Ocado has revealed plans for a renewed push to sell its technology worldwide after exclusivity deals with most of its global retail customers have come to an end.

The London-listed group, which sells automation technology allowing retailers to pick and dispatch online food orders from giant robotic warehouses, said in July it was set to roll off mutual exclusivity contracts by the end of the year in most of the markets where its tech is live, including in the US with American retail giant Kroger.

It said this “enables Ocado to bring its proven and much evolved technology offering back to market”, with aims to kick off commercial activity to sell the tech to new retail partners in a number of the world’s biggest grocery markets.

Tim Steiner, chief executive of Ocado Group, said: “As we continue to support all of our partners to improve and grow their online businesses, we will also now bring the full range of Ocado’s AI-powered and robotic solutions back to multiple markets.

“In the five years since our first international customer fulfilment centres went live, we have substantially evolved our market-leading solutions and broadened our offering to meet retailers wherever they are on their online journey.

“As we enter 2026, Ocado is well positioned to help more retailers capture market share in the world’s fastest-growing grocery channel.”

Shares in Ocado fell 2% in morning trading on Tuesday.

The group – which also runs a UK online grocery firm as a joint venture with Marks & Spencer – was dealt a blow recently after Kroger scrapped plans for a new automated warehouse powered by Ocado and shut three existing sites.

Ocado will receive 350 million US dollars (£259 million) in compensation from Kroger for the move to scale back its warehouses.

Recent half-year figures showed Ocado rebounded to a pre-tax profit of £611.8 million for the six months to June 1 from a £153.3 million loss a year earlier, as it benefited from a revaluation of its stake in the Ocado Retail business.

New Delhi: Indian equity markets are expected to be on “firmer footing” in 2026, with domestic demand strongly supported by “macro front, lower inflation, healthy post-monsoon harvests, and the wealth effect of gold,” a report said on Tuesday. 

The report from Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Limited said corporate earnings should improve on government tax measures and RBI monetary easing, pointing to a broad‑based cyclical recovery.

The asset management firm forecasted sectoral leadership to be driven by domestic cyclicals and consumption, while exports could gain momentum as tariff-related uncertainties ease and the rupee stabilises.

CY25 was marked by heightened volatility from shifting trade tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and persistent foreign institutional investor outflows, yet markets showed resilience underpinned by strong domestic fundamentals and a shift in investor dynamics, the report said.

Large‑cap stocks provided relative stability while mid‑caps returned around 5 per cent. In comparison, small‑caps fell approximately 8 per cent, reflecting a flight to quality as investors favoured balance sheet strength and earnings visibility.

Sectoral leadership rotated every two to three months after the September 2024 correction, with the auto sector (21.7 per cent) and consumption taking turns at the forefront, aided by tax cuts, duty cuts, and festive demand.

Export sectors lagged due to tariff-related uncertainties, despite rupee depreciation and tariff uncertainties weighing down on IT services, which declined 13.7 per cent.

The Nifty 50 delivered around 9 per cent in 2025, while volatility was central to sentiment as India VIX crossed the 20‑mark six times between January and May. It peaked at 22.79 in April, before averaging about 13.5 in the second half, the report noted.

Another recent report by Standard Chartered showed that reflation in the Indian economy, a possible revival in corporate earnings, and the return of foreign portfolio investors are among the positive signs that Indian equities will push higher year-on-year through 2026.

Last Updated:December 30, 2025, 11:34 IST

Indian commercial banks showed resilience in 2024-25, with double-digit growth, improved asset quality, and strong profitability, as highlighted in the RBI report.

Banks, NBFCs, Co-ops Show Broad-Based Strength in 2024–25: RBI Report

Despite global headwinds, the Indian commercial banking sector remained resilient during 2024-25, supported by double-digit balance sheet expansion, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2024-25.

Deposits and credit of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) grew in double digits, albeit with a moderation from the previous year, the report highlighted.

The Indian banking system saw an improvement in asset quality, with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio declining to a multi-decadal low of 2.2 per cent at end-March 2025 and 2.1 per cent at end-September 2025.

Not only the asset quality but the profitability of SCBs remained robust with the return on assets (RoA) at 1.4 per cent and return on equity (RoE) at 13.5 per cent in 2024-25. The RBI report added that During H1: 2025-26, RoA and RoE of the SCBs stood at 1.3 per cent and 12.5 per cent, respectively.

The growth didn’t remain at the Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs). The consolidated balance sheet of urban co-operative banks recorded higher growth in 2024-25 than that in the previous year. Their asset quality improved for the fourth consecutive year, alongside strengthening of their capital buffers and profitability, the report added.

The non-banking financial companies continued to record double-digit credit growth along with robust capital buffers. Their asset quality also improved during the year.

Plans To Build Robust Financial System And Consumer Protection

In the report, the Central Bank said the climate risk poses a threat to financial stability. It plans to include climate risk disclosure norms and RBI Climate Risk Information System (RB-CRIS).

Banks were told to build climate risk into strategy and lending.

Reflecting policy efforts across the financial system, the Reserve Bank’s financial inclusion index improved to 67.0 in March 2025 fromb43.4 in March 2017, the report added.

To strengthen the system, the Central bank is planning to shift to the Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework from April 1, 2027, with the proposal to implement new Basel III norms, such as credit risk, counterparty risk, and capital market exposure. It aims to alert to early stress signs and allows stronger balance sheets for banks.

In order to protect consumers, RBI has taken various measures against the mis-selling of financial products and loan recovery products. Moreover, it has strengthened Internal Ombudsman framework, with a special drive from January 1, 2026, to clear pending complaints.

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