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Mint India Investment Summit & Awards in Mumbai on Friday.As credit expands, maintaining asset quality, strong capital buffers, rigorous underwriting, and robust governance will remain non-negotiable, he added.“Growth and financial stability must be pursued together, because they are mutually reinforcing. We operate in an environment of global uncertainty, with geopolitical tensions, shifting trade patterns, and evolving monetary policy dynamics across major economies,” he added.To be sure, Indian banks were burdened with a mountain of bad debt a decade ago, prompting the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to take several measures to revive the sector.

The US Department of Labor has proposed new rules with a near 11% increase in base wages for new H-1B visa applicants, a move that could raise costs for large information technology (IT) services firms which deploy significant visa-linked talent.As per a 26 March notification, the changes would lift pay benchmarks by at least $14,500 across entry-level and experienced hires, as Washington said it looks to curb “misuse” of the visa programme and bring foreign worker wages closer to parity with those of US employees. Going by this, an employee working on an H-1B visa in the US, who earned a base wage of $133,850 last fiscal year, would now earn about $148,439.The department has invited feedback on the new rules on or before 60 days of publishing of the draft.H-1B visas are non-immigrant visas that allow foreign nationals to temporarily work in the US in specialized occupations, including IT services-related work.The US department said the move aims to curb abuse of such visas "by reducing the incentive to displace American workers with low-wage foreign visa holders.”“This proposed rule will help ensure that employers pay foreign workers wages that reflect the real market value of their labor, in addition to protecting the wages and job opportunities of American workers," said Lori Chavez-DeRemer, US Secretary of Labour, as part of the Labour Department’s press release dated 26 March.

Give credit where it’s due. Despite all the setbacks, Donald Trump is right that the US-Israeli war in Iran war hasn’t triggered the oil price super-spike many feared—at least not yet. “I thought it would be worse, much worse,” the American president said last week, and it’s hard to disagree.

15 years.Rajan Mehta and Sanjiv Shah, former co-founders of the mutual fund which started India's first ETF, Benchmark Asset Management Co., have received final approval from the market regulator to launch Lakshya AMC.“Our underlying philosophy will remain passive, and we are not going for the active route,” Mehta told Mint. "Doing stock picking based on research.

HLL Lifecare Ltd, Mankind Pharma Ltd and Cupid Ltd are grappling with the unavailability of silicone oil (polydimethylsiloxane PDMS) and a surge in ammonia prices, according to multiple people aware of the development. Ammonia is used to stabilize latex and remove excess proteins, while silicone oil coating acts as a lubricant.Production and order execution have been affected by supply constraints and price volatility in key inputs such as polyvinyl chloride foil, aluminium foil, poly, chemicals, and other packaging materials, as well as by logistics disruptions, said a senior executive from a leading condom maker in the country.Around 40–50% price hike is expected in ammonia, and an “exorbitant increase in the price of silicone oil is causing market uncertainty”, said an executive, who didn’t want to be identified.As it nears four weeks, the West Asia war has disrupted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

₹9.15 trillion transmission network investment roadmap spanning 2023 to 2032.Buoyed by this outlay, overall transformer demand is projected to grow at a robust 18-22% CAGR through FY28. This expansion is further supported by India's goal to reach 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by FY30.

graphics processing unit and memory costs is forcing a rethink of India’s flagship electronics incentive scheme, with the government now recalibrating Production-Linked Incentive scheme (PLI) 2.0 for IT hardware.The move signals a shift from volume-led assembly to value-linked manufacturing, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and advanced components, potentially reshaping the opportunity set for electronics manufacturing services (EMS) players. PLI 2.0, in its revised form, is expected to better account for the higher bill of materials in AI hardware, while continuing to reward incremental production, reduce import dependence and deepen domestic capabilities.Against this backdrop, a clutch of EMS companies with exposure to servers, displays and semiconductor packaging could be early beneficiaries, if policy design aligns with industry expectations.Here are three stocks to watch:Syrma is emerging as a niche player in high-end electronics, with a growing foothold in the server ecosystem.

India’s ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) recently suggested to a parliamentary panel that it needs a greater role in policy formulation for the electricity sector. No doubt, its remit warrants deeper consultation with the sector’s anchor, the ministry of power (MoP). Solar projects have come up but are unable to despatch electricity on account of inadequate evacuation facilities, a subject that is squarely within the MoP’s ambit.

F-15E Strike Eagles on March 1—all six crew members safely ejected. A new-model F-15 today costs about $100 million.A U.S. F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter made an emergency landing on March 19, and its pilot was in stable condition.

disrupted trade routes and spiked freight and insurance costs.India's annual edible oil demand is around 26 million tonnes (mt), with domestic production meeting only up to 40% of this.According to latest trade data, India imported 14,963 tonnes of palm oil and 175,502 tonnes crude soybean oil from China between November 2025 and February 2026, as against a total of 36,000 tonnes of edible oils in the entire year ended October 2025.This is still a modest figure, given India’s total edible oil imports of around 16 mt. However, the sharp rise in shipments shows a growing willingness among importers to explore non-traditional sources amid tightening global supply conditions.Industry experts see Chinese edible oil imports rising further, as competitive pricing and lower logistics costs will give them an edge over the country's traditional exporters.According to traders, on an average, retail prices have risen by ₹15-20 per litre across edible oils including soybean, rice-bran, cottonseed, palm, groundnut and sunflower over the past one month.

Mint reported on 19 March.Pure play companies in businesses such as solar module manufacturing and renewable power production are looking to enter adjacencies to not only capture a larger share of the renewable energy value chain, but also to achieve better costs, and thus margins, through backward integration, they said. This also helps them attract customers by offering turnkey solutions, eliminating the need for the client to engage with multiple vendors.Investors have also pushed companies to diversify to achieve better valuations over their pure-play peers that focus on one business, experts said.Companies such as Waaree Energies, Vikram Solar, Premier Energies, ACME Group, and Suzlon Energy are some of the players who have diversified after scaling their core business.

₹28,700 in monthly rent.Early-career professionals across cities told Mint how they navigate this balancing act—and what the cost of simply getting started looks like.For 23-year-old Khyati Sood, relocating from Delhi to Pune for her first job as a data engineer meant making a series of careful decisions. “There were a lot of trade-offs,” she said. “Whether I should stay with strangers, give up an attached bathroom, or skip having a balcony to reduce rent.”Pune, compared to other major metros, offered some relief.

₹18,000 crore, factoring in WPL-related liabilities, BCCI fees, and goods and services tax (GST). The company had bought the stake in 2008 for $110 million, implying a 17% compound annual growth rate on the investment.Analysts had expected a sale valued at $1.5-1.8 billion; the $1.9 billion deal translates into ₹13–51 higher perceived value per share, as calculated from a Nomura Global Markets Research report on 24 March, prior to the official announcement.

₹60 per cylinder hike has added to household stress and squeezed small businesses.The primary driver, experts say, is global instability.According to Adhil Shetty, CEO of BankBazaar, the increase reflects continued pressure from international markets where crude oil and natural gas prices remain elevated due to geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions."India imports a large share of its LPG needs, so any rise in international prices or freight costs tends to flow through to domestic cylinder rates," Shetty noted. He added that the latest global escalation has made cooking fuel more expensive, and with deliveries taking longer in some areas, households must prepare for higher and less predictable expenses.For several years, LPG prices in regulated markets remained relatively steady, with only minor fluctuations.

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.

.A technical committee review has flagged the existing BIS standard for drinking water as outdated, noting it does not adequately reflect newer technologies or the challenges seen in real-world use.The review signals a shift in policy focus—from just expanding tap water access to ensuring the water supplied is safe to drink. Mint explains the development.Fluoride contamination remains a structural issue in India, particularly in groundwater-dependent regions.

Mint that their luxury brands, which also include home goods brand Jay Strongwater, have seen a clear uptick in the last one month."March emerged as the strongest it has been in the last seven years, and sales rose strongly after a brief dip in February, with overall conversion ratios improving," Kataria said. If the current geopolitical tensions persist and the West Asia war continues, more NRIs (non-resident Indians) could move back to India while residents defer overseas travel, boosting domestic luxury spending.

The recent release of Korean group BTS’s Arirang album looks less like a musical comeback after a break and more like a case study in the strategic manipulation of consumer psychology. While publicists have framed the group’s return from a mandatory hiatus for military service as a cultural restoration, a closer analysis suggests a masterclass in behavioural economics.BTS’s comeback is projected to inject billions of dollars into the global economy.

Mint explores.While addressing Parliament on the West Asia war on 23 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that ethanol blending in petrol went up from just 1-1.5% a decade back to 20% currently.Ethanol, a biofuel made from agricultural crops, is now replacing about 45 million barrels of imported crude oil every year (total imports in FY25 were about 1803 million barrels).As per the petroleum ministry, ethanol blending in petrol has saved India ₹1.44 trillion (in cost of imported fuel) between November 2014 and July 2025. The ministry also estimates that the programme has led to CO2 emission reductions, equivalent to planting 300 million trees.

₹6–7 until recently, has now climbed to ₹11–12 due to a PP shortage.Due to the shortage, per tonne cost of cement will increase by roughly ₹60–80, considering 20 bags of 50 kg each per tonne, said Sourav Mitra, partner, Oil and Gas, Grant Thornton Bharat.At the heart of the issue is polypropylene (PP), used to produce woven cement bags. Refineries in the Gulf region are increasingly diverting feedstock such as propane and butane toward liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production amid supply uncertainties, tightening PP availability.Bag manufacturers are currently receiving only about 60–70% of their contracted PP chip supplies, according to a Motilal Oswal report dated 18 March.

India’s energy story is inseparable from its growth trajectory. As one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, its energy demand is rising rapidly. India is now the world’s third-largest energy consumer, and peak electricity demand is projected to reach 345–365 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.