Lapaas Voice

India and the U.S. have signed a framework to secure supplies of critical minerals and rare earths.

The deal covers the full supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling, and related investments.

It comes amid concerns over China’s export controls and dominance in rare-earth and critical-mineral supply chains.

The agreement is meant to build more resilient, diversified supply chains for sectors like semiconductors, clean energy, EVs, and defence.

India and the U.S. also signed a Quad critical minerals framework alongside Australia and Japan, making the two arrangements complementary.

7 hours ago | [YT] | 142

Lapaas Voice

Micron has indeed crossed the $1 trillion market-cap mark for the first time.

The latest live data I have shows Micron at a market cap of about $1.01 trillion, with the stock around $895.88.

That means the company has gone from roughly $70 billion a year ago to trillion-dollar status in about 12 months, an extraordinary move.

The rally is being driven by AI-related demand for memory chips, which has lifted sentiment across the sector.

The big takeaway is that Micron has moved from being a cyclical memory player to being valued like a major AI infrastructure winner.

11 hours ago | [YT] | 160

Lapaas Voice

South Korean stocks have surged about 100% in 2026, making it one of the most dramatic market rallies in recent history.

The Kospi has been repeatedly hitting record highs, powered mainly by memory-chip leaders SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.

On Wednesday, the gauge rose as much as 5.1%, adding to the runaway gains.

The rally has now surpassed the boom-era advances seen during the dotcom period and South Korea’s late-1980s industrial expansion.

The main driver is the strength in semiconductors, especially as global demand for AI-related memory chips stays hot.

14 hours ago | [YT] | 113

Lapaas Voice

CNG prices in Delhi have been raised by ₹2 per kg, taking the rate to ₹83.09 per kg.

This is the fourth hike in about 15 days, after earlier increases on May 15, May 23, and a Re 1 hike just days ago.

The latest revision came into effect from 6 am on May 26.

The increase adds pressure on CNG vehicle owners, as well as autorickshaws, taxis, buses, and delivery fleets that rely on CNG.

Nearby NCR rates were also revised, with Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad around ₹88.70 per kg, and Gurugram around ₹88.12 per kg.

1 day ago | [YT] | 158

Lapaas Voice

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India is facing external pressure from higher fuel, fertiliser, and gold imports.

She linked the strain to the ongoing West Asia crisis and rising global crude and fertiliser prices.

She framed this as the “three Fs”: fuel, fertiliser, and foreign exchange, with gold purchases also affecting forex outgo.

Her point was that these challenges are being driven mainly by external factors, not domestic ones.

She also warned that businesses and consumers could face higher fuel costs, delayed cargo, costlier shipping, input shortages, tighter working capital, and uncertainty in export orders.

1 day ago | [YT] | 194

Lapaas Voice

Taiwan has overtaken India to become the world’s fifth-largest stock market, mainly because of a sharp rally in TSMC shares.

Bloomberg-linked data cited in reports puts Taiwan’s market value at about $4.95 trillion, just above India’s roughly $4.92 trillion.

The surge reflects strong AI enthusiasm, which has especially benefited Taiwan’s semiconductor-heavy market.

TSMC is the main driver, and it now makes up a very large share of Taiwan’s benchmark index.

Taiwan now trails only the US, mainland China, Japan, and Hong Kong in stock market size.

1 day ago | [YT] | 217

Lapaas Voice

Economists expect inflation to rise to 4.9% in FY27, up sharply from 2.1% in FY26.

The main pressure points are higher oil prices, food costs, and global geopolitical tension.

The forecast is above the RBI’s 4% comfort zone, which means household budgets could feel tighter.

Crude oil is expected around $95 a barrel, adding to imported inflation pressure.

El Nino risks could hurt crop output and keep food prices elevated.

India’s GDP growth is projected to slow from 7.6% in FY26 to 6.6% in FY27.

2 days ago | [YT] | 183

Lapaas Voice

Amazon Now is reportedly handling about 450,000 to 500,000 daily orders across roughly 500 dark stores.

Blinkit is still much larger, with more than 3 million orders a day and over 2,200 dark stores.

Amazon’s lighter-asset model helps it expand faster with fewer owned logistics assets.

This puts pressure on Blinkit’s margins, pricing, and market share as the field gets more crowded.

Amazon’s play is different because it is scaling through third-party partners instead of building everything on its own balance sheet.

2 days ago | [YT] | 219

Lapaas Voice

Indians cut overseas travel spending sharply in March, with travel-related remittances falling to $1.09 billion from $1.3 billion in February and $1.65 billion in January.

Total outward remittances in March stood at $2.59 billion.

The biggest travel subcategory was “other travel,” which includes holidays and international credit card spending, at $623.05 million.

Education travel, including hostel and fee payments, was $450.16 million.

Outward remittances for buying property abroad fell to $38.68 million from $51.36 million in February.

2 days ago | [YT] | 223

Lapaas Voice

Trump administration has ended a rule that allowed migrants already in the U.S. to stay while they waited for green card processing.

Going forward, people in the U.S. on temporary visas who want permanent residency will generally have to return to their home country and apply through consular processing.

USCIS said this is meant to restore the “original intent” of immigration law and make sure a temporary visit does not become the first step toward a green card.

Supporters say it could reduce cases where applicants remain in the country after a residency application is denied.

3 days ago | [YT] | 174