Business & Economy

New Delhi: The US dollar, long the world’s dominant currency, is showing signs of weakening, sparking concern among economists and investors. According to an NPR report, the dollar fell more than 9% in 2025—the worst annual performance since 2017—reflecting a turbulent year for the US economy and signaling continued uncertainty in 2026. Some American experts have gone so far as to claim that the United States is becoming “a relative of Bangladesh” in terms of currency strength. Dollar Faces Further PressureThe report indicates that the dollar could slide further as the Federal Reserve may continue lowering interest rates—a move that generally reduces a currency’s value. While some aspects of the US economy could provide partial support, the market anticipates ongoing volatility. Despite...

New Delhi: What if the empty packet of chips you throw away could make someone a millionaire? That’s exactly what Anish Malpani did. In just one week, the 36-year-old entrepreneur generated ₹11 lakh by transforming discarded chips packets into trendy sunglasses, while simultaneously creating income opportunities for marginalized communities. The Journey from Corporate to CauseAnish Malpani, a BBA graduate from the University of Texas, had a successful job in the United States. But a visit to Mumbai’s Deonar dumping grounds, where impoverished workers struggled to survive amid piles of plastic waste, changed his life. He returned to India with a mission: to create a business that would benefit both the environment and society. He identified a major problem—multi-layered plastic (MLP),...

New Delhi: The Indian stock market will remain closed today, January 15, 2026, with no trading activity on both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). The exchanges issued official circulars confirming the trading holiday, which coincides with the municipal elections in Maharashtra. According to BSE, trading in equity, equity derivatives, commodity derivatives, and electronic gold receipts will not take place today. Additionally, equity derivatives contracts originally scheduled to expire on January 15 will now expire a day earlier, on January 14, 2026. NSE also updated its prior notification, declaring a trading holiday in both capital market and F&O segments. Reason for the HolidayWhile initially both exchanges had announced only a settlement holiday...

Indian stock markets fell for the second consecutive day today, reflecting continued volatility amid mixed trading sentiments. The markets opened with a slight decline in the morning, showed brief recovery, but slipped again in the afternoon session. At 2:30 PM, the BSE Sensex dropped 371.96 points, or 0.44%, to 83,255.73, while the NSE Nifty 50 fell 109.55 points, or 0.43%, to 25,622.75. In the past seven trading days, the markets have recorded declines on six occasions, indicating sustained pressure on investors. Among Sensex stocks, Tata Steel, NTPC, Axis Bank, Ultratech Cement, and Bharat Electronics saw gains, while TCS, Asian Paints, Sun Pharma, and HUL dropped up to 2%. In broader markets, the Nifty Midcap 100 fell 0.46%, and the Nifty Smallcap Index declined 0.82%. Sectorally...

Despite tariffs imposed by the United States on China, India, and several other countries, China’s export growth remained strong last year. While exports to the U.S. fell by 20%, China offset the decline by expanding shipments to other global markets, resulting in a record-breaking trade surplus. According to official data released on Wednesday, China’s trade surplus surpassed $1 trillion for the first time, reaching approximately $1.2 trillion in 2025—20% higher than the previous year. Exports increased 5.5% year-on-year to $3.77 trillion, while imports remained steady at $2.58 trillion. By comparison, China’s trade surplus in 2024 was $992 billion. December 2025 saw a 6.6% rise in exports compared to the same month last year, exceeding economists’ expectations. Imports also grew by...

Shares of Anil Agarwal’s flagship companies, Vedanta and its subsidiary Hindustan Zinc, surged to all-time highs today amid market fluctuations, marking significant gains for investors. Both stocks rose over 6%, boosting the companies’ market capitalization substantially. In a recent update, NuVama Institutional Equities raised Vedanta’s target price from ₹686 to ₹806. Following this, Vedanta’s shares jumped over 6% on the BSE to ₹679.40, setting a record high and pushing the company’s market cap past ₹2.6 lakh crore. This year alone, Vedanta shares have gained 11%, while delivering over 56% returns in the past twelve months. Analysts attribute the rally to a sustained rise in commodity prices. Additionally, the upcoming demerger of Vedanta is expected to unlock significant value. Th...

India, the world’s largest exporter of spices, is now facing stiff competition from China, which has started cultivating and exporting spices such as cumin and chili—markets traditionally dominated by India. Industry insiders warn that this development could threaten India’s longstanding supremacy in the global spice trade. China has reportedly begun buying cumin and chili from India, processing them locally, and selling them to third countries at lower prices. Despite sourcing from India, Chinese spices are undercutting Indian products in several international markets. According to Sandeep Vodepalli, Vice President of BigHaat, China has been cultivating cumin and chili over the past two years and is beginning to capture certain markets previously dominated by India. Chili, often con...

New Delhi: The new year has not started on a bright note for millions of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) investors. So far in 2026, the company’s shares have fallen by nearly 7%, erasing around ₹1.4 lakh crore from its market capitalization. This comes after a stellar 29% return to shareholders in 2025. Analysts point to concerns over crude oil imports from Russia and a slightly slower growth in the retail business as key reasons behind the decline. RIL is set to announce its Q3 December results on Friday, which could influence the stock’s next move. Analyst Insights: Brokerage firms believe 2026 will be a year of multiple catalysts for Reliance. Morgan Stanley’s Mayank Maheshwari expects the energy segment to perform strongly in the coming quarter, while retail may experience slow...

New Delhi: Precious metals markets opened on a strong note today, with silver prices skyrocketing by ₹13,000 and gold also witnessing a notable rise. On the MCX, March silver futures surged over 4%, hitting an all-time high of ₹2,87,990 per kilogram. The previous session had closed silver at ₹2,75,187, and today it opened at ₹2,81,698. Early trading saw prices touch a low of ₹2,80,555 and climb to the day’s high of ₹2,87,990. By 10:20 AM, silver was trading at ₹2,86,380, up ₹11,193 from the previous close. Gold Prices: Gold also gained momentum, rising by around ₹900. February 5 delivery gold had closed at ₹1,42,241 per 10 grams in the last session and opened today at ₹1,40,501. During early trades, it touched a low of ₹1,40,501 and a high of ₹1,43,173. By 11:20 AM, gold was trading ...

New Delhi: India and Asia’s wealthiest industrialist, Mukesh Ambani, has slipped out of the coveted $100 billion net worth club, following a sharp decline in Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) shares. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani’s net worth now stands at $99.6 billion. This year alone, he has lost $8.12 billion (₹7,31,66,64,04,000), largely due to the recent fall in RIL stock prices. On Tuesday, the company’s share dropped over 1%, eroding another $2.07 billion from Ambani’s net worth. He currently ranks 18th on the global billionaires list. Global Comparison:In terms of wealth lost this year, Ambani ranks second, behind Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, whose net worth fell $9.84 billion. Zuckerberg remains 6th globally with $223 billion. Topping the list ...