India Financial News

Rupee billionaire MLAs. Cynics would explain this as an appalling display of power distance in a money-obsessed public life, but the South’s overwhelming representation in the HNI lawmakers’ club is as much a symbol of peninsular India’s broader prosperity as is the glaring regional disparity in staples-loaded retail inflation. In economic terms, the two pieces of data indicate the South’s burgeoning wealth effect – across the spectrum. India’s consumer inflation gauge, with a disproportionate rural weighting of basic food items and a still substantial urban weighting, has fallen below the 4% legal mandate in February to a seven-month low. However, a region-based analysis of inflation data indicates the South has averaged higher on the metric, presumably driven by demand, as those migrating from the less prosperous northern, eastern and central states seek toeholds in bustling economic hubs such as Coimbatore, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Cochin. “The region-wise index share CAGR growth during FY12 to FY25 (until Feb 2025) indicates that the southern region has the highest CAGR inflation of 6% in overall inflation,” SBI Research said in a study that analysed inflation across states and federally administered areas over the past 14 years. Curiously, inflation in the South trended above the national average over the period in both rural and urban areas, indicating prosperity across the geographic spectrum – and possibly the impact of labour migration from the less economically advantaged states into even remote villages in the South – particularly the remittance-heavy Kerala.

IPL 2025 News LIVE: IPL 2025 News LIVE: The 18th season of Indian Premier League will start with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opener at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Unlike the previous editions, IPL 2025 will have opening ceremonies at all the 13 venues.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Average cinegoers have often griped about expensive tickets at multiplexes, deterring them from enjoying movies at the theatres more frequently. Some trade analysts, too, have blamed steep ticket prices as one of the reasons for many films failing at the box office.

Nuvama Institutional Equities has initiated coverage on Waaree Energies with a ‘buy’ rating and a target price of Rs 2,805 per share, implying an upside of 25% from current levels, citing the renewable energy firm’s aggressive capacity expansion and strategic backward integration plans that position it to capture multi-decadal growth in India’s renewable energy and green hydrogen sectors. The brokerage said it expects Waaree’s revenue and EBITDA to grow at a compounded annual rate of 30% and 54%, respectively, over FY24–27, driven by a strong order book, capacity ramp-up, and margin expansion. «Waaree is prudently executing a long-term strategy of becoming a horizontally and vertically integrated New Energy play,» Nuvama said in a report.

Madras Fertilizers Ltd.(up 5.19%), Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd.(up 4.53%), Paradeep Phosphates Ltd.(up 4.01%), Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd.(up 3.97%), Agro Phos India Ltd.(up 3.42%), Khaitan Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd.(up 3.23%), The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.(up 2.99%), Gujarat State Fertilizer & Chemicals Ltd.(up 2.79%), National Fertilizers Ltd.(up 2.62%) and Madhya Bharat Agro Products Ltd.(up 2.31%) were among the top gainers.

Karnataka is gearing up for a statewide bandh on March 22, organised by Pro-Kannada groups from 6 am to 6 pm. While the bandh aims to make a strong statement, it has left students, commuters, and businesses worried about its impact.

Upcoming cars in India)Leading brands including Honda, Hyundai, Citroen, and Mahindra are offering special promotions, such as cash discounts, trade-in bonuses, corporate incentives, and scrappage bonuses. These deals, valid until March 31, 2025, create an excellent chance to purchase a new car at a lower price before prices rise. Below is a list of car manufacturers and their respective March discounts:Honda Cars India is offering incentives of up to ₹90,000 on models like the City, Elevate, Amaze and City e:HEV.

That something, the mandarins reckoned, could only be a government-backed investment option that allowed investors to earn some cash while speculating on the price of their best-loved commodity — without actually having to buy it. But the officials forgot a cardinal rule. If a trade looks too good to be true, it probably is. As it’s becoming painfully evident now, India’s 10-year-old sovereign gold bond program is just a $13 billion naked short position for the government, an albatross around its neck at a time when bullion prices have gone parabolic and show no sign of subsiding. It’s the taxpayers who are on the hook for paying that money to bondholders. This wasn’t how the program was supposed to run. The special debt, it was decided, would pay a 2.75% coupon (reduced later to 2.5%), and the investment itself would be measured in grams of gold. Upon redemption eight years later, investors would be given the prevailing market value of the metal in rupee terms.

But, but, but… India’s obesity problem is no small fry, and Big Pharma is racing to cash in. With Eli Lilly launching Mounjaro ahead of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, weight-loss drugs are heating up the market. Meanwhile, PM Modi has waved the red flag on India’s rising obesity crisis— 440 million people could be obese by 2050! This is “huge and scary.” With the economic burden projected to hit a staggering $838.6 billion by 2060 eating up 2.5% of India's GDP. Is India ready for the weight-loss drug wave?

IT stocks amid concerns over discretionary spending in the U.S. The BSE Sensex was down 114 points, or 0.15%, at 76,234, while the Nifty50 slipped 14 points, or 0.06%, to 23,176 around 9:19 am.

Like the earlier month, the fortnight (ending March 15) sell-off affected nearly all sectors in the market, with the exception of metals. Metal stocks stood out as they attracted investments worth Rs 1,100 crore, making them the only sector to buck the trend. This was not the case in the preceding period.

Hero Motocorp shares are set to remain in focus on Friday, March 21, after the company announced that it has made a strategic investment of up to Rs 525 crores (in one or more tranches), in Euler Motors. This move aims to provide Hero MotoCorp with a strong foothold in the fast-growing electric three-wheeler market. “Moving swiftly towards its vision, “Be the Future of Mobility”, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, will make a strategic investment into the electric three-wheeler category by acquiring a significant stake in Euler Motors. The Company's board has approved a strategic investment of up to Rs. 525 crore (in one or more tranches), in Euler Motors Private Limited,” the company informed the stock exchanges.

In the post, he explained, how, after relocating to Rajarajeshwari Nagar three years ago, he saw another face of his beloved city. His daily commute to his office near MG Road had become a significant factor in his frustrations, leading him to reflect on the changing nature of the city. For years, his family had relied on personal vehicles as their primary mode of transportation, finding it both convenient and efficient. Lately, he argued, navigating Bengaluru's roads had become increasingly cumbersome. The pollution, particularly dust, had worsened to an alarming degree.

Balancing Technology, Judiciary Workload, and Legal Ethics for a Better India

As many hospitals are planning to double their capacity over the next three to five years, Shibani Kurian, Head — Equity Research and Fund Manager, Kotak Mahindra AMC, estimates that the growth of hospital companies will outpace that of diagnostics and pharmaceutical companies. In this interview with ET Markets, Kurian also talks about investing in pharma stocks amid Trump's tariff threats. Edited excerpts from a chat:

Manappuram Finance shares will be in focus on Friday after Bain Capital announced it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire joint control in the company through its affiliates, BC Asia Investments XXV Limited and BC Asia Investments XIV Limited, in partnership with existing promoters. As part of the deal, Bain Capital will invest Rs 4,385 crore to acquire an 18% stake on a fully diluted basis via preferential allotment of equity and warrants at Rs 236 per share—a 30% premium over the six-month average trading price.

Hamas ties. The detention of Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University in the US capital, came as fears mount in the academic world that freedom of research and speech is being challenged two months into US President Donald Trump's new term. Suri's lawyer demanded his release and denounced the arrest as a «targeted, retaliatory detention» that was intended «to silence, or at the very least restrict and chill, his speech» as well as that of others who «express support for Palestinian rights.» Early Thursday evening Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the Eastern District of Virginia Court ordered Suri «shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the court issues a contrary order.» The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has also filed an emergency motion to stop the deportation, said Suri was being held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Manappuram Finance Ltd: Buy at ₹217.50 | Target ₹235-240 | Stop loss ₹210 The Relative Strength (RS) of this stock is rising, also it's near to lifetime high levels. On hourly chart, stock has given breakout with Rectangle pattern.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: Stock market indices have pulled back from the lows of early March, but veterans on the Street do not believe the market has bottomed out yet. The reason: Persistent selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), who have dumped Indian shares for six straight months through March.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's auto parts manufacturers are bracing for an uncertain future, as large automakers boost production of electric vehicles (EVs) at the expense of petrol and diesel models, in a shift that is transforming the requirements for components and increasing the role of technology.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd is focusing on India’s tier I cities for its Ibis brand as it looks to shed the budget tag and positions itself in the mid-market segment, citing strong demand for quality hotels. The joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and Accor Asia Pacific, which has 29 Ibis properties in India, is evaluating opportunities in top locations in city centres for the next phase of growth, according to JB Singh, president and chief executive officer at InterGlobe Hotels.