Economy

India and the US have finalised a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement, which is expected to be signed by mid-March.

PM Modi called on businesses in Malaysia to explore the opportunities offered by India, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, renewable energy, digital technology, semiconductors, AI, and healthcare, among others.

The capex estimate for FY27 is 4.4% of the GDP, the highest ever.

The Finance Minister said, "We want the committee to tell us what kind of things we need to do so that banking is made available for funding Viksit Bharat."

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order rescinding a punitive 25% duty on all imports from India, saying the move followed New Delhi's commitment to stop imports of Russian oil.

The Budget proposal, which offers a tax holiday of 20 years up to 2047 to any foreign company that procures data centre services in India, allays fears of their global income being taxed by Indian authorities.

The US had last year in December launched 'Pax Silica', a strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation driven silicon supply chain-from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.

PM Ibrahim said Malaysia could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with India to extend trade beyond $18 billion in 2025.

The state government is focusing more on policy-led growth, and its Global Capability Centres Policy, Gems And Jewellery Policy, and Bamboo Industry Policy are among the best in the country, he said.

Investors and policymakers are gearing up for a busy week of US economic reports that includes arguably the two most consequential data snapshots.

The highlight of the conclave was the government's firm stance on the newly negotiated India-US trade framework.

As per Goyal,the overall exports from farm produce from India and marine products is about Rs. 5 lakh crores ($55 billion), and India continues to import produce worth about Rs. 2.7 lakh crore ($30 billion).

Sitharaman stressed that trade agreements are not just about tariff lines but about providing predictability and market access for Indian businesses.

Goyal said the trade deal framework would help unlock "huge potential", with particularly strong tailwinds for artificial intelligence and data centre investments in India.

Sanyal spoke at the NDTV Profit Conclave 2026 and stated that the US FTA would be a "good deal from both sides."

Under the proposal, income from component warehousing activities will be deemed to earn a fixed profit margin of 2% of the invoice value.

Dr V Anantha Nageswaran says AI will reshape jobs, but new opportunities exist in sectors beyond coding and cognitive roles.

The CEA also provided his estimates regarding India's Gross Domestic Product growth, citing it to be around 6.8-7.2%.

India has secured zero-duty access to the US for a wide range of agricultural, pharmaceutical and manufactured goods.

The DIPAM Secretary also noted that the asset management body was emphasising upon the disbursment of dividends to minority stakeholders via its central public sector enterprises.