Business

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: Valentine’s Day saw a massive surge in online gifting, with Swiggy Instamart breaking records on February 14. The quick-commerce platform reported a tenfold increase in searches and premium gifting in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Notably, nearly 50% of the orders were “orders for others”, highlighting the growing trend of sending gifts directly to loved ones. Record-Breaking Chocolate Sales Chocolate proved to be the most popular item, with the platform processing 1,042 chocolate orders per minute at 11:59 AM on February 14—the highest per-minute spike recorded by Instamart for Valentine’s Day. Searches for heart-shaped chocolates surged 500% compared to the previous week, reflecting strong demand for themed gifting products. Among cities, Ben...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: China’s economy is currently facing a sharp slowdown, with many companies struggling amid domestic stagnation and rising trade barriers in developed markets. As a result, Chinese firms are increasingly looking at foreign direct investment (FDI) in India as a strategic opportunity. Economic Struggles in China According to prominent Chinese economist Zhou Tianyong, without significant market reforms, China’s growth rate could fall to 2.5% in the coming years. Weak domestic demand and long-standing property market downturns have already reduced quarterly GDP growth to 4.5%, the lowest in three years. This is well below last year’s 5% growth and also below the 4.17% annual average growth rate Beijing projected to double per capita GDP by 2035. Why India M...

Mumbai, February 17, 2026: Danish beer maker Carlsberg is exploring the possibility of listing its Indian subsidiary on the stock market through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), according to CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen. CEO’s Statement In a recent investor call, Aarup-Andersen confirmed that the company is assessing the potential benefits of an IPO for shareholders. However, he clarified that no final decision has been made yet. “This is just an early-stage discussion. If we decide to proceed with an IPO, we will share more details in due course,” he stated. Why the IPO Matters India is one of Carlsberg’s fastest-growing markets, and the company sees a strong opportunity to capitalize on the expanding beer industry, which has become increasingly competitive. Carlsberg reported hi...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: Shares of Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd, a company closely tied to the railway sector, jumped nearly 11% on Tuesday following the announcement of two new orders. Sharp Rise in Early Trading Texmaco shares had closed at ₹111.25 on Monday. On Tuesday, the stock opened higher and quickly gained momentum. By 11 a.m., it touched ₹123.35, marking an 11% intraday increase. Later in the morning, the stock traded at ₹119.45, up 7.37%, as investors digested the details of the new contracts. Details of the New Orders The company received a ₹219.18 crore order from Mumbai Railway Vikas Nigam Ltd (MRVC) for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-IIIA). The contract involves designing, supplying, installing, testing, and commissioning an advanced signalin...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: Precious metals continued their downward trend on Tuesday, with gold and silver prices falling sharply in early trading. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), April 2026 gold futures fell by ₹1,200 per 10 grams, while March 5, 2026, silver futures dropped nearly ₹4,700 per kilogram. At 10 a.m., gold was trading at ₹1,53,691 per 10 grams, down ₹1,069, and silver was at ₹2,36,500 per kilogram, down ₹3,391. In the previous session, April gold futures had closed at ₹1,54,897 per 10 grams, down ₹1,000 (0.64%), while March silver futures traded slightly higher at ₹2,40,201 per kilogram, up ₹310 (0.13%). Reasons for the Decline Global factors influenced the softening in precious metals. Asian markets, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: India’s trade deficit widened in January 2026 to $34.6 billion, marking the largest deficit in three months. The surge in gold and silver imports was the primary contributor to the increased import bill, while exports to the United States declined, keeping overall export growth muted. Import and Export Data India’s imports rose 19.1% to $71.2 billion in January, the second-highest monthly import figure ever and the largest increase since April of last year. Gold imports jumped 4.5 times to $12 billion, while silver imports rose 2.3 times to $2 billion. Meanwhile, exports of gems and jewellery and textiles fell, although electronics and pharmaceuticals saw modest growth. Despite this, total exports in January edged up 0.8% to $36.6 billion. Government ...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: The way India pays has transformed dramatically over the past few years. From cash to cards, and now to UPI (Unified Payments Interface), digital payments are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for both consumers and merchants. According to a recent study by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, UPI now accounts for 80% of all digital transactions in India. Explosive Growth in Digital Payments Between 2021 and 2025, digital transactions surged nearly 11-fold, driven by greater fintech participation and improved digital infrastructure. The number of UPI QR codes deployed rose from 9.3 crore to 65.8 crore, making adoption easier for merchants. Similarly, third-party app providers increased from 16 to 38, strengthening the overa...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: The Indian home loan market is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with young buyers increasingly taking the lead in property purchases. Easy access to the internet and digital tools has enabled Millennials and Gen Z across cities and villages to buy homes and apply for loans more efficiently than ever before. Millennials and Gen Z at the Forefront In the past, most Indians would purchase homes near retirement. Today, 90–95% of homebuyers are Millennials and Gen Z, according to a recent report on home loan trends. Affordable interest rates and easier access to credit have accelerated this shift, making homeownership achievable for younger generations. About the Report The report, titled “How Bharat Finances Its Housing Dreams: A Consumer Insigh...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: Online shoppers are being warned to stay vigilant as e-commerce platforms continue to face scrutiny for product quality. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹5 lakh fine on Snapdeal for selling toys that did not meet the standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), violating consumer rights. Substandard Toys on the Platform CCPA found that Snapdeal allowed the sale of toys that failed to comply with the mandatory Toy (Quality Control) Order, 2020 and BIS norms. The investigation revealed that the platform depended solely on self-declarations from sellers and did not conduct independent verification, resulting in potentially hazardous products being listed online. Snapdeal had earned ₹41,032 in fees from the sale of su...

New Delhi, February 17, 2026: While many students focused on campus placements, Varun Raheja from Indore chose a different path — experimenting with solar drying and composting. Today, he is the founder of Raheja Solar Food Processing Pvt Ltd, a company that manufactures solar dryers and is transforming the post-harvest ecosystem for farmers, generating an annual revenue of ₹14 crore in FY 2024-25. Turning a Traditional Concept into Innovation Solar drying is not new in India. For generations, households have used sunlight to dry papads, pickles, and other produce. Varun applied this age-old principle to develop solar dryers that reduce post-harvest losses for farmers, increasing their income. According to industry data, Indian farmers lose over ₹1.5 lakh crore annually due to post-h...