1 February 17, 2026 Convention Center, Infosys Campus, Bengaluru Agenda | Session Name | Speaker | Title | Time (IST) | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tech transitions – Why is the AI transition different? | Nandan Nilekani | Chairman of the Board | 11:00 – | 11:20 AM | | The AI Services Opportunity | Salil Parekh | Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director | 11:20 – | 11:50 AM | | AI Services Playbook | Satish H.C. | Chief Delivery Officer | 11:50 – | 12:20 PM | | | Dinesh Rao | Chief Delivery Off ...

Core Insights - Infosys and Anthropic have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at developing advanced enterprise AI solutions for various industries, starting with telecommunications and expanding to financial services, manufacturing, and software development [1] Group 1: Collaboration Details - The collaboration will utilize Anthropic's Claude models, including Claude Code, integrated with Infosys Topaz AI offerings to automate complex workflows and accelerate software delivery [1] - A dedicated Anthropic Center of Excellence will be established to focus on building AI agents tailored to industry-specific operations, beginning with telecommunications [1] Group 2: Industry Applications - In software development, Claude Code will assist teams in writing, testing, and debugging code, enhancing the speed from design to production [1] - In manufacturing, Claude will facilitate faster product design and simulation, reducing R&D timelines and allowing for more iterations before production [1] - In financial services, AI agents will enhance risk detection, automate compliance reporting, and personalize customer interactions based on comprehensive account histories [1] - In telecommunications, AI agents will modernize network operations and improve service delivery, addressing the complexities of a heavily regulated industry [1] Group 3: Leadership Perspectives - Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, emphasized the importance of domain expertise in bridging the gap between AI models and their application in regulated industries [1] - Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys, highlighted that the collaboration represents a strategic leap in advancing enterprise AI, aiming to unlock value and enhance organizational intelligence and resilience [1]

Earnings Season Overview - The earnings season has shown improvement, with a balanced beat-miss ratio of 34% of companies beating profit estimates and 32% missing, indicating a recovery trend after Q2 [12] - The MOFSL universe reported a 16% year-on-year profit growth in Q3FY26, slightly above the 14% estimate [12] Earnings Growth Projections - Nifty earnings are expected to grow approximately 12% annually over FY25-27, with current valuations at around 20.4 times one-year forward earnings, suggesting limited downside if earnings hold [2][12] - Mid and small-cap companies are projected to deliver stronger earnings growth in FY27 compared to large-caps, although broader market valuations are considered stretched [8][12] Key Investment Ideas - In financials, State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank are highlighted as key picks, with SBI trading at about 12 times FY26 estimated earnings and expected return on equity of 16-18% over FY26-28 [5][12] - ICICI Bank is noted for consistent asset quality improvement, trading at about 20 times FY26 earnings [5][12] - In capital goods, Larsen & Toubro is favored due to a strong order book and expected earnings growth over FY25-27 [6][12] - Bharti Airtel is preferred in telecom, benefiting from tariff hikes and rising data consumption, trading at around 31 times FY27 earnings [6][12] - Mahindra & Mahindra is backed by strong SUV demand and farm equipment recovery, with earnings expected to compound at over 20% over the next two years [7][12] - Infosys remains a top idea in technology despite near-term uncertainties, with ongoing disruptions in IT services being a key monitorable [7][12] Sectoral Insights - Financials, Metals, and Automobiles are anticipated to be key earnings drivers in FY27, potentially contributing nearly two-thirds of incremental profit growth [11][12] - The brokerage emphasizes the importance of decisive policy steps and improving global trade visibility to stabilize foreign investor flows [11][12]

Core Insights - Ovanti Ltd has established a senior industry advisory board to facilitate the entry of its BNPL product, Flote, into the U.S. market, with Alex Gambotto, founder and CEO of The Missing Link, appointed as chair [1]. Group 1: Advisory Board and Leadership - The advisory board will leverage Gambotto's extensive experience in M&A, corporate transactions, and leadership in trust-heavy industries, which is expected to benefit Ovanti's strategic direction [4]. - Gambotto's background includes leading The Missing Link through a significant sale to Infosys, indicating a strong network that could support Ovanti's growth in the U.S. [3]. Group 2: Product and Market Strategy - Flote aims to address inefficiencies in U.S. consumer finance by promoting fair and transparent cash-flow-based affordability, moving away from traditional credit scoring methods [5]. - Merchant onboarding for Flote will be a primary focus for Gambotto, alongside exploring SPAC listings for a potential Nasdaq listing [4]. Group 3: Company Performance - Ovanti's stock last traded at 0.1 cents per share, indicating the current market valuation and investor sentiment towards the company [5].

Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by nearly 1% on February 16, 2026, driven by strong buying in power, banking, and financial stocks [1] - The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 650.39 points, or 0.79%, closing at 83,277.15 [1] - The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 211.65 points, or 0.83%, settling at 25,682.75 [2] Sector Performance - PowerGrid emerged as the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 4.45%, with other notable gainers including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, ITC, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, and State Bank of India [2] - The power sector gained on expectations of sustained demand momentum, while improved loan growth and stable asset quality bolstered confidence in banks [4] Global Market Influence - A continued decline in the U.S. 10-year yield, following benign inflation data, strengthened expectations of a Fed rate cut later this year, influencing investor sentiment [5] - Stability in the rupee and range-bound crude oil prices ahead of U.S.-Iran talks provided additional support to domestic equities [5] Investor Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth ₹7,395.41 crore on February 14, 2026, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth ₹5,553.96 crore [7]

Market Overview - Indian stocks opened lower but quickly trimmed losses in morning trading, indicating a cautious market mood [1] - The BSE Sensex index rose to 82,802, gaining 175 points or 0.21% at 10 AM [2] - The NSE Nifty50 increased to 25,523, up by 51 points or 0.2% [2] Top Gainers and Losers - Top gainers in the Sensex included Power Grid, HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Kotak Bank, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Tech, ITC, and Axis Bank [2] - Top losers were Infosys, Adani Ports, Titan, HUL, SBI, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, and ICICI Bank [2] Sector Performance - The Nifty MidCap and Nifty SmallCap indices were down 0.06% each, indicating a slight decline in broader market segments [3] - The Nifty Pharma index gained 1%, reflecting positive performance in the pharmaceutical sector [3] - The Nifty Auto index added 0.06%, showing modest gains in the automotive sector [3] - The Nifty IT and PSU Bank indices both slipped by 0.4%, indicating challenges in these sectors [3]

Core Insights - The net profits of listed companies grew 14.7% year-on-year in Q3FY26, marking the fastest growth in the last eight quarters [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted net profits of the 3,353 companies in the Business Standard sample increased to approximately ₹3.97 trillion in Q3FY26 from ₹3.47 trillion in Q3FY25 and ₹3.67 trillion in Q2FY26, reflecting a growth of 14.7% year-on-year [2] - Reported net profits showed a slower growth of 9.5% year-on-year in Q3FY26, down from 11.9% in Q3FY25 and 33.4% in Q2FY26 [5] Sector Contributions - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was the largest contributor to earnings growth in Q3FY26, accounting for 22.4% of incremental earnings growth, with net profits rising nearly eightfold to ₹13,007 crore from ₹1,630 crore a year earlier [6][7] - The State Bank of India reported a 24.5% year-on-year increase in net profits, contributing 8.1% to corporate earnings growth [8] - Other significant contributors included Bharat Petroleum Corporation (6.8%), Tata Steel (4.8%), and HDFC Bank (3.8%), with these five companies together accounting for nearly 46% of incremental earnings growth [9][10] Sector Performance - Cyclical sectors accounted for 56.2% of corporate profits in Q3FY26, up from 53.3% a year earlier and 55.8% in Q2FY26 [12] - Traditional earnings leaders like Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services, and Infosys underperformed with below-par earnings growth [13] Revenue and Cost Analysis - Net sales of all companies increased by 8.9% in Q3FY26, reaching around ₹41.17 trillion, the fastest growth in the last 11 quarters [16] - Non-cyclical sectors saw net sales growth of 10.9% year-on-year in Q3FY26, slightly up from 9.2% in Q3FY25 [17] - The Ebitda margin for companies outside the BFSI sector decreased by 20 basis points year-on-year to 17.9% of revenues [19] - Interest expenses as a percentage of revenues fell to 2.7% in Q3FY26 from 2.9% in Q3FY25, indicating a decline in interest burden [21]

Market Valuation Decline - The combined market valuation of six of the top 10 valued firms decreased by more than ₹3 lakh crore last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys being the largest contributors to this decline [1] - The BSE benchmark index fell by 953.64 points, or 1.14 percent, over the past week [1] Major Firms Affected - TCS's market valuation dropped by ₹90,198.92 crore to ₹9,74,043.43 crore, while Infosys's valuation decreased by ₹70,780.23 crore to ₹5,55,287.72 crore [2] - HDFC Bank's market valuation fell by ₹54,627.71 crore to ₹13,93,621.92 crore, and Reliance Industries' valuation declined by ₹41,883 crore to ₹19,21,475.79 crore [3] - Life Insurance Corporation of India's market capitalization decreased by ₹23,971.74 crore to ₹5,46,226.80 crore, and Bharti Airtel's valuation dropped by ₹19,244.61 crore to ₹11,43,044.03 crore [3] Firms with Increased Valuation - State Bank of India's market capitalization increased by ₹1,22,213.38 crore to ₹11,06,566.44 crore [3] - Bajaj Finance's market capitalization rose by ₹26,414.44 crore to ₹6,37,244.64 crore, and Larsen & Toubro's valuation increased by ₹14,483.9 crore to ₹5,74,028.93 crore [4] - ICICI Bank's market capitalization grew by ₹5,719.95 crore to ₹10,11,978.77 crore [5] Ranking of Valued Firms - Reliance Industries remains the most valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, and Life Insurance Corporation of India [5]

Core Viewpoint - Indian IT stocks experienced their worst week since March 2020, with concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence leading to a market cap loss of approximately $50 billion [1][3]. Group 1: Market Performance - The Nifty IT index fell by as much as 5.2% on Friday, later narrowing to about 1.7% by early afternoon [4]. - For the week, the index declined by 9.4%, marking the largest drop since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 [4]. Group 2: Industry Concerns - The launch of a tool by tech startup Anthropic last month triggered a global sell-off in tech stocks, intensifying fears that the rapid adoption of generative AI could disrupt India's $283 billion IT services industry [1][3]. - Analysts from J.P. Morgan expressed concerns that Indian IT companies may struggle to meet growth targets as AI drives a reallocation of client spending [4]. Group 3: Expert Opinions - Sat Duhra, portfolio manager at Henderson Far East Income, stated that AI presents opportunities that Indian IT companies should leverage, suggesting that these companies need to better communicate how to turn AI into an opportunity rather than a threat [4]. - A brokerage noted that it is overly simplistic to believe that AI can automatically generate enterprise-level software and replace the value created by IT service companies throughout the cycle [5].

Market Overview - Equity benchmarks faced significant pressure, with the Sensex down 826.65 points (0.99%) to 82,848.27 and the Nifty falling 264.85 points (1.03%) to 25,542.35 [1] - The broader market decline was influenced by fading expectations of near-term US rate cuts and a 2.03% drop in the Nasdaq, raising concerns about global technology valuations [3] IT Sector Performance - The Nifty IT index dropped 1.79% to 32,568.00, following a steep 4.72% decline the previous day, marking its worst single-day fall in ten months [2] - Major IT companies experienced significant losses, with Coforge down 4.57% to ₹1,356.60, TCS down 2.36% to ₹2,685.10, and Infosys down 2.24% to ₹1,355.00 [2] Market Sentiment and Analysis - Analysts noted that the current AI shift presents unique challenges for Indian IT firms, which have doubled in size since the Cloud migration era, facing incumbency risks [3] - Selling pressure in the IT sector is attributed to concerns over global demand slowdown and uncertainty regarding AI-led disruptions [4] - Some experts argue that AI could compress the software development lifecycle and potentially expand demand for IT services, despite current concerns [5] Broader Market Dynamics - The market breadth was weak, with 2,752 stocks declining compared to 1,256 advancing, and 156 stocks hitting 52-week lows [7] - The Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices fell by 1.38% and 1.39%, respectively, indicating a broader market downturn [7]