💹 Economy & Policy
• India’s GDP grew 8.2% in Q2 FY26, the highest in six quarters, surpassing all forecasts — driven by manufacturing strength, festive consumption, and government capex.
• A new GDP series will be launched in February 2026, aligning data with the latest base year, which could support an IMF rating upgrade for India.
• India is engaged in FTA talks with the US, EU, and several Asian partners; meanwhile, a bill to hike FDI in insurance to 100% is likely to be tabled in the Winter Parliament session.
📈 Companies & Sectors
• Ashoka Buildcon received an NHAI show-cause notice over the NH-66 girder collapse and has been temporarily barred from new tenders for one month pending investigation.
• Black Friday retail sales surged in double digits, as Indian and global brands leveraged festive consumer sentiment and early discount cycles.
• Ola Electric slipped to 5th place in India’s electric two-wheeler market share rankings, facing stiff competition from Hero, TVS, Bajaj, and Ather.
🌏 Global & Trade Developments
• Global retail demand rebounded strongly in Q4, led by U.S. and Asia-Pacific spending trends, signaling improving consumer sentiment.
• India’s expanding trade diplomacy through multiple FTAs could strengthen its export competitiveness and attract fresh global capital inflows.