India-US Talks, Tech Earnings, Inflation, and Global Tensions Dominate News

• US Ambassador Sergio Gor declared India its most important ally, boosting market sentiment ahead of imminent trade talks.
• TCS Q3 earnings were in line with expectations, though net profit was impacted by one-time labor code costs.
• HCLTech reported stronger Q3 revenue, exceeding estimates, and raised its FY26 growth guidance.
• India's December CPI rose sequentially but undershot estimates; global markets reacted to a US Justice Dept. probe into Jerome Powell.
• Other key updates include rising Iran protest deaths, Warburg Pincus' India investment plans, MeitY's clarification on smartphone security, Reliance's battery manufacturing update, and a UK probe into X's AI content.

Why It Matters: Geopolitics, corporate earnings, and macro data are driving market movements amid a busy global news cycle.