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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s merchandise trade deficit was about $333 billion in 2025-26, 17.5% wider than the previous year’s. Reducing import dependence is critical and gold stands out as a major item in this context. As the world’s second-largest gold consumer, the country imported nearly 803 tonnes in 2024-25 but produced just 1.6 tonnes (0.2% of demand); last year’s figures would be comparable.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Luxury home decor and furnishing brands are seeing a rise in demand in India as wealthy consumers splurge on larger homes, renovations and design-led interiors.From dinnerware costing several lakh rupees to collectable decor and contemporary furniture, affluent buyers are increasingly spending on their homes with luxury malls dedicating floors to what retailers describe as the "sleeper category".In New Delhi’s The Chanakya mall, an entire floor is now dedicated to luxury home and decor brands, including Jay Strongwater, Baccarat, Diptyque and Lladró, alongside Indian labels such as Janavi Home and Ravissant.The luxury home segment in India has seen a post-pandemic acceleration, with a fresh wave of global brand entries and expansions. Reliance Brands brought Pottery Barn to India in 2022, marking one of the early large-format bets on organised luxury home retail.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.One of the more surprising stock stories of 2026 has to be Coca-Cola’s year-to-date outpacing of the S&P 500 index and its ancient foe, PepsiCo—with the latter point being as significant as the former to well-versed investors.Of course, this is the shortest of short time periods, the very opposite of what Coke’s biggest champion, Warren Buffett, the recently retired CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, would consider prudent. In fact, over the past nine years—basically the tenure of Coke’s former CEO James Quincey, who stepped down on March 31—Coke’s stock performance has been decidedly meh versus the market, though again, superior to Pepsi’s, for those keeping score at home.Why, then, does Berkshire continue to hold 400 million shares of Coke, a stake that Buffett built in the late 1980s and now worth some $31 billion, accounting for 9.3% of that company and 9.6% of Berkshire’s investment portfolio? (Note that new Berkshire CEO Greg Abel has called Coke one of Berkshire’s “core four” investments, along with Apple, Moody’s, and American Express.)A look at the current state of Coke—“by America’s side for 140 years of its 250 years”—provides some compelling clues.First, let’s acknowledge the brisk headwinds Coke faces.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.KKR-backed InCred Holdings Ltd, primarily operating through its material subsidiary InCred Finance, has filed its updated draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the markets regulator.The initial public offering (IPO) size is likely to be around ₹3,000 crore and value the firm at up to ₹15,000 crore, two people aware of the matter told Mint.The offering comprises a fresh issue of equity shares totalling ₹1,250 crore and an offer for sale of up to 99 million shares from existing investors, as per the updated DRHP filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).Shareholders participating in the process include KKR India Financial Investments Pte, MNI Ventures, MEMG Family Office LLP, and V’Ocean Investments Ltd.The company said it may also consider a pre-IPO fundraise of up to 20% of the fresh issue size, which comes up to ₹250 crore, and then reduce the fresh issue size proportionately.The Mumbai-based firm, which had ​confidentially filed draft papers in November 2025, intends to use the net proceeds to increase InCred Finance's capital base, specifically to strengthen tier-I capital and support onward lending.Founded by former Deutsche Bank AG executive Bhupinder Singh in 2017, InCred Holdings now operates as a holding company for the same.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Most of the recent conversations around Bima Sugam, the IRDAI-backed one-stop digital insurance marketplace, have focused on access – simpler purchases, standardised products, and possibly lower costs through zero-commission policies. If executed well, this could reduce the friction in buying and managing insurance.But for households dealing with ageing parents, this addresses only one part of the financial reality. The more relevant question is not whether insurance is easier to buy, but whether it meaningfully covers the full cost of ageing.India is already at an inflection point.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: The copyright dispute between the Reliance-Disney joint venture and Zee Entertainment has been referred to mediation after both sides agreed to explore an amicable settlement.Mint has seen the 5 May order passed by Justice Tejas Karia, which stated that “with the consent of the Parties, they are referred to mediation before the Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre (DHCMCC), where they shall appear on 20 May”. Both sides have sought the appointment of a senior mediator.Mint’s queries sent to Zee Entertainmentremained unanswered till press time.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co. is raising a ₹2,000 crore alternative investment fund (AIF) that will target the stocks of mid- and small-cap companies, joining a growing list of asset managers targeting wealthy investors with hedge fund-style products.The fund, ABSL Select Sector Fund, will open with a base corpus of ₹1,500 crore and a greenshoe option of ₹500 crore, executives at the Mumbai-based firm said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Banks are at their peak performance in India. Credit growth is faster than nominal GDP growth, world-class digital platforms have arisen and regulations have been supportive. Return on assets reached a milestone 1.4% and gross non-performing assets (NPAs) fell to a 13-year low in fiscal year 2024-25.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Caution is returning to small-, and mid-cap stocks after last month’s sharp rally, with experts warning that stretched valuations could leave the segment vulnerable to even minor macroeconomic and earnings shocksThe BSE Smallcap index rose nearly 20% in April, while the BSE Midcap index gained almost 14%, their strongest monthly performances since May 2014. In comparison, the Sensex rose 7%.But the rebound has been uneven.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The usage gap in India’s flagship financial inclusion programme has widened further, with inactive zero-balance accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) surging to 26% at 143.83 million at state-run banks, while falling to 36% at 6.3 million at private banks as of March 2026.The total PMJDY accounts across state-run and private banks stood at 581.8 million, with deposits reaching ₹3.02 trillion by early April 2026. State-run banks had 449.8 million accounts, while private banks held 20.8 million.This spike in inactive accounts has been broad-based across public sector banks, which had 112.4 million dormant PMJDY accounts, or 21% of the total, at the end of March 2025.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Investors’ pursuit of the companies supplying key materials to the artificial intelligence build-out is powering an epic rally in shares of chip makers. Other companies caught in the frenzy include a 175-year-old glass manufacturer, a heavy machinery giant and Japan’s leading maker of toilets.The AI trade has boosted stocks’ record run, with the S&P 500 climbing 1.5% to new highs on Wednesday after signs of progress on a Middle East peace deal and strong earnings from Advanced Micro Devices.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India is tapping alternate trade routes to facilitate movement of cargoes—exports as well as energy imports—moving shipping lines at some of the West Asian ports not affected by the Strait of Hormuz blockade amid the ongoing US-Iran war, said a government official on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters, Opesh Kumar Sharma, director in the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, said India and West Asian countries are taking these options to ensure least interruption in trade between the Gulf region and India, including fuel shipments, at a time when the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for 20% of global oil and gas trade, remains largely closed.Alternate shipping services have been operationalized in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis, he said, with shipping lines including CMA CGM (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement - Compagnie Générale Maritime), Unifeeder and AP Moller-Maersk connecting Indian ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Mundra and Hazira to Sohar (Oman), Fujairah (UAE), and Khorfakkan (UAE) in West Asia."So, there are many places which have been activated. The cargo is moving,” he said.The industry and the government have noted issues related to trade routes, and the reduction in congestion at the ports indicated “normalization”, Sharma said.West Asia and North Africa (Wana) is a key region for India for energy imports and non-oil exports.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The government’s subsidy spending has already reached 91% of the revised estimate for financial year 2026 in the first 11 months, highlighting sustained strain from welfare commitments that is unlikely to ease soon, as the West Asia war fuels cost pressures in the economy.According to the Department of Expenditure data, reviewed by Mint, total expenditure on major subsidies including food and fertilizers stood at ₹3.89 trillion during April–February, against the revised estimate of ₹4.29 trillion. The department is still collating the final month's figure.The subsidy spending is higher than ₹3.63 trillion recorded in the same period of FY25.Despite higher subsidy spending, the fiscal deficit moderated to ₹12.52 trillion during April–February FY26, lower than the ₹13.46 trillion in the same period last year, the ministry data showed.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: India's latest emergency credit scheme could turn out to be a timely tailwind for banks, offering both incremental loan growth and a crucial buffer against rising stress linked to the West Asia war, three brokerages said in a report.The Union cabinet on Tuesday allocated ₹18,100 crore under the fifth edition of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 5.0), unlocking ₹2.55 trillion in additional credit flow to businesses to help them tide over the war-induced liquidity stress.Analysts see this loan-support scheme as credit and asset quality supportive, with the sovereign guarantee structure sharply reducing downside risks for lenders.“ECLGS 5.0 is a net positive for banks—a modest loan growth tailwind and a more meaningful near-term asset quality buffer. These loans carry zero credit risk, with no provisioning drag or capital consumption,” Nomura Global Markets Research said in a note on 6 May.At a time when the market is watchful on the impact of the West Asia crisis on bank asset quality, ECLGS 5.0 provides a meaningful policy cushion, the foreign bank’s research note said.The scheme allows eligible borrowers ranging from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to larger corporates and airlines to access additional working capital loans backed by a government guarantee.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: Marico Ltd, synonymous with brands such as Parachute and Saffola, aims to earn ₹15,000 crore revenue in FY27 and ₹20,000 crore by FY30, as the consumer goods major sharpens its focus on premium products, packaged foods and a digital-first push. To meet its targets, the company looks to tap the growing wellness and premium personal care segments, moving from its commodity-centric profile.“We have multiple vectors of growth, and we have factored that not all 100% will fire every year,” managing director and chief executive officer Saugata Gupta told Mint in an interview.Marico on Tuesday reported a 9.3% rise in FY26 consolidated net profit to ₹1,813 crore.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: When Dilip Shanghvi walked into the press conference to announce Sun Pharmaceutical’s acquisition of Organon & Co.—an $11.75 billion deal that will effectively double the company’s revenue to $12.4 billion—he offered a rare admission.“I’m happy, excited, also a little bit anxious,” he told journalists, adding that the sheer size of the transaction reminded him of announcing the Ranbaxy Laboratories deal a decade ago.Back then, Sun was a fraction of its current size. This time, it is acquiring a company roughly equal in size, paying for it with cash and borrowed money rather than stock, and doing so at what Shanghvi described as “less than 25% of Sun’s own value.”At the surface, the Organon deal is a story about scale—a large Indian generics company buying an even larger portfolio of established branded drugs and biosimilars from a spun-off Merck subsidiary.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kevin Warsh, who is expected to be confirmed by the Senate later this month as the next Federal Reserve chair, will inherit a central bank that appears to be stuck in policy limbo due to concerns about escalating inflation. But Warsh may have more options than investors think.Bond traders no longer expect the Fed to cut interest rates this year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU/MUMBAI: Blackstone-owned Mphasis Ltd has filed a lawsuit in a US court against rival Coforge Ltd, accusing the Noida-based IT services firm of hiring its employees in violation of contractual restrictions and gaining access to confidential client information.The Bengaluru-based company, which reported $1.8 billion in revenue last year, has also named its former vice president Brijesh Khergamker as a party in the case filed in a Colorado court.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: Demand for beer in India is holding up, but for United Breweries Ltd, rising costs and delayed pricing are squeezing margins.The Heineken NV-controlled maker of Kingfisher beer reported a weaker-than-expected performance for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), with revenue and profit declining even as volumes showed some resilience. A fresh wave of input cost inflation, particularly in packaging, alongside supply disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict, is driving the pressure in India’s tightly regulated beer market.Revenue from operations fell 10% to ₹1,746.3 crore in FY26 from ₹1,940.8 crore a year earlier, according to exchange filings, while profit declined 6.6% to ₹413.4 crore.For the quarter ended 31 March (Q4FY26), revenue was largely flat at ₹440 crore versus ₹442.7 crore a year earlier, while profit rose to ₹101.8 crore from ₹97.7 crore.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A savings bank account is the default parking spot for emergency funds. It is liquid, familiar and easy to access.But large idle balances kept “for safety” often earn just 2–4% interest — not enough to beat inflation.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Air India has pushed the start of its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru by at least a year to January–March 2027, as construction remains unfinished, according to three people familiar with the matter.The airline’s inability to source construction materials including steel and bolts from domestic manufacturers is the key reason for the delay.Planned on a 35-acre site, the facility, designed with 12 hangar bays to service both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, is still under construction, one of the persons quoted said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.In its first phase it will have 3 widebody and 2 narrowbody hangar bays. Hangars are spaces where aircrafts are parked, maintained, and repaired.