Economy

Forex reserves post record $18.34 billion weekly fall as RBI supports rupee

• Reserves fell $18.34 billion to $747.56 billion, the biggest weekly decline on record
• Moneycontrol reports reserves at $757.46 billion; other reports give $747.56 billion
• Rupee pressure and reserve drawdown matter for banks, importers and oil companies

White-collar hiring shifts towards specialised AI skills, experienced professionals in September: Report

• White-collar hiring is becoming more selective
• Demand is rising for specialised AI skills and experienced professionals

A tricky rate hike to consider, but change in RBI’s policy stance unlikely

Inflation eats away at wages, posing risk to consumer spending

UPI volume rises 27% to touch 145 billion in first half of FY27

• UPI volume rose 27% to 145 billion in the first half of FY27
• Volume was 114 billion in April-September of the previous financial year
• Rising digital payments activity puts Indian fintech and payment companies in focus

India’s housing construction pipeline nearly doubles to $430 billion in 2025

• Housing construction value rose from $235 billion in 2019 to $430 billion in 2025
• The report attributes the increase to strong post-pandemic demand
• A larger housing pipeline supports demand for Indian cement, building materials and real-estate companies

Datanomics: Services cushion shrinks as trade deficit pushes CAD deeper

• Q1FY27 current account deficit reversed the surplus seen in Q4FY26
• A deeper CAD can pressure the rupee and raise risks for import-dependent Indian companies

Don't blame El Niño alone

• This year's southwest monsoon ended with a 13% deficit over the long-period average
• A weaker monsoon raises risks for Indian agriculture and rural-demand-linked companies

RBI Rate Hike Ahead? SBI Research Flags Inflation, Rupee Risks For October MPC

• SBI Research expects the RBI to begin raising rates in October
• It cites inflation, rupee weakness, global risks and tighter liquidity
• Higher-rate expectations may weigh on Indian borrowers and rate-sensitive stocks

Weakest monsoon since 2015 prompts ICRA to cut FY27 farm growth forecast

• The 2026 southwest monsoon delivered 87% of the long-period average, the lowest rainfall since 2015
• Weaker farm growth may weigh on Indian agricultural input and rural-consumption companies

SBI economists expect RBI to raise repo rate 25 bps to 5.50%

• The MPC meets October 5-7 to decide on interest rates
• Economists cite rising inflation and global concerns behind the expected hike
• A rate hike would lift borrowing costs for Indian banks, autos and other rate-sensitive sectors

Falling wages, soaring energy prices and inflation: It’s beginning to look a lot like the 1970s

• The article compares current falling wages, rising energy prices and inflation with the 1970s
• It asks whether investors should return to the financial playbook used during that decade

India Forex Reserves Log Record Weekly Drop on Rupee Defense

Inflation target should align with advanced economy average of 2%: Patra

• Patra says India’s inflation target should align with the advanced-economy average of 2%
• He says anti-inflationary monetary policy makes the biggest contribution to growth
• A 2% target could affect RBI rate policy and Indian banks, lenders and rate-sensitive stocks

India’s GST revenue growth has lost momentum: What the post-2025 data shows

• GST collections remain robust in absolute terms, but revenue growth has slowed sharply from FY23 levels
• Slower tax growth may weigh on fiscal expectations and Indian rate-sensitive sectors

US adds 29,000 jobs in September as unemployment rises to 4.2%

• Hiring fell from a revised 133,000 in August to 29,000 in September
• Unemployment rose to 4.2% from 4.1% in August
• US demand signals matter to Indian IT services companies reliant on American clients

10 years of inflation targeting: How elephant was driven away to the jungle

• India’s inflation-targeting framework has anchored price expectations
• Economists see scope to refine the framework’s mandate
• Inflation-targeting changes could affect rate expectations for Indian banks and rate-sensitive stocks

Liberalisation gains petering out as India's inward-looking bias persists

• India's global percentile ranking has improved modestly since 1991
• Weak per capita gains and external vulnerability remain key drags
• Persistent external vulnerability matters for Indian exporters and rupee-sensitive companies

Labor market faltered in September as jobs increased by just 29,000, unemployment rate rose to 4.2%

• US nonfarm payrolls rose by 29,000 in September, versus 84,000 expected
• Unemployment rose to 4.2%, from 4.1% expected
• A softer US jobs market may affect Indian IT exporters through client demand and global rate expectations

Andhra Pradesh commercial tax collections rise 18 pc to Rs 30,436 cr in H1

• Andhra Pradesh commercial tax collections rose 18% year-on-year to Rs 30,435.98 crore in April-September 2026

‘Workers growing increasingly anxious’: US adds 29k jobs, far below 90k expected

• US employers added 29,000 jobs in September, far below economists’ 90,000 expectation
• The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%
• Weaker US demand may weigh on Indian IT exporters’ growth prospects

US economy adds just 29,000 jobs in September as hiring slows sharply

• The US economy added 29,000 jobs in September, as hiring slowed sharply
• US hiring weakness may affect Indian IT firms through client spending and Fed-rate expectations

India, at the centre stage of global energy

• India has expanded and diversified its energy system as its economy grows
• Energy expansion supports power and renewable-energy companies, including Siemens Energy India

GST collections may look stronger than they are: What rate re-labelling is hiding

• GST rate changes since September 2025 simplified the tax structure
• Revenue reclassification may be masking weaker underlying revenue