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India’s Big Tests in 2026
The Weekend Playlist
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Happy New Year—and welcome to the first Weekend Newsletter of 2026.
India enters the year at a clear inflection point—on energy, trade, and economic reform. In this edition of The Core Report Weekend Playlist, we bring together three conversations that go to the heart of what will shape India’s next growth phase: how the country powers itself, how it trades with the world, and how far it is willing to reform.
From engineers rethinking energy systems—from solar cookers to modular nuclear reactors—to trade data revealing the limits of India’s negotiating space with the US, and a renewed debate on whether 2026 could become India’s biggest reform moment since 1991, the message is consistent: ambition must be matched by execution.
Together, these conversations offer a grounded look at where India stands—and what it must get right to secure energy security, expand exports, create jobs, and sustain long-term growth in the year ahead.
WEEKEND EDITION (Energy Special)
Engineering India’s Energy Future
India’s energy transition is entering a decisive phase. In this India Energy Week 2026 special episode of The Core Report, Govindraj Ethiraj speaks with Vartika Shukla, Chairman & Managing Director of Engineers India Limited (EIL), on what it takes to engineer the next generation of India’s energy infrastructure—at scale.
Here are the key takeaways:
Engineering demand-side change
Solar cookers are being redesigned to cut cost and weight, making clean energy adoption practical for Indian households.
Affordability and usability matter as much as technology.
Modular nuclear as a reliability solution
Small modular reactors could play a critical role in India’s low-carbon, baseload power mix.
Engineering readiness and regulatory clarity will determine how fast this sector scales.
Biofuels move beyond blending
India’s bamboo-based 2G ethanol refinery marks a global first in clean fuel innovation.
Sustainable aviation fuel and advanced biofuels are expanding ethanol’s role beyond road transport.
Data centres change the energy equation
Rising AI and digital infrastructure demand is creating a new surge in electricity consumption.
Energy planning must now account for continuous, high-load power requirements.
Execution at global scale
From mega installations in Nigeria to complex projects at home, execution capability remains India’s competitive edge.
Integrating policy, capital, and engineering is what turns ambition into infrastructure.
The big picture:
This episode shows how India’s energy future will be built—not through one technology, but through engineering depth across solar, nuclear, biofuels, and digital infrastructure. As India Energy Week 2026 highlights, the transition will be defined by those who can design, execute, and scale at once.
INDIA ENERGY WEEK 2026
India Energy Week returns for its 4th edition from 27–30 January 2026 in Goa, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and co-organised by FIPI and DMG Events.
As India advances its role in the global energy transition, the event will bring together policymakers, industry leaders and innovators to shape practical pathways toward a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future.
IEW 2026 will spotlight India’s leadership in balancing energy access with decarbonisation, while showcasing strategic investments, emerging technologies and global partnerships driving the next era of energy progress.
HOW INDIA’S ECONOMY WORKS
India–US Trade Talks: What the Numbers Are Really Telling Us
In this episode, Puja Mehra speaks with trade policy expert Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), on what steep US tariffs reveal about India’s export resilience—and the real constraints shaping India–US trade negotiations.
Key takeaways:
Resilience may be misleading: India’s exports to the US show a two-step pattern—an initial sharp fall followed by a partial recovery—even as tariffs rose to 50%, suggesting short-term adjustments rather than structural strength.
Diversification is harder than rhetoric: Shifting away from the US market is slow and constrained by India’s export basket and limited competitiveness in alternative markets.
China remains the shadow competitor: Intense competition from China narrows India’s room to redirect exports elsewhere.
FTAs aren’t a strategy reset: India’s recent spurt of trade agreements largely reflects the revival of long-stalled negotiations, not a fundamental change in trade policy.
Talks go beyond tariffs: India–US negotiations touch core red lines—agriculture, domestic policy autonomy, and strategic considerations—making compromise politically and economically costly.
The bottom line: Trade data points to a narrowing negotiating space for India, rising costs of prolonged uncertainty, and clear limits to flexibility in a high-stakes economic relationship.
THE CORE QUIZ
Which quick-commerce startup filed for an IPO earlier this week? |
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Media Leaders on AI: Insights from Disney, ESPN, Forrester Research
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SPECIAL EDITION
Can 2026 Be India’s Next Big Reform Moment?
In this Special Edition of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj speaks with author and commentator Gurcharan Das on whether 2026 could mark India’s biggest reform push since 1991—and what it would take to finally cut red tape, boost manufacturing, and create jobs at scale.
As global trade is reshaped by US tariffs and shifting supply chains, India has rolled out reforms ranging from GST and labour codes to easing non-tariff barriers and quality control norms. Yet a deeper puzzle persists: why did India’s post-1991 growth lift millions out of poverty but fail to generate enough factory jobs, exports, or global manufacturing champions?
The conversation examines how overregulation, protectionism, and policy bottlenecks eroded competitiveness—and why deregulation, export-led growth, and business-friendly reforms could unlock investment and mass employment. Drawing lessons from iPhone manufacturing and global value chains, Das explains why exports remain central to sustained prosperity—and why the decisions taken around 2026 may shape India’s long-term growth trajectory.
Why it matters: This episode offers clarity on the limits of past reforms, the urgency of the next phase, and what’s at stake if India misses this moment.
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