West Bengal's NSDP rose 9.86% to Rs 16.32 lakh crore in 2024-25, improving from 8.94% in 2023-24.
West Bengal's NSDP at current prices rose 9.86% to Rs 16.32 lakh crore in 2024-25, up from 8.94% in 2023-24 and below the 17.55% peak in 2021-22; comparative state growth rates show West Bengal trailing Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha but exceeding Punjab and Delhi, per the Economic Survey Statistical Appendix.

India's AI ecosystem urged to be transparent, impartial and secure, with focus on data security, ethics and skilling.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged development of a transparent, impartial and secure AI ecosystem, emphasizing data security, democratisation of technology, ethical AI use, indigenous technology adoption, and AI skilling; he urged industry to use the IndiaAI Impact Summit to foster collaborations and accelerate India's AI objectives.

Kerala budget expands pensions, restores house advances, clears DA/DR arrears, and makes undergraduate degrees free.
The budget replaces the contributory pension system with an Assured Pension Scheme guaranteeing up to 50% of last drawn basic pay plus dearness relief, offers National Pension System employees an option to switch, establishes the 12th Pay Revision Commission with a three month report timeline, and provides for phased clearance of DA/DR arrears beginning in February-March, alongside significant allocations for welfare pensions, health support and grassroots development.

Viksit Bharat employment law overhauls rural guarantee, mandates faster wage payments and integrated local planning.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 overhauls the prior rural employment scheme to strengthen accountability, planning, and income security by requiring prompt wage disbursement (weekly or within a fortnight), localised Viksit Gram Panchayat plans integrated with national spatial systems, and aggregation of assets into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack to ensure coordinated infrastructure outcomes.

Domestic flight cancellations disrupted over 9.66 lakh passengers in December; IndiGo accounted for over 82% of cancelled services.
Domestic airlines cancelled 6,890 flights in December affecting 9,66,864 passengers, with a single carrier accounting for over 82% of cancellations. The aviation regulator curtailed that carrier's winter schedule by 10% and imposed fines totalling Rs 22.20 crore and other regulatory actions. Causes identified include over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, system software deficiencies, management and operational control shortcomings, and adverse weather-related issues.

Air India converts 15 A321neo orders to A321XLR, shifting procurement toward extended range single aisle capacity.
Air India converted 15 outstanding A321neo orders to the A321XLR variant as a transactional amendment within its broader 2023-2024 Airbus procurement programme, announced at Wings India 2026 in the presence of the Union Civil Aviation Minister, reflecting a commercial shift toward extended-range single-aisle capacity.

Silver and gold prices hit record highs in Delhi, driven by international rallies, investor demand, and geopolitical tensions.
Silver rose to Rs 4,04,500 per kilogram and 99.9% purity gold to Rs 1,83,000 per 10 grams (inclusive of taxes), recording intraday highs; traders linked the rally to international bullion peaks, strong investor demand for safe-haven assets, geopolitical tensions, and a weakening US dollar, with international gold at USD 5,595.02/oz and spot silver at USD 120.45/oz.

Air India orders 30 single-aisle aircraft and signs multi-year component services agreement for its 787 fleet.
Air India entered into a purchase agreement to acquire 30 single-aisle aircraft and concluded a multi-year Component Services Programme agreement providing maintenance and component support for its entire Boeing 787 fleet, covering both existing aircraft and those on order.

Government company definition may be cut to 26% to retain control while enabling phased offer-for-sale privatisation.
The Economic Survey recommends reducing the minimum ownership threshold for a government company to 26 per cent for listed entities so the government can retain effective control via special resolution rights while monetising stakes; alternatively, it supports phased offer for sale below 51 per cent and even towards full exit without changing the statutory definition, permitting CPSEs to keep the public-sector tag until complete divestment.

Manipal Hospital Whitefield launches Sports & Exercise Science Hub and Athlete Privilege Program to integrate athlete care.
Manipal Hospital Whitefield established a multidisciplinary Department of Sports & Exercise Science to consolidate rehabilitation, nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning, and performance optimisation into an integrated care pathway focused on sport specific injury management and conservative, non surgical treatment. It also launched an Athlete Privilege Program issuing Athlete Privilege Cards to improve access and coordination of sports healthcare services and partnerships with athletic teams.

FASTag adoption: 11.86 crore tags issued; discounted annual pass under NH fee rules launched, boosting electronic tolling.
FASTag adoption reached 11.86 crore issued tags by December 2025, accounting for over 98% of National Highway user fee collection. A discounted annual pass under the National Highway Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008 launched on August 15, 2025, has 42 lakh activations and about 19 crore transactions to December 31, 2025, with ~25% of non commercial vehicles using it. RFPs for barrier-less tolling were invited/finalised for 18 highway stretches. Average daily FASTag collection is ~Rs 186 crore and average ETC crossing time is 40 seconds versus 12.23 minutes under manual tolling.

slice launches UPI-first banking: savings tied to RBI repo rate, UPI credit card, and insured digital fixed deposits.
slice offers a UPI-first savings account linked to 100% of the RBI repo rate with daily interest crediting, no minimum balance, instant liquidity and digital UPI access; a UPI credit card embedding approved credit limits into merchant UPI payments with cashback and EMI features to broaden formal credit access; and fully digital fixed deposits paying up to 7.25% per annum insured up to Rs. 5 lakh by DICGC insurance.

India's potential growth could rise to 7.5-8% if manufacturing, exports and process reforms reduce costs and boost competitiveness.
The Economic Survey 2025 26 sets India's potential GDP growth at 7%, with scope to reach 7.5-8% if manufacturing and export competitiveness and process reforms (land, subsidy, cost reductions) proceed; supply side measures-PLI schemes, FDI liberalisation, logistics reforms, and sustained public capex (~4% of GDP)-and regulatory and MSME credit reforms underpin a projected 6.8-7.2% GDP growth next fiscal, while rupee depreciation may affect investor sentiment.

Pilot aircraft ratio deemed adequate; regulator enforces FDTL compliance with fines, guarantees and monitoring to address fatigue.
The ministry finds the current pilot aircraft ratio adequate but requires airlines to align ratios with fleet expansion and crew rest needs; DGCA rules mandate at least three crew sets per aircraft and revised FDTL norms to mitigate fatigue. DGCA conducts quarterly fatigue reporting, monitors FDTL compliance and has taken enforcement steps-warnings to management, reassignment of an SVP, penalties of Rs 22.20 crore and a Rs 50 crore bank guarantee-to secure corrective measures; the airline has assured compliance without exemptions after February 10, 2026.

AI film studio TakeTwo secures funding at Rs. 100 crore valuation to scale AI-driven VFX and production infrastructure.
TakeTwo secured pre-seed financing at a Rs. 100 crore valuation from Afore Capital and Inovia VC to develop technical infrastructure and scale its creative technologist team, embedding AI-enabled pipelines into mainstream cinematic projects and transitioning from API-based models toward proprietary AI agents for both B2B and B2C film production.

Suraj Estate Developers posts record Q3/9MF performance driven by Suraj One Business Bay commercial launch and higher sales.
Suraj Estate Developers recorded its strongest Q3 and nine month operational performance to December 2025 driven by the Suraj One Business Bay commercial launch (~40,000 sq. ft. sold; ~Rs.200 crore bookings vs. Rs.1,200 crore GDV). 9MFY26 sales area rose 56% YoY to 1.03 lakh sq. ft.; sales value increased 38% YoY to Rs.487 crore; collections were Rs.310 crore. The company added two Bandra West land parcels, emphasizes redevelopment and tenant settlement expertise in South Central Mumbai, and discloses a Safe Harbor noting forward looking statements subject to risks.

India must build national capabilities and strategic indispensability to protect economic sovereignty amid rising trade fragmentation.
India must prioritise building enduring national capabilities and economic sovereignty in response to shrinking rules-based trading, protectionism, weaponisation of energy, and expanded export controls. The policy calls for cultivating strategic indispensability via supply-chain continuity, reduced external dependence, targeted domestic capacity-building, and a calibrated Swadeshi approach that preserves efficiency, innovation, and selective global integration amidst export controls and technology denial regimes.

India trade policy should focus on opportunities over tariffs, citing FTAs and emerging markets' growth.
India should prioritise exploiting trade opportunities over focusing on tariffs, emphasising the strategic value of free trade agreements. India has signed over 100 regional and bilateral pacts in two decades and recently concluded an India-EU free trade agreement that grants duty-free access for most Indian exports and lowers costs for certain EU imports, reflecting a broader trend of emerging markets gaining share in global trade and supporting market access and trade liberalisation through FTAs.

DeepSnitch AI presale staking reduces circulating supply, potentially amplifying price sensitivity while OKX enables stablecoin merchant spending.
OKX's Europe payment card enables direct merchant spending of stablecoins, reducing conversion friction and expanding retail utility. DeepSnitch AI's presale features extensive staking that materially lowers circulating supply, creating potential supply shock at listing; staking yields passive rewards and gated access to platform tools while the delayed public launch concentrates exposure. Promotional statements tout bonus-purchase mechanics and comparative upside versus other tokens, accompanied by a trading-risk disclaimer highlighting investor suitability and disclosure considerations.

Design law reforms propose virtual design protection, a 12 month grace period, 30 month deferred publication and harmonisation internationally.
Proposed amendments to the Designs Act, 2000 seek to extend protection to virtual designs by revising definitions, introduce a 12 month full grace period, permit deferred publication up to 30 months, and add timeline relief in line with the Designs Law Treaty. The Concept Note further proposes statutory damages, a revised term of protection, multiple designs filings in a single application, and an option to divide applications, with other miscellaneous changes to enable accession to the Riyadh DLT and the Hague Agreement.