Welcome to The morning report brought to you by Renil S Varghese — your quick dive into the top stories shaping the business world today. Fast, insightful, and to the point. Check out the top news for the day.

1. Economic Survey projects growth rate between 6.8-7.2% for FY27

India’s Economic Survey, tabled in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, projects FY27 real GDP growth at 6.8%–7.2%. It sees steady growth amid global uncertainty, calling for caution, not pessimism, and expects FY27 to be a year of adjustment, with domestic demand and investment strengthening. The Survey says FY26 faced external stress from trade uncertainty and high tariffs, prompting reforms like GST rationalisation, deregulation, and compliance simplification. It flags risks from an AI-driven asset correction and prolonged trade conflicts, but notes lower inflation, healthier balance sheets, strong public capex, resilient consumption, improving private investment, and CPI rebasing implications, with medium-term potential near 7%.

2. CEA warns of fragile global outlook in 2026, sees rising risk of disorder

The Economic Survey warns that the global economy is entering 2026 in a more fragile state, shaped by geopolitical tensions, financial vulnerabilities and politicised trade. It outlines three scenarios: a 40–45% likely “managed disorder”, where trust erodes and frequent financial and geopolitical shocks raise uncertainty; a 40–45% “disorderly multipolar breakdown”, with intensified rivalries, coercive trade policies and weaker global coordination; and a 10–20% “systemic shock cascade”, where leveraged tech and AI‑related investments risk triggering a financial correction that, combined with geopolitical or trade shocks, could surpass the 2008 crisis in severity.

3. Economic Survey flags ‘digital addiction’ crisis: Warns of mental health toll on India’s youth

The Economic Survey warns that India’s rapid digital transformation has a troubling downside: rising anxiety, depression, low self‑esteem, and cyberbullying stress, especially among young users addicted to digital media. Citing global actions like Australia’s ban on social media for under‑16s, it recommends strict age‑verification and age‑based access limits for social media, gambling apps, auto‑play features, and targeted ads. The Survey notes India’s booming digital footprint—11.74% of GDP, soaring internet and smartphone use, and 35 crore social‑media users—but stresses that compulsive scrolling, gaming disorder, online gambling, and binge‑watching are harming sleep, concentration, behaviour, and mental health, which in turn are worsened by platforms’ addictive design.

4. Air India orders 30 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, opts for 15 long range Airbus planes

Air India has ordered 30 additional Boeing 737 Max aircraft and selected 15 Airbus A321XLR long‑range jets by converting an existing order, taking its total aircraft on order to 600. The move strengthens domestic connectivity and supports new international routes. The airline also signed a multi‑year components agreement for its Boeing 787 fleet at the Wings India event. With this expansion, Air India now has 198 Boeing aircraft incoming, having already received 52 from its 2023 order. The A321XLR deliveries, part of its Airbus commitments, will arrive between 2029 and 2030, enhancing medium‑haul capabilities and boosting route flexibility.

Published on January 30, 2026