Mint Mumbai

QUOTE OF THE DAY

While India is way behind major countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, China and US in semiconductors, the plan to localize the value chain focusing on all the key pillars is the right strategy, experts said. A May Niti Aayog report said, by 2035,...

Hormuz jinx forces refiners to dock at UAE’s ports

The war in West Asia is reshaping India's energy supply routes. To avert risks, Indian refiners and importers are increasingly relying on the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Fujairah and Khor Fakkan ports along the Gulf of Oman to skip the Strait of...

Monsoon deficit shrinks, but dark clouds linger

Heavy showers in early July have narrowed India’s monsoon rain deficit, easing fears triggered by one of the weakest starts to the season in years. But with rains still patchy and the kharif sowing window far from over, policymakers and farmers aren’t...

Birla co to buy Sprng Energy from Shell in $1.8 bn deal

Billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla has made his biggest bet yet on India’s clean energy sector, acquiring Sprng Energy from Shell at an enterprise value of $1.8 billion. The deal will more than double the renewable power capacity of the Aditya Birla...

TCS rejigs top deck, big business units

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has undertaken its biggest leadership rejig in three years, shuffling about a dozen top executives across service lines, industry groups and country operations, even as it also reorganized key businesses, two...

KING JACK

LOUNGE TRAVELS TO PANRUTI, FAMOUS FOR ITS GI-TAGGED JACKFRUIT THAT’S NOW ON FINE-DINING MENUS. THE TASTE OF THIS VERSATILE FRUIT CHANGES DRAMATICALLY AS IT MATURES—EACH STAGE HAS ITS OWN CULINARY USE

TCS sees tepid Q1, spots clients staying cautious

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) rang in the information technology (IT) industry’s earnings season on Thursday with a report card that barely moved from the preceding quarter. Muted growth, weaker profitability, a shrinking order book, and an...

Why delivering fashion instantly hasn’t worked

While the promise of delivering trendy fashion in under an hour has attracted investors, turning that into a sustainable business has proved to be far more difficult. Is quick fashion facing structural challenges, or is the category simply too early in...

Why India is doubling down on regional air

Jodhpur’s new Rajputana-style airport terminal went viral after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on Saturday. But the event also saw the formal launch of UDAN’s next phase—the ₹28,840-crore Viksit UDAN. Why expand a scheme with a mixed...

Tractor dumping puts India-China trade ties to test

The Indian government has launched an investigation into the alleged dumping of electric tractors from China. Mint explains why the probe matters—and why it could become a broader test of India-China business ties, with implications beyond electric...

India mulls cash boost for fuel-efficient auto firms

The government is weighing a proposal to reward carmakers that have exceeded India’s fuel-efficiency requirements since financial year 2023 by allowing them to sell surplus compliance credits to peers who missed their targets. This could create a new...

HOW ‘AJRAKH’ IS TIMELESS

An exhibition on ‘ajrakh’—a craft that has travelled across geographies and generations —highlights how fashion designers and artists are experimenting with the textile without losing sight of the craft’s roots.

Why Indian IT is betting big on European assets

Recent acquisitions by Indian IT services companies signal a shift from their earlier reluctance to buy European assets to viewing the region as a key growth market. Several factors are driving this growing appetite for Europe. Mint takes a look. Why...

TPG team, I Squared edge closer to Re Sustainability

ISquared Capital and a consortium of TPG and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have emerged as the final contenders to acquire a controlling stake in KKR-backed Re Sustainability Ltd, according to four people familiar with the matter. The...

WhatsApp security

While Zerodha hasn’t disclosed its plans, the move could open up a new, higher-margin revenue stream. This comes at a time when the economics of the broking business are under pressure due to regulatory changes affecting derivatives trading, client...

Improved IIP data

India’s index of industrial production (IIP) data didn’t always square with other readings that reflect the activity it covers, thus lending it an air of unreliability. Its out-of-date composition and other flaws meant it steadily lost value as a...

Why is quantum computing the new global race?

Quantum computing was long seen as a technology stuck in the future with unstable qubits and high error rates. Leaps by Google, Microsoft, IBM, etc. now challenge the view and governments see it as a strategic capability with economic and security...

A HEADY MIX IN MUMBAI

Mumbai’s drinks landscape has always been varied, with dives being as plentiful as high-end hotel bars, and over the last few years, standalone craft cocktail bars have been on the rise. traces the evolution of its bar scene.

Trippy creativity

Hyperscale centres need millions of litres daily for cooling, making water availability critical . Without sustainable sourcing, data centres risk competing with local communities and agriculture for limited supplies, raising environmental and social...

Chinese chains

Even without a data theft, cyber attacks can be extremely expensive because the damage extends far beyond the initial breach. Companies may have to shut down systems, pause production lines, and restrict access to internal networks while investigating...

What US waiver on Iran oil sales means for India

The US has waived sanctions on Iran’s petroleum sales for 60 days as talks continue on a final peace deal, a move seen boosting global energy supplies. Given Iran’s proximity to India and its importance to major buyers such as China, Mint assesses what...

Monsoon is tardy. So, how bad is it going to get?

The south-west monsoon has seen an unusually sluggish start. Its India journey started with a three-day lag in Kerala, only to further drag. In this El Niño year, over 450 districts have seen deficient rains. Why this delay, how unusual is it and what...

SBI to package, sell retail home loans as deposits lag credit

India's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), is "seriously considering" securitizing part of its home loan portfolio, chairman C.S. Setty said, as the bank prepares to diversify its funding sources beyond deposits to boost lending. Setty did not...

THE CREATOR TAKEOVER

The breakout success of horror films like Backrooms and Obsession at the box office signals a shift in Hollywood, as a new generation of YouTube creators brings digitalnative storytelling instincts to the big screen.

What will it take for India to build its own SpaceX?

SpaceX completed its record public listing in the US on 12 June, and became the fifth-largest company in the world. In many ways, SpaceX remains an outlier—its reusable rocket technology is unmatched at its scale. Can India become just as big one day?...

Nvidia pitches India AI at friendly prices

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances at a rapid pace, making the technology accessible to everyone without limitations will be key to unlocking its benefits. To achieve that, chipmaker Nvidia believes reducing the “cost per intelligence” can have a...

E-bikes likely to get energy star ratings

India plans to introduce standardized energy-efficiency labelling for electric two-wheelers (e2Ws) to help lower charging costs and enable consumers to make informed choices, according to four people aware of the development. The labelling is expected...

What a strong El Niño may have in store for India

Forecasters have confirmed the arrival of El Niño, the warming of the equatorial Pacific that is known to disrupt weather patterns worldwide. This year’s El Niño is expected to be among the strongest in decades and could persist into early 2027. Mint...

What US curbs on Anthropic’s AI mean for India

On Friday, the US asked Anthropic to deny access to foreign nationals to its powerful new AI models. Stakeholders in India are alarmed. Some believe India is missing the bus on foundational models, with others underlining the criticality of sovereign...

SATRAPI’S SWAY OVER INDIA

From chronicling revolution through a child’s eyes to reimagining the grammar of comics, Marjane Satrapi, who died last week, influenced a generation of comics creators and graphic novelists in India and the world.

Football for a cause

In India, interest rates followed a different path. The benchmark interest rate (repo rate) was 9% in July 2008 when the global financial crisis struck. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), like other central banks, cut the repo rate aggressively to 4.75%...

PSU financiers race to tap RBI's hedge window

Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) new hedging window that lowers the cost of dollar borrowings for the rest of the calendar year is set to spur a fresh wave of overseas fundraising by stateowned lenders. This signals a likely revival in a funding route...

Airtel, Vi eye ₹24k cr relief as HC nixes fee demand

In a relief for telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, the Bombay High Court on Monday quashed the government's demand notices seeking one time spectrum charges (OTSC) over the levy on spectrum held beyond 6.2 MHz from 2008 onwards. In the...

Solar energy shines

Annual solar energy capacity addition (in GW) 4 5.62 12.76 12.78 15.03 The new rule, Approved List of Models and Manufacturers-II (ALMM-II), lists the solar cell models and manufacturers eligible for grid-scale renewable energy projects, those under...

MEET THE NO-SHOPPERS

As no-buy challenges and mindful shopping catch on, a section of people is slowly but steadily reassessing not just what they purchase but why they buy in the first place. Their purchases are shaped less by trends and more by intentionality.

Art of the tariff spin

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed a 12.5% tariff on 54 countries, including India, for allegedly lacking mechanisms to stop the import of goods made with forced labour. Though it has invited public comments, that sounds like a...

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Obesity is strongly linked to diabetes. Per the survey, the number of men with high blood sugar on diabetes medicine rose to 20.9% from 15.6%. For women, this was 17.8% from 13.5%. Heart and fatty liver disease are other risks. World Obesity Federation...

QUOTE OF THE DAY

India’s large gig economy and diverse real-world environments are making it a rich source of physical AI training data. It is already in the AI supply chain with data annotation and content moderation by firms such as iMerit and Sama. Startups such as...

Liberate pricing

In terms of value, personal care was big at $155 million. It included major deals like HUL’s acquisition of Oziva ($90 million). Other big deals include Marico’s buyouts in the premium health and wellness space—a 75% stake in Skinetiq ($29 million),...

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The southwest monsoon typically reaches Kerala around 1 June. This year, it is likely to miss that date. In 2025 it made an early landfall on 24 May; in 2024 it arrived on 30 May. Both years saw abovenormal rain. In 2023, when rain was at 94% of LPA,...

WHERE DOES ISL GO FROM HERE?

ISL, won by East Bengal FC this year, showed that Indian football has the capacity to enthral, but can it find a way to sustain itself? The league is battling instability, an uncertain future for clubs, players and the broader Indian football ecosystem.

Right to know

Ferrari enters the electric space rather late, with the China threat looming over all European carmakers. While it was earlier believed the competition would be restricted to the mass market, Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Xiaomi and Jiangxi...

Can film workers’ union demand boycott of actors?

On Monday, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) urged Hindi film producers not to work with actor Ranveer Singh. The move followed a failed mediation between the actor and Excel Entertainment. Why has this union stepped into the...

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Not really. India does not have any large technology firms focused on building foundational models. For the most part, India’s information technology (IT) ministry and tech companies have said that chasing cost-intensive AI models may not be India’s...

Let prices adjust

Net neutrality requires internet service providers not to block, discriminate against, or prioritise lawful internet traffic. The debate intensified in 2015 as Airtel Zero and Meta Platforms-backed Free Basics allowed selected apps and services to be...

Why is India stepping up Ebola screening?

Ebola, an often fatal viral infection, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. India, yet to report a case, has stepped up airport surveillance, issued travel advisories and postponed the India-Africa Forum Summit in...

THE MASTER IN COLOUR

Nemai Ghosh’s vivid colour portraits of Satyajit Ray at a Delhi exhibition reveal the filmmaker at work and in repose. These rare photos turn a new lens to Ray’s creative life and cinematic legacy.

Fed rate hike next?

India’s $1.2-billion AI Mission, in its 26 months of existence, approved funding in the form of compute infrastructure and additional cash for 12 startups. Three notable ones are Peak XV and Lightspeedbacked startup Sarvam, listed firm Fractal...

Tantrum lesson How has India reacted in the past?

An analysis published on 19 May by Venugopal Garre and Nikhil Arela of Bernstein, a global brokerage, said that the price increases by OMCs so far are the second-lowest among the previous hike cycles. During the 2022 energy crisis, sparked by the...

AI brings fresh challenges for the banking industry

Top banks are stepping up cyber defences, hiring, and insurance coverage as concerns grow that advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems could make cyberattacks faster and harder to contain. The pressure has risen after finance ministry officials...

Rural rebound runs into cost, rain risks

Rural-linked companies reported their strongest volume-led recovery in years in the March quarter (Q4FY26), driven by low inflation, healthy farm incomes and rising non-farm employment from infrastructure spending. Aggressive government welfare...

Adani to outsource chunks of business to vendor network

Billionaire Gautam Adani is looking to outsource vast swathes of the group's operations to its vendors while conserving management bandwidth for strategy, research and finance, following the global playbook of multinationals such as Apple and Hyundai,...

THE NEXT CLAY CHAMPIONS

With Novak Djokovic fading, new stars rising and claycourt rivalries intensifying, this year’s French Open could become a defining fortnight for an ambitious and unpredictable next generation.

Why India ordered an abrupt ban on exports of sugar

India has banned exports of raw, white and refined sugar till 30 September, in a sharp shift from the earlier “restricted” export regime to a “prohibited” category. The immediate trigger is the worry over domestic availability and inflation. Mint...

Why the PM wants households to use less cooking oil

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to reduce the use of imported oils, both crude and edible, to help conserve foreign exchange amid a widening current account deficit and a weakening rupee. But what does the West Asia war have to do with...

Why ride-hailing platforms are facing GST review

Ride-hailing app firms following the subscription model—where drivers pay a fixed fee instead of the app charging a commission on each ride— do not pay GST and are pushing for the status quo to continue. The GST Council is set to review the GST law....

Will Atlas shrug?

Yes. While it is pegged as a measure to protect China’s supply chain security, experts opine that it is the second-largest economy’s strategic response to global supply chain decoupling measures underway today. It is a fact that global manufacturing is...

Trump-Xi Beijing summit: what is on the table?

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a two-day summit in Beijing on 14-15 May. The meeting comes at a time when the world is riven by wars and trade disruptions. Mint looks at the possible outcomes and implications for...

HOLIDAYS FOR THRILL SEEKERS

From paragliding solo in Bali to shredding waves in Sri Lanka, the “active holiday” is set to be 2026’s biggest travel trend. Discover some of Asia’s best destinations to recharge with movement and get the adrenaline pumping.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Yes. On 13 February, startup Agnikul Cosmos announced a tie-up with local cloud services startup NeevCloud to deploy data centres in space as early as the end of FY27. On 4 May, a similar twoparty partnership was announced between Sarvam, India’s...

Do AI-led flows rule?

These moves illustrate how regional strengths can be scaled through strategic partnerships. They help unlock value by streamlining rights and royalty systems, expanding digital distribution, and bringing underleveraged catalogues into the mainstream...

Fast lane cruising

Data released on Tuesday by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations in India shows that automobile retail sales rose 13% from a year earlier to over 2.6 million units in April, the best-ever performance for this month. The growth was...

What the ethanol push means for carmakers, buyers

The Centre has moved to formally include higher ethanol blends— E85 and E100—under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules through a draft amendment, open to public comments till 28 May. The move signals a renewed push to increase ethanol blending in the fuel...

Why India rolled out emergency alerts on phones

On Saturday, millions of phones across India simultaneously blared a loud alert. India was testing a multilingual broadcast system developed by Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for emergency warnings. Why is India rolling out this system?...

‘BENNE DOSA’ RISING

From a small-town staple to a social media sensation, benne dosa is drawing the crowds— the buttery dosa with crisp edges is made for the camera. What began as a trend in Mumbai is now playing out across cities.

Musk vs Altman: what it means for OpenAI’s future

A public feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman is playing out in court. Musk calls OpenAI a “stolen charity”, challenging its shift from a non-profit research lab to a commercial AI firm. The case may reshape how OpenAI is funded and operates. Mint...

India eyes reserves for critical minerals

India is planning to build a sixmonth strategic reserve of critical minerals to shield its green energy and manufacturing sectors from supply shocks and price swings, two people aware of the matter said. The Union ministries of mines and heavy...

Industrial resilience

With West Asia embroiled in conflict, global growth is set to take a hit as supply disruptions impact economies around the world. India can’t escape, given our heavy reliance on crude oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz that is currently under...

How does India’s policy panel on AI affect startups?

The government has set up an inter-ministerial advisory body, the AI Governance and Economic Group, to act as a central node for shaping and coordinating policy on artificial intelligence. Mint breaks down how this new body will change things for...

SEXY BACK

How long will the momentum in steel prices last?

After steel prices hit multi-year lows in November 2025, India’s steel makers are set to post a strong March quarter, thanks to firm demand and higher prices. Will this momentum continue in the coming months? Mint breaks down why the rally could slip...

What you should know about RBI’s e-mandate rules

1 What are e-mandates and how do they work? An e-mandate is a one-time authorization that allows a bank to automatically process recurring payments on a customer’s behalf. These are used for subscriptions such as OTT services, mutual fund investments,...

Apple CEO shift: A hardware bet in the age of AI

Apple has named John Ternus as its next CEO, succeeding Tim Cook. The timing of the transition and choice of a hardware leader comes as AI reshapes Big Tech. The move signals Apple’s bet that tightly integrated devices will remain central to its...

How sub-normal rains may affect reservoir levels

Low rainfall may hit India’s water reservoir replenishment, raising concerns among farmers and policymakers. Water reservoir levels stand at 44.7% of total capacity as of 9 April, better than last year, but experts warn that weak rainfall could hurt...