Business

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 ...

New Delhi: The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) received an unprecedented response, breaking multiple records in investor participation. On Tuesday, the last day for bidding, the IPO was subscribed 147 times, making it one of the most oversubscribed issues in recent years. A total of 90.31 lakh applications were received, surpassing the previous record of 82.65 lakh applications for Vaar Energy’s IPO in 2024. Investor Participation and Bidding TrendsAlthough the IPO size was modest at ₹1,071 crore, investors placed bids totaling over ₹1.1 lakh crore. According to stock exchange data, investors purchased 50,93,16,75,600 shares at the upper price band of ₹23 per share, taking the total bid value to approximately ₹1.17 lakh crore. Despite volatility in the stock m...

New Delhi: The government has taken a major step to provide National Pension System (NPS) subscribers with a regular and guaranteed pension after retirement. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has constituted a high-level committee to draft guidelines and rules for assured payouts under the NPS framework. High-Level Advisory CommitteeThe 15-member committee, chaired by Dr. M.S. Sahu, former Chairman of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, will explore various aspects of pension regulation—from lock-in periods and withdrawal limits to fee structures and market-based guarantees. The Finance Ministry clarified that this initiative is in line with the provisions of the PFRDA Act, aiming to enhance retirement income security for subscribers. The committ...

Mumbai: Dheep Vora’s journey is a remarkable story of courage, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit. A certified financial planner (CFP) by profession, Dheep was earning a lucrative ₹20 lakh annual package. Yet, the desire to create something of her own kept calling. Today, she runs “Hachi With Love,” a healthy snacks brand generating an annual turnover of ₹80 lakh. Breaking Free from Corporate ComfortUntil 2016, Dheep led a stable corporate life. A turning point came during a marathon when, despite a non-athletic background, she completed a grueling 21 km race. The experience revealed her inner strength and inspired her to take risks in her career. By 2018, she became a regular on Mumbai’s running circuit. One day, while running, she decided it was time to take a leap into entrepreneursh...

Mumbai: Domestic equity markets closed lower on Tuesday as profit-taking dominated amid persistent foreign fund outflows and global tariff-related concerns. Weak quarterly results from key companies also added pressure, contributing to a cautious market sentiment. The BSE Sensex dropped 250.48 points (0.30%) to close at 83,627.69, after touching an intraday low of 83,262.79, while the NSE Nifty 50 fell 57.95 points (0.22%) to 25,732.30. Among the Sensex 30 stocks, Trent, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries, InterGlobe Aviation, Maruti, ITC, Adani Ports, and Bharat Electronics were major losers. In contrast, Eternal, ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra, State Bank of India, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recorded gains. Stocks Showing Buying InterestStrong buying momentum was obser...