New Delhi, Jan 12: India’s inflation rate, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was estimated at 1.33 per cent for December 2025, which is marginally higher than the corresponding figure of 0.71 per cent for November.

Food inflation remained in the negative zone during December at (-) 2.71 per cent, as prices of food goods fell compared to the same month of the previous year. Food inflation has now stayed negative for the seventh month in a row, easing the burden on household budgets. However, the figure for December was a tad higher than the (-) 3.91 per cent recorded for November.

The increase in headline inflation and food inflation during December 2025 is mainly attributed to an increase in inflation of personal care and effects, vegetables, meat and fish, egg, spices, and pulses, according to an official statement.

However, the overall outlook for inflation remains benign. The RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) last month slashed its forecast for India’s inflation rate for the financial year 2025-26 to 2 per cent from 2.6 per cent predicted in October due to the sharp decline in food prices and the GST rate cuts playing out.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced a reduction in the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 per cent from 5.5 per cent earlier, as inflation has come down and the monetary policy could focus on boosting growth.

Malhotra said that the surge in economic growth to 8.2 per cent in the second quarter of the current financial year and the sharp decline in inflation to 1.7 per cent provided a rare “Goldilocks period” for the Indian economy.

“The MPC noted that headline inflation has eased significantly and is likely to be softer than the earlier projections, primarily on account of the exceptionally benign food prices. Reflecting these favourable conditions, the projections for average headline inflation in 2025-26 and Q1:2026-27 have been further revised downwards.”

Malhotra also pointed out that core inflation (which excludes food and fuel) remained largely contained in September-October, despite continued price pressures exerted by precious metals. Excluding gold, core inflation moderated to 2.6 per cent in October. Overall, the decline in inflation has become more generalised, he added.

The RBI Governor observed that food supply prospects have improved on the back of higher kharif production, healthy rabi sowing, adequate reservoir levels and conducive soil moisture. Barring some metals, international commodity prices are likely to moderate going forward.

Bhopal, Jan 12: Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Monday emphasised India’s rich legacy of innovation while underscoring the pivotal role of startups in propelling the nation towards becoming the world’s top economy.

Addressing the Madhya Pradesh Startup Summit & Ecosystem Awards 2026 at Ravindra Bhavan, Bhopal, he highlighted forgotten contributions of Indian scientists and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in fostering research and entrepreneurship.

Dr Yadav recalled the ground-breaking work of Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, who in the late 19th century demonstrated that plants have life, sensitivity, and reactions to stimuli — experiments now validated by modern “gastography” showing 10,000 times higher frequency in plant responses.

He also noted Bose’s 1895 demonstration of microwaves in Kolkata, later adopted by Marconi for the Nobel Prize, and early semiconductor ideas, lamenting that post-Independence governments overlooked these due to resource constraints.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is changing,” Dr Yadav said, calling for applause for the PM’s initiatives in promoting research and startups, including a 2022 programme launched from Indore.

He showcased innovative startups, such as one developing a low-cost machine that harvests one acre of crops for just Rs 10 in an hour via a TV-screen-operated mini-tractor, addressing environmental and agricultural needs.

Dr Yadav expressed confidence that India, now the fourth-largest economy, will soon rank third and eventually first.

Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, addressing the gathering, commended the state’s proactive policies and ecosystem building, noting, “Madhya Pradesh’s focus on innovation, ease of doing business, and inclusive growth is positioning it as a key player in India’s startup journey.”

MSME Minister Chetanya Kahsya praised the summit’s interactive platform, stating, “Such events foster collaboration between government, entrepreneurs, and investors, accelerating Madhya Pradesh’s emergence as a startup hub.”

The two-day summit, powered by the Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy 2025, has brought together innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders to drive inclusive, future-ready growth.

Mumbai, Jan 12: The Indian benchmark indices continued their decline on Monday amid rising geopolitical tensions and uncertainty surrounding the India-US trade deal.

As of 9.22 am, Sensex slipped 95 points, or 0.44 per cent to 83,212 and Nifty eased by 95 points, or 0.37 per cent to 25,588.

Main broad-cap indices were in line with benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.33 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 lost 0.57 per cent.

Except metal and FMCG, all other sectoral indices were in the red zone — with pharma, realty and media down over 1.4 per cent.

Immediate Nifty support lies at 25,500–25,600 zone, while a sustained breakout above 25,800–25,850 is essential to stabilise near-term momentum, market watchers said.

The US administration’s strange comments are complicating the US-India trade deal, they added. The Venezuelan crisis, Iran crisis, and US President Donal Trump’s threats on Greenland are also worrying the stock markets, raising the India VIX, indicating high volatility.

Investors are also keen on an expected ruling on Trump tariffs from the US Supreme Court which didn’t materialise last week.

Therefore, Q3 results and management commentary from the tech majors and other large caps in banking will influence the market trend in the near-term, analysts said.

Asia-Pacific markets traded in the green zone during the morning session, tracking Wall Street gains from last week after a US job report showed that the unemployment rate fell, indicating resilience in the labor market.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index gained 0.75 per cent, and Shenzhen added 1.31 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei advanced 1.61 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.74 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi advanced 1.08 per cent.

The US markets were mostly in the last trading session as Nasdaq added 0.82 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 0.65 per cent, and the Dow moved up 0.48 per cent.

On January 9, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold net equities worth Rs 8,808 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 15,700 crore.