From the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) minutes signalling hawkish caution even as rates stayed on hold, to India's exports finding strong footing across key markets in July, Skymet sharply revising down its monsoon forecast and raising drought odds, rural women driving a jump in labour force participation, and foreign portfolio investors returning to Indian equities in force—here are this week's news in numbers.
The latest RBI minutes strike a hawkish tone, with policymakers focused on the risk that inflation could remain elevated even as the repo rate was kept unchanged at 5.25% and the stance remained neutral at the August meeting. Inflation pressures have not become broad-based. Monetary policy committee (MPC) member Ram Singh noted that 69% of the weighted consumer price index (CPI) basket recorded inflation of 4% or less in June, while cautioning that the distribution was shifting towards higher inflation. The governor and other members said there were limited signs of generalization, but warned that food and fuel shocks could trigger second-round effects. A Mint analysis of CPI items also shows that 28% recorded inflation above 4% in July.
India’s exports grew across several key markets in July 2026, according to preliminary trade data released by the commerce ministry. The US remained India’s largest export destination, accounting for 20.4% of overall exports, while shipments rose nearly 13% from a year ago. Exports to the US reached their highest level since March 2025, before tariffs took effect. However, the July figures may partly reflect commodity prices, which can inflate shipment values. Four other countries among the top 10 destinations recorded strong double-digit growth. Exports to Singapore jumped 83.7% year-on-year, followed by Malaysia at 73%, Japan at 65.3%, and China at 64.6%. The top 10 markets accounted for over half of overall exports.
Private weather agency Skymet has turned more pessimistic on the 2026 monsoon as the season has progressed. In April, the weather agency had forecast rainfall at 94% of the long-period average (LPA), with a 70% chance of below-normal or drought conditions. By August, the agency revised their forecast to 85% of LPA and raised the probability of drought to 70%, up from 30%, citing a strengthening El Niño and uncertainty over a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. Rainfall was already 13% below LPA between June and July, and Skymet expects August and September to remain deficient. A weaker monsoon could hurt kharif crop yields, reduce rural incomes and tighten water availability, while also pushing up food prices in the coming months.
₹8,452 crore: The corpus accumulated under the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund by the end of FY25, after earning over ₹470 crore in interest, according to the fund’s audit report. Within this, just ₹87 lakh was spent in FY25.
98%: The shortfall from the Centre’s target for forest cover under the Green India Mission between FY16 and FY25, with just 0.03 million hectares added against a target of 1.4 million hectares, according to a new report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
₹7,877 crore: The investment approved for 31 electronics component projects under the first tranche of the IT ministry’s ₹40,000-crore Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme, covering mobile enclosures, copper coils, rare-earth magnets and other components.
₹13,041 crore: The investment approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for four railway track-quadrupling projects on the Howrah-Chennai network and a highway project in Bihar. The four projects will expand the existing rail network to about 410 kilometres.
₹10,000 crore: The planned investment to develop more than a dozen new national waterways over five to 10 years, expanding India’s operational network and creating commercially viable cargo and passenger corridors.
India’s labour force participation rate (LFPR) among people aged 15 years and above rose sharply in July, led by rural women, according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) monthly data released by the statistics ministry. Rural female LFPR jumped 220 basis points to 38.8% in July 2026 from 36.6% in June. It was also up from 36.9% a year ago.
Urban female LFPR, in contrast, rose just 50 basis points from June to 25.3% in July, but remained below 25.8% in July 2025. Male LFPR was broadly stable, rising 40 basis points in rural areas to 78.3%, while urban male LFPR edged down 10 basis points to 75.2%.
Foreign portfolio investors’ (FPI) return to Indian equities gathered pace in July, extending the recovery that began in June after a prolonged sell-off. The consumer services sector attracted the strongest inflows, attracting $1.06 billion in July, followed by healthcare at $0.81 billion and consumer durables at $0.77 billion. The healthcare sector, particularly, saw a sharp turnaround after nearly 15 months of consecutive net outflows, according to a Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) analysis.
Metals and mining attracted another $0.51 billion. On the other hand, capital goods recorded the largest net outflow at $0.66 billion, followed by telecommunications at $0.60 billion and automobiles and auto components at $0.47 billion.
Manjul Paul is a data visualization specialist and financial journalist with eight years of experience turning complex datasets into stories that matter. Her data storytelling spans long-form reporting, explainers, and multimedia formats, translating technical analysis into clear, engaging narratives.<br><br> Her reporting covers a wide range of economic, corporate, and policy subjects. On the fiscal side, she has produced data-driven stories on India's budget, fiscal policy, GDP and inflation trends. She has also undertaken deep analysis of large-scale government surveys, including the Time Use Survey and National Family Health Survey, to uncover meaningful socioeconomic insights. Her financial reporting includes analysis of quarterly earnings data from samples exceeding 3,000 listed Indian companies, tracking sectoral trends and shifts in corporate performance. <br><br>Beyond economics, Manjul brings five years of COP summit coverage and a fellowship with the Oxford Climate Journalism Network (OCJN), reflecting a sustained commitment to climate and energy policy. Her political data work spans general and state elections, including detailed examination of candidate affidavits.<br><br> She brings strong analytical rigour, editorial judgment, and proficiency in data visualization tools and programming, and is passionate about applying her skills to produce impactful work on economic policy and environmental sustainability.
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