Budget 2026 will be presented on Sunday. On this occasion, regular live trading session will also be organized in the stock market. It has been an old tradition that when the budget is presented on 1 February and that day falls on a weekend, the markets still remain open. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has issued a circular informing that on Sunday, February 1, 2026, the stock market will be open from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm on the budget day. Since this day will be settlement holiday, shares purchased on January 30 will not be eligible for sale on February 1. Similarly, stocks purchased on the budget day will not be allowed to be sold the next day i.e. immediately.

Amid fears of new tariff threats, renowned political expert Fareed Zakaria has given a clear strategic roadmap to India. He says that India should avoid over-reaction, be patient and maintain focus on long-term economic strength, because time is in India’s favor.

Speaking to India Today in Davos during the World Economic Forum (WEF), Zakaria said that India should not be worried about Trump’s instability.

Zakaria’s direct advice on US foreign policy

Zakaria said clearly, ‘Be patient. Trump is unstable, Trump has a different temperament. He said that India should avoid unnecessary confrontation with Trump and move forward handling the situation as much as possible.

Zakaria sarcastically suggested, ‘If he likes big, lavish state dinners, then give him a grand state dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is by the way four times bigger than Buckingham Palace.’ Zakaria said, ‘Britain had a few hundred horses, India may have a few thousand elephants.’ He said posturing and symbolism matter when dealing with leaders like Trump.

‘Ask Ambani how a party is thrown’

Zakaria further said, ‘You can also call Maharajas and Maharanis. If the government lacks imagination, then I would ask Ambani how to give a party that will influence the world. Trump likes to be treated like a king, so do it.

‘Don’t threaten Trump without force’

When asked whether India should challenge Trump publicly, Zakaria replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Trump knows when he has power and when he doesn’t. They exert pressure only when the balance of power is in their favor.

India does not have a hold like China: Zakaria

Zakaria said that at present India does not have the same leverage over America as China does. Play only when you have cards. Don’t bluff, Trump understands this very quickly.

Comparison of Manmohan Singh and Modi government

He said, ‘If you see the figures of Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi governments, they are almost similar. Per capita GDP growth is also almost equal. Zakaria said, ‘Modi has been a good manager of the economy in most respects.’ He believes that India should focus on economic and social modernization instead of short-term shocks.

Consumption based economy is the biggest strength of India

Zakaria said, ‘India has a big strategic advantage. Its economy is mainly based on consumption. He told that ‘India, America and Indonesia are the only countries where the share of consumption in GDP is more than 60 percent. In China it is 30–35 percent.

Emphasis on export is also necessary

However, he warned that the importance of exports cannot be ignored. ‘Exports bring high-quality growth, good-paying jobs and access to the forefront of technology,’ he said.

Zakaria said, ‘The story of iPhone in India is remarkable. From zero, now about 45 percent of America’s smartphones are being supplied from India. He appealed to India to give more emphasis on advanced manufacturing and electric vehicles.

‘Don’t make trade deal a matter of life and death.

On India-US trade agreement, Zakaria said, ‘If a good agreement is reached, then great. But this is not a question of life and death for India. India is not going to be destroyed by this. Zakaria said, ‘Indian economy has very little impact on America. He is like a small pimple on a giant body. However, he also added that America’s role is very important in taking India up the value chain of technology and industry.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki is currently on a tour of India, which is a topic of discussion at present. This visit clearly shows that relations between India and Afghanistan are good. After America’s departure in the year 2021, Taliban captured Afghanistan, after which they formed their government there. However, India has not yet recognized them. Despite this, both the countries insist on good relations with each other. Meanwhile, if we talk about Afghan currency, it is surprising. Afghanistan is a poor country. Despite this, the currency here is more valuable than the Indian rupee. According to the report of XE.com, the value of 1 Afghani rupee is equal to 1 rupee 33 paise in India, whereas the value of 1 rupee in Afghanistan is only 0.75 paise.

It is shocking that how can the currency become so strong in Afghanistan under Taliban control, where unemployment, illiteracy and poverty are at their peak. Actually, there are many interesting reasons behind this. The Taliban government has banned the use of US dollars and Pakistani rupees. Due to this, the demand for foreign currency within the country has reduced and the price of Afghan rupee remains stable.

Value of Rs 1 lakh in Afghanistan
For example, if an Indian earns 1 lakh rupees in Afghanistan, then after coming to India its value will be 1 lakh 32 thousand rupees, which is 32 thousand more than the 1 lakh earned in India. This gap of 32 thousand is quite big in itself. However, if we talk about Pakistan and Bangladesh, the value of the currency there is much less than that of India. The value of 1 rupee in Pakistan is 3 rupees 17 paise, while the value of 1 rupee in Bangladesh is 1 rupee 37 paise.

Read this also: ‘200 percent tariff…’ Trump is not stopping, now tells shocking lie on India-Pakistan ceasefire

Billionaires In India: India has seen a huge economic growth in the last few decades. According to Hurun India Rich List 2025, some cities are emerging as centers of wealth. Hundreds of billionaires live in these cities. Let us know about these cities and also how many billionaires live here.

Mumbai

Mumbai tops this list. 451 billionaires live here. It is emerging as the richest city of India. This Maya city is recognized as the center of financial, business and Bollywood. Entrepreneurs, investors and celebrities live here. The city’s stock exchange, multinational corporations and booming entertainment industry are a major contributor to its billionaire population.

New Delhi

India’s capital New Delhi is home to 223 billionaires. With this, it comes second in this list. The city’s wealth comes from a mix of political influence, industrial ventures, real estate, and business conglomerates. Delhi attracts a lot of rich people from all over India.

Bengaluru

Bengaluru is emerging as the technology hub of the country with 116 billionaires. The city’s IT sector, software exporters and startup ecosystem have fueled immense wealth creation. Tech entrepreneurs and investors have made Bengaluru a hub for innovation and high net worth individuals.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad has 102 billionaires and is growing rapidly as a business and IT hub. The city is a hub of pharmaceutical companies, technology firms and emerging startups.

Chennai

Chennai is an industrial hub of South India with 94 billionaires. There is a lot of work in the automobile and manufacturing sectors here. Over time, its stable economy, thriving industries and business opportunities have created many high net worth individuals over the years.

Ahmedabad and Kolkata

If we talk about Ahmedabad, there are 68 billionaires here and it is a big commercial city of Western India. It is particularly recognized for its textile industry and business communities. Along with this, there are 68 billionaires in Kolkata and it is the economic and cultural center of Eastern India. Along with this, if we talk about other cities then there are 67 billionaires in Pune, 38 billionaires in Gurugram and 32 billionaires in Surat.

Also read: Which is the most expensive airport in India? Check the list according to the cost of making it

India economy: The economy of India is going to step into a period, which is often called ‘Goldenlox’. That is, when inflation remains under control and the order of continuous development remains. The ‘Goldelox Economy’ children’s story is derived from ‘Goldenlox and the Three Bears’, in which the goldenlox tries three bowls of porridge, one very warm, a completely cold and a very cold and not too hot, Goldlox eats it.

India’s economy is also similar, neither too hot nor cold. A stable economic growth that is stopping the recession, but not so much that inflation increases considerably. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is also seen balanced by the government through a well thought out monetary and fiscal policy. Recently, on July 15, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra’s statement and inflation figures are indicating India’s Goldenlox period becoming more golden.

Inflation reduced considerably due to estimates

Retail inflation was 2.1 percent in June 2025, which is much lower than the first estimate of the Reserve Bank for the whole year. The average inflation for the April-June quarter was 2.7 percent, which is less than an estimate of 2.9 percent of the Reserve Bank. If this sequence remains, then inflation in July can come below 2 percent and in a year it can come close to 3 percent. During this time, food and fuel prices have decreased, supply chains have improved, so something can be relaxed in the monetary policy.

The governor said this about the repo rate

The RBI Governor has said that if both inflation and growth continue to soft, then the repo rate can be considered. This shows that inflation may come below the estimate of 3.7 percent imposed for the whole year. The Reserve Bank has first cut the repo rate in February, then April and then June. Now people have hopes of low rates in the MPC meeting to be held in August, but the new figures on inflation forces the MPC to think again.

Also read:

Home loan is going to be cheaper, RBI can re -cut repo rate; Report claimed

India becomes fourth largest gdp: On the front of the economy for India, while the whole country is fierce with good news and the world is being realized with increasing economic strength, in the midst of all this, businessman and billionaire Anand Mahindra has remembered his school days by tweeting a tweet on it. Whatever is written in this interesting post, it is being shared a lot.

Anand Mahindra has shared a picture of the world’s top 10 economy tweeting through his social account X, after India beaten Japan and being one step behind just Germany.

Anand Mahindra remembered school days

He has written in his post- At the time when I was in a business school, at that time, India’s GDP’s exit from Japanese was considered a very distant penny. But today that milestone is not limited to books but now India has become the fourth Economic Power in the world. This is not a small thing.

Anand Mahindra has written in his post that at the time when we are celebrating, we should also have a capita income i.e. per capita income. Not just left behind Germany. Therefore, we need to improve from infrastructure, education to manufacturing.

The World Economic Outlook report (22 April 2025) by the IMF claims to be the world’s fourth economy. NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subramaniam said that the country has more than four trillion dollars, it is not an estimate but IMF data. The CEO of the NITI Aayog also said that if the economy of India remains in the same way, then India will become the third economy in the world, leaving behind Germany in the next 2 to 3 years.

Anand Mahindra active on social media

Significantly, billionaire Anand Mahindra is constantly active on his social media account. Earlier, he tweeted after Operation Sindoor and told that there is a business of an Indian company led by Mukesh Ambani, a bigger Mukesh Ambani than the GDP of Pakistan. In this post, he tried to explain through data between the two, how Pakistan is not even equal to a company in India, so why does he always talk about war with India.

Also read: What does it mean to become the fourth economy for India, why should the common people be happy?