India Financial News
22.03 / 12:05
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Healthcare
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medicines
Pharmaceuticals
Homeopathy access likely to expand using allopathic retail networks
Mint.The development is significant for India’s pharmaceutical market, valued at $50 billion and largely dominated by allopathic medicines. By comparison, the homeopathy segment is worth around $847 million.A proposal from the Ayush ministry was discussed last month by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to promote homeopathy medicines across the country.
22.03 / 10:55
markets
FIVE
Strategy
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patient
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Alkem eyes leadership in weight-loss drugs with aggressive generic pricing
₹1,800 per month for a starting dose, which translates to ₹450 per week. While some of its competitors have launched injectable vials at lower prices, Alkem’s generic pen undercuts other pen devices launched on Saturday, which are in the range of ₹3,000-4,000 a month.“Affordable pricing will empower healthcare practitioners to offer the therapy to as many deserving patients as they feel,” Alkem's chief executive officer (CEO) Vikas Gupta told Mint in an interview.
22.03 / 10:55
Provident
Platform
Gap
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Enterprise
IBM
Updates
Mint Explainer | Can IBM reboot its AI play with $11 billion Confluent buyout?
IBM closed the buyout of Confluent, a US-based data streaming company. At $11 billion, this is IBM’s second-largest acquisition in recent years, after the Red Hat buyout in 2019 for $34 billion. The deal is expected to help IBM boost Agentic AI capabilities.As companies shift from AI pilots to production, they struggle with fragmented data.
22.03 / 05:15
markets
COST
MET
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Trade
show
Updates
Margin trading hits ₹1 trillion. The hidden risks in your stock investment plan
₹1 trillion, highlighting a surge in leveraged stock buying even as risks loom large for retail investors.Data from the National Stock Exchange shows total outstanding funded stock positions across brokers have surpassed ₹1 trillion, reflecting how aggressively investors have embraced leveraged stock buying in recent years.The pitch is tempting: put in a fraction of the money, borrow the rest from your broker, and take a larger position in a stock you are bullish on. But the mechanics of margin trading facilities (MTF) carry risks that are easy to underestimate.MTF lets investors buy stocks by paying only part of the total transaction value upfront.
22.03 / 01:39
22.03 / 01:39
markets
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Election
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In cash we trust: The rise of direct transfers in election playbooks
₹5,000 each to 13.1 million women under its Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (women’s rights grant) scheme. It already pays ₹1,000 per month under the scheme introduced in 2023.Rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (AIADMK) led by Edappadi Palaniswami has countered it with a promise to double the monthly grant and also pay up to ₹10,000 per family.
21.03 / 08:35
Target
War
social
reports
Videos
A war that’s redrawing the world’s fault lines
”The back-and-forth was the latest demonstration of one of the dangers that AI technology has posed to global affairs: Not only can AI fakery deceive millions online, but real videos can also be dismissed as AI-generated lies,” a New York Times report said. The phenomenon, known as the “liar’s dividend,” has proliferated during the current West Asia conflict, with thousands of videos leaving watchers unable to tell the difference.As far as can be verified, Netanyahu appears hale and hearty.Meanwhile, Israel assassinated two top Iranians: Ali Larijani, a former nuclear negotiator and secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force.The killings underscore a problem highlighted by US President Donald Trump on Friday: there are few leaders left in Iran to negotiate an end to the war.
21.03 / 01:51
markets
Citi
IPO
security
Enterprise
travelers
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KP Singh: The visionary who turned Gurgaon into corporate India’s hub
KP Singh joined the company, he inherited an enterprise with ambition but little room to operate.The opportunity lay just outside Delhi.In the early 1980s Haryana began licensing private developers to build residential colonies. DLF secured licences in 1981 and 1983, opening the door to large-scale development in the farmland surrounding Gurgaon. Singh travelled from village to village, persuading farmers to sell their land.
21.03 / 01:51
Waters
Apple
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War
Cycling
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Kashmir’s dry winter hits apple trade at the roots
₹100 crore.“This season our sales have declined by 25-30%,” Salam told Mint. “Fruit growers are hesitant to plant trees in dry soil.”Apples dominate Kashmir’s horticulture economy, with production estimated at about 2.05 million tonnes in the 2025 season, a slight decline of 0.4% from 2024, according to official data.The 2026 harvest season is still around six months away.The region produces roughly 75% of India’s apples, making it the country’s primary supplier.
21.03 / 01:51
markets
COST
trends
Cycling
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reports
Updates
Climate Change and You: The return of a forgotten rice named after Lord Buddha
Climate Change and You is a fortnightly newsletter written by Bibek Bhattacharya and Sayantan Bera. Subscribe to the newsletter to get it directly in your inbox.Dear reader,Recently, while working on a story on farmer-owned companies, I came across an ancient variety of rice. The heirloom rice variety, known as Kala Namak, comes from eastern Uttar Pradesh.
21.03 / 01:51
markets
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Manufacturing
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Oscar
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country
The week in charts: Iran war impact, US Fed decision, HDFC Bank crisis
From India doubling down on fertilizer imports from non-West Asia sources to the US Federal Reserve decision to pause rates, the leadership crisis at HDFC Bank and youth unemployment in India rising to a four-month high in February—here’s a compilation of this week’s news in numbers.After LPG, fertilizers are emerging as the next major pressure point for India as it navigates the fallout of the West Asia conflict. The government is looking to diversify sourcing by stepping up purchases from countries such as Indonesia, Belarus, Morocco and China, Mint reported.
21.03 / 01:19
markets
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Research
trends
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karate
Jewellery retailers expand into men’s, kids’ categories to unlock new demand
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.
21.03 / 01:19
Gap
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wellness
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India’s cotton acreage loses ground to rice, maize amid low productivity
farmer incomes, rural livelihoods and export competitiveness. It also mirrors deeper structural issues in the agriculture sector that accounts for around 16% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), with nearly 46% of the country’s workforce dependent on agriculture."India’s cotton production has remained largely stagnant in recent years, weighed down by technological stagnation, pest resistance, and structural bottlenecks that have eroded farm profitability and discouraged acreage expansion," said Ajai Rana, chairman, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), an association of research-driven seed companies in India.To address the challenges of stagnant cotton productivity, Union budget 2025-26 announced a five-year Cotton Mission and allocated ₹500 crore to increase cotton productivity, especially extra-long staple varieties.
21.03 / 01:19
markets
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FIVE
War
track
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Updates
Great Eastern Shipping gains as charter rates double due to war in West Asia
Mumbai: As war roils the Persian Gulf and the global economy feels its shockwaves, just across the Arabian Sea in Mumbai sits Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd, one of the few winners of a conflict that nobody but a few wanted.India's largest private shipowner, with a fleet of 40 vessels, is benefiting as global ship chartering rates surge amid the war entering its fourth week on Saturday.
20.03 / 18:05
markets
Provident
CEO
community
cover
Updates
Govt. launches ₹20,000 crore credit guarantee scheme to boost microfinance lending amid liquidity crunch
The Centre on Friday launched a ₹20,000 crore credit guarantee scheme to revive bank lending to microfinance institutions (MFIs), as the sector grapples with persistent liquidity constraints despite improving asset quality.According to a paper issued by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC), the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions–2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) will be effective from 20 March 2026 and will cover loans sanctioned by member lending institutions (MLIs) to MFIs until 30 June 2026.It will provide guarantee cover for loans extended by these lenders to MFIs for on-lending to small borrowers, in line with Reserve Bank of India norms.The scheme builds on an earlier credit guarantee programme introduced in June 2021 to support microfinance lending during the covid-19 pandemic.“The sector has demonstrated strong improvement in credit quality and adherence to responsible lending practices.
20.03 / 16:47
trends
Core sector growth slows to 2.3% in February from 4.7% in Jan
Trending, India , World and US news.
20.03 / 16:47
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COST
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economy
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shock
India starts selective fuel price hikes as oil goes past $100, industrial diesel up ₹22 per litre, premium petrol ₹2
New Delhi: As the West Asia conflict drives crude prices above $100 a barrel, India has begun a calibrated pass-through of the shock—raising prices of select fuels while holding the line on retail petrol and diesel.State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) have raised industrial diesel prices by around ₹22 per litre and premium petrol by about ₹2 per litre, according to industry sources. However, the prices of regular transport fuels and premium diesel have been kept unchanged.In Delhi, the price of premium petrol has been increased from ₹99.89 per litre to ₹101.89, and the price of industrial diesel, which is procured in bulk, has been increased to ₹109.59 per litre.Earlier this month, prices of domestic cooking gas were raised by about ₹60 and commercial LPG by about ₹115.Addressing the media on the developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG), said there has been no increase in prices of regular petrol and the hike is limited to premium variants, which account for just 3-4% of total demand.
20.03 / 13:49
markets
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Booking
evacuation
Updates
International
SBI shifts 64 staffers from West Asia to Mumbai, moves operations amid escalating regional conflict
State Bank of India has evacuated 64 employees from West Asia to Mumbai over the past few days as the country’s largest lender activated a business continuity plan in response to the escalating war in Iran.SBI obtained approvals from local regulators to temporarily manage its operations in three countries from India, two people aware of the matter said. Only minimal on-ground presence has been maintained in these locations to comply with regulatory requirements.“People have shifted to India after regulators permitted it.
20.03 / 11:43
markets
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Digital
Trade
reports
Updates
Mrs Bectors investors await proof of recovery
₹1,558 crore, a decline from FY25’s 15.4% growth to ₹1,874 crore.Exports have been a key drag this year amid tariff uncertainty. With 36% of FY25 revenue coming from overseas markets, the impact is material. In Q3FY26, export growth slipped to the low single digits.
20.03 / 08:07
markets
UPS
Food
Trade
War
country
rights
Gulf war fertilizer crunch: Why it’s good news for China and bad news for India
You might have heard that the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is going to leave poor countries starving. That’s not quite right. The reality may be almost as serious, though—and China will be the victor.The theory stems from the importance of the Persian Gulf in the world’s fertilizer trade.
20.03 / 07:39
markets
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Citi
Gap
security
electronic
Updates
LG Electronics India looks to ride out near-term LPG crunch, but FY26 drags
₹16,550 crore during the period due to channel destocking in Q3, while Ebitda fell a sharper 28% to ₹1,470 crore, hit by elevated copper and aluminium prices and higher other expenses.A recovery is expected in FY27, supported by price hikes of 2-9% across products and stronger revenue growth. Centrum Broking estimates earnings per share (EPS) growth of 40% and 23% for FY27 and FY28, respectively, while JM Financial Institutional Securities pegs growth at 31% and 13%.Revenue growth is expected to be driven by portfolio expansion, premiumisation and exports.
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