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Every month, Mint’s Plain Facts section brings out an update on key global data to thread together the biggest developments in the world that are 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 can impact India.Major central banks are expected to remain cautious in the coming weeks as the war in West Asia has clouded the global economic outlook, with supply disruptions and higher oil prices stoking fears of stagflation.The Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and Bank of Japan are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged in the near future, amid the war fog, trying a balancing act between a possible increase in inflation and a slowdown in growth.

Mint explains.In November last year, the department of telecommunications (DoT) directed messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Arattai, Snapchat, Sharechat, Jiochat, and Josh, to ensure their services remain linked to users’ SIM cards and phone numbers. Users without an active SIM would not be able to access these apps.

India’s banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector may have had a muted year on the surface, but a closer look tells a very different story. FY26, marked by global uncertainty, earnings downgrades and foreign investor outflows, did not reward broad sector bets—but it strongly rewarded stock-pickers.A Mint analysis of 724 BFSI stocks shows that nearly one in five companies delivered strong gains despite weak benchmark performance. As many as 131 stocks, or over 18% of the universe, generated returns of more than 25% during the year.

₹1.05 lakh per kilolitre, though lower than initially announced.On Wednesday, state-run oil marketing companies briefly hiked jet fuel prices by more than 100% before rolling back the increase for domestic scheduled flights following government intervention.International routes, however, will bear the full increase, setting the stage for costlier overseas travel ahead of the peak summer season. With ATF accounting for a substantial share of airline operating costs, carriers are expected to pass on the higher burden, making outbound travel more expensive in the coming weeks.FY26 proved turbulent for Indian equities, with foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turning decisively bearish amid mounting global headwinds—from US-led tariff disruptions to the West Asia war.Net FPI outflows totalled ₹1.8 trillion in FY26, the highest since records began in 1992, according to a Mint analysis of National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) data, exceeding all previous episodes, including the global financial crisis in FY09.The selloff intensified towards end of the year, with March 2026 alone recording ₹1.2 trillion in outflows, as geopolitical uncertainty fuelled fears of FY27 earnings downgrades and unsettled India’s macroeconomic outlook.

India’s record-breaking initial public offering (IPO) run is beginning to show signs of fatigue. Even as companies raised an all-time high ₹1.78 trillion in 2025-26—surpassing the previous peak of ₹1.62 trillion—investor enthusiasm, particularly among retail participants, has started to wane.The shift comes against a volatile backdrop.

Mint.Both the companies continue to roll out new products, which range from new nameplates, facelifts, and model updates to gain market share, with more than half a dozen launches planned between them.Strong sales momentum has led analysts to turn bullish on both companies’ prospects.“Our analysis shows Tata-PV and MM shall outperform among PVs,” analysts at Nuvama Institutional Equities wrote in a 30 March note.Tata Motors PV models, like Tata Nexon and Tata Punch, have regularly featured in the top 10 best-selling cars in the country, according to industry data.“Nexon has particularly helped because it is present in the compact SUV segment which has grown the most since GST cuts were introduced. The biggest reason is the presence of nearly all powertrains including CNG, EV, petrol and diesel, which has helped the company target a vast customer base,” a company executive aware of the company's sales performance said.Moreover, new launches like Tata Sierra, which Tata Motors is heavily betting on to gain market share, has already seen 20,000 deliveries in the past three months.Mahindra remains bullish on new launches, noting on Wednesday in statement that it closed the financial year with record-high sales.Since the start of the calendar year, Mahindra’s shares have declined 19.68%, while those of Tata Motors PV have lost 17.45%.

India’s capital markets have grown at a remarkable speed. Retail participation has surged, institutional capital has deepened and technology has transformed intermediation. Regulation has expanded alongside.

Mint analysis of vehicle registration data from the transport ministry’s Vahan dashboard shows that fewer than 30% of petrol passenger vehicles and two-wheelers registered in 2025 were ethanol-compliant. About 0.9 million passenger vehicles were ethanol-compliant, against a total 3.36 million registered in 2025.

If FY26 had a defining feature, it was the breadth of the sell-off. Indian equities didn’t just correct, they saw a deep, cross-sector downturn that dragged the market lower even as global peers surged ahead.From defensive sectors like FMCG to rate-sensitive realty and global-facing IT, few corners of the market were spared, underscoring the unusual breadth of the downturn.

For foreign investors backing Indian equities, the financial year 2026 was one they would rather forget. It was a period dotted with global disruptions, starting with US-led tariff uncertainties and ending amid the US-Israel-Iran war.

Why it’s recommended: Strong presence in the US generics market, diversified product portfolio, robust R&D capabilities, improving margins and cost control, growth in the speciality and injectables segment, healthy balance sheet, consistent revenue growth, backward integration benefits, expanding global footprint, and regulatory compliance improvements.Key metrics: P/E: 21.34 | 52-week high: ₹1,330.00 | Volume: ₹245.07 croreTechnical analysis: Cup-base breakoutRisk factors: The USFDA regulatory risks, pricing pressure in generics, high dependence on the US market, currency fluctuation impact, litigation and compliance risks, API business volatility, intense industry competition, delay in product approvals, margin pressure risk, and geopolitical and export risks.Buy: ₹1,300-1,320Target price: ₹1,450 in two to three monthsStop loss: ₹1,240Why it’s recommended: Government-owned status with strong backing, integrated power and mining business, consistent profitability track record, expansion into renewable energy, large capex growth plans, stable cash flows due to utility nature, diversification into EV and storage, improving revenue growth trend, decent margins over cycles, and strategic importance in the energy sector.Key metrics: P/E:13.46 | 52-week high: ₹292.20 | Volume: ₹67.59 croreTechnical analysis: Reclaimed its 21-DMARisk factors: High capex leading to cash flow pressure, dependence on lignite and thermal power, regulatory and environmental risks, long gestation project risks, possibility of increased debt, power tariff regulation risk, execution risk in expansion plans, uncertainty in renewable transition, commodity and fuel price risk, and PSU-related governance constraints.Buy at: ₹268-271Target price: ₹298 in

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Indian equity valuations have eased sharply down to the levels of peer regional markets, offering investors some comfort after a prolonged phase of elevated multiples.The Nifty 50 is now trading at 19.4 times on a trailing 12-month (TTM) earnings basis, slipping below its five-year median of 22.6x and 10-year median of 22.3x—marking a marked shift down from recent peaks.The headline index has slipped below the 20x price to earnings, or PE, mark for the first time since the Covid-led market disruption in 2020. At these levels, it is placed at a discount to markets in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, a Mint analysis based on data from Bloomberg showed.The moderation follows a nearly 12% correction in the Nifty 50 from its 52-week high of 26,328.55 touched on 02 January 2026, driven by the West Asia war, sustained foreign outflows, and softer earnings momentum.While the pullback has brought valuations below to historical averages, it also raises a key question: are Indian equities attractive enough to lure foreign investors back?Foreign portfolio investors, or FPIs, have pulled out about ₹1.25 trillion from Indian equities in 2026, driven by global risk-off sentiment, earnings and growth concerns and sector-specific pressures.“With the Nifty now around 19x PE, valuations have come off meaningfully and look more reasonable versus history,” said Ravi Singh, chief research officer at Master Capital Services.Still, he said, it may be premature to call it a bottom.

Mint.While the immediate impact of the ongoing conflict remains limited, non-bank lenders believe the real risk lies in a prolonged conflict, which could trigger second-order effects across inflation, demand and credit cycles.“...we have started becoming very cautious but the war situation is also evolving. It's unfair for us to also pull down and stop the supply but we have to be very cautious in terms of lending and leverage,” the head of a non-banking financial company said on the condition of anonymity.According to lenders, the first signs of stress are emerging in small businesses, especially those dependent on gas for production, exports and global trade routes for sales.

Growing up in Kerala, it was a weekly ritual to spark the firewood and get ready for an oil bath. The weather was warm enough during the week to use the plentiful water from a running tap or well. The firewood had to be kept dry and was allocated pride of place in the outhouse to be brought out in small batches for weekly baths or cooking.

market, investors crave stability, and it’s understandable. Nobody wants to lose sleep over their equity portfolios. But there is a proven way to invest in turbulent times and still aim for long-term profits: value investing.At Equitymaster, we believe this strategy is the key to finding high-quality stocks today.

Even as several IPO-bound technology companies reassess launch timelines amid the war in West Asia, one critical element of their listing preparation—shifting their corporate domicile back to India—remains largely unaffected.Mint’s analysis of EY data shows that nearly 20 Indian tech startups have either shifted, are in the process of shifting, or are considering shifting their headquarters back to India ahead of planned listings. Of these, 13 companies have already completed the restructuring or are in the process of it, signalling that the trend is becoming a structural feature of India’s new-age tech IPO pipeline.These companies were founded in India but chose Singapore or US holding structures to tap global capital, regulatory flexibility and overseas listing, according to experts.Prominent startups, including Flipkart, PhonePe, Razorpay and Zepto, have already shifted their holding companies back to India from Singapore and the US ahead of their listings.There are some tax implications for companies shifting back, as they may lose the ability to ‘carry forward’ previous years' business losses to offset future taxable profits, according to tax experts.Further, capital gains tax on existing investors applies if the shift is made via a share swap, in which foreign shareholders exchange their shares for shares in the Indian entity.

Small-cap funds, the most sought-after mutual fund category that has attracted majority of investor money in the last three years, have a problem — spotting specialized talent to run investments.As a result, several of them have managers running both large-cap and small-cap funds or have co-management teams in place or, in some instances, have even the chief investment officers (CIOs) listed as the primary fund manager of small-cap funds.Investors have put over ₹1.35 trillion into small-cap funds in three years through February, yet the number of fund managers equipped to run these schemes, which demands a distinct skill set, remains limited.Assets managed by small cap mutual funds more than doubled to ₹3.64 trillion in February from ₹1.32 trillion in February 2023. Number of folios, as mutual fund accounts are termed, in the segment also more than doubled to 28 million in the same period, according to industry lobby Association of Mutual Funds of India or Amfi.Mint analyzed all the small cap schemes and found that there are 31 asset management companies (AMCs) that offer both small-cap and large-cap schemes.Of these, 12 mutual funds have the same manager overseeing both large-cap and small-cap funds.Further, among a total of 34 small-cap schemes, 11 named the CIO or head of equities as the primary fund manager.Unlike in large-cap stocks where research coverage is vast, spotting good small stocks requires digging and peeling layers.

Cummins India Ltd: Buy above ₹4,720 | Stop ₹4,600 | Target ₹5,050 (multiday)Infosys Ltd: Sell below ₹1,260 | Stop ₹1,295 | Target ₹1,210 (multiday)Hindustan Unilever Ltd: Sell below ₹2,140 | Stop ₹2,175 | Target ₹2,050 (multiday)On 18 March 2026, Indian equities extended their winning streak for a third straight session, buoyed by strong global sentiment and broad-based buying. The Nifty 50 briefly crossed the 23,850 mark intraday before settling at 23,777.80, up 196.65 points or 0.83%.

Best stocks to buy today (all buy trades are rates of equity and sell rates are based on F&O)Federal Bank Ltd: Buy above ₹266 | Stop ₹250 | Target ₹289 (multiday)Aurobindo Pharma Ltd: Buy above ₹1,298 | Stop ₹1,245 | Target ₹1,410 (multiday)Vardhman Textiles Ltd: Buy above ₹555 | Stop ₹525 | Target ₹610 (multiday)On 17 March 2026, Indian equity markets closed on a positive note with midcap and smallcap indices advancing steadily. The Nifty Midcap Index rose by 1%, while the Smallcap Index added 0.65%, reflecting broad-based buying interest.

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.