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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The microdrama sector is poised for a major disruption following the launch of Tadka by JioHotstar and Fatafat by Amazon MX Player. According to industry experts, these media giants are operating with budgets 10 to 15 times larger than those of early-stage companies.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A change in the way commissions are structured for onboarding clients to the National Pension System (NPS) may still fail to draw significant interest from distributors, experts said.Points of Presence (PoPs), the intermediaries that act as the primary customer interface for the NPS, can now earn 0.20% of the assets under management per annum as a trail commission in addition to a one-time onboarding fee of ₹200 when a new client is registered, the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority of India (PFRDA) said in a circular on 10 March.Before this, trail commissions—a recurring fee paid to distributors as long as a client remains invested—were not allowed. Distributors could only charge a direct fee of ₹200-300 per customer.PoPs are regulated institutions appointed by the PFRDA to provide services to all citizens seeking to open and operate their NPS accounts.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The post-pandemic era saw the Indian retail investor evolve into a formidable market force, but is the tide finally turning? After years of relentless accumulation, an interplay of lofty valuations and geopolitical friction has triggered a pivot toward caution.From turning net sellers for the first time in six years to participation patterns becoming increasingly transient and episodic, Mint decodes the moves of these mom-and-pop investors in fiscal 2026, based on the latest data disclosures by the National Stock Exchange.The cash market segment currently shows a highly skewed, long-tailed participation pattern that challenges the narrative of a stable retail base. Data for fiscal 2026 reveals a sharp concentration of ‘transient’ activity: single-day traders alone account for 24% of the base.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.For many Indians, trust in their bank is built over decades. But when that trust is leveraged to sell insurance products that may not suit a customer’s needs, the line between fiduciary advice and sales blurs.The bancassurance model—where banks act as agents for insurance companies—comes with a structural conflict of interest. Customers often walk away with policies that do not align with their financial goals.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its new draft rules, has called for significant structural changes to curb mis-selling.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Mac Mini was sorely in need of an update, and John Ternus hoped he didn’t need to go through design guru Jony Ive.Years ago, before Ternus was tapped to take the helm of one of the world’s biggest and most influential companies, he led Apple’s Mac hardware division. It was one of many stops as he rose through the ranks of the insular company and learned to navigate its curious internal politics.The AI revolution that would make the Mac Mini hugely popular was still years away, yet software developers needed a new version with updated chips.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: A clutch of India's top private banks will decide by the end of next year who their new chief executives would be, and while the incumbents remain eligible, industry experts are keen on clarity over the second line of leadership.Chief executive officers (CEOs) of five prominent private sector banks —HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and IDFC First Bank—will require regulatory nod for another term. While the board of ICICI Bank has already approved a shorter-than-usual two-year term for CEO Sandeep Bakhshi, HDFC Bank’s Sashidhar Jagdishan is willing to serve another term.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre is planning a nationwide policy push to enable the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on ethanol blends of up to E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol), as the West Asia conflict prompts India to explore ways to cut oil import dependence, according to two people aware of the development and a correspondence reviewed by Mint.India’s current 20% ethanol blending mandate, introduced in 2025, had triggered public complaints over reduced mileage and concerns around engine performance.The Union petroleum and natural gas ministry has called a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the issue. “During the meeting, a presentation will be made by the working group constituted for preparing the plan for the rollout of FFVs,” one of the people cited above said, requesting anonymity.The working group, comprising experts from oil marketing companies, automobile makers and the government, will present its plan to top executives of state-run oil firms and representatives of the automobile industry lobby group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), and officials from relevant ministries.Global crude prices have remained volatile amid the conflict, briefly crossing $100 per barrel before easing following a ceasefire, with risks of another spike persisting.Such a scenario poses a significant fiscal risk to India, considering it imports 90% of its oil requirements.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Amid fuel supply disruptions due to the West Asia war, India's vehicle owners are increasingly turning to retrofitting—converting fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids—to cut running costs as well as to reduce dependence on petrol, diesel and gas.Retrofitting firms such as Bengaluru-based Exponent Energy and Gurugram-based Folks Motor said inquiries have more than doubled since the war, reflecting a sharp rise in consumer interest.While Exponent Energy focuses on the three-wheeler segment, converting liquefied natural gas or compressed natural gas (LPG or CNG) vehicles to EVs, Folks Motor works on converting internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to hybrids.“If you own an LPG or CNG vehicle in the three-wheeler space, you can just come in and overnight be converted to electric,” Arun Vinayak, chief executive and founder at Exponent Energy, told Mint.“We launched it early in Bengaluru as a pilot programme. But it's suddenly seeing a lot of interest, especially people who drive LPG vehicles,” he said.The company had announced entry into the retrofitting space in November, with early pilots beginning in Bengaluru.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The entry of Bollywood studios and music labels into regional languages isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be and comes with several business risks, according to experts. Such ventures over the past few years have typically led to budget inflation, higher regional star fees and costlier marketing for an audience that remains limited and niche.Success in these markets is culture-led and not driven by scale.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Recent proposals by the Reserve Bank of India to curb digital fraud could disrupt payments and hurt small merchants’ cash flows while proving insufficient to combat the growing problem, several industry experts told Mint.In a discussion paper floated on 9 April, the RBI proposed introducing a one-hour lag at the payer’s end for transactions above ₹10,000. Other suggestions included:Industry leaders said the RBI's current ‘safety net’ approach addresses the symptoms rather than the cause.

Mint analysis shows a more telling shift: the intensity of the sell-off has steadily eased since the conflict began, with sharp early declines giving way to progressively smaller losses.The sell-off began with a jolt — between 27 February, the last trading session before hostilities escalated, and 6 March, the Nifty and Sensex fell about 3% each as the conflict broke out, followed by a sharper drop of over 5% the next week. Markets then paused, with a largely flat week, before slipping again by over a percent in the week of 23 March.The attacks began on 28 February.From there, the pressure eased.

₹1 trillion in the upper layer could leave little wiggle room for Tata Sons, save for the benevolence of the central bank. The holding firm of the eponymous group has been in the category in recent years, a classification that entails tighter regulatory oversight and a mandatory listing requirement.The new norms, released on 10 April, currently in the form of a draft circular, take away a part of RBI’s discretion in deciding who gets to be on the list.

₹1 trillion or more are proposed to be included in the list replacing an earlier methodology of quantitative and qualitative parameters. Upper layer non-banks face tighter regulations than smaller ones.A list of all NBFCs for fiscal 2026 released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday included the name of Tata Sons among others in the upper layer.

Mint and confirmed by two officials.According to the direction issued as part of the Mediation for Nation 2.0 campaign, state chief secretaries have been asked to actively support efforts to identify and dispose of cases that can be settled through mediation, the government officials cited earlier said, adding that the cases where the state is a complainant can be resolved through settlement.The emphasis is on disputes that are legally compoundable—cases that can be resolved mutually, including cheque bounce cases, land acquisition matters and certain criminal offences, the officials said on the condition of anonymity.The move assumes significance as cheque dishonour cases have been identified as a key focus area due to their sheer volume. As per government data, over 8.007 million cheque bounce cases are pending across high courts.

full Q4 earnings report by Jas Bardia.Inside Anthropic’s Project Glasswing: Can AI outsmart hackers before they strike? That’s the big idea that powers Anthropic’s Project Glasswing—a coalition using advanced AI to detect hidden software flaws even experts miss.With cyberattacks rising and a shortage of skilled professionals, this could be a game-changer. The AI can not only spot “zero-day” vulnerabilities but also suggest fixes, potentially transforming how cybersecurity works.

In a market where defence stocks have largely remained in favour despite severe geopolitical strain, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been a bit of an outlier. The stock is down around 11% so far in 2026, while the Nifty India Defence Index is up about 4%.HAL recently posted provisional FY26 revenue of ₹32,250 crore, only slightly higher than the ₹30,981 crore it reported in the previous fiscal year, because of delivery challenges in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A and Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) due to supply-chain disruptions stemming from geopolitical and technical issues.This quickly shifted the focus to execution worries, with some analysts even trimming their estimates after delays in engine supplies from General Electric (GE).

small packs also represent one of the largest sources of plastic litter, as their size and multi-layered composition make them extremely difficult to collect and recycle.This comes against the backdrop of the government’s ban on single-use plastic and assumes significance as India generates around 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Of this, around 40% of plastic waste is littered and remains uncollected.Sachets are used across many product categories including personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, hair oil, face wash, body wash, pan masala, gutkha, instant coffee, spices, sauces, dairy whitener, detergent powder, dishwashing liquid and floor cleaners.Pan masala and gutkha are widely consumed across India and largely sold in small sachets (typically under 10 g).

As the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) heads into its first policy decision of the new financial year on 8 April, a rate pause is widely expected even as a rapidly shifting macro landscape triggered by the West Asia war may force a shift in its outlook.A Mint poll of 10 economists and market participants points to rising inflation risks and a weakening growth outlook, with all expecting the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to hold rates while signalling a more cautious policy stance.In 2025, the RBI had cumulatively cut the repo rate—the rate at which it lends short-term funds to banks—by 125 basis points (bps), with the last cut of 25 bps in December to 5.25%.“We do expect RBI to hold onto the repo rate and stance,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. The MPC’s stance has remained neutral since June 2025.“The tone will be cautious,” Sabnavis added.

More than three weeks since the US President Donald Trump announced an investment by ‘Reliance’ in a new oil refinery in his country, a lack of clarity from both the Mukesh Ambani-led company and India’s two top stock exchanges on the subject has exposed gaps in India’s rumour verification rules, experts said.While some experts believe that Reliance Industries Ltd should have provided further clarity on whether it was investing in the US, others think the situation falls within the ‘grey area’ of the disclosure rules governing listed companies.However, experts say India’s two top stock exchanges–BSE Ltd and the National Stock Exchange–could have used their discretion to seek clarification from Reliance Industries on the subject, as they often do with other firms for matters of far less significance.Rumour verification is governed by Regulation 30(11) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements, 2015 (LODR). The regulation was amended in 2024 to link verification to stock price movement rather than event materiality.For a stock priced above ₹200, such as Reliance Industries, the price movement threshold is 3% relative to the benchmark.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s EV debut got off to a poor start with production falling short of target as its domestic launch got delayed, a rare-earth magnet crisis hit manufacturers and global electric vehicle sales growth slowed.The country’s largest car manufacturer exported 25,000 EVs and registered 1,400 units domestically in FY26, missing a target set by chairman RC Bhargava at the start of the fiscal year to produce 70,000 units of its first electric vehicle, mostly for overseas markets. Although Maruti hasn’t disclosed EV production numbers, they are typically a little higher than sales volumes.“There were some initial delays but now the ramp-up is progressing steadily,” Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer-corporate affairs at Maruti Suzuki, told Mint in an emailed response.According to experts, Maruti’s EV manufacturing plan faced setbacks for reasons ranging from a delay in the launch to production-related issues.“The lower-than-anticipated production came on the back of rare earth magnet issues which affected production schedules of automakers.

Masaan, is now backing theatre productions, Adarsh Gourav will soon be seen in a docu-series titled The Tribal Voice, while Ridhi Dogra will feature in a travel series for National Geographic Channel.Industry experts say that for film actors, the shift toward theatre, documentaries and other formats is both creative and strategic. Cinema is inherently project-driven, so these avenues allow actors to stay engaged between releases while continuing to build their craft.From a brand perspective, diversification helps actors evolve from being seen purely as performers to more rounded creative voices.