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The flare-up in West Asia is rippling through Dalal Street, denting the portfolios of several marquee investors and triggering a correction in Indian equities. A Mint analysis of shareholding data from Primeinfobase shows the value of holdings of many prominent investors declined sharply between 31 December 2025 and 13 March 2026, as tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran unsettled global markets and pushed crude oil prices higher.The correction has been visible across the broader market as well.

railways, oil and gas, marine, wind energy, and electric vehicles. A recently secured artillery shell supply agreement with a NATO-affiliated entity signals how far that transition has progressed.From tractor parts to global supply chainsBFIL is a global supplier of precision-engineered and forged components, historically focused on precision machining.

₹199- ₹2,300, depending on the nature of the flight. With Pakistan airspace already shut for Indian airlines, the disruption in flight routes through West Asia has increased travel time and cost.The financial damage of such disruptions would mount quickly for Indian airlines.

crude oil prices briefly above $100 a barrel amid fears of shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil supply. Global stocks also slid as investors worried the crisis could trigger one of the biggest oil shocks since 1990, an analysis by howindialives.com showed.In the 12 days of the conflict so far, oil prices surged about 34%, the sharpest rise among major oil-shock episodes.Prices have since eased to around $98 a barrel.

over the past two weeks amid global risk aversion, rising crude oil prices and persistent foreign portfolio investor outflows, prompting investors to reassess valuations after trade-deal-fuelled exuberance and a sharp rebound from budget-session lows.However, the correction has only partly cooled the market’s froth. A Mint analysis of over 3,400 BSE-listed companies shows that while valuations have moderated from recent highs, a significant portion of stocks still trades at premium multiples.Valuations across the broader market were visibly stretched when the Sensex touched its 52-week high of 85,762.01 on 2 January 2026.

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.

From stranded shipping vessels near Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia conflict, to the change in sectoral share due to revision in GDP base year, manufacturing and services activity moving in different directions in February, collections in goods and services tax (GST) signalling a post-cut recovery, and the government’s renewed push to faster adoption of electric vehicles, here’s a compilation of this week’s news in numbers.The US-Israel-Iran conflict is threatening to put the global order in chaos, particularly for the flow of gas and oil. At its core is the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow chokepoint through which over a quarter of global oil trade passes—where Iran holds strategic control.According to Kpler's analysis of 223 container vessels between 28 February and 4 March, at least 37 were unable to exit the Gulf, meaning they cannot resume rotations until transit reopens.

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Oil and its derivatives account for 40-70% of raw material costs of these sectors, which leaves (their) margins vulnerable to rising crude prices,” said Devarsh Vakil, head of prime research at HDFC Securities.Indian markets have faced similar pressure before. When Brent crude surged 73% to a peak of $130 per barrel between December 2021 and March 2022, shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war began, India Inc.’s profit margins came under swift pressure.A Mint analysis of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data shows that operating profit margins of oil refiners, rubber product makers, tyre and tube manufacturers, and paint companies compressed by an average 140 basis points between the December quarter of FY22 and the June quarter of FY23.While most sectors began to feel mild pressure as early as Q4FY22, the squeeze peaked for rubber products and tyre and tube makers in Q1FY23.

India’s energy regulator is moving to plug a widening hole in the country’s gas supply chain as the conflict in West Asia threatens supplies of natural gas that is vital to power, fertiliser and city gas distribution networks.According to two people aware of developments, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is preparing to propose overground storage facilities for natural gas near the country’s existing LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals—India currently has eight such terminals. The storage would be used for both commercial purposes and for strategic requirements during exigencies, they said.“PNGRB may propose the government to set up storage reserves for LNG, preferably near existing terminals to support India’s growing demand at times of exigencies and ensure energy security,” one of the two people said on the condition of anonymity, adding that the regulator would approach the ministry of petroleum and natural gas to frame rules under the PNGRB Act.The urgency follows a halt in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries more than half of India’s LNG imports, and a spike in prices of LNG after an attack on QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan complex on Monday.The move assumes significance considering India imports 55% of its gas requirement and holds barely 20 days of inventory—including supplies in transit.

The 16th Finance Commission (FC) report, covering 2026-31, arrives at a consequential moment for India’s fiscal federalism. It is wide-ranging, analytically rich and notable for making underlying data publicly available.

Domestic equities tumbled under relentless selling pressure on Monday as the US-Israel and Iran conflict stoked fears of elevated crude oil prices and clouded India Inc’s earnings outlook for the coming quarters.India’s benchmark Nifty 50 fell 1.2% to 24,865.7, tracking weakness across Asian markets, though it fared marginally better than most emerging peers. Thailand led the declines, plunging nearly 4%, followed by Indonesia and Hong Kong, where benchmark indices slipped 2-3%.

Mint analysis of vehicle registration data from the Vahan dashboard shows the share of overall EV sales has risen from under 1% until 2020 to 8% in 2025. Adoption accelerated after 2021 amid a stronger policy push.Compare this with the government’s ambitious target of 30% EV penetration by 2030—it’s an unachievable goal.“Realistically, the aim looks extremely difficult to achieve; even with strong growth, crossing the 10–12% threshold by 2030 itself would be challenging under current conditions,” said Rajat Mahajan, partner and auto sector leader at Deloitte.The concern is not just about missing a numerical target.

India’s once busy SME-to-mainboard migration route has slowed sharply. Tougher rules, volatile markets and heightened governance scrutiny have cooled the graduation cycle that had gathered pace during the 2020–22 bull run.A higher eligibility bar introduced in 2025 by the National Stock Exchange raised the threshold for graduation, reshaping the scale at which companies can aspire to move up.The revised migration framework required small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to report revenue from operations exceeding ₹100 crore in the preceding financial year and maintain an average market capitalisation above ₹100 crore.

consistent domestic fund flows has transformed into a structural shift in India’s capital markets. Institutional investors now hold the balance of power in IPO pricing: reshaping exit strategies, valuation expectations and the very criteria for going public.That growing clout is prompting companies and private equity backers to recalibrate listing plans— prioritizing visible profitability, stronger unit economics and capital efficiency ahead of market debut, said Prashant Singhal, partner and India Markets leader at EY.

Lynch is also the author of the classic investing book One Up on Wall Street. A value investor at heart, he is credited with developing the GARP (Growth at a Reasonable Price) strategy and popularising the term “multibagger.”Here are his six rules for spotting multi-bagger stocks, and how they can be applied in India.Lynch was famous as a growth investor, but he never overpaid for growth. A PE of 40 was often too high for him.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India Inc.’s December quarter (Q3FY26) earnings surprised positively on some counts. For instance, on an aggregate basis, the Nifty 500 index companies delivered strong double-digit profit-after-tax growth of 19% in Q3 (adjusted for extraordinary items), the highest in eight quarters, showed an analysis by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

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India Inc’s December-quarter earnings reflected a festive boost that was strong but selective. It also hinted that the easy phase of margin-led profit growth may be over.Mint’s analysis of 3,905 companies showed headline revenue rose 10% year-on-year in Q3FY26, the fastest pace in seven quarters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Stock market update: Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery for a second consecutive session on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, as the Nifty 50 closed 0.17% at 25,725 and the Sensex rose 173 points to settle at 83,451.