2020 Financial News

Mint’s analysis of historical data.Nomura recently projected that Indian equities could end the year in the red if crude oil prices remain above $100 per barrel, driven by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts estimate that every $10 increase in crude prices could widen the deficit by roughly $20 billion, or about 0.5% of GDP.The brokerage also expects a potential 10-15% downside to FY27 earnings estimates for the Nifty 50 if elevated oil prices persist.

The Supreme Court on 14 March notified a nine-judge Constitution Bench to revisit a longstanding question in Indian labour law: What legally counts as an “industry?”The interpretation of this single word matters because it determines which organizations fall under labour laws and which workers can access labour dispute mechanisms in India.A nine-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant will begin hearing the matter on 17 March and conclude arguments on 18 March. The bench includes Justices B.V.

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.

lactose intolerant, the regulator may allow complex carbohydrates such as polysaccharides and oligosaccharides instead of refined sugars.India records roughly 25 million births annually, making infant nutrition standards a significant public health lever. Data from a National Family Health survey show the share of overweight children has increased to 3.4% from 2.1% five years earlier.The Economic Survey 2025-26 warned that the number of obese children in India could rise to 83 million by 2035 from 33 million in 2020.

Mint.The company trimmed or sold stakes in Indian portfolio companies including PB Fintech and Dream11 in recent years, amid India’s stringent foreign direct investment (FDI) rules.The Union cabinet on Tuesday relaxed restrictions under the Press Note-3 (PN-3), which mandated pre-approval for investments from countries that share a land border with India. According to an official statement, such investments will now be allowed through the automatic route up to 10% in a local firm, on the condition that the foreign investor must not exercise management control or hold a board seat.

New Delhi: The government has initiated a study to review and revise India’s workplace social accountability standard, a move that could shape how companies structure compliance and governance practices as the country prepares to operationalise its new labour codes, said two government officials.The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has commissioned research to examine whether amendments are needed to its existing Social Accountability at the Workplace norms, which set out requirements for organisations to establish policies, procedures and practices related to ethical conduct and workers’ welfare, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.The study will assess the relevance of the existing framework in light of recent policy and regulatory changes aimed at strengthening labour protections, the first of the two officials said.Mint reviewed the terms of reference for the research and development (R&D) project. These include reforms relating to child labour, forced labour, anti-discrimination provisions, whistleblower protection, data privacy and workplace safety, this person said.“Updating the workplace social accountability standard is important at a time when India’s labour regulations are undergoing major changes,” said Sumita Dawra, former labour secretary.

AI-focused data centre can consume as much electricity as 100,000 households, while the largest facilities under construction could consume 20 times as much.In 2024, data centres accounted for 1.5% of global electricity consumption, largely concentrated in the US, China and Europe. Global data-centre electricity consumption is expected to more than double to 945 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030, equivalent to more than half of India’s electricity consumption in 2023-24 (1,622 TWh).The IEA estimates data centres will account for about half of electricity demand growth in the US between 2025 and 2030.

DOMS.About 17 slate-making units now operate in Pulwama district, employing nearly 4,000 workers, including local residents and migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. But industry participants say raw material shortages are beginning to threaten that ecosystem.In a nearby shed, entrepreneur Manzoor Ahmad Allaie watches workers stack freshly cut slats against the wall. When the central government named Oukhoo India’s “Pencil Village” in 2020, he saw validation of years of investment.

₹1.53 trillion annually.The push was outlined during a meeting chaired by the secretary of the ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI), according to a government statement on Tuesday, and reflects a broader attempt to modernize the farm economy by shifting value creation away from raw produce toward processed and packaged foods. Policymakers say the approach could stabilize farmer incomes, reduce wastage and strengthen exports through investments in infrastructure, technology adoption, and value addition.As India seeks to modernize its agriculture, expanding processing capacity has emerged as a key policy focus.

investment horizon is limited.For instance, a systematic investment plan (SIP) in the Nifty 50 started in January 2012 delivered a five-year return of about 9% per annum, but a seven-year return of roughly 12% per annum. Over longer holding periods, these fluctuations tend to smooth out. The same SIP has generated annual average returns of around 14% over 10–15-year periods.

dividend-yield funds returned an average of 19.22% and around 18%, and 16.5% annually over the past three, five and 10 years (as of 18 February), while flexi-cap funds returned 16.85% and 14%, and 14.75% on average over the same periods. A recent rally in stocks has narrowed the average one-year returns to about 14% for both categories.Financial advisers said a run-up in dividend-yielding stocks in 2025 has helped lift the overall returns of the category for the 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Weighed down by continued outflows—amounting to a record $18.9 billion in 2025—the ownership of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in companies listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) shrank to a 15.5-year low of 16.7% in the quarter ended December, according to data from the exchange. Within key indices, the share of FPIs in the Nifty 50 fell by 25 basis points (bps) quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) to a more than 13-year low of 23.8%, while remaining broadly stable at 18.1% in the Nifty 500.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. On November 30TH President Donald Trump said he had decided whom to nominate as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. He has since said he will reveal his choice early next year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: The State Bank of India is weighing a plan to take control of its investment-banking joint venture (JV) with Investec India, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move comes as India’s largest lender seeks to strengthen its deal-making and distribution capabilities in the midst of a multi-year boom in the country’s equity capital markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Early in 2020, as cities around the world began locking down in response to covid, a few researchers were still able to continue to run their experiments. Even though they, like everyone else, had been prohibited from entering their labs, they were able to log into ‘cloud laboratories’ and submit their trials remotely, leaving it to robotic arms and automated instruments to execute their instructions from a distance.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Supreme Court on Friday dashed banks' hopes of recovering money lent to bankrupt telecom operators such as Reliance Communications (RCom) and Aircel by ruling that airwaves cannot be sold under an insolvency process. Therefore, the future of the two operators and how UV Asset Reconstruction Co Ltd (UVARCL), the asset reconstruction company that had won the bids for them, will monetize them without selling the precious spectrum is now a gnawing question.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Indian bank chiefs will be better off with longer tenures at the helm to help them plan better, said Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, founder of Bandhan Bank and its former chief executive officer (CEO). In an interview to Mint, Ghosh, now chairman of the Bandhan Group, said leaders should get more time at the top, allowing them to bring a long-term perspective to the role.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. HONG KONG—A Hong Kong court sentenced former tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken 78-year-old critic of China’s Communist Party, to 20 years in prison, a ruling that adds further friction in U.S. relations with China.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: When Vinay M. Tonse takes over the reins of Yes Bank Ltd, the private lender would be significantly different in character and strength from where it was about six years ago.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The ownership of India’s listed firms is undergoing a fundamental shift. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, aggregate promoter holdings have slipped below the key 50% threshold.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Tax revenues are the backbone of government finances, yet a significant portion of these revenues remains unrealised. When funds are locked up in legal and administrative limbo, it creates a fiscal drag that stifles public infrastructure and welfare initiatives.