India Financial News

Given the distinction that India makes between essential and discretionary spending, the Centre’s use of the Essential Commodities Act to regulate LPG supply was no surprise. Households being prioritized over commercial users was like a policy reflex; restaurant food is seen as an indulgence. Yet, market psychology doesn’t always comply.

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.

Renault S. A.

fertilizer industry is coordinating with the Centre and states on increasing supply from more countries, the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) said. “Production planning, imports and logistics are being actively coordinated to maintain adequate availability during the upcoming cropping season.

Best stocks to buy today (All Buy trades are rates of Equity & Sell rates are based on F&O)ONGC: Buy above ₹266, stop ₹250 target ₹299 (Multiday)RELIANCE: Buy above ₹1385, stop ₹1290 target ₹1550 (Multiday)ATGL: Buy above ₹570, stop ₹530 target ₹650 (Multiday)In 1991, the Gulf War sent crude prices sharply higher and almost doubled India’s oil import burden in a short span. Because India was heavily import-dependent and had very low foreign-exchange buffers, every extra dollar of crude directly worsened the macro picture.

Mint.On Friday, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) raised about ₹6,000 crore through one-year CDs at 7.35%, around 25 basis points (bps) higher than interest rates seen a week ago.“For a three-year paper, Nabard was willing to pay 7.50%, but the demand was at 7.60-7.70%, so they did not raise funds through three-month maturity but raised one-year paper, and if rates are high, they will borrow short-term,” a senior treasury official said on the condition of anonymity.Treasury officials expect more companies to tap the money market after Nabard, but warn that even short-term borrowing will be challenging.Since the beginning of the month, interest rates on three-month CDs, issued by scheduled commercial banks and select all-India financial institutions (AIFIs), have risen by 25-50bps to 7.30-7.80% as of 13 March, while one-year CD rates have increased by about 25bps to 7.15%, according to data from Derivium Tradition Securities India Pvt. Ltd.Rates on three-month CPs issued by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have jumped by 45bps to 7.55-8.05%, while those with one-year maturities have risen by 25-30bps to 7.50-7.60%.Typically, short-term interest rates rise in March due to seasonal fiscal-year-end factors, as banks and financial institutions step up funding activity to maintain liquidity amid tax outflows.“Because of advance tax outflows and goods and services tax (GST) outflows, it was expected that short-term rates would go up, but signs are visible that, despite RBI’s liquidity injection through open market operations, short-term rates have spiked,” the treasury official added.So far, the central bank has conducted two auctions of ₹50,000 crore each.

conflict and disruptions to flows.IEA projects global oil supply to plunge by 8 mbpd in March. With that, an old nemesis of central banks may return: elevated inflation and muted economic growth. Every 10% rise in oil prices that persists for a year leads to 40 basis point growth in global headline inflation and a 0.1–0.2% decline in global output, estimates the IMF.Higher energy prices feed into transport and food costs, pressurizing household budgets.

Mint, even during the Russia-Ukraine crisis, crude prices initially surged but eventually moderated as markets adjusted.He added that apart from geopolitical tensions, key risks for Indian markets include global liquidity conditions, movements in crude oil prices, and the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and oil, as rising household energy costs could disrupt consumption momentum. Edited excerpts:Markets typically react first to headlines and then gradually reassess fundamentals.

₹23,000 crore, based on unlisted share prices. A large syndicate of bankers will also help widen investor outreach and support book-building for the offer.At current unlisted valuations and the indicative offer size, NSE’s IPO could become India’s largest ever.

New Delhi: India has issued a new quality control order (QCO) for aluminium and aluminium alloy products, mandating compliance of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms by domestic and overseas firms for a wide range of products used across engineering, packaging, construction and electrical applications. India has seen a sharp rise in imports of the metal and its products in the recent past.The order comes in the backdrop of withdrawal of over 50 quality control orders imposed on various intermediary products and the relaxation of compliance requirements for some others.The 13 March order issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) replaces the QCO of 2025.

Mint explains.Indian nationals are the largest foreign real estate investor base in Dubai, accounting for over 20% of all foreign property purchases. In 2025, Indians and people of Indian origin invested up to ₹95,000 crore in residential properties, according to estimates by Anarock Property Consultants. This is a sharp rise from 2023, when they bought properties amounting to ₹37,000 crore.

₹10,900-crore PM E-Drive scheme, to ease component shortages and support early EV deployments.This is the second time that rules for local manufacturing have been relaxed for these vehicle segments. Earlier in September 2025, the ministry of heavy industries (MHI) had deferred the deadline till March 2026 to stop imports of this component under the scheme's sourcing rules.In a 13 March notification, the government has allowed the use of imported traction motor sub-assemblies in electric trucks and buses till 1 September 2026.PM E-Drive, or Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement, scheme aims to promote electric mobility in the country by subsidising electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.While rare earth magnet-free motors are being used in electric two-wheelers and some electric three-wheelers, larger electric vehicles need to import sub-assemblies where the magnets are already fused with the motor.Mint reported on 29 December that e-bus and e-truck makers were seeking a one-year relaxation in localisation rules under the scheme.Analysts said that the government's move to extend relaxation was a pragmatic step to increase sales of zero-emission commercial electric vehicles (EVs).

Ambuja Cements Ltd, which was acquired by the Ahmedabad-based conglomerate in September 2022, told analysts at a plant visit last week that it will not rush into expansions at the expense of margins. The company was open to pushing back its FY28-end target of achieving 155 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity by a couple of years as it looks to increase the utilization of its existing capacity.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge was, like its first edition, is anyway unlikely to release in the territory given its patriotic and anti-Islamic theme, other titles scheduled for the coming weeks could bear the brunt, given the unpredictable timeline of disruption.Over the coming weeks, Akshay Kumar’s horror comedy Bhooth Bangla, Telugu film Dacoit, and Malayalam titles Aadu 3, Drishyam 3 and Pallichattambi would have ordinarily looked to West Asia for box-office returns. Indian film buffs are now unlikely to make it to theatres to watch these films under present circumstances even if cinemas are technically functional.The region is among the top five overseas markets for Indian films along with the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.Industry experts said most Indian film producers are in a wait-and-watch mode, with only Kannada star Yash’s Toxic moved to June, citing tensions in the region.To put it in perspective, a big hit like Shah Rukh Khan's 2023 release Jawan had earned nearly ₹150 crore from the UAE alone and trade experts estimate that 25-30% of overseas box office comes from West Asia.“There will definitely be a big impact.

Mint that he and the institute’s director met and decided to bring the Dubai cohort to the Ahmedabad campus until the war subsides.The conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran, now in its third week, has spilled across West Asia, forcing Indian companies and institutions operating in the region to reassess their operations and contingency plans.Other Indian educational institutions with campuses in Dubai are also weighing how best to continue classes if the conflict escalates.Besides IIM Ahmedabad, BITS Pilani operates an engineering campus in Dubai that was established in 2000. Mint has learnt that the college has started online classes, though it did not respond to Mint’s queries.SP Jain School of Global Management and Amity University also have campuses in Dubai but did not respond to queries emailed last week.Education analysts said the decision to relocate students or move online often depends less on pedagogy and more on logistics.“IIM Ahmedabad has taken a smart move by bringing the entire batch in Dubai to India.

India’s recalibration of its approach to Chinese investments marks an important moment in the evolution of India-China economic ties. The revised framework under Press Note 3 (PN3) signals a pragmatic attempt to balance India’s strategic and security considerations with the economic opportunities that carefully structured investment from China could bring.

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.

offshore crypto holdings and transactions will increasingly become visible to tax authorities through automatic cross-border data sharing.The development comes against the backdrop of India’s crypto tax regime introduced in the Union budget 2022 that imposed a 30% tax on gains from virtual digital assets and a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on transactions. The high tax and compliance burden is nudging many traders to shift activity offshore, making cross-border reporting frameworks increasingly important.Before these regulations, the reporting structure for crypto was fragmented and voluntary.

Cross-border payments are a relatively new but fast-growing fintech segment in India, with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) payment aggregator–cross border (PA-CB) framework drawing in a new crop of startups alongside larger payments firms looking to build export and import payment rails. Firms such as Skydo and BriskPe have secured RBI approvals in recent months, while Razorpay and Cashfree are also expanding in the category, reflecting the size of the opportunity in a market tied closely to India’s trade flows.India’s trade exposure makes the segment worth watching closely.

the Netherlands has produced—under judicial compulsion and apparently with a straight face—is a mechanism that may force investors to sell assets simply to fund tax bills on gains that have not actually been realized.The broader concern is not the Dutch policy alone, but the trend it represents.Spend time in any corner of social media where economics is debated and you will encounter a growing community of neo-socialists who have arrived at a remarkable conclusion: socialism did not fail—it was simply never implemented properly.In this narrative, the Soviet Union, Maoist China and Cuba were merely flawed attempts at what is fundamentally a sound idea.The right people, armed with modern technology and the right intentions, will supposedly get it right this time.Within this worldview, taxing paper gains is not seen as overreach but as an obvious act of justice. The rich are simply too rich; their wealth—even the theoretical kind—is viewed as an affront that the state should correct.The notion that market value represents real money that the government is entitled to immediately, rather than when an asset is sold, fits neatly into this framework.