News on Indian Economy
Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands occupy a strategically important position in India’s maritime geography. Together, they account for nearly 40% of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), providing access to extensive fishing grounds across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
PierSight announced that the Structural Qualification Model of Varuna 2.0 had been successfully integrated and cleared vibration testing at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre.
GAIL (India) Limited has successfully commissioned a 1.25 million tonnes per annum Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) manufacturing plant in Mangalore, Karnataka, through its wholly owned subsidiary GAIL Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (GMPL). The facility represents a significant addition to India’s domestic petrochemical manufacturing capacity and is expected to strengthen the supply of essential raw materials for the textile, polyester and packaging industries.
Desloratadine is a second-generation antihistamine used to treat allergic conditions, including seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. It helps relieve symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal itching and other allergy-related discomfort.
Global financial services major HSBC has upgraded its rating on Indian equities from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Overweight’, citing resilient corporate earnings, strengthening credit growth and more attractive stock market valuations following a prolonged period of market correction. The bank has simultaneously downgraded Chinese equities from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Neutral’, reflecting a shift in its investment preferences across major Asian markets.
India’s startup ecosystem has undergone substantial expansion over the past decade. According to the government’s National Entrepreneurship Day backgrounder, the number of recognised startups has increased from fewer than 500 in 2014 to more than 2.62 lakh in November 2026.
Paras Semiconductors, a subsidiary of Paras Defence & Space Technologies Limited, has entered into a strategic technology partnership with US-based BroadPak Corporation to establish advanced semiconductor packaging capabilities in India. The collaboration will focus on next-generation chip integration technologies, including 2.5D and 3D semiconductor packaging, chiplet architectures, hybrid bonding and co-packaged optics, supporting India’s expanding semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.
The MP-155 is a 12-gauge, gas-operated, semi-automatic shotgun developed by Russia’s Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. Introduced in 2012 as a civilian hunting firearm, the weapon has subsequently attracted attention for its effectiveness against small, low-flying drones, particularly first-person-view (FPV) drones and commercially available quadcopters adapted for military operations.
The Indian Air Force is advancing its high-altitude surveillance capabilities through the development and proposed acquisition of indigenous stratospheric platforms designed for persistent intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and military communications. Supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and India’s domestic aerospace industry, these technologies could significantly strengthen the country’s ability to monitor strategically important regions while reducing dependence on conventional airborne surveillance systems.
Bengaluru-based defence technology company XINFINITI Aerospace is developing an indigenous drone-based aircraft inspection system in collaboration with the Indian Navy under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative. The system aims to automate aircraft surface inspections, improve defect detection and strengthen maintenance capabilities across naval aviation.
