India Financial News

Oil and Natural Gas Corp. is seeking to diversify its portfolio to shield its core business from volatile oil prices, said Arunangshu Sarkar, director for strategy at the state-run giant. The company’s multi-pronged approach involves entering the refining and petrochemical sectors, trading liquefied natural gas and growing its renewable capacity. According to the International Energy Agency, the world is entering an era of cheaper energy prices, with growing electricity use leading to a surplus of oil and gas. ONGC is among the several oil majors looking to diversify their business strategies as the global economy moves away from fossil fuels.

Hindustan Unilever, Nestle and many home-grown giants. These small and regional players are growing faster than the biggies and even nibbling at their market shares. Latest data from market tracker Kantar shows that big companies, which control 34% of the market, saw sales volume increase 2-3% in urban areas over the past four quarters compared with year earlier periods, ET has reported. At the same time, smaller brands that account for the remaining almost two-thirds of the market for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) grew 5-7%, said the research firm owned by British communications firm WPP. Kantar, which monitors both branded and unorganised products, including unpackaged voluminous commodities, defines big companies as those reaching more than a third of India’s 250 million households. Smaller companies with lower reach, some restricted to just a state, include new-age brands as well as local or regional ones.

Indians can now enjoy upto 30% off discount on the seasonal summer routes to Santorini, Antalya, and Nice and more offering even more exciting places to explore around the globe. The press statement said that the Indian travellers can book their flights at special sale fares until March 28, to Etihad destinations including Turkey, Greece, Spain, France and travel between 1 May and 30 September 2025. «Summer is the perfect time to create unforgettable travel memories, and we're making it easier with these special fares across our network. Whether you're dreaming of pristine beaches, cultural adventures, or family fun, our summer sale offers something for everyone. Book early and give yourself something wonderful to look forward to,» said Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways.

technical indicators as it gains momentum. The NSE Nifty 50 Index has risen more than 7% this month. Its 14-day relative strength index — a measure of the magnitude of recent price changes — has taken just 14 sessions to move from oversold to overbought territory, its fastest pace on record. A score below 30 is considered oversold and above 70 overbought.

«India's GDP will grow 6.5 per cent in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, we expect. Our forecast is the same as the outcome for the previous fiscal year, but less than our earlier forecast of 6.7 per cent,» S&P said. The forecast assumes that the upcoming monsoon season will be normal and that commodity- especially crude-- prices will be soft. Cooling food inflation, the tax benefits announced in the country's budget for the fiscal year ending March 2026, and lower borrowing costs will support discretionary consumption in India, S&P said. The global credit rating agency expects central banks in the Asia Pacific region to continue cutting benchmark interest rates through this year.

Amit Shah on Tuesday hailed the decision of two Hurriyat-affiliated organizations to break away from separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a «significant victory» for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a peaceful and united India. Shah's reaction came soon after the significant development came to the fore with the two organizations affiliated with the Hurriyat Conference made the announcement about their decision to sever ties with separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. «Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations associated with the Hurriyat have announced the severing of all ties with separatism,» Shah expressed his views through his 'X' handle. «I welcome this step towards strengthening Bharat's unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all. It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of building a developed, peaceful and unified Bharat.» The decision by the two Hurriyat-linked groups is seen as a reflection of the changing political landscape in the Union Territory. Over the past few years, the government has implemented a series of measures aimed at curbing separatist activities, including strict enforcement of anti-terror laws and socio-economic reforms.

India told the UN Security Council that peacekeepers have to contend with the presence of non-state actors, armed groups and terrorists, and in an era of complex conflicts and threats, perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers must be brought to justice. These remarks were made by India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, during the UN Security Council Open Debate on Advancing Adaptability in UN Peace operations on Monday. «UN Peacekeepers today have to contend with the presence of non-state actors, armed groups, terrorists, as well as transnational criminal networks. Technological advancements have created new challenges in the form of mis-/dis-/mal-information and hate speech, new-age weapons, including drones, IEDs etc. These are but a few new realities that peacekeepers are up against,» he said. «Safety and security of peacekeepers must remain paramount. In an era marked by complex conflicts and asymmetric threats, we must ensure that those who risk their lives for peace are adequately protected and that perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers are brought to justice,» he said. He stressed that troop/police-contributing countries need to focus on enhancing the capabilities of their personnel to address emerging challenges to operate effectively in hostile environments. «India is willing to curate and offer courses that address specific demands of modern peacekeeping at our Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK), which has been training national and international peacekeepers for over two decades,» he added.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Discussion around youth consumption in India has been largely focused around observed purchasing behaviour. Despite its enormous value in guiding marketers, two key questions have been left to the realm of assumption rather than data-led insights: one, the larger and more foundational question of where consumption is located in the overall canvas of life aspirations, dreams and emotions of ‘mass’ or mainstream young India.

consumption sector, traditionally seen as a defensive haven during market volatility, is in the midst of a rare and sharp underperformance — with the Nifty FMCG and Nifty Consumption indices down about 20% and 17% from their September 2024 peaks, respectively. While the sector has lagged the broader market in recent months, Motilal Oswal sees this slump as a selective buying opportunity, driven by an expected demand recovery and easing inflation that could set the stage for a rebound. The consumption sector's underperformance— nearly 900-600 basis points below the Nifty100 — creates compelling entry points in select names, Motilal Oswal said, highlighting Page Industries, Devyani International, Metro Brands, V-Mart, Lemon Tree Hotels, LT Foods, and Cello World as key stock picks with strong fundamentals and growth potential.

Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved the motion to extend tenure of the JPC on 'One Nation, One Election' upto the first day of last week of the Monsoon Session, 2025. Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), PP Chaudhary, had moved the motion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday regarding an extension of time for presenting the report on the «One Nation, One Election» Bills ('Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024'). The bills under consideration include the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 'One Nation, One Election' bill is set to meet today at 3 pm. During the meeting, Attorney General of India R Venkataramand Justice DN Patel, the former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and current Chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), will make representations before the JPC. Firstly, they will meet Justice D.N. Patel, the Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, who currently serves as the Chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

I believe this key insight is crucial when dealing with equity market volatility. Other asset classes, like gold and real estate, do not share this characteristic.

Vietnam, which has now emerged as the fastest-growing tourism destination in Southeast Asia. Now, Vietnam has emerged as the third-most-visited country in the region, with 17.5 million international arrivals in 2024, edging ahead of Singapore. It follows Malaysia, which had 25 million visitors, and Thailand, which remains at the top with 35 million. The numbers also make Vietnam, also referred to as the Land of the Ascending Dragon, the regional leader in tourism recovery. Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic brought global travel to a halt, Vietnam has regained 98% of its pre-pandemic tourism business, outpacing all its neighbours, including Thailand (87.5%) and Singapore (86%). The momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Nearly four million international tourists arrived in Vietnam in January and February this year, a 30.2% increase from the same period last year, according to figures from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Good Shepherd College has chosen to observe a holiday on March 27 to commemorate the grand release of the Mohanlal-led film L2: Empuraan. Going beyond the norm, the administration has not only sanctioned a day off but has also arranged for an exclusive screening for all its students. The institution publicized this decision through an official announcement that enthusiastically stated, “Lights, Camera, Holiday!” This unique gesture is rooted in the deep admiration that the college chairman holds for Mohanlal, making the initiative a heartfelt homage to the legendary Malayalam actor. “When passion and fandom unite, history is made! Our beloved MD, a devoted fan of Lalettan, has orchestrated a special screening of Empuraan to honor the brilliance of Mohanlal and the visionary direction of Prithviraj Sukumaran. This is more than just a film—it’s a phenomenon," the announcement read.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Wipro GE Healthcare, the 35-year-old joint venture between GE HealthCare and Wipro Enterprises, has started rolling out its $1 billion investment plan to expand manufacturing in India and boost exports, confident that it can dodge the impact of reciprocal tariffs that the US may impose on India’s medtech industry. The company expects to make about 70% of its products for the Indian market locally by 2030, a top executive said, compared with 40-45% currently.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI : A majority of the investors in the popular sovereign gold bonds (SGBs) are saying no to premature redemption despite making stellar returns on their original investment.

Upcoming cars)A noteworthy example is the Honda Amaze sub-compact sedan, starting at ₹8 lakh (ex-showroom) and featuring ADAS technology for under ₹10 lakh. Below are five of the most affordable cars with ADAS available in India for under ₹15 lakh.Honda has set a new standard by introducing ADAS in the 2024 Amaze, making it the first sub-compact sedan to include this feature.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) consultation paper, ‘Enhancing Trading Convenience and Strengthening Risk Monitoring in Equity Derivatives,’ issued last month, fulfils a long-standing market demand to increase the economic representativeness of its Open Interest (OI) measurement approach. The proposal will not only help retail investors, but also institutions such as mutual funds that manage retail money.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The recent IndusInd episode raises several questions about how the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) uses its powers during financial stress. Beyond the immediate concerns of governance lapses and liquidity management, RBI’s decision to rely on public sector banks (PSBs) to provide liquidity support, rather than directly intervening as the lender of last resort (LoLR), merits close examination.

Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Bill for the 2025-26 fiscal in Parliament, seeking approval for key Budget proposals. The Finance Bill needs to be approved by both houses of the parliament to become a law and give effect to the Budget proposals. India plans to scrap the 6% equalisation levy on online advertisement services offered by companies like Google and Meta—commonly known as the Google tax—starting April 1. The move appears to be an effort to appease US President Donald Trump, who has warned of retaliatory tariffs on nations imposing digital taxes on American tech firms from April 2. The proposal is part of the 59 amendments to the Finance Bill introduced by Finance Minister. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 presented the Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament. The Union Budget 2024-25 provided major relief to the salaried class with no income tax on an average monthly income of up to Rs one lakh to boost household savings and consumption with the government also giving thrust to four engines of development — agriculture, MSMEs, investment and exports.

junk food consumption, especially among children, has raised concerns in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. During a discussion in the House, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also handles the health portfolio, stressed the need to strictly enforce the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

Singapore on Tuesday signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), with a focus on digitalisation and decarbonisation. The Singapore-India GDSC, when established, will enhance collaboration from both countries and help accelerate the development and uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies and the adoption of digital solutions, a joint release from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Ministry of Ports, Shipping said. The minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said his visit to Singapore with a high-level marine sector delegation will strengthen the long-standing relationship. Moreover, the «Comprehensive Strategic Partnership» will deepen and broaden cooperation between the two countries, he noted.