The cut in goods and services tax (GST) rates effective September 22 has set the stage for the foreign institutional flows to return to India, believe analysts. However, they would still be mindful of US tariffs’ impact, valuations and the tepid corporate earnings growth back home before they return to Indian shores with animal spirits, they said.

This week’s recast was the biggest overhaul in the GST tax regime since its introduction in 2017 and saw an overall reduction in taxes across consumption categories.

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday announced the opening of two new Apple stores in India, located in Bengaluru and Pune.

With this launch, Apple now has four official stores in the country. The first two were Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi, followed by the newly announced Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune.

India has voiced regret over the Ukraine conflict's collateral consequences, including prices of fuel, saying countries of the Global South have been left to fend for themselves, as Delhi underscored that diplomatic efforts hold the promise to end the war and bring lasting peace.

India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. We maintain that the loss of innocent lives is unacceptable, and no solution can be found on the battlefield, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump hosted a power-packed cohort of technology executives, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google chief Sundar Pichai, at the White House, saying the high IQ group is leading a revolution in business.

The most brilliant people are gathered around this table. This is definitely a high-IQ group and I'm very proud of them, Trump said, sitting at the centre of a long table and flanked by First Lady Melania Trump, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on one side and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other.

The recast of goods and services tax (GST) rates on Wednesday exceeded expectations in select product categories, but the markets had priced in most positives ahead of the outcome, suggest analysts.

Once the GST-triggered euphoria settles, analysts believe the markets will start to focus on India Inc’s earnings trajectory and developments on the US tariff front.

Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering investigation related to an illegal betting app, officials told news agency PTI on Thursday.

The probe agency will record Dhawan’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an investigation into an 'illegal' betting app named 1xBet.

The 56th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced on Wednesday that GST rates will be reduced to 5 per cent and 18 per cent. Most of the items useful for common man have been moved to 5 per cent slab.

"These reforms have been carried out with a focus on the common man. Every tax on the common man's daily use items has gone through a rigorous review, and in most cases, the rates have come down drastically..", the Finance Minister said.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has welcomed the GST Council's rate rationalisation and rate cuts, while criticising the timing of the reforms as being “8 years too late".

In a post on X late Wednesday, the former Union finance minister said the current GST design and rates should not have been introduced in the first place.

GST rationalisation is likely to boost demand in the auto sector where entry-level buyers have stayed away since the pandemic due to steep rises in automobile prices and subdued income growth.

While small cars are the biggest beneficiaries, larger SUVs are also set to gain as vehicles under four metres will see tax rates slashed from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, and bigger ones will be taxed at 40 per cent.

In a big relief for policyholders, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on individual health and life insurance premiums has been slashed to zero. The decision was made during the 56th GST Council meeting held on Wednesday and will come into effect from September 22, 2025.

This means the 18 per cent GST that is currently added to your insurance premium will no longer apply. The change is expected to directly reduce the total amount paid by consumers, making insurance more affordable for individuals and families.

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