India Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India has launched the ₹12,980-crore sovereign-backed Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP) at a time when tensions in West Asia and sanctions-related disruptions are increasing risks to global shipping and energy trade.The domestic insurance pool, with a total underwriting capacity of $1.5 billion and a sovereign guarantee of $1.4 billion, aims to ensure uninterrupted maritime insurance cover for Indian-linked vessels and cargo.Mint explains:India launched the BMIP to reduce heavy dependence on foreign insurers and reinsurers amid rising geopolitical tensions, sanctions, and war-related disruptions affecting global shipping. The immediate trigger is instability in West Asia, a region vital for India’s crude oil and energy imports.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Buying a home is the largest financial commitment most Indians will make. Choosing the right lender matters as much as choosing the right property. Today, that choice sits between banks and housing finance companies (HFCs), a specialised category of NBFC, and each serves a genuine purpose for different kinds of borrowers.As of May 2026, banks offer floating-rate home loans starting from 7% for eligible borrowers.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The markets regulator has proposed easing physical settlement rules for select agricultural commodity derivatives to boost liquidity and participation in a market that has struggled with weak volumes and operational hurdles.In a Tuesday consultation paper, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) proposed a phased framework under which some agri commodity contracts can initially trade as cash-settled contracts before transitioning to mandatory physical delivery.Mint explains:Sebi has recommended allowing exchanges to launch or revive select agricultural commodity derivatives contracts as financially settled products in the initial phase, before mandatorily shifting them to physical settlement once they meet predefined thresholds. These thresholds could include average daily traded volume, open interest levels or a maximum period of two years, whichever is earlier.The proposal marks a shift from the regulator's current framework, under which physical delivery is the preferred mode of settlement for commodity derivatives contracts.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In his recent public addresses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to reduce the use of imported oils—both crude and edible—as part of broader austerity measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange. The appeal comes amid a widening current account deficit (CAD) and a weakening rupee.But what does the conflict in West Asia, a key hub for crude oil and natural gas production, have to do with cooking oil? The answer lies in interconnected commodity markets and India’s heavy dependence on imported edible oils. Mint explains:PM Modi urged households to cut cooking oil consumption by about 10%, arguing it would benefit both public health and the national economy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Berger Paints India Ltd’s shares soared over 6% on Wednesday as volume growth bounced back to double-digits at 11.8% for the three months ended March (Q4FY26) after a gap of six quarters. The decorative paints segment saw traction in premium emulsion paints and new launches of Kolor Plus and Kolor Plus Glow. Volume growth was driven by both secondary sales and pre-buying by dealers ahead of price hikes, the management said.Starting March, Berger has taken staggered price hikes of 11-12% to protect margins in the backdrop of rising cost inflation due to the West Asia war.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: The ministry of railways is planning to dilute 5-10% stakes in six listed railway public sector undertakings and another 2-3% in another listed company through offer-for-sale transactions inFY27, as part of a broader push to meet a ₹2.62 trillion monetization target under the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP 2.0), two people aware of the matter said.The seven listed railway PSUs are Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp. (IRCTC), Indian Railway Finance Corp.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Despite the ongoing market volatility and geopolitical uncertainties, India remains firmly at the centre of global emerging market allocations, said Rahul Malhotra, region head of emerging markets and member of the global wealth management committee at Julius Baer Bank. Investors are likely “to start looking at India more actively again” by the end of the September quarter, he told Mint in an interview.Malhotra said investors remain positive on India, although many are currently in a wait-and-watch mode due to the geopolitical tensions, oil price risks, and broader macro developments.“Are we continuing to see interest in India? The short answer is yes,” he said.Malhotra added that while investors had become accustomed to 25-30% returns in recent years, such gains are not sustainable indefinitely and expectations will need to normalize over time.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Investors in Indian markets react instantly to quarterly earnings, oil prices, elections or monetary policy signals. A weak monsoon can move food stocks. A geopolitical crisis can rattle the rupee within hours.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Sugar Cosmetics, once among India’s fastest-growing beauty startups, is seeking a sharply discounted funding round after an aggressive offline expansion and slowing sales growth strained its finances, according to four people familiar with the matter.The Mumbai-based beauty brand has begun a process to raise ₹100-150 crore after grappling with a severe cash crunch over the past six months amid declining revenue, a shrinking offline footprint and rising employee attrition, the people said.The fresh fundraise is likely to happen at a valuation of ₹1,400-1,500 crore, sharply lower from its peak valuation of about ₹3,000 crore in 2022, two of the people said. While typical growth investors are unlikely to invest in the current state, the company will tap family offices and high net-worth individuals (HNIs) alongside some existing investors to facilitate the capital raise even as its revenue declined further to about ₹380 crore in FY26, the person added.The need for fresh capital has intensified as the company struggles to manage working capital and employee payouts.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Ten years ago, only two or three students from a class of 30 would pass the class 10 board exam at this government school. Today, only two or three from a class of 60 do not.The class has grown because the school changed. As the class 10 board results were transformed, parents began moving their children here from other schools—mostly private ones.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India’s smaller airlines are bearing the brunt of the West Asia conflict, with Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet reducing international departures by nearly 60% in April and so far in May, even as larger carriers IndiGo and Air India cut overseas departures by about 21% during the same period.SpiceJet’s international departures fell 59% to 305 during April and May, while Akasa Air’s dropped 57% to 136 and Air India Express recorded a 56% decline to 1,818 departures, according to data compiled by UK-based aviation analytics firm OAG and reviewed by Mint.In contrast, IndiGo and Air India saw comparatively smaller reductions of 21%, with departures falling to 6,574 and 4,059, respectively.Taken together, international departures from India’s five largest airlines are down 30% in April and May to 12,892, with seat counts also down an identical 30% to 2.6 million, OAG data showed.The sharpest reductions have been on West Asia routes — among the most lucrative overseas markets for Indian low-cost carriers. Air India Express had the highest exposure to the region in terms of daily departures from India, followed by SpiceJet and Akasa Air.“Smaller airlines operate narrow-body planes on short-haul international routes, with Middle East (West Asia) destinations being the most lucrative.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Some consolidation efforts are underway in the streaming content space as smaller platforms struggle with rising costs and programming clutter in what has so far largely been a fragmented industry.Shemaroo Entertainment has acquired the library of regional platform OHO Gujarati, while Vibhu Agarwal-owned Atrangii OTT has tied up with Amazon MX Player for distribution. Saregama India acquired a majority stake in digital entertainment company Pocket Aces Pictures in 2023.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Ahead of its initial public offering (IPO), Jio Platforms Limited has appointed Akash M. Ambani as its managing director for five years, effective 9 April, according to disclosures seen by Mint.The leadership reshuffle comes as the company prepares to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to seek approval for listing.“...subject to the approval of the members of the company, Mr Akash M.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s relationship with gold is entering a new phase. For decades, gold was viewed largely as a macroeconomic problem, a major import that widened the current account deficit and increased dependence on volatile foreign capital. But the global environment has changed sharply.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Bears in gold and silver are in for a rude shock after the government raised import duty on bullion to 15% from 6%, a move expected to send prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) soaring by more than 9% and potentially lock contracts at upper circuits.Gold and silver contracts on MCX have a maximum daily price limit of 9% in either direction. If international prices move beyond those levels, the exchange can relax the circuit limits in additional 3% bands.The government on Wednesday raised import duties on gold and silver as part of efforts to curb precious metals imports amid a swelling import bill triggered by the West Asia crisis.The duty hike comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to defer gold purchases for a year to help cushion the economic impact of the West Asia war.India imports about 700 tonnes of gold annually, putting pressure on the current account deficit (CAD) at a time when the conflict has driven crude oil prices up 45% to above $107 a barrel.CAD reflects the gap between the country’s foreign exchange earnings and spending.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Every month, Mint’s Plain Facts gives you an update on key global data to help you thread together the biggest developments worth paying attention to. The accompanying analysis and charts explain how each story is creating ripples on the global stage, where it is headed in the coming weeks, and whether it could have an impact on India.After months of steady cooling, consumer prices are rising once again as the escalating war in West Asia continues to disrupt energy markets and global supply chains.The inflationary shock is most severe in import-reliant Asian economies.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The global situation in the oil market has been steadily worsening. This is putting a huge stress on India. India's petroleum consumption depends on 85% of imported crude oil.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Indian equities have spent the past year lurching from one shock to another. Just as investors adjust to one trigger, another upends sentiment—from tariff threats and geopolitical flare-ups to relentless foreign investor selling and slowing earnings growth.The latest blow has come from the war in West Asia, which has once again rattled markets already struggling to sustain momentum.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: Beneath the gloom gripping Indian equities, a quiet rally is reshaping parts of the market. Even as foreign investors pull money out, crude prices climb and benchmark indices struggle for direction, a narrow band of companies tied to infrastructure, industrials and commodities is emerging as a standout winner.A Mint analysis of 1,431 BSE-listed stocks with a market capitalization of more than ₹1,000 crore shows that while nearly 47% of companies remain in the red so far in 2026, 64 stocks—or nearly 5% of the universe—have posted outsized gains of more than 50%.Additionally, around 150 stocks gained between 25% and 50%, 245 rose by 10% to 25%, and another 294 recorded modest gains of up to 10%.Notably, one-third of these high-performers are concentrated within the capital goods, industrials, and commodity-linked sectors, prompting a closer look at their drivers.According to Gurmeet Singh Chawla, managing director at Master Portfolio Services, this sharp outperformance in a narrow set of stocks reflects a market that is rewarding earnings clarity over everything else.“Capital goods, industrials, and commodity-linked sectors have been the clearest winners due to the government’s sustained infrastructure push, a revival in private capex, and order inflows that give companies genuine multi-year revenue visibility,” he said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s inflation in April climbed to a 13-month high of 3.5% from a year earlier, driven by food prices. Though this was only marginally higher than March’s 3.4% reading and undershot economists’ expectation of a 3.8% print, there isn’t much relief to draw, given the rising trajectory of price levels. Commodity and freight costs have risen in the wake of supply disruptions caused by the war in West Asia, making food costlier.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Indians to help conserve foreign exchange in various ways, such as by holding off on foreign travel and using less fuel, made waves as news partly because it has been more than a decade since India’s external sector was last under pressure. With crude trading above $100 per barrel globally, our oil imports are soaking up dollars even as exports face protectionist headwinds. Ever since war erupted in West Asia, it has been clear that its adverse effect on our balance of payments (BoP) would need to be kept under watch.