Trade Financial News

Indian startup ecosystem has undergone a dynamic evolution over the past decade, with major changes reshaping how private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms strategise their exits from startups. Traditionally, Indian stock markets were perceived as places for large, established companies to list and raise capital. However, they are now offering diverse opportunities for new-age startups to tap into public funding and provide impressive exits for early backers and investors, such as angel investors and venture capital firms. The surge in exit activity via the public markets is a testament to this transformation, shaping exits in ways that have profound implications for Indian PE-VC strategies.

Russian crude oil dropped in November to its lowest level since June 2022 but the Kremlin continues to be the biggest source of oil for India, according to a monthly tracker report of a European think tank. India became the second biggest buyer of Russian crude oil since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with purchases rising from less than one per cent of the total oil imported to almost 40 per cent of the country's total oil purchases. The rise was primarily because the Russian crude oil was available at a discount to other internationally traded oil due to the price cap and the European nations shunning purchases from Moscow. «India's imports of Russian crude oil dropped by a massive 55 per cent in November — the lowest figure since June 2022,» the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said its latest report.

Sarbananda Sonowal. Lothal, a vibrant township during the Indus Valley civilisation, has been excavated and offers a deep insight into the Harappan times. It was a trade centre in ancient times with businesses spanning West Asia and Africa. Sonowal told ET on the sidelines of the two-day India Maritime Heritage Conclave that more than ₹4,000 crore is being invested in developing the National Maritime Heritage Complex Museum with 14 galleries, a lighthouse museum, coastal state pavilions, recreated Lothal city and four theme-based parks, including those based on monuments, navy and climate change, along with an amusement park and nature conservation park.

Priced at half that of their imported counterparts, the Indian toy doesn’t just match but “rivals the foreign brands feature-for-feature”, exclaim the Shettys. The kids, who got to add to their treasure trove of mostly imported dart blasters, are happy too. That is the sweet spot that India’s reviving toy industry has captured, and in a rather quick time too. In just four years, India has cut toy imports from China, a nation that has long dominated the global market, by an impressive 80%. A mix of high tariffs and stringent quality checks helped. Between FY20 and FY24, India sharply increased customs duty — from 20% to 70%. It also enforced the Quality Control Order (QCO), a regulation mandating stringent safety standards for all toys, whether domestically produced or imported. Result: In FY20, India had imported Chinese toys worth $235 million, a figure that plunged to just $41 million by FY24. It has also evolved into a net exporter of toys.

MDoNER) is set to host the Northeast Trade and Investment Roadshow in Mumbai on December 16, 2024. The event will be addressed by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for MDoNER, along with Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura, and Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Key officials, including Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, MDoNER, and Monalisa Dash,

Pushpa 2: The Rule, has emerged as a pan-India success. The film, which is made within the budget of Rs400-500 crore, has garnered more than Rs750 crore in all languages in India alone in nine days of its release. Interestingly, the contribution of the dubbed Hindi version of the film to the total collection in all languages has been 60.1% at Rs453 crore. This shows that the film has emerged as a pan-India success. Ramesh Bala, entertainment sector analyst based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu said, “A southern film which crosses over its home state and makes Rs100 crore in dubbed Hindi version is a pan-India success.” He said that Pushpa 2: The Rule has fulfilled most expectations of an able sequel just like K.G.F: Chapter 2, the sequel of the original Kannada film K.G.F: Chapter 1.

Some banks and banking trade groups are suing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over a finalized rule that limits overdraft fees banks can charge

PC Jeweller, Linc Ltd and a few other companies are expected to gain attention in the upcoming week as their record dates approach for corporate actions such as dividends, bonus share issuances, and stock splits. The record date is a crucial benchmark set by companies to identify the shareholders entitled to receive benefits such as dividends, stock splits, or bonus shares. Investors must ensure that their shares are reflected in their demat account on or before this date to qualify for the respective corporate actions.

Sensex and NSE Nifty 50 indices fluctuated throughout the week, with a strong rally on Friday, December 13, driving modest weekly gains. On Friday, the Sensex surged by 843.16 points (1.04%) to close at 82,133.12, while the Nifty 50 advanced 219.60 points (0.89%) to settle at 24,768.30, a recovery driven by easing food inflation, strategic price hikes by FMCG companies, and expectations of increased U.S. spending benefiting the IT sector.

volatility return across asset classes, as one would have expected with Trump winning the US presidential election and Republicans taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The latest economic data suggests that the US economy is resilient. It will be interesting to see whether the Fed cuts rates again in the December policy or pauses. The progress on the inflation front has stalled and given that Trump's policies are likely to be expansionary, there could be upside risks to inflation.

market surge lifted the weak indices, ending the week on a positive note. Easing food inflation, A gradual easing in food inflation and a price hike by FMCG companies, along with a recent correction in valuation, supported the sector to outperform. Additionally, the expectation of an increase in US spending is propelling the IT sector. Amid a highly volatile week, certain smallcap stocks hit their 52-week high, giving returns of up to 37% on a week-on-week (WoW) basis.

owner-managed companies are leaders of value creation. In FY23 and FY24, 169 companies listed on the NSE (NSE) after successful IPOs, raising a massive Rs 94,204 crores. Of these, an overwhelming 99.82% (167 firms) were owner-managed enterprises—businesses helmed by their founder-promoters.

Valuation is commonly measured using financial ratios such as the Price-to-Earnings (P/E) or Price-to-Book (P/B) ratios. Let's focus on the P/E ratio for instance. This ratio increases when a stock's price rises faster than its earnings during the same period. If the price significantly outpaces the company's earnings potential, the stock is considered overvalued or sometimes “extremely overvalued” too.

For ages, gold has been recognised as an everlasting source of value, offering stability and security, notably amid uncertain periods. In contrast, cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, have emerged as one of the most popular digital assets globally. It runs on a decentralised network and is resistant to government intervention. Despite phases of intense volatility and dramatic price declines, Bitcoin's overall trend has been upward throughout its existence. This has further generated curiosity as a possible long-term store of value to hedge against inflation and market instability. Moreover, Bitcoin is also called «digital gold”, grabbing the attention of both investors and organisations due to its decentralised structure, finite quantities and capacity to facilitate seamless transactions globally.

Setting targets is undoubtedly a good practice, but rigid adherence can sometimes lead to missed opportunities. Exiting from the investment solely because it has achieved your pre-decided target is like declaring the batsman just because he scored the expected century but the fact is he is in good form and might score double or triple century in the same inning. Similarly, cutting profits prematurely could result in missing out on potential multi-baggers. This behavior often stems from a fear of losing gains, as explained by the Prospect Theory by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. Investors are naturally inclined to avoid losses over seeking larger gains, but overcoming this bias is critical for maximizing returns.

Indian capital markets have experienced phenomenal growth over the past five years, highlighted by a 4.4x surge in demat accounts to 179 million and a 3.2x increase in SIP flows to ₹253 billion as of October 2024. Despite this growth, penetration remains relatively low, with demat account penetration at just 12% compared to 62% in the U.S., and mutual fund (MF) AUM-to-GDP at 17% versus the global average of 65%. This highlights immense potential for further expansion.

Central banks in the United States, Japan and Britain meet, while Germany holds a vote of no confidence in the government.

primary market is sustaining the strong momentum seen throughout the year with 4 new IPOs opening for subscription next week. These include two in the mainboard segment from Mamata Machinery and Transrail Lighting. Apart from the new issue openings, the Street will see as many as 9 listings, of which three will be from Mobikwik, Vishal Mega Mart and Sai Life Sciences.

Mind Over Money, Ajit Menon, CEO of PGIM India Mutual Fund, shares insights as a dynamic leader who seamlessly blends creativity, empathy, and innovation to drive growth while fostering a culture of trust and empowerment. With decades of experience in capital markets, he emphasizes the importance of holistic well-being, believing that a fit body fosters a fit mind.

ICICI Bank, India's second largest private lender, Friday said it may realise ₹160-190 crore from the sale of a 19% stake in ICICI Merchant Services to Netherlands-based First Data Holdings 1 (Netherlands) BV. «The board of directors of ICICI Bank at its meeting held today, approved a proposal for sale of a 19% stake held in ICICI Merchant Services (IMSPL), an associate of the bank, subject to receipt of requisite approvals,» the lender said in an exchange filing.

investment demand in 2025, according to ICICI Securities. There are signs of bottom formation and recovery in commodity prices such as cement, metals and oil, along with gross refining margins of oil companies, the brokerage said in a note to clients.