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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.

India Inc.’s earnings recovery will take longer than expected as higher energy prices amid the West Asia conflict could squeeze margins, according to the investment head of Standard Chartered Securities (India).“The consensus about a month back was building around 14-15% kind of (earnings) growth, which might come to low double-digits because of these changes in the input cost,” said Gaurav Dua, chief investment officer at the broking firm.For a year and a half, India Inc has been in an earnings downgrade cycle that was expected to bottom out, Dua said. But the rising energy prices could prolong the recovery, he said.

Bengaluru: A sharp rise in crude oil-linked raw material prices is unsettling India’s plastic packaging industry, but a bigger disruption is being caused by companies securing and stockpiling their supplies, tightening availability and pushing up prices.This is directly impacting packaged food and beverage companies that are preparing for peak summer demand. Most plastics are derived from crude oil and natural gas liquids that are refined to make the raw material for plastic.Prices of key inputs such as PET resin (used for plastic bottles) and polyolefins (used for bottle caps, labels and pouches) have surged by 40% to 80% in weeks, driven by the West Asia conflict that started on 28 February and subsequent global crude oil volatility.

₹83,029 crore, up nearly 36% from February’s ₹61,141 crore, which itself was a 16-month high, according to NSE data.“This month could witness highest-ever ADT for NSE, thanks to a surge in volatility because of the rising geopolitical tensions,” said Amit Chandra, vice-president, research, at HDFC Securities.The previous record monthly ADT for NSE was ₹71,690 crore in February 2024. With seven sessions remaining this month, sustained trading amid elevated volatility could push the exchange ADT to a new high and potentially boost market share, said Kruti Shah, quant analyst at Equirus Securities.The spike in turnover is mirrored in the ratio of premium to notional turnover on NSE, HDFC Securities' Chandra said.

VinFast and homegrown Ola Electric have offered discounts to wean consumers away from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that run on diesel and petrol, with analysts saying the energy crisis could push fence-sitters towards EVs.The crisis has also renewed focus on the Centre’s plans to go beyond the 20% ethanol blending in petrol, with executives indicating that higher blends and flex-fuel vehicles may see faster rollouts as they can cut the country's imports of crude oil.According to analysts at Nomura, crude oil price rise due to the current crisis can make the total cost of ownership equation even more attractive for electric vehicles, which can boost EV sales in the short term.“One beneficiary of higher oil prices could be a quicker shift in consumer sentiment towards EVs. Thus, EV [players] are likely to benefit,” Kapil Singh and Siddhartha Bera of Nomura wrote in a 9 March note.Retail fuel prices have remained steady so far, but risks of an increase persist if the conflict drags on, according to experts.EV sales in the country rose 77% year-on-year in calendar 2025 to nearly 177,000 units, with their share in total sales reaching 4%.

The ripple effects of a disruption in cooking gas supply due to the West Asia conflict have begun to show up in India’s top management institutes, which house thousands of students and staff.While there is no uniform crisis across campuses, multiple Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) told Mint they have taken precautionary steps over the past week as delays in LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder refills started affecting kitchen operations. Measures have ranged from trimming menus to securing supplies through local administrative support.“LPG crisis has been severe,” said Devashish Das Gupta, chairperson, student affairs, IIM Lucknow.

New Delhi: Amid the West Asia war, ethanol makers have urged the petroleum ministry to accelerate higher fuel blending and utilize a massive surplus to safeguard national energy security, with India being one of the largest importers of crude oil, according to a letter seen by Mint.The All India Distillers Association (Aida) wrote to the petroleum and natural gas ministry on 3 March, days after the conflict broke out on 28 February, seeking incentives for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which run on very high ethanol blending, and higher procurement of ethanol by oil marketing companies (OMCs).Aida represents about 80% of India's total distillation capacity.The industry’s representation came after underutilisation of ethanol feedstocks in 2024-25 and 2025-26, according to a copy of the letter seen by Mint.Global oil volatility and supply chain disruptions make it imperative for India to strengthen domestic alternatives and accelerate indigenous biofuel production, the letter stated.“At a time when the country needs stronger domestic energy buffers against global oil shocks, idle biofuel capacity represents a missed strategic opportunity,” the letter said.Email queries sent to the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corp.

Eternal Ltd’s stock fell for 18 consecutive sessions till Friday, losing nearly a quarter of its value to ₹216. It is rare for a Nifty50 index constituent to have such a long losing streak.It has recovered by about 11% to ₹242 over the last three trading sessions, probably after JM Financial Institutional Securities reiterated its target price on the stock at ₹400 with largely unchanged earnings estimates.

retirement strategy. Over the past few years, she has focused on consolidating real estate holdings, increasing liquid investments through mutual funds, and creating multiple income streams, such as rental income, to ensure financial stability and healthcare security in retirement.For Ahmedabad-based Vijay Vora, a chartered accountant, 75, who is currently self-employed as a management adviser and corporate consultant, retirement income comes from a mix of rental income from real estate, interest from fixed deposits, Public Provident Fund (PPF) savings, dividends, and freelancing income.Going ahead, he wants to start systematic withdrawal plans from his mutual funds.

₹74,795.57 crore in the month through 17 March, according to National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) data.That works out to an average daily sale of ₹6,799.59 crore over 11 sessions of the month. If the FPI selling for the remaining eight days continues with the same intensity, March would clock ₹1.29 trillion, higher than the record ₹1.14 trillion FPI outflows seen in October 2024.The average daily FPI outflow in October 2024 was ₹5,175 crore .The record selling that month was induced by rising US bond yields, over concerns of global tariff wars following a likely Republican victory in the US presidential elections.

Strait of Hormuz. Of these, six are carrying LPG, four are transporting crude oil, and one vessel is transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz are key for India's energy security, with about 90% of India's LPG imports and 50% of India's crude imports dependent on this region."The talks have been positive so far.

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.

₹20,000 crore via infrastructure bonds, Union Bank of India announced its plans to issue the first ₹7,500 crore tranche of 10-year bonds on Friday, three merchant bankers told Mint.The issue will have a base size of ₹3,000 crore and a greenshoe option of ₹4,500 crore. The bonds are rated AAA by Care Ratings.On 13 February, Mint reported that state-run lenders are preparing to tap the debt market through infrastructure bonds in March.Banks and financial institutions raise funds through infrastructure bonds to finance their long-term infrastructure projects.

₹2,000 crore stake sale in its battery arm, Ola Cell Technologies Private Ltd, after its board earlier approved a ₹1,500 crore fundraise through share or securities issuance.The push comes as falling scooter sales and a weakening balance sheet tighten liquidity, even as the company doubles down on its capital-intensive cell business.Mint looks at what is driving the company’s fundraising push.The urgency stems from a sharp deterioration in its core business.In 2025, Ola Electric’s sales more than halved to nearly 200,000 electric scooters, while rivals such as TVS Motor Co., Bajaj Auto and Ather Energy gained ground.In the October-December quarter, revenue fell to a record low of ₹504 crore, while losses stood at ₹487 crore, compared with ₹564 crore a year earlier.Analysts say the pressure is now visible on its balance sheet.“(A) turnaround would necessitate Ola to have a strong cash balance to survive this phase. However, as per our calculations, Ola has turned net debt as of 9MFY26 ( ₹670 crore) from net cash of ₹160 crore in H1FY26.

₹20,020 crore.In fact, Q3FY26 revenue growth was as high as 46%, led by a 54% jump in its mainstay wires and cables business that contributes 88% of the gross segment revenues.Like peers, supply chain uncertainties and demand disruptions following the Middle East conflict are expected to hurt Polycab too. “March so far has been weaker versus initial expectations, thereby impacting Q4 estimates, emanating from uncertainty from the ongoing Middle East conflict, and a high base,” wrote JM Financial Institutional Securities’ analysts after interacting with Polycab’s executives in a report on 15 March.Should the ongoing uncertainty persist, Q4 volumes could remain flat year-on-year, revenue growth relying on input cost appreciation (18-20%), it added.March usually accounts for 45-50% of Polycab’s fourth-quarter revenue, but demand has been slower this time owing to uncertainty around commodity prices and project visibility.

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.

₹1,200 crore, with Stovekraft and TTK Prestige together accounting for about 36% as of FY25, according to Fadia.“Whatever channel inventory was already available has largely been sold out, and companies would not be in a position to quickly refill the channel as they would not have planned for such a sudden surge in demand,” said Fadia. “They will need time to order components and align the supply chain, which could take at least 20–30 days."Most consumer appliance companies source components from China and assemble them locally, while some traders and distributors directly import finished goods from China and Vietnam, limiting the benefit for domestic manufacturers, said Fadia.A major share of induction stoves sold in India are sourced from China, with companies procuring components or finished units and assembling them domestically before selling under local brands, said Trviesh D, chief operating officer at Tradejini, a stock broking company.And even if companies ramp up supply, the demand may fade once LPG availability improves.“While the disruption may lead some households to try induction cooking, we expect demand to normalize once LPG supply improves, limiting the likelihood of a sustained structural shift in the category,” said Manish Valecha, research analyst, Anand Rathi Institutional Equities.Investor enthusiasm has already cooled.

The nationwide shortage of cooking gas over the past week should abate soon, given that import supplies are on their way to Indian shores even as domestic refiners have been asked to bump up production.The crippling shortage of this item of mass consumption that has proven to be the Achilles heel of our energy security calculus partly owes its origin to well-intentioned policy efforts to shift households from kerosene to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a cleaner fuel. While only half of India’s population had access to LPG in 2010, its coverage is nearly complete today.

China’s move against OpenClaw came before the rest of the world had even settled on a vocabulary for what worried it. This early restriction matters because it frames the issue correctly.OpenClaw is not merely another chatbot. It is an open-source agent framework designed to connect language models to real tools such as messaging apps, email, calendars, browsers and local files, so that the system can act with limited human supervision.Chinese authorities did not impose a blanket prohibition on all use, but reports indicate that state-linked institutions have been told not to install it on work devices and personal gizmos (in some cases) because of security concerns.

Foreign investors appear to be finding comfort in India’s power sector amid heightened geopolitical tensions and energy market disruptions, drawn by rising demand for electricity and growing data centre capacity.They bought power stocks worth $497 million in February, according to data from the National Securities Depository Ltd. That marked the strongest inflow by foreign investors since they pumped in $517 million in April 2024.Several power stocks delivered solid gains in February, when the benchmark Nifty 50 index slipped 0.6%.

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.