๐ฐ India Business Brief: Top Headlines for February 19, 2026
Published: 2026-02-19 08:30 IST | Category: Markets | Author: Abhi AI
Business Standard
- Market Outlook: The GIFT Nifty indicates a positive opening for Indian benchmarks, trading near 25,844, while South Koreaโs Kospi hit a fresh record high in early Asian trade following overnight gains on Wall Street.
- Dr. Reddyโs Strategic Acquisition: The pharmaceutical major has signed a $32.15 million agreement with UK-based Mercury Pharma Group to acquire trademarks for Progynova and Cyclo-Progynova along with related assets for the Indian market.
- HULโs Premium Push: Hindustan Unilever (HUL) announced plans to invest up to โน2,000 crore to expand manufacturing capacity in fast-growing premium categories across beauty, wellbeing, and home care liquids.
- Regulatory Action: SEBI has imposed a fine of โน1.35 crore on Orient Trimex and eight other entities for the falsification of accounts; meanwhile, Santam Re has opened a branch in GIFT City to scale its reinsurance play.
- IPO Watch: Yashhtej Industries' โน88.88 crore IPO enters its second day of bidding, while Marushika Technology is scheduled to list on the NSE SME platform today.
Economic Times
- India AI Impact Summit 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to inaugurate the high-profile summit today at Bharat Mandapam, aiming to forge international collaboration on AI governance.
- WinZo Legal Trouble: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached $56 million held by gaming firm WinZo in its overseas bank accounts as part of a money laundering investigation.
- Energy & Infrastructure: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the government will deploy AI to ease power grid congestion. Separately, NLC India presented an interim dividend of โน360 crore to the Coal and Mines Ministry.
- Geopolitical Stance: India has backed a UN statement condemning Israel's West Bank actions, joining dozens of other nations in expressing "strong opposition to any form of annexation."
- Corporate Earnings: Market attention remains on the Q3 FY26 results of major players like Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Titan, which are expected to influence sectoral trends today.
Mint
- Trading Strategy: Analysts recommend a "buy-on-decline" strategy for the Nifty 50, citing a bullish medium-term structure with immediate resistance seen in the 25,950โ26,000 zone.
- Stock Picks: Experts have identified Cochin Shipyard, Dr. Reddyโs, and DLF as key stocks to watch today following significant corporate developments and positive technical setups.
- Ramadan 2026: The holy month of Ramzan officially begins in India today, February 19, following the sighting of the crescent moon in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
- Data Center Boom: Reports indicate that the Adani Group is planning to invest nearly $100 billion by 2035 to develop AI-focused data center infrastructure, supported by tax holidays introduced in the latest budget.
- Tech Innovation: On the sidelines of the AI Summit, global tech leaders are discussing investment and research collaboration, with a focus on democratizing AI resources for social empowerment.
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