India is strengthening its semiconductor ecosystem as a strategic pillar of economic growth, technological capability, and national resilience. With global demand for advanced electronics and AI-driven applications rising steadily, the semiconductor industry is projected to reach nearly USD 1 trillion by 2030.
The global semiconductor workforce faces a shortfall of semiconductor talent, resulting in a requirement for over 1 million additional skilled professionals by 2032. Recognizing chip design as a strategic national priority, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has implemented proactive measures to transform India’s semiconductor design landscape.
These initiatives span approximately 400 organizations, including 305 academic institutions under the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme and 95 startups under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in augurated the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project (4-Laning of Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715), worth over Rs. 6,950 Crore in Kaliabor, Assam. Under this, a 90-kms corridor from Kaliabor to Numaligarh is being developed at a cost of about Rs. 7,000 crore, including a 35-kilometre elevated wildlife corridor.
It will feature 35 km of Elevated Wildlife Corridor that will pass through Kaziranga National Park, 21 km Bypass section and 30 km widening of the existing highway section of NH-715 from two to four lanes. The project aims to improve regional connectivity while ensuring protection of the park’s rich biodiversity.
The project will pass through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts and will significantly improve connectivity to Upper Assam, particularly Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. As part of the project, Bypasses will be developed at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat that will help to decongest towns, improve urban mobility and enhance the quality of life for local residents.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the institution of a national literary award for works in seven Indian languages. the best literary works in the Indian languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi will receive the Semmozhi Literary Award every year. The award will carry a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh for each language.
In the first phase, award in the name of 'Semmozhi Illakiya Virudhu' will be given for the best works in the languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odiya, Bengali and Marathi. The chief minister released as many as 84 books, including Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation's 44 books and the Public Library's 40 books.
Come February, for the first time since 1972, astronauts will venture into the lunar vicinity. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) moved its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, scheduled for blastoff as early as February 6, to the launch area from Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building.
This first crew mission will include four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) who will venture around the Moon before returning to Earth. Koch will become the first woman traveller to the lunar region, while Hansen will become the first non-US citizen to achieve this feat, representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
The 10-day flight, that is planned to lift off from Kennedy Space Center, will build on the success of the Artemis I mission and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions. This mission will pave the way to land the first woman on the Moon.
Even with external uncertainties lingering, the Indian economy is expected to record healthy growth of seven per cent in the upcoming financial year 2026-27, CareEdge Ratings has asserted. The Indian economy has demonstrated relative resilience in the current financial year 2025-26, with the GDP growth pegged at 7.4 per cent, as per the First Advance Estimate by the govt.
For 2026-27, CareEdge projected real GDP growth at 7 per cent, with nominal GDP growth estimated at 10.1 per cent. India's macroeconomic outlook remains constructive heading into 2026-27. For 2025-26, the RBI has projected GDP growth at 7.3 per cent.
According to CareEdge, foreign portfolio investors recorded net outflows of nearly USD 18 billion in 2025, while net FDI has fallen sharply over the past four years, from USD 44 billion in 2021-22 to barely USD 0.5 billion in 2024-25.
The board of ICICI Bank on Friday approved the reappointment of Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a further two-year term, beginning October 4, 2026 and ending October 3, 2028, according to a regulatory filing.
Bakhshi’s current tenure as MD & CEO runs till October 3, 2026. The reappointment will be subject to approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the bank’s shareholders and other statutory authorities, ICICI Bank.
Electronics exports from India crossed $47 billion for the first time in 12 months in 2025, according to figures released by the Department of Commerce. This marks a 37 per cent jump over the $34.93 billion recorded in the previous 12 months in 2024. Nearly two thirds of total around $30 billion - came from production-linked incentive-driven smartphone exports.
In December 2025 alone, electronics exports reached $4.17 billion, representing a 16.8 per cent increase from $3.58 billion in December 2024. Electronics exports crossed the $4 billion mark in seven of the 12 months in 2025. Among India’s top 10 export categories, electronics was the fastest-growing throughout 2025.
Beyond smartphones, India’s key electronics exports included photovoltaic cells, routers and networking apparatus, charger adapters, components, sub-assemblies, and printed circuit board assemblies. The government has set an ambitious target of $500 billion in electronics production by 2023-31, with $200 billion expected from exports.
The recent export run has been driven by a series of PLI schemes rolled out by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology over the past five years, starting with the smartphone PLI in 2020, followed by the India Semiconductor Mission in 2021, and the information technology hardware PLI in 2023, which is yet to deliver material outcomes.
The latest initiative, the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), announced in 2025, carries a total outlay of R22,919 crore. It projects Rs.1.15 trillion in investment, ₹10.35 trillion in production, and the creation of nearly 142,000 jobs. At the current pace, industry estimates suggest electronics exports could cross $55 billion (around ₹5 trillion) in 2026.
The slew of sanctions imposed on Russian oil entities and the prospect of a trade agreement between India and the US could result in New Delhi’s purchase of crude oil to plummet to 1.2-1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) from Moscow in the near-term, according to fresh data sourced from maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
India’s Russian crude imports averaged 1.18 million bpd in the first half of January, and are expected to remain capped at around 1.4 million bpd, as against the average import of 1.7 million bpd in 2025, the data showed. Indian refiners have grown cautious of buying Russian oil, despite discounts as high as $5-8 per barrel, for avoiding violation of US OFAC sanctions.
India’s crude oil imports from Russia hit a three-year low in December, as purchases declined to 1.14 million bpd in the month. India imported about 954,000 bpd of crude from Saudi Arabia in the first half of January, up from 699,000 bpd in December 2025. Imports from Iraq, and the US stood at 1.07 million bpd and 349,000 bpd, respectively.
China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, dropping by 339 million to 1.405 billion, a faster decline than 2024, official data showed on Monday (January 19, 2026). The total number of births in China dropped to 7.92 million in 2025, its lowest in decades, from 9.54 million in 2024.
The number of deaths rose to 11.31 million from 10.93 million in 2024, figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed. China’s population has been shrinking since 2022 and is ageing rapidly, and has complicated Beijing’s plan to boost domestic consumption and rein in debt.
India is expected to grow by 7.4 per cent in the current financial year, driven by consumption and public investment, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) said in a report. The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 report also predicts that India will grow at 6.6 per cent in the 2026-27 financial year and 6.8 per cent in the 2027-28 FY
The report said that recent tax reforms and monetary easing will provide additional near-term support. According to the UN’s report, several large developing economies, including India and Indonesia, are expected to continue experiencing solid growth driven by resilient domestic demand or targeted policy measures.
Global headline inflation is projected to fall to 3.1 per cent in 2026 from 3.4 per cent in 2025. However, high prices continue to erode real incomes, particularly for low-income households, with food, energy and housing costs remaining a major source of pressure and inequality.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by NSO, MoSPI, is the primary source of data on activity participation and employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January, 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country.
The overall LFPR among persons of age 15 years and above showed upward trend. The overall LFPR observed as 56.1% in December, 2025 compared to 55.8% in November, 2025 . In rural areas, the LFPR estimated as 59.0% in December, 2025 in comparison to 58.6% in November, 2025. The urban LFPR experienced a slight dip to 50.2% from 50.4% during this period.
In December 2025, overall labour force participation for female of age 15 years and above edged up to 35.3% from 35.1% in November, 2025. In rural areas, it witnessed an increase to 40.1% during December, 2025 from 39.7% in the previous month and in urban areas, it slipped slightly to 25.3% in December, 2025 from 25.5% in November, 2025.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in the age group 15 years and above showed a gradual improvement in December, 2025. Among rural male, WPR edged up to 76.0% in December, 2025 from 75.4% in November, 2025 while urban male WPR observed decline from 70.9% in November, 2025 to 70.4% in December, 2025, pushing overall male WPR to 74.1%.
Rural female WPR rose marginally from 38.4% to 38.6% during this period, while urban female WPR was around 23.0%, leading to an overall female WPR of 33.6% in December, 2025 from 33.4% observed in November, 2025. The overall WPR for persons observed as 53.4% in December, 2025 against 53.2% in November, 2025.
The UR among persons of age 15 years and above remained largely stable in December, 2025. The overall UR is estimated at 4.8% in December, 2025, compared to 4.7% observed in November, 2025. The rural UR remained stagnant at 3.9%, while the urban UR increased to 6.7% from 6.5% in the previous month.
Among rural male aged 15 years and above, the UR remained low and stable at 4.1% in December, 2025. Further, the urban female UR moderated to 9.1% in December, 2025, compared to 9.3% in November, 2025. The UR in the remaining gender-sector increased slightly, though it continued to remain below the levels observed during the mid-year months.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), following its annual supervisory review, has directed ICICI Bank to make additional standard asset provisions on a portion of its agricultural priority sector lending (PSL) portfolio after finding that certain credit facilities did not fully meet regulatory classification norms.
In its Q3 FY26 disclosures, the bank said the directive relates to the terms of the facilities and not to borrower credit quality, adding that there has been no change in asset classification, loan terms, or repayment behaviour. The bank has been originating this category of agricultural loans since 2012.
