The National Stock Exchange (NSE) board has approved its long-awaited public offering, which will be an offer-for-sale. LIC currently holds the largest stake at 10%, followed by the SBI group with 7.6%. A five-member panel has been formed to facilitate the IPO process.

India and the United States have agreed to a framework for an interim trade deal, signaling a de-escalation of recent trade tensions. This agreement reaffirms their commitment to broader Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations. The US also lifted punitive tariffs imposed on Indian goods over its Russian oil imports.

The government has received financial bids for the strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank, marking significant progress in the stake sale. This move, involving a combined 60.7% stake sale by the government and LIC, is expected to fetch around Rs 33,000 crore.

Reliance has resumed importing Venezuelan crude after a hiatus, acquiring a 2 million barrel cargo. This marks India’s first purchase since US intervention in Venezuela’s oil sector and follows a US-India trade deal. Previously, Reliance was a significant buyer of Venezuelan oil before US sanctions.

India and the US have announced a framework for an interim trade agreement, significantly reducing tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. This pact aims to boost bilateral trade, with India committing to substantial purchases of US energy and defense products, while also addressing non-tariff barriers and promoting digital trade.

Besides, a new sub-category of deep tech startup has been introduced covering entities working on cutting-edge and breakthrough technologies. The eligibility criteria for such startups has also been broadened with the age limit extended from 10 years to 20 years from the date of incorporation or registration, and the turnover limit increased to Rs 300

Advances in GenAI, autonomous agents and AI-assisted coding are forcing a rethink of long-held assumptions about SaaS defensibility, pricing power and growth. Tasks that once required large engineering teams can now be executed faster and at far lower costs, raising concerns that many software products may become easier to replicate and much harder to monetise.

Addressing a press conference after the board meeting, the corporation’s MD & CEO R Doraiswamy said LIC has decided to go slow on its earlier announced plan of entering the health insurance business, which was announced by his predecessor. For the quarter ended Dec 2025, the corporation reported standalone net profit of Rs 12,958 crore,

What’s fueling the rise of private credit in the first place is the fact that banks are not being able to fulfil all kinds of requirements, leaving a funding gap for mid-market structured credit, said Dhedhi. “Private credit can provide non-dilutive capital that can be tailored to specific needs of each borrower.

Gulf Cooperation Council — comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE — is a key trade and investment partner for India, with exports of nearly $57 billion and imports of around $122 billion, accounting for over 15% of India’s total global trade. Trade with GCC has grown at an average annual rate of