2001 as a modest bedroom startup. The IPO is valued at ₹2,833.90 crore, with a price band of ₹857–900 per share, including an Offer for Sale (OFS) of ₹1,810.40 crore. A Visionary Bet The story traces back to 2001, when Onida Group founder and chairman Gullu Mirchandani invested in the fledgling Fractal Analytics, a company that aimed to revolutionize the data analytics space. Initially, the concept was highly academic and untested—banks were required to share vast amounts of client data to leverage Fractal’s analytics solutions. Despite the skepticism, Mirchandani’s $60,000 (₹15 lakh) bet helped lay the foundation f...

New Delhi: Dalal Street witnessed a continuation of bullish momentum on Monday, with both benchmark indices closing higher. The BSE Sensex rose 485.35 points (0.58%) to 84,065.75, while the NSE Nifty gained 173.60 points (0.68%) to close at 25,867.30. Market Overview Investor optimism surrounding the India-US trade agreement, coupled with strong buying in public sector banks, durable consumer goods, and realty stocks, supported the market. During the session, the Sensex briefly touched a high of 84,314.68, climbing 734.28 points from the previous close. Meanwhile, the Nifty scaled an intraday high of 25,922.25. Among Sensex constituents, SBI, Titan, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, Eternal, Bharat Electronics, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Indigo, Trent, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & ...

New Delhi: Clouds of uncertainty have emerged over the future of Nayara Energy’s refinery in Gujarat after US President Donald Trump warned against purchasing crude oil from Russia, threatening to reimpose a 25% additional tariff. The warning has raised questions over the operations of the Vadinar-based refinery, which has majority ownership by Russia’s state-owned energy giant Rosneft. A Strategic Refinery at Stake The Nayara Energy refinery, located in Vadinar, Gujarat, is India’s second-largest single-site refinery with an annual processing capacity of 20 million tons of heavy crude. Prior to US sanctions, it relied heavily on Russian crude oil for operations. Analysts suggest that while Nayara remains an attractive acquisition target, Washington’s hardline stance on Russian oil m...

New Delhi: A light-hearted moment stole the show at a reception hosted by US Ambassador Sergio Gor in the national capital, where Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, along with several dignitaries, were present. During the event, Goyal humorously linked the recent India-US trade deal with the US cricket team’s performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup. A Blend of Trade and Cricket Addressing the gathering, Goyal joked that had the US reduced its retaliatory tariffs to zero, it might have “won the match” against India. The comment drew laughter and applause from the audience. The event followed last week’s announcement of an interim India-US trade framework, highlighting shared interests and deepening bilateral ties. Goyal acknowledged the US ...

New Delhi: Precious metals witnessed a sharp rise in prices in Delhi’s Sarafa market on Monday, driven by a strong global trend and a weakening US dollar. Silver prices surged over 6% to reach ₹2.72 lakh per kilogram, while gold climbed nearly 1% to ₹1.58 lakh per 10 grams. Local Market Trends According to local traders, silver jumped ₹17,000 from Friday’s closing rate of ₹2.55 lakh per kilogram to hit ₹2.72 lakh per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes). Meanwhile, 99.9% pure gold rose ₹1,300, or 0.83%, to ₹1,58,500 per 10 grams from Friday’s ₹1,57,200. Saumil Gandhi, Senior Commodity Analyst at HDFC Securities, said the rally was fueled by a dip in the US dollar and increased buying by speculators. “The dollar index fell nearly 0.30% to 97, supporting gold and silver prices. Global ...

New Delhi: Gold and silver opened sharply higher on the MCX on Monday, February 9, 2026, as investors reacted to global cues and domestic market movements. April gold futures rose by more than ₹2,100 per 10 grams, trading at ₹1,57,600, while March silver futures surged nearly ₹12,000 per kilogram, reaching ₹2,61,704. International Markets Support Rally Globally, gold hovered around $5,000 per ounce, recovering after a historic drop last month. On Monday, gold prices rose 1.7%, partially offsetting nearly half of the sharp decline from January 29’s all-time high. Silver, which had fallen more than a third from its record peak, rebounded 5% to exceed $80 per ounce, driven by speculative trading and thin OTC markets. Silver ETFs Shine Among Silver ETFs, Axis Silver ETF led the gai...

New Delhi: SpaceX founder Elon Musk has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish a human settlement on the Moon within the next decade. For now, the company has put its Mars colonization plans on hold, focusing entirely on making the Moon humanity’s first off-Earth city. This marks a strategic shift for SpaceX, which has become a key contractor for NASA. Musk’s lunar vision aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on sending humans to the Moon. Posting on social media, Musk stated: "SpaceX is now concentrating on building a self-sustaining city on the Moon. We can achieve this in under 10 years, whereas establishing a similar settlement on Mars would take over 20 years." Why Mars Plans Are Delayed Musk cited logistical challenges as the reason for postponing Mars ...

Mumbai: Investors in gold and silver have faced a turbulent ride over the past year. Silver prices, which once delivered triple-digit returns, plunged by as much as 25% in a single trading session, leaving many investors reeling. Gold too has not been spared, falling nearly 10% over recent trading sessions. These precious metals, known for their volatility, have made direct investment risky, prompting experts to recommend diversified alternatives. Multi-Asset Allocation Funds: A Balanced Solution Financial analysts suggest that instead of directly investing in gold or silver, investors consider multi-asset allocation mutual funds. These funds invest across at least three different asset classes — such as equities, debt, and commodities, including precious metals like gold and silver....

New Delhi: The Indian stock market is set for significant activity this week as three companies launch their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) between February 9 and February 16, 2026. Collectively, these IPOs are expected to raise ₹3,871 crore. Two of the IPOs — Fractal Analytics and Aye Finance — are from the main board, while the third, Marushika Technology, is from the SME segment. 1. Fractal Analytics – The Largest IPO of the Week Fractal Analytics, India’s first pure-play artificial intelligence (AI) company to go public, is opening a ₹2,834 crore IPO. The issue opens on February 9 and closes on February 11, with listing scheduled for February 16 on both BSE and NSE. Breakup: ₹1,023 crore in fresh shares; ₹1,810 crore in shares by existing shareholders. Price Band: ₹857–₹9...