India Financial News

Mumbai: India’s lightly regulated market for pre-IPO shares is back in focus after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a probe into the alleged sale of unlisted National Stock Exchange shares, a case that is renewing calls for tighter oversight of the fast-growing segment.Last week, ED conducted searches at eight locations in Mumbai and Chennai as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the sale of shares of NSE, which is set to hit the public markets soon. The action targeted entities, including Atum Capital Pvt.

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.

₹18,500 per 100 kilograms in January, natural rubber price has risen to ₹21,600 in March so far. Soaring crude oil prices would add to this pain.

Mint explainsDSR refers to a cultivation method where seeds are sown directly into the field without transplanting seedlings, saving water, labour, and time compared to traditional methods.This eliminates several stages involved in conventional rice farming such as nursery preparation, ploughing, puddling and transplanting. In the traditional system, farmers grow seedlings in nurseries and later transplant them into flooded, puddled fields.Puddling is particularly concerning from an environmental perspective because it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.Though not a new technique, DSR is increasingly seen as a transformative approach to rice cultivation as India faces growing concerns over groundwater depletion, labour shortages and climate sustainability.Experts say the technique can play an important role in addressing groundwater depletion, particularly in major rice-growing states where intensive irrigation for paddy has put pressure on water resources.Producing a kilogram of rice requires 3,000–5,000 litres of water under conventional methods.

Mint’s Emerging Markets Tracker more consistently. As India grapples with these weaknesses, Vietnam—newly added to the tracker—has emerged as a formidable challenger.Vietnam has claimed the top spot in three of the past four months, marking a strong debut on the tracker.

The war in West Asia that has blocked supplies of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and refinery products from the Gulf serves India a reality check on the soundness of relying on imported hydrocarbons for cooking food. It is high time we began to wean our kitchens off liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and piped natural gas (PNG); while LPG is essentially a mixture of propane and butane, PNG is mostly methane, like the compressed natural gas (CNG) that is used by vehicles as a low-carbon substitute for petrol and diesel. We should cook, instead, on electric stoves that run on power generated from domestic coal and renewables.Since we have our own coal, its supply cannot be disrupted by a war abroad.

February data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India signals a rise in equity appetite. Funds investing in them saw an 8% bump-up in inflows from January to ₹25,977 crore, with mid- and small-cap funds in the lead; inflows into the former rose 26% and those in the latter surged 32%. Flexi-cap funds, which are quite popular, saw inflows decline, though not by much.

India plans to validate its indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) weather forecasting model after the monsoon season to assess its accuracy and reliability.The evaluation will compare AI-based predictions with actual rainfall and climate data, India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told Mint. If successful, the model could improve early warnings, disaster preparedness, and agricultural planning nationwide, he said, adding that AI systems would analyze large historical weather datasets and real-time observations to detect patterns.The initiative will complement India’s Bharat Forecasting System (BharatFS)—a high-resolution weather prediction system launched in May 2025, operating on a 6-km grid, designed to improve forecasts for monsoon, cyclones and extreme weather events.

These appointments come even as VinFast's global headquarters remains closely involved in the operations of its India unit, with the three-member VinFast board of directors led by Pham Sanh Chau, managing director and chief executive VinGroup Asia. Chau was present at several recent company announcements on financing partnerships and the achievement of five-star safety ratings in India over the past few months.“This appears to be a conscious strategy.

Stock market recap: Indian equity markets staged a resilient recovery on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, snapping a two-day losing streak as global headwinds began to subside.Nifty 50 climbed 0.97% to settle at 24,261.60, while SENSEX gained 639 points to close at 78,205.98. The primary catalyst was a sharp de-escalation in energy concerns, with Brent crude tumbling nearly 9% toward the $90 per barrel mark following diplomatic signals suggesting a potential resolution to West Asia tensions.

Stock market recap: The Indian stock market saw healthy gains on Tuesday, 10 March, after two consecutive sessions of losses that dragged the Sensex and the Nifty 50 down 3% each. The market rebound followed a drop in crude oil prices and recovery in global peers amid hopes that the conflict in West Asia could end soon.The Sensex jumped 640 points, or 0.82%, to end at 78,205.98, while the Nifty 50 climbed 234 points, or 0.97%, to settle at 24,261.60.The mid and small-cap segments outperformed strongly.

Escalating tensions in the Middle East have pushed crude prices into the spotlight, making it the single biggest trigger for the recent sell-off in Indian equities.Brent crude prices experienced a sharp spike and a violent reversal on Monday, skyrocketing to nearly $120 per barrel before settling under $100 amid rising tensions in West Asia, supply constraints, and fears of a prolonged conflict.A blockade at the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point that carries about a fifth of global oil, has reignited supply shock fears, lifting crude prices and heightening risks for import-dependent economies such as India’s. Oil and related energy stocks in India have therefore come into sharp focus.Today, we take a closer look at small cap companies in India’s oil industry.

New Delhi: For the first time, nearly a third of all laptops being sold in India are being shipped with the ‘Made in India’ tag. This rise, which has played out over the past two years, has happened as government incentives have pushed electronics manufacturers to focus on the segment and diversify from mobile-led revenue.In March 2024, less than 5% of all laptops being sold in India were being assembled locally, analysts and industry executives said.

New Delhi: Indian refiners have ramped up daily domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by around 10% in the past few days in the face of a supply squeeze from the US-Iran war, two people aware of the development said.The refiners have also secured 20 very large gas carriers (VLGC) carrying around 1 million tonne (mt) cargo, mostly from the US, the people said on condition of anonymity.However, the country is still short of another 20 VLGCs—totalling 2 mt—which Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) have been scouting for since the war broke out on 28 February, these people added.“Production has already gone up by 10%,” the first person cited above said, adding that India is looking at sourcing more LPG from all available sources, including the US, Canada, Australia and Algeria.The second person said: “There was a shortfall of about 40 VLGCs, and 20 VLGCs have already been booked.

Business News , Corporate news , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

Mint has seen, was also marked to petroleum secretary Neeraj Mittal.According to Singh, the continued stoppage of LPG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to tower manufacturing units is likely to adversely impact the telecom tower manufacturing supply chain and may lead to delays in ongoing and planned tower rollout activities. “This could consequently affect efforts aimed at strengthening telecom networks and expanding connectivity, particularly in uncovered and capacity-constrained areas,” he said.In an order dated 5 March, the petroleum ministry directed all public-sector OMCs to ensure that LPG procured is supplied and marketed only to consumers of domestic LPG.

Mint spoke to said the same—inquiries have thinned, with no explanation about what has changed. IndiaMART has been their entire digital existence. But somewhere between a buyer’s question and an AI agent’s answer, their phones have begun to ring less often.IndiaMART, India’s largest business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, was built on a single premise: helping buyers find sellers.

Last week, I wrote about how frontier artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to improve exponentially—to the point where it is not just introducing linear improvements in functionality, but literally augmenting capabilities. Personally, this became evident when I realized I could code anything I could imagine, allowing me to create various applications and programs to eliminate micro-frustrations in my workflow. I am sure that those in other domains are experiencing similar capability uplifts.

domestic LPG production, a move that could further tighten fuel availability for commercial users such as restaurants.Mint explains what the order says, why restaurants are concerned and how the industry is responding.The issue stems from an order issued by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas on 5 March directing oil refining companies to prioritize propane and butane streams for LPG production and supply it to the three public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs)—Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corp.

The Karnataka government’s action against Bengaluru-based digital gold savings app Jar has become a test case for India’s wider digital gold industry. Acting on inputs from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and a public caution from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the state has booked Jar Gold Retail Pvt Ltd and its directors under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) Act.Because similar products are sold across the market, the case could shape how digital gold platforms are scrutinized in India.

₹36,800 crore) over the next four years.Once a diversified conglomerate spanning branded textiles, apparel, garmenting, real estate and specialised engineering businesses, Raymond has since restructured its portfolio to unlock shareholder value.The company spun off its textile business, which is now listed separately as Raymond Lifestyle, while consolidating its engineering and aerospace platform under Raymond.Today, the company operates through two segments:• Precision Technology & Auto Components (JK Maini Precision Technology)• Aerospace & Defence (JK Maini Global Aerospace)JK Maini Precision is the largest contributor, generating ₹1,225 crore and accounting for 72% of revenue, while Aerospace & Defence contributes 16%.Against this backdrop, Raymond’s strategy now hinges on how effectively it can capture the emerging opportunity.JK Maini Precision (JKMPTL) is the core growth engine within Raymond’s engineering platform.The segment integrates the company’s Tools & Hardware division, Ring Plus Aqua, and automotive operations. JKMPTL functions as a Tier-1 supplier of mission-critical precision components to both domestic and global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).The division manufactures over 2,000 auto components, operates across 18+ global customer locations, and serves more than 100 large global clients.JKMPTL holds strong and defensible positions across several legacy product categories.In steel files, it ranks No.1 globally in installed capacity, with a 25% global market share.