Mint Primer

Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, in reprisal for Israeli bombing of Gaza, continue unabated and the disruption they are causing is beginning to pinch. As the crisis enters its fourth month,

Stocks of public sector undertakings (PSU) have had a sterling rally this year. The 56-stock BSE PSU Index’s doubling outshines the Sensex’ modest 24% return this fiscal amid a valuation re-rating backed by earnings. But this rally isn’t a mere bubble.

The Centre’s move to allow partial denotification of special economic zones (SEZs) into non-SEZs in IT and IT-enabled services parks has prompted developers and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to de-notify SEZ spaces. Will this impact vacancy levels?

The Reserve Bank of India has asked a card network to pause payments under a system that allowed companies to make card payments to certain other businesses. RBI did not name the network but Visa says it’s got a missive. Mint explains the reasons

Bike-taxis could be an answer to our urban mobility woes but often face regulatory hurdles. While the Centre has recently clarified their legality, state-level concerns about licensing and regulation persist. What needs to be done to make them more viable?

The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), first proposed in 2016, was meant to be India’s challenge to the dominance of the US in space launch services. But in the past two years, it has only seen two demonstrator launches. Mint finds out why things are going slow.

Net direct tax collection has surged 20%, led by a sharp increase in personal income tax payments. This has helped the government reduce borrowings and speed up fiscal consolidation. Mint looks at what catalysed the mop-up, its benefits and the outlook for next year

Farmers have laid siege to European cities with tractors protesting subsidy cuts, cheap imports, high energy prices and imposition of green policies. In India, farmers are preparing for another showdown. What’s going on? Is there a common thread?

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a housing scheme for the middle class as part of a ‘housing for all’ policy. This has sparked off a hunt for counting the middle class.

Rents went through the roof in 2023—the rise was the highest in a decade—as demand outstripped housing supply in many cities. Will the trend change this year? If so, to what extent?

Top officials of the $120 billion domestic automotive industry met in New Delhi last week to brainstorm over what could be in store next year. They expect a slowdown in the growth of passenger vehicles.

For the fifth year in a row, the government is set to miss its divestment target. It has now adopted a new strategy and has decided against fixing a divestment target. Why did the targeted approach fail and why do we need divestments?

The interim union budget for FY25 announced the setting-up of a ₹1 trillion-corpus to fund deep-tech ventures. This gives India’s nascent deep-tech sectors a shot in the arm. However, there will be challenges. Mint explains why the corpus is significant.

Elon Musk-owned Neuralink has implanted a brain chip in a patient who is “recovering well”. Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI) can help patients use their limbs through thought. But some are wary about the lack of details provided by Musk.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents her sixth annual budget, albeit an interim one, today, likely furnishing a report card on the government’s performance in the past five years. Here are five key numbers to watch out for and cut through the economic jargon:

In its review of the Indian economy released on Monday, the finance ministry said India can become a $7 trillion economy by 2030. That means it will almost double its GDP in the next six years. Is it possible? Mint weighs the possibilities.

On 17 January, Samsung launched its new flagship smartphone under the Galaxy S24 moniker, claiming it was “the world’s first AI smartphone”. Will such phones help revive a smartphone market that isn’t growing?

Government guidelines on regulating the coaching industry will impact thousands of tutoring centres that have mushroomed across the country. What’s wrong with the system and why were these guidelines needed in the first place

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published a draft framework that lays down the broad functions, governance standards and eligibility criteria for setting up a self-regulatory organization (SRO) for fintech companies. Why is such a body needed

After days of being locked in a dangerous-looking military confrontation, Pakistan and Iran appear to have settled the immediate crisis. Iran launched the first missile strike, hitting a terror base in Pakistan’s Baluchistan. Just what’s going on here?

In a new paper, the Niti Aayog said around 248 million Indians exited ‘multidimensional poverty’ (MDP) in the nine years from 2013-14 to 2022-23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used the data to suggest a reduction in poverty during his tenure.

Indians love to self-medicate and pop their pills like candies. A recent government report sheds light on why prevention may not always be better than cure, and how we are staring at a crisis where antibiotics might just stop working

Leaders from across the world will congregate in the picturesque Swiss town for the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, high inflation and tepid global growth.

Last week, the government launched a new portal to buy pulses directly from farmers at support prices, targeting to be self-sufficient by 2027. To achieve that goal farmers will also need high-yielding varieties and a favourable trade policy.

Google has started testing of its Privacy Sandbox initiative for Chrome. By ending cookies, Google wants people to believe that it’ll boost user privacy. Mint analyses what the move means for advertisers, users, and Google’s $250 billion ad-revenue empire.