India's Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is set to present her eighth budget in a couple of weeks’ time. In the first week of January, she met stakeholders from the financial sector and capital markets as part of her series of pre-budget consultations. The signs show that for the third quarter of 2024- 25 (October-December), the Indian economy is recovering from the slowdown in momentum witnessed in July-September. According to ANI, India's GDP grew by an impressive 8.2 percent during the financial year 2023-24 and continued to be the fastest-growing major economy. The economy grew by 7.2 percent in 2022-23 and 8.7 percent in 2021-22.

In 2024, India also witnessed some of the leading companies in the country making their IPO debut, including food tech company Swiggy, Niva Bupa Health Insurance, and Hyundai Motor India. Swiggy's Rs 11,327 crore public offering was subscribed 3.59 times. The IPO comprised a fresh issue worth Rs 4,499 crore and an offeror-sale component of Rs 6,828 crore. On the other hand, Hyundai Motor India, the Indian subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company, has listed on the Indian stock market in a landmark IPO. It was a clear indication of Hyundai Motor’s commitment to enhancing transparency and expanding investment in India.

“We knew that India was the future. That is why we continuously increased investments, expanded our R&D capabilities, and created more than 250,000 jobs,” said Chung, adding, “We initiated various CSR activities and adopted ESG standards when few companies did.” As more and more multinationals manifest the future of India, the Indian capital markets are betting high on good times. We are delighted to present CEO Insights' first issue of 2025. Do let us know your thoughts.