Mint Bangalore

Oppo to Samsung raise prices by up to 40% on chip deficit

The West Asia war and a memory chip scarcity have finally spilled over into smartphone prices, with leading smartphone makers raising prices by as much as 40%. India’s top three smartphone brands Vivo, Oppo and Samsung, and their smaller rivals...

India eyes space surveillance. What could play spoiler?

Amid the raging West Asia war, Indian space firms are seeing keen interest for surveillance services in the region. This signals big potential, but the journey seems complicated, as local and global regulations may pose challenges. Mint spells out the...

JAMES BOND GOES BROWN

Bait,

Food delivery in 10 mins: Can Swish crack the code?

SAMIKSHA GOEL Swish, a snack and fresh food delivery platform, raised $38 million recently. Food delivery majors Swiggy and Zomato both scaled back their bets on 10-minute food delivery after struggling to make the economics work. So what is Swish...

Why weight loss has set off a drug price war in India

Novo Nordisk slashed prices of Ozempic and Wegovy by up to 48% on Tuesday, after losing patent exclusivity in India. Local copycats are sparking a price war, making semaglutide accessible, yet raising concerns about misuse. Mint decodes the impact on...

War: It’s a lose-lose

With Washington shifting the goalposts of its war against Iran so frequently, observers find it hard to determine which way it is headed. The latest in the clash saw the US reportedly striking an Iranian ammunition dump in Isfahan with a 900kg bunker...

Street bids adieu to FY26, its worst year since covid

The Indian markets ended fiscal year 2026 (FY26) on a forgettable note, with benchmark indices logging their worst annual performance since the covid-19 pandemic six years ago. A sharp selloff on the last trading day sealed the weak finish. The Nifty...

EPL, Indovida to merge into $2 bn packaging giant

Private equity giant Blackstone and Thailand's Indorama Ventures have agreed to combine their packaging businesses in India, creating a $2 billion giant with annual sales of about $1 billion. Blackstone-backed EPL on Sunday informed exchanges that it...

PROJECT HAIL MARY

A science teacher wakes up to realise he’s on an interstellar craft, the lone survivor on a mission called Project Hail Mary. This film, starring Ryan Gosling, is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. (In theatres)

Will US ruling on social media hit Big Tech in India?

A US court has delivered a significant ruling on Big Tech’s design playbook, finding that Meta Platforms and Google built features that foster addiction among young users. With India weighing age-based curbs, the ruling could hasten a broader reset....

Push for oil storage, piped gas transition

New Delhi is accelerating a multi-billiondollar expansion of its strategic crude reserves and forcing a nationwide shift to piped cooking gas, as a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz threatens energy supply for its 1.4 billion people. The Indian...

What’s changed in Sebi’s new rules on conflict?

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday tightened conflict-of-interest rules, bringing its top leadership under a stricter disclosure and investment regime amid heightened scrutiny of governance standards. Mint explains the new...

Why India stares at an LNG squeeze, and what it can do

India imports 50% of its liquefied natural gas needs from West Asia, mostly from Qatar. With the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Ras Laffan industrial city, much of India’s imports are halted. Mint takes a look at the impact on the...

Tata chip unit raises $735 mn from five foreign banks

Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd (TSML) has raised ₹6,835 crore (about $735 million) from five foreign banks to fund its ₹91,000 crore semiconductor fabrication facility in Gujarat. The lenders have put conditions on ownership, branding and...

WAR THROUGH WOMEN’S EYES

Nalini Malani’s Of Women Born transforms a warehouse in Venice into an immersive animation chamber, layering myth, memory, and feminist critique through drawings, soundscapes and shifting projections on violence and history.

What is making Nvidia rework its success strategy?

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, launched two new chips on Monday. Chief Jensen Huang said it was changing strategy: after three years of training artificial intelligence, its new chips will now be optimized to run AI. Does this make any...

Why Instagram’s end to encryption raises concerns

Meta will discontinue end-to-end encrypted direct messages on Instagram from 8 May, less than three years after its launch. The rollback comes at a time when encrypted messaging is facing growing scrutiny from governments concerned about crime and...

Why definition of ‘industry’ is now under SC review

The Supreme Court on 14 March set up a nine-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, to revisit the 48-yearold definition of “industry”. The interpretation will determine which organisations and employees fall under labour...

Investors scramble for cover as Nifty’s 52-week low looms

Investors have ramped up purchases of a hedge to protect their portfolios, fearing that the escalating war in West Asia could sink Nifty 50 to its 52-week low this month, even as analysts expect an odd bounce during the correction. The demand for the...

MEMORY BANK

Corp bond market sees March chill as oil drives up yields

Corporate bond markets are navigating an unusual March this year, as borrowing plans stall in a month that typically sees a rash of bond sales. The surge in bond yields triggered by rising crude oil prices has prompted several borrowers to either defer...

Is govt’s order to divert gas open to legal challenge?

The West Asia war has sparked a crunch in gas supply. The Centre has set out gas use priorities in an order, which also discourages firms receiving pooled gas from legally challenging its decision. Mint explains the order, and whether courts can still...

Why eateries are raising the alarm over LPG supply

The restaurant industry has raised concerns after a government order prioritizing cooking gas for household use triggered confusion over the availability of commercial cylinders used by eateries. Mint explains what the order says and how the industry...

Law firms field force majeure queries

As the conflict in West Asia has nearly frozen all trade movement through the Strait of Hormuz, Indian law firms have seen a surge in queries from companies seeking clarity on whether they can invoke a rare clause to mitigate risk—force majeure. It is...

Bulls not buying the dip as caution rules

When stock markets tank, intrepid investors troop in to buy the dip. This time, though, the signs are missing. With the Iran attack widening into a regional conflict, investor sentiment remains significantly subdued, raising the possibility of further...

Gorillaz are reborn on their India-inspired ninth album

Born from personal loss and an immersive journey across India, The Mountain is Gorillaz’s new album. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett discuss blending electro-hop with Indian sounds to explore memory and rebirth.

What the Iran war means for Street and your stocks

With the Strait of Hormuz blockade threatening energy supplies and squeezing margins for oil and chemical firms, investors are caught between gold’s safe-haven appeal and rising macroeconomic headwinds. Mint explains what the war in West Asia and the...

BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI

Wong Kar-Wai’s long-gestating series is finally streaming. The Hong Kong director of In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express helms this 30-epsiode series set in the Shanghai of the 1990s. It stars Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tiffany Tang and Xin Zhilei. (MUBI)

NFRA to widen yearly reviews to strengthen audits

India’s National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) will review financial statements of more companies as part of its annual inspection of audit practices this fiscal, according to two persons aware of the matter. The authority will cover financials...

The AI onslaught is on. Are India’s IT giants ready?

On Tuesday, Nasscom projected flat growth for India’s IT sector, a day after Jefferies cut target prices for the country’s Big Four IT firms, reflecting concerns over how the sector is preparing to navigate the onslaught of artificial intelligence. Is...

Tata Sons board defers call on Chandra’s 3rd term

The board of Tata Sons on Tuesday deferred a decision on reappointing N. Chandrasekaran as chairman for five more years after objections from Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, two executives aware of the matter said. The development signals continuing...

RBI deal protects Clearing Corp from EU interference

Centre to merge tax, financial accounting regimes

India is preparing to merge its diverging tax and financial reporting frameworks into a unified system, two people aware of discussions said, in a move aimed at dismantling one of the most cumbersome hurdles for corporate India. The overhaul seeks to...

KENNEDY

Anurag Kashyap’s 2023 film premiered at Cannes but seemed in danger of not finding any kind of release after that. It’s now streaming on Zee5. Rahul Bhat, working for the third time with the director, plays a cop-turned-hitman. Also starring Sunny...

War clouds slam stocks, Nifty dips most since budget

The military build-up in the Persian Gulf and a muddied US interest rate outlook dealt the biggest blow to Indian markets since the Union budget, with investors losing nearly ₹6.8 trillion on Thursday. The benchmark Nifty plunged 1.4% to close at...

How India’s EV adoption is a tale of multiple hues

More than a decade after India’s National Electric Mobility Mission, segment-wise adoption data reveals uneven progress in electric mobility, as per a recent CII-Kearney report on green mobility. Mint explains what this divergence means for green...

Investment pledges light up India AI Summit on Day 2

Aflurry of investment announcements reframed the India AI Impact Summit 2026 as a high-stakes capital story on Tuesday, a day after a glitchy start to the landmark event. Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Indian private startups are projecting...

Banks’ insurance boost faces RBI reality check

The regulator’s proposed rules to curb mis-selling of third-party products by banks will likely dent their earnings from insurance policy sales, a ₹22,000-25,000 crorea-year business for lenders. On 11 February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)...

What’s fuelling the hype around India AI summit?

India’s push for global prominence in artificial intelligence begins today. The AI Impact Summit has driven hotel prices higher in New Delhi, and attendance rates for global heads of state match those seen during the 2023 G20 summit. Why such hype?...

THE MUSEUM OF INNOCENCE

A wealthy man (Selahattin Paşalı) falls in love with a shopgirl (Eylül Lize Kandemir) in this Turkish drama series set in 1970s Istanbul. It is adapted from Orhan Pamuk’s Nobel Prize-winning 2008 novel of the same name. (Netflix)

India’s AI rules and the elusive quest for online safety

India notified its artificial intelligence (AI) rules this week, cutting the deadline for taking down sexual content to within two hours of reporting. For other content, the time given is three hours. Can these moves make social media safer for us?...

US softens factsheet tone on digital, agri, imports

The White House has revised its factsheet on the newly announced India–US trade framework within 24 hours of its release, removing or softening several key references related to agricultural access, digital taxation and large-scale US exports. The...

In vroom mode

Vehicle sales in January should put smiles on many faces. Overall retail sales, according to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations on Tuesday, grew about 18% from a year earlier to 2.72 million. Not only is the number...

Vinci nears $2 bn Macquarie deal in India return

Vinci SA of France is nearing a $2 billion deal to acquire the Indian road assets of Australia’s Macquarie Group, two people aware of the matter said, as the Paris-based concessions and construction company prepares to return to the country after 11...

US tariff cuts set to double exports in 4–5 years

With US tariffs sharply reduced and policy uncertainty easing, Indian exporters are gearing up to resume exports at the revised duty rates. Industry executives say the move could double India’s exports to the US over the next four to five...

DRESS UP FOR THE GALLERY

When the art fair comes to the Capital, so does fashion. Lounge puts together a guide for those who want to wear their art on their sleeve with prints, colour, scarves, jewellery stacks, statement pieces, and more.

Why did Claude Cowork’s tools hit the IT sector?

On 30 January, Anthropic launched 11 plugins to its Gen AI platform, Claude Cowork. While Claude isn’t the first software to have done all this, it still sent the entire world of software into meltdown. Why did Claude make such a massive splash? Mint...

Cognizant’s stellar show is IT Inc.’s best of the year

Bolstered by large deal wins, improving execution and margin expansion, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. ended 2025 with its fastest revenue growth in four years, beating analyst estimates and projecting steady growth for the ongoing year despite...

What Bharat wants from the budget on 1 Feb

Indian agriculture has shown remarkable resilience amid growing climate risks. The sector, which employs about 46% of the workforce, has seen overall production rise but also a sharp fall in crop prices. Mint explores five areas for the budget to...

136.5

When can the India-EU FTA become effective? Though the negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) were successfully completed on 21 January 2026, the pact is not legally binding yet. At the EU’s end, the deal will first undergo a legal vetting....

Will India join Donald Trump’s board of peace?

Last week, Trump launched the board of peace (BoP) to oversee interim governance and rebuilding of Gaza. European nations like the UK and France declined to join. India says it’s still examining the offer. Mint looks at why countries are hesitating and...

Fed under pressure

US President Donald Trump’s open attempts at glaring the Federal Reserve down into rate cuts notwithstanding, it looks unlikely that America’s central bank will oblige as its two-day monetary policy review begins on Tuesday. Inflation is still above...

Reflective republic

This Republic Day, we should reflect on India’s embrace of the world. Amid all the convulsions of globalization, we have cause for optimism over India’s trade prospects. A deal with the EU looks imminent, while the US has signalled it may not just...

Musicians match their style to beat the

From stage to street, Indian musicians are turning up the volume on style. As concert culture booms, fashion is no longer an afterthought—it is a crucial part of an artist’s identity, persona and performance.

What is Trump’s gripe with Nato?

4 Why does Greenland matter for Nato? At Davos, Trump clarified he would not annex Greenland by force and avoided referring to the 10% punitive levies he had threatened on countries defending the island. Yet his warning was unmistakable: “You can say...

Tiger verdict cloud over M&A tax cover

Insurers may not readily offer tax liability insurance for merger and acquisition (M&A) deals and will subject them to stricter scrutiny given the risks of retrospective taxes, consulting and law firms cautioned, days after the Supreme Court ruled that...

Glide path for new job scheme likely

Even as a two-decade-old welfare employment scheme is set to be replaced by a new one, the upcoming Union budget may carve out separate allocations for both schemes to ensure there are no gaps in jobs during the transition period, according to the...

Discoms swing to profit. Why there is more to worry

1 What is the current condition of discoms? After over 10 years of losses, discoms reported a cumulative net profit of ₹2,701 crore for FY25 compared with losses of ₹25,553 crore in FY24, shows power ministry data. The sector, however, continues to be...

Solar sector woes rise as module prices warm up

Aspike in prices of solar modules is expected to raise costs and tariffs for projects under construction, even as multiple solar ventures languish for want of power purchase contracts. Solar module prices have surged by roughly a third since late...

YOUR FAVOURITE WEEKEND READ NOW THROUGH THE WEEK

TRAVEL Chasing northern lights in Yukon The winter light falls differently in Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon, soft and gentle, exuding a warmth that has nothing to do with temperature. Despite a thick blanket of snow all around, the low angle of the...

Why has this issue come up now?

The issue sits within India’s expanding telecom and device security framework. The Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements, or ITSAR, which apply to network equipment, are being extended to smartphones, which the government increasingly sees as...

Google blasts past $4 tn: How is it beating rivals?

On Monday, Alphabet became the fourth company to reach a $4 tn market cap after a deal with Apple to power Siri. Last week, Google’s parent also overtook Apple as the world’s second-largest firm. Its surge comes despite warnings of an AI crash. Mint...

Why Mumbai’s new airport is signal-starved

Step into the new Navi Mumbai airport or ride the Aqua Line and it’s all world-class until your phone drops to zero bars. This is no glitch but a commercial standoff between infrastructure owners and telecom operators. Mint explains what’s going on and...

HOW WE’LL TRAVEL IN 2026

Mid-sized startups ditch unicorn chase to go public

Agrowing cohort of mid-sized companies is considering a much earlier entry into public markets, unlike the post-pandemic boom of 2021 when Indian startups stayed private as long as possible in pursuit of unicorn valuations. This shift reflects a...

M&M, Tata emulate Chinese pace to win

To win market share from rivals in the domestic market, homegrown carmakers Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have borrowed from the Chinese playbook: churn out new models at an accelerated pace. Indian carmakers have reached parity with European,...

Why Elon Musk’s Grok made the IT ministry fret Views | Gig work: This model is fine but must pay more

Ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) ordered Elon Musk’s X to remove sexually explicit Grok-generated AI images in 72 hours, mentioning regulatory tension on AI safety, public safety, and platform accountability. Here’s what...