📰 India Business Brief: Top Headlines for January 23, 2026

Business Standard

• India-EU FTA Negotiations: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has characterized the proposed free-trade agreement between India and the European Union as the "mother of all deals," despite the EU recently suspending certain export benefits for Indian goods.
• Corporate Earnings Pulse: Reliance Industries reported a four-quarter low in profit due to margin pressures, while Tech Mahindra saw a 14% bottom-line expansion to ₹1,122 crore. Wipro’s earnings dipped 7% following adjustments related to new Labour Code norms.
• Regulatory Updates: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified the Foreign Exchange Management Regulations 2026, set to take effect on October 1, 2026. Simultaneously, SEBI has announced a comprehensive overhaul of Mutual Fund Regulations effective April 1.
• Startup Ecosystem: Analysis of 2025 data shows that India's top 20 startups dominated both valuations and fundraising, accounting for over half of the $69.3 billion combined valuation of the top 100 firms.

Economic Times

• Budget 2026 Wishlist: A FICCI industry survey has urged the government to prioritize job creation and export support in the upcoming February 1 budget. Additionally, an ET-PwC survey highlighted that faster tax dispute resolution remains a top priority for healthcare and infrastructure firms.
• Davos 2026 Highlights: On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the Maharashtra government signed investment MoUs worth ₹14.5 lakh crore. Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman noted that India is no longer an "emerging market" but has "already arrived" on the global stage.
• Fiscal Outlook: The Centre may benefit from up to ₹75,000 crore in unspent funds, which could assist in meeting the fiscal deficit target for FY26.
• Semiconductor Push: India’s chip ambitions are expected to gain significant momentum with Micron’s Gujarat plant scheduled to come onstream next month.

Mint

• Market Outlook: The Indian stock market showed a cautiously positive bias with GIFT Nifty signaling a muted start. Analysts have identified a tight trading range for the Nifty 50 between 25,000 and 25,500.
• Stocks to Watch: Technical experts have recommended intraday buys for Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, Ashok Leyland, and Bharat Electronics (BEL) following a relief-led rebound in the previous session.
• Digital Payments Evolution: Reports indicate that Apple has initiated discussions with the RBI and NPCI to launch a UPI-compliant Apple Pay in India, with a potential rollout targeted for the final quarter of 2026.
• Earnings Radar: Investors are closely monitoring Q3 results from 54 companies today, including significant players like Cipla and JSW Steel.

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