Beyond Financial News

Don ko samajana mushkil hi nahi namumkin bhi hai (Understanding Don is not just difficult, but impossible), quipped market veteran Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mahindra AMC, as conflicting statements on the Iran war emanated from US President Donald Trump over the weekend.Inspired by a dialogue from the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don, it encapsulates the uncertainty among India's investors and traders amid frequent changes in President Trump's stance on the conflict's objectives and duration.In a post on Truth Social on Friday, the US President said he was considering ‘winding down’ military operations in the Middle East after getting ‘very close’ to meeting the US' objectives.While investors could see this as a positive sign, they would again be flummoxed by Trump's plan to deploy more troops to the region, explained Shah.Hapless investors and traders have sought to deal with frequent flip-flops preceding Trump's latest comments by initiating an options strategy that enables them to profit from sharp market movements in either direction.Known as a long straddle in options parlance, the strategy aims to profit from a steep move in the Nifty on either side of 23100 by this Monday or Tuesday.This is borne by a 58% rise in open or outstanding positions on the 23100 call and a 79% rise in the 23100 put, per National Stock Exchange (NSE) data as of Friday closing.The market closed at 23114.5 on Friday (20 March), down 8.2% over the past three weeks since the war began.

₹60,000 crore in revenue, or closer to ₹80,000 crore when the broader Indian ceramic industry is counted. India is the world’s second-largest tile manufacturer, behind China, and Morbi is the engine of that position.The industry’s growth has tracked India’s real estate expansion with unusual fidelity.

Marvel, into spin-offs and cross-format storytelling across platforms.Industry experts say this is a capital-efficient way for IP owners to extend the universe and monetize catalogues without the production risk of large-scale formats. For new-age platforms such as those hosting micro-dramas, it accelerates adoption by new users without much marketing expense. “Taking a known IP into formats like audio or micro-drama is about unlocking new value from existing storytelling equity.

Organised jewellery retailers are expanding into men’s and kids’ lines, a niche long dominated by digital-first brands, to unlock new growth beyond their women’s segment.Titan Company Ltd’s Mia by Tanishq, traditionally positioned as a women-focused brand, plans to introduce a dedicated range of men’s and kids' fashion jewellery as part of its category expansion this year.“We are seeing increasing demand for men’s and kids’ range, and that’s why you will see a dedicated category for these two sometime this year,” said Shyamala Ramanan, business head of Mia by Tanisq, in an interview with Mint, adding that customers are already walking into stores enquiring about such offerings.The move reflects a broader shift underway in India’s jewellery market. Brands are targeting men and kids to drive growth, fuelled by shifting tastes, new gifting trends, and a push to recruit younger, first-time buyers.The global men’s jewellery market was valued at $48.56 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% between 2025 and 2034, reflecting strong momentum worldwide, according to Polaris Market Research, a US-based market research firm.For Mia, the category will largely be built around 9–14 karat gold, positioning it as lightweight, design-led jewellery rather than investment-driven purchases.

CMS Info Systems operates in a sector undergoing significant consolidation, where weaker players are steadily exiting due to severe challenges accessing credit and liquidity. As a result, even a listed competitor (AGS Transact) had to cease operations due to liquidity problems.CMS stepped in to stabilise ATM networks for banks, reinforcing its position as a mission-critical partner rather than just a service provider.

Mint.The minister noted that the country's telecom market is consistently growing and delivering greater value than other global markets.Edited excerpts:I have been very clear on this. As far as Vodafone Idea is concerned, the government is a 49% equity stakeholder. We do not envisage raising our equity stake at all beyond that 49% share.

Mint explains.India is the world’s second-largest fertilizer consumer, but domestic supply hasn’t kept pace.The country imports about 60% of its diammonium phosphate (DAP) requirement and roughly 15% of its urea and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK)-based fertilizer demand, along with intermediates such as rock phosphate, phosphoric acid and potash.Even urea relies on natural gas as feedstock, much of which is imported. This leaves domestic production exposed to global energy markets.“Domestic availability is limited for raw materials and intermediaries such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), phosphate rock and ammonia,” said Anand Kulkarni, director at Crisil Ratings.Analysts say this dependence is unlikely to ease without a shift in technology.

BENGALURU: India’s home appliances market is drawing a surge of new entrants from design-led startups to D2C brands, each trying to rewire how Indians cook, clean and live at home.From glass air fryers and smart chimneys to app-enabled kitchen devices, a new crop of companies is targeting urban consumers who are upgrading their homes and are willing to experiment beyond established brands.The surge is mirrored in early-stage funding. EDT, the maker of glass air fryers, raised $4 million from Fireside Ventures in August 2025.Nuuk, which makes fans and vacuum cleaners, among other products, secured $2 million from Vertex Ventures and Good Capital in the same month, followed by chimney maker Beyond Appliances’ $4 million round in December.

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Mint. “That creates an alternative to the China supply chain."For a company best known for consumer products, the shift marks a strategic expansion into the enterprise segment and reflects a broader shift in India’s manufacturing landscape.Many core components used in appliances, particularly motors, compressors and electronic controllers, have historically been imported largely from China.

The government’s ₹57,300 crore economic stabilization fund has come at the right time, allowing its fiscal math to adjust to sudden geopolitical headwinds and supply chain disruptions. This is a textbook policy response, as the fund is designed to act as a shock absorber.

Global investors are increasingly questioning how private Indian companies are being valued, creating an opening for consulting firms to step in with independent valuation advisory services.When Jamil Khatri launched a valuations practice at Uniqus Consultech last week, the firm’s sixth service line, the timing was not incidental. Across the 300-plus clients the former KPMG executive had built the firm around since founding it in 2022, the same need kept resurfacing.“Sponsors reporting to LPs and investors, or corporates, are asking for faster turnaround, greater precision, and a more transparent methodology,” Khatri told Mint.

Mint.Collectors are increasingly turning to art alongside traditional investments, with a new generation of high-net-worth buyers building major collections alongside established patrons. The buyers include the global South Asian diaspora, which has played a crucial role across markets in North America, Europe, West Asia and Asia.Independent data also point to a sharp expansion in the market.

TCS even though there was no IT industry to speak of. What followed was one of the great acts of industrial creation in post-independence India.The foundations of what is today a $300 billion industry were built on his clarity about the opportunity.

Bengaluru: Seed funding for startups has held up better than the overall financing since the 2021 boom cooled. But Nishit Garg, a partner at global venture capital (VC) firm RTP Global, says the real bottleneck has shifted to the next phase.

markets, by their nature, eventually begin to price the world beyond the conflict.Nations often enter wars even when they can scarcely afford them. They end wars for the same reason. When the economic and political costs become unsustainable, conflicts eventually wind down.The current war in West Asia will likely follow a similar pattern.

airlines are required to deploy an additional pilot. This typically means operating the flight with an augmented crew consisting of a captain and two first officers.The aviation safety regulator is conducting a safety assessment and could possibly agree to grant such exemptions, according to the official quoted above.

A Japanese maker of high-tech toilets has been causing a splash in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Activist investor Palliser Capital recently called on the management of Toto, best known for its Washlet bidets, to highlight that the firm is a growing AI play, thanks to its advanced ceramics segments. Toto is the “most undervalued and overlooked AI memory beneficiary,” Palliser wrote.

These are sombre times for the world. The big conflict in West Asia is giving everyone the jitters. For readers of a business paper, the main questions would be related to its impact on markets.

₹60 per 14.2 kg cylinder, taking them to the highest level since 29 August 2023.According to Nomura, every $10 per barrel increase in oil prices could shave 15 basis points off India’s growth and add 50 basis points to retail inflation. With oil prices already up nearly $50 per barrel since the start of the year, the impact on India’s growth-inflation dynamics could be significant.The Iran conflict could prove more disruptive to oil markets beyond the initial price spike than the Russia-Ukraine war.

₹480–540 crore across eight new hotel and resort projects as it expands both owned and asset-light operations.The company will add about 600 rooms to its existing portfolio of 1,000-odd keys, Samir MC, chief executive officer (CEO) of Tamara Leisure Experiences, told Mint.Alongside owned developments, Tamara plans to expand by managing and franchising hotels through an asset-light model that enables pan-India expansion with lower capital investment and risk.This comes at a time when many Indian hotel ownership companies have been moving towards an asset-light or asset-right strategy over the last decade to balance out their portfolios amid strong travel demand.Founded about 15 years ago by billionaire co-founders of Infosys, SD Shibulal and S Gopalakrishnan, Tamara operates nine self-owned and managed properties across its three brands. These include The Tamara, a luxury leisure property which it owns and operates, O by Tamara, which are upscale city hotels, as well as Lilac by Tamara, a mid-scale hotel brand.