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West Asia conflict, even as it looks to turn the disruption into an opportunity to gain market share.“In order to fully neutralize the impact of raw material price increase, we have to increase the prices of our products,” said Abhijit Roy, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), in an interview with Mint. “The price increases have happened in the mass premium and luxury segment… the economy segment has been left untouched so far.”The hikes follow a sharp rise in crude oil prices, a key driver of paint raw material costs.

The India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) has reduced tariffs on many agricultural exports, but these alone won’t secure market access unless our exporters meet high EU import standards and sustainable production requirements. The EU, through its Green Deal and subsequent directives such as those on deforestation (EUDR) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (EUCS3D), has implemented stiff regulations covering food safety, soil health and environmental and labour standards, including rules on greenhouse gas emissions and the wages, health, gender balance, age adequacy and work conditions of workers.

The Centre on Friday launched a ₹20,000 crore credit guarantee scheme to revive bank lending to microfinance institutions (MFIs), as the sector grapples with persistent liquidity constraints despite improving asset quality.According to a paper issued by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC), the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions–2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) will be effective from 20 March 2026 and will cover loans sanctioned by member lending institutions (MLIs) to MFIs until 30 June 2026.It will provide guarantee cover for loans extended by these lenders to MFIs for on-lending to small borrowers, in line with Reserve Bank of India norms.The scheme builds on an earlier credit guarantee programme introduced in June 2021 to support microfinance lending during the covid-19 pandemic.“The sector has demonstrated strong improvement in credit quality and adherence to responsible lending practices.

sudden resignation of chairman Atanu Chakraborty, with open positions in the stock’s active futures contracts hitting record highs, according to Bloomberg data.Usually, such a heavy buildup of short bets can trigger a bounce through short covering.

After a board meeting on Wednesday, the Bengaluru-based company decided to reallocate ₹575 crore, out of ₹1,505 crore it raised for research and development (R&D) during the initial public offering (IPO), to pay debt and fund organic growth activities.The company’s disclosures showed that ₹475 crore will be used to fund upcoming debt, while ₹100 crore will be used for growth purposes. This is the second time since going public in August 2024 that the company has changed its use of funds, with the first change made in August 2025.The cut in funds to be used for R&D has come as the company has total debt obligations worth ₹526 crore for financial year 2026 and ₹610 crore for financial year 2027, excluding any other short-term debt.Subhabrata Sengupta, partner at Avalon Consulting, said that funds required for R&D can change, but such a reallocation isn’t a positive sign.“How much R&D spend is needed depends on the plan.

New Delhi: As the war in West Asia disrupts global trade flows, the Indian government has launched a sweeping audit of critical supply chains to map vulnerabilities and reduce import dependence, according to three government officials and documents reviewed by Mint.The exercise, which covers sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, fertilizers and textiles, comes amid concerns that supply shocks could derail India’s growth trajectory.“The plan is to identify structural vulnerabilities in India’s industrial landscape, with a focus on supply chain dependencies and manufacturing capabilities,” the first official cited above said on condition of anonymity.A detailed government questionnaire circulated by the commerce ministry’s supply chain division—reviewed by Mint—to key stakeholders has asked firms to disclose granular data on import dependence, covering specific items, source countries, reliance on foreign suppliers, and whether key inputs are “irreplaceable or non-substitutable”.The questionnaire also seeks production metrics such as HSN-coded output, domestic and export turnover, and constraints to scale, including technology licensing barriers and infrastructure gaps.

I am planning to undergo LASIK surgery to correct my eyesight. Will my health insurance policy cover this procedure? What are the rules and conditions I should be aware of?- Name withheld on requestLASIK surgery is a popular option to correct vision and reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

airlines must also provide monetary compensation when the cancellation is not communicated appropriately well in advance. However, in the case of cancellations caused by a war, airlines are not liable to provide monetary compensation.The exclusion extends beyond just ticket cancellations. Claims for trip interruption, delays, missed connections and even additional accommodation costs may be denied if it is linked to a conflict.Baggage-related claims may also be denied if the delay or loss is directly attributable to airport shutdowns or conflict conditions.

investors in a FoF that then allocates capital across underlying AIFs, managers can effectively broaden participation while staying within the letter of the rules.“We have seen a gradual increase in FoFs in the industry as it helps an AIF accommodate investors who could not participate in a fund the first time around,” said Pratik Jain, managing partner–investments at Wealth Co. Asset Management Pvt.

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) February 2026 amendments of its Credit Facilities Directions, together with the overhaul of its framework for external commercial borrowings (ECBs), has recast India’s acquisition finance regime and opened a regulated channel for bank-led acquisitions. RBI’s new directions allow banks in India to extend ‘acquisition finance’ to non-financial corporates in the country or their subsidiary or step-down special purpose vehicles (SPVs) so that they can acquire strategic ‘control’ through equity shares or compulsorily convertible debentures in a domestic or foreign target, where the transaction is a long-term strategic investment for value creation.

₹38 lakh. He had done everything right: a base policy of ₹20 lakh and a ₹1 crore top-up with a ₹20 lakh deductible. On paper, he was well covered.What he had not anticipated was the process.

As the India Meteorological Department warns of above- normal temperatures across much of India in the coming weeks, the country is once again preparing for a hotter summer. But for many Indians, rising heat is more than a seasonal forecast; it shapes everyday life.Climate change is no longer an abstract environmental challenge.

₹10.9 on 27 February, a day before the war.Investors purchase put options to protect their portfolios from downside risk. It is the opposite of a call option, which is purchased during bull markets.Demand for the 22,000 put is reflected in the rise of its open interest (OI)–a gauge of money flowing into a market–to 5.33 million contracts on Friday from 1.4 million when the war began.The US and Israel strikes and the retaliation by Iran across the Gulf region show no signs of abating.

New Delhi: India has issued a new quality control order (QCO) for aluminium and aluminium alloy products, mandating compliance of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms by domestic and overseas firms for a wide range of products used across engineering, packaging, construction and electrical applications. India has seen a sharp rise in imports of the metal and its products in the recent past.The order comes in the backdrop of withdrawal of over 50 quality control orders imposed on various intermediary products and the relaxation of compliance requirements for some others.The 13 March order issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) replaces the QCO of 2025.

For many urban women, egg freezing is increasingly becoming part of long-term life planning, much like buying insurance or investing for retirement. But unlike most financial goals, this one comes with a biological deadline, and it isn’t cheap.The procedure typically costs ₹1.35- ₹3 lakh per cycle, with annual storage fees of ₹10,000–30,000 and potential IVF expenses later.

Zerodha and Upstox hold mutual fund units in demat form. Groww, one of India’s largest investing apps, made demat the default for all new mutual fund purchases from June 2025, unless users opt out.

As the conflict in West Asia has nearly frozen all trade movement through the Strait of Hormuz, Indian law firms have seen a surge in queries from companies seeking clarity on whether they can invoke a rare clause to mitigate risk—force majeure.It is a contractual provision that allows a party to suspend or avoid its obligations if an unforeseen event outside its control makes performance impossible. These may include war, government restrictions or major disruptions to shipping routes, if specifically covered in the contract.“The energy sector is reaching out the most, especially companies importing LNG (liquefied natural gas) and crude who now face stranded cargoes and unreliable shipping schedules,” said Charanya Lakshmikumaran, executive partner at Laxmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS).“The shipping and logistics sector is next, dealing with mounting delays, higher war-risk premiums and rerouted vessels,” she said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s second e-bus tender under the ₹10,900 crore PM E-Drive scheme, for 2,900 e-buses in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai, and 3,330 buses in Delhi has been deferred by one month.The tender for 6,230 e-buses opened for manufacturers and operators on 9 January this year, and was scheduled to close on 10 March. But a 6 March notification by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), the government’s demand aggregation agency, showed the closing date was deferred to 9 April.

copper demand is expected to surge globally amid electrification, renewable energy and grid expansion, even as supply remains constrained. Global benchmark copper prices are currently around $11,000-12,000 per tonne, jumping a little over 30% over the last one year.Drawing a parallel between operating a mine in Gadchiroli and in Congo is not entirely fair, said Suman Kumar, assistant vice-president for metals and mining at brokerage Philip Capital.In India, companies understand regulatory and political ecosystem, but in foreign jurisdictions, especially parts of Africa, execution risks are far higher, said the sell-side analyst.He pointed to examples of Indian companies that struggled to scale overseas mining projects, including Jindal Steel and Power Ltd in Mozambique and Vedanta Ltd's challenges at Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia.“Even companies with significantly deeper financial muscle have struggled.

Bengaluru: Varun Dubey, who has spent the past decade moving between India’s consumer internet and healthcare worlds, now wants to build what he calls an “honest healthcare” hospital system—starting with a membership pass that covers consultations and doctor-prescribed diagnostics for a family.“The customer has three fundamental problems when it comes to core healthcare experience today…i.e. high quality care, seamless and easy to access as possible and of course, affordable,” Dubey said in an interview.Dubey’s argument is that India’s hospital experience today is broken due to crowded outpatient departments (OPDs), long waits, opaque billing and low trust arising from one underlying issue: the cost of setting up and running a hospital.That mismatch between what patients want and how hospitals are run, Dubey says, is why he is building SuperHealth.Launched in October, SuperHealth is positioning itself not as an OPD app but as a full hospital, trying to win patients on experience and trust—less wait times, clearer pricing, and fewer incentives for doctors to overprescribe.

Stock market recap: The Indian stock market saw strong buying interest on 5 March, largely driven by short covering after a sharp sell-off that had dragged benchmark indices down about 4% in just a few days.The Sensex jumped 900 points, or 1.14%, to close at 80,015.90. Its NSE counterpart, the Nifty 50, rose 1.17% to end at 24,765.90.Buying was broad-based across the market.