School holiday tomorrow (October 16, 2026): Will schools be closed on Friday? Check state-wise updates

Ladakh infrastructure push: PM Modi unveils 5 development projects on connectivity, energy & more

SEBI chief sees mutual fund investor base growing to 26 crore in a decade

SEBI is working to simplify investing, integrate financial information and expand investor awareness as participation in India’s financial markets grows.

Beyond business networking: How the right peer circle can shape a founder’s ₹1,000 crore roadmap

Scaling a business towards ₹1,000 crore brings decisions that founders cannot always resolve within their own organisations. The Economic Times Founders’ Growth Retreat, scheduled for December 4–7, 2026, will bring entrepreneurs together to explore growth strategies, build meaningful business connections and examine the role of peer networks in long-term expansion.

Ramesh Chand panel to tackle challenges for sugarcane sector

Apart from Chand, the other members of the committee are officials from agriculture, food and consumer affairs ministries — Agriculture Commissioner, Joint Secretary (Sugar), Joint Secretary (Legal Metrology), and Director (sugar).

How India's agricultural damage flags gap between climate warnings and adaptation finance ahead of COP31

High temperatures continue to impact Indian agriculture, leading to decreased crop yields and poor germination rates. Farmers report significant losses in banana production and vegetable crops like okra and gourd. Experts warn about the increasing unpredictability of climate events affecting food security and farming practices. There is a call for greater climate adaptation finance and improved forecasting measures to address these challenges.

Global Market: European shares fall as global tech selloff, rate fears weigh on sentiment

European shares faced a decline as technology stocks led the losses amid global selloffs and rising borrowing costs. The pan-European STOXX 600 index reported a 0.35% drop, reflecting investor sentiment adjustments after strong US inflation data. Companies involved in artificial intelligence investments experienced increased pressure, especially regarding their financing needs. However, certain corporate earnings, like those from Ericsson and Pernod Ricard, offered some support to the market.

Orient Electric Q2 profit jumps two-fold to Rs 27 crore, revenue rises 25% YoY

Orient Electric Ltd has revealed a remarkable increase in net profit, soaring to Rs 27.06 crore in Q2 FY27, marking a more than two-fold jump from Rs 12.06 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. Additionally, the company reported a 25.15 percent growth in revenue from operations, totaling Rs 879.34 crore, with Electrical Consumer Durables revenue up by 24.85 percent to Rs 550.5 crore.

Flipkart Internet’s sales surge 18%, losses shrink as the e-commerce giant eyes a public listing

Flipkart Internet achieved an 18% increase in revenue to Rs 1,45,880 crore in FY26. The company's net loss decreased by Rs 178 crore to Rs 8,468 crore during the same period. Gross margins expanded by 23% year-on-year, indicating improved unit economics for the company. Adjusted operating losses reduced by about Rs 1,600 crore, and the operating margin improved by 230 basis points.

China, US discuss AI as chip stock rout hits Asian markets

China and the United States are in regular talks about artificial intelligence (AI) as they seek to firm up plans for an incident “hotline” and develop a formalised dialogue process ahead of a presidential summit next month. The two sides aim to agree on a basic framework for addressing AI incidents before Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, the South China Morning...

India, US lock first phase of trade pact; legal drafting underway: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced the finalization of the first phase of the India-US trade pact. This phase is currently undergoing legal drafting, with hopes for quick finalization and operationalization. He emphasized the need for India to secure a competitive advantage over its peer countries before implementation. Additionally, Goyal stated the free trade agreement with the European Union will be signed in December.

India's trade deficit widens to $30.21 billion in September despite 23% jump in exports

In September, India's merchandise trade deficit expanded to $30.21 billion from $26.86 billion in August. Exports experienced a notable boost, increasing by 23.04% year-on-year with total figures at $44.4 billion. The growing trade gap signals a significant difference between imports and exports, surpassing economists' expectations of a $30.4 billion deficit. Nonetheless, these figures suggest strong ongoing momentum in India's export activities.

Could Trump join Xi and Putin for 3-way meeting at next month’s Apec summit?

The foreign ministers of China and Russia have discussed their relations with the United States, paving the ground for a possible meeting between their respective leaders at next month’s Apec summit in Shenzhen. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, met in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Thursday, where they discussed “relations with the United States and the developments involving the Ukraine and Iran crises as well”, according to Moscow. China did not...