**Financial News**
Source: Leading newspapers
 *Compiled by RUDRA SHARES* 
Vande Mataram
Wednesday, 18 February 2026

*Banking & Financial Services*
• Muthoot Microfin looks to buy company offering loan against property
• Kotak Mahindra, DCB Bank name new directors
• Fixed-price ATM pacts are the new normal for banks
• Leveraged deals, lower base effect spur brokerage recovery
• RBI move triggers $100 bn funding rush for India Inc
• Long-term discipline, not just multibaggers, drives wealth creation: Axis AMC CIO Ashish Gupta
• Small caps move into stock-specific phase after sharp swings

*FMCG & Consumer*
• Longer winter pours cold water on summer loading of consumer companies
• FMCG prices rise up to 5% as GST relief ends, weak rupee and rising costs squeeze margins
• All infant formula made locally: Nestle India
• Premium motorcycles gain speed as consumer sentiment shifts gears
• Naturals plans IPO by 2028 if stake talks with Reliance fail: Executive
• Reliance-backed Zivame bets on small cities with 60-80 new stores: COO
• Carlsberg considers IPO listing to unlock shareholder value: Group CEO
• Maruti Suzuki launches first EV e Vitara SUV with battery rental scheme
• Dabur names Mohit Malhotra global CEO, appoints Herjit Bhalla as India chief

*Technology & AI*
• Google wants to partner India in its AI trajectory: CEO Sundar Pichai
• Eternal partners with OpenAI to boost AI across Zomato, Blinkit, District
• Infosys partners with Anthropic for AI solutions with focus on agentic AI
• AI is a root-and-branch reset for businesses, says Infosys' Nandan Nilekani
• Adani to invest $100 bn in AI data centres by 2035

*Infrastructure, Energy & Industry*
• NHAI gets Rs 12,357 cr towards monetisation for 2025-26; lower than the budgeted and revised estimate of Rs 15,000 cr
• NPCIL reconnects Tarapur Atomic Power Station's Unit-1 to power grid
• Black Box signs ₹275 cr Brazil deal in boost to global digital infra push
• Dilip Buildcon wins project of Rs 702 crore
• India pushes for higher local content, engine production in 114 Rafale deal
• Indian rice exporter seals 5,000-tonne US deal: IREF

*Capital Markets & IPO*
• Shree Ram Twistex fixes price band at Rs 95-104 per share for its Rs 110-crore IPO
• XED files papers for $12 million IPO; GIFT City IFSC's first issue to open in early March

*Telecom & Fintech*
• Airtel Money gets RBI clearance to operate as Type II non-deposit NBFC

*Politics & Governance*
• BJP vs Rahul Gandhi: Karnataka High Court quashes ruling party's case against Congress leader
• Gujarat voter list revised: 68.12 lakh names deleted, total electorate at 4.40 crore
• Centre trying to create fiscal crisis for Tamil Nadu: State FM
• West Bengal elections: ECI officials flooded with inadmissible documents, illegible forms in poll-bound state
• Sarbananda Sonowal hails PM Modi’s trade push, calls it break from Congress era

Jai Hind
Rudra Hai to Mudra Hai
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