Delhi brings back curbs amid surge in Covid cases

In this special edition of India Today's Battle Cry, the focus is on the 2026 Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path, highlighting India's growing military self-reliance. Major Hitesh Mehta, commanding the Armoured Corps Contingent, explains the latest field innovations, stating, 'We have got some field innovations this time on MBT Arjun to fight the current war phase that we are having and one of the innovations is a Cope Cage that is an anti-drone mechanism.'

On this Special Report from Davos, Harvard Professor and former IMF Deputy Managing Director Geeta Gopinath analyzes the 'Trumpian world order' and its disruptive impact on geoeconomics. Gopinath warns that 2026 will be a year of 'high levels of uncertainty and high levels of volatility' for global markets, including India. She notes that while India remains a fast-growing economy, US tariffs could 'knock off something about 0.7 percentage points from growth over a two-year period.' The discussion covers the sustainability of China's export-led model, the 'fragile' valuations in the AI sector despite its transformative potential, and the necessity for India to maintain macroeconomic stability through fiscal discipline. Gopinath also advocates for 'One Nation, One Election' to curb fiscal profligacy at the state level, urging the US administration to maintain alliances to ensure American economic benefit.

A major accident was narrowly averted in Manali after a car skidded on ice and plunged into a field, an incident captured on a CCTV camera in Nasogi village and now widely shared on social media.

This Special Report examines India's economic trajectory and its evolving role in the global value chain. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw outlines the nation's path to becoming the world's third-largest economy, citing a 'Goldilocks phase' of high growth and moderate inflation. The strategy focuses on four pillars: infrastructure investment, inclusive growth, manufacturing innovation, and legal simplification. Vaishnaw confirms the removal of 1,600 antiquated laws and 35,000 compliances to improve the ease of doing business, projecting a nominal growth rate of 10% to 13%. Complementing this perspective, Ingka Group CEO Jesper Brodin discusses IKEA's long-term commitment to the Indian market, including investments in retail and renewable energy. The discussion, featuring IMF's Gita Gopinath and Sunil Bharti Mittal, analyzes India's resilience against global tariffs and its leadership in AI and sustainability. The report highlights the transition from traditional supply chains to strategic value chain partnerships, driven by digital infrastructure reforms and simplified regulatory processes for international investors.