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The impact of higher fuel costs due to the conflict in West Asia, along with a delay in tariff increases that’s limiting revenue growth, is expected to weigh on the financials of India’s telecom companies in the near term, according to analysts. Mint analyzes how the mismatch between high costs and limited scope for charging customers is likely to put pressure on telecom operators.Telecom operators rely on diesel-powered generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply to telecom towers, which form the backbone of mobile networks.

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.

₹32,100 crore in March, rising 8% month-on-month. But this hasn’t been enough to mask the fact that net inflows into equity schemes have slipped year-on-year in FY26 against a growth in FY25.Now, it’s not as if inflows typically spike in March, as it is the last month of a financial year. Note that SIP inflows in March have been flat month-on-month in FY25 and FY24.

Stock market recap: Indian benchmark indices surged about 6% last week—their strongest performance in over five years—driven by sharply improving global cues, and a risk-on rally across global equities. The Sensex surged 918.60 points, or 1.20%, to end at 77,550.25 on Friday, while the Nifty also finished higher, reclaiming the important 24,000 level.SONACOMS: Buy above 556 stop 520 target 610 (Multiday)NAM-INDIA: Buy above ₹960, stop ₹897 target ₹1075 (Multiday)OLECTRA: Buy above ₹1187, stop ₹1170 target ₹1275 (Multiday)Indian equity markets staged a strong rebound on 10 April 2026, recovering smartly after the previous session’s weak close.

Stock market recap: Indian equities rebounded on Friday, 10 April, with benchmark indices recovering recent losses amid improved global sentiment. The BSE Sensex jumped over 900 points to close near 77,500, while the Nifty 50 reclaimed the 24,000 mark, ending around 24,050.Sentiment was lifted by optimism around a temporary US–Iran ceasefire.

The RBI’s monetary policy committee kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, reflecting the wait-and-watch approach adopted by global peers such as the US Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and European Central Bank amid the war in West Asia. The RBI pegged FY27 GDP growth at 6.9% under the new GDP (gross domestic product) series, down from FY26 growth estimate of 7.6%. The central bank flagged risks from Strait of Hormuz disruptions and high energy prices.

foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded around ₹60,000 crore worth of financial sector stocks, triggering a sharp correction in the Bank Nifty.That’s just the selling in the financial sector…in one month.But if you look at the overall trend, FIIs pulled out more than ₹1.12 trillion from Indian equities, making it one of the sharpest monthly outflows in recent years.While all this was happening, a few FIIs quietly took a contrarian call and continued to buy Indian equities. Interestingly, their focus was small-cap stocks.During the Jan-March 2026 period, several small companies received interest from foreign institutional investors.In this editorial, we will look at four small-cap stocks that were bought by FIIs in the March 2026 quarter.In the December 2025 quarter, the company’s FII holding was 3.36% that has increased to 5.77% as of March 2026.Shringar House of Mangalsutra designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of mangalsutras in 18k and 22k gold, studded with American diamonds, cubic zirconia, pearls, and semi-precious stones.It holds close to 6% share of the organized mangalsutra market in India.

Indian benchmark indices surged about 6% this week—their strongest performance in over five years—driven by sharply improving global cues after a ceasefire between the US and Iran eased geopolitical tensions, stabilised crude oil prices, and triggered a risk-on rally across global equities.The Sensex recorded its sharpest weekly gain since the week ended 7 February 2021, when the markets had surged over 9% in a rally as covid-19 fears subsided. On Friday, the Nifty 50 rose 1.16% to close at 24,050.60, while the Sensex gained 1.2% to end at 77,550.25.At the same time, volatility cooled significantly.

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.

Bloomberg’s 1% estimate.Growth was broad-based across key geographies and segments, except BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) and CMT (communication, media and technology).Even so, investor sentiment remains fragile. Fears of AI-led deflation, the recent new product launch by Anthropic, and geopolitical tensions have weighed on IT stocks.

HDFC Bank episode shows, ADRs remain a flashing alarm bell for FPI sentiment.In the early 2000s, Indian markets were marked by sharp information asymmetry, and remained relatively isolated from their global peers. For foreign investors at the time, these US dollar-denominated certificates traded in American exchanges opened a critical but often congested lane connecting to Dalal Street.Switch to present—the landscape has transformed.

Stock market recap: Indian benchmark indices fell sharply on Thursday, 9 April, as hopes of a lasting US-Iran ceasefire began fading, weighing on investor sentiment.Sensex ended 931 points or 1.2% lower at 76,631.65, while the Nifty 50 lost 222.25 points or 0.93% lower at 23,775. Intraday trade, the Sensex touched a low of 76,348, and the Nifty 50 slipped 314.5 points, or 1.3%, to 23,683.Buy: Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd (current price: ₹1,725)Buy: Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (current price: ₹2,657)Nifty 50 performance on 9 AprilOn Thursday, the Nifty 50 opened lower at 23,909.05 and initially attempted a rebound, touching an intraday high of 23,990.75.

Market trends have reset as the recent rally failed to find sustained momentum. Investors remain cautious, awaiting a clear direction from TCS's upcoming earnings while persistent geopolitical conflict continues to cloud the outlook.

₹500/tonne and ₹450/tonne to ₹5,300 and ₹4,500, respectively, barely a month after increases ₹100 and ₹50 implemented on 6 March.Markets cheered the move, interpreting it as a signal that pricing power may be returning to the ferrous cycle amid strong domestic steel demand and firm global prices.Morgan Stanley also flagged restocking activity amid rising prices. Seaborne iron-ore prices have risen about 8% since the end of February, partly aided by the West Asia war.Interestingly, brokers are divided over how profitability turned out for NMDC during Q4FY26, with Nuvama Institutional Equities estimating a 5% reduction in Ebitda per tonne, while Kotak Institutional Equities expects an 11% year-on-year increase in the metric.Against this backdrop, the latest price hike is a welcome relief, sending shares soaring this week.

Cycle Pure Agarbatti is sharpening its push into digital channels and associated product categories as it looks to evolve beyond its traditional incense business. As part of this strategy, the company has acquired a majority stake in Satvik Spirituals Pvt Ltd, a company that built its business of spiritual and lifestyle offerings through e-commerce."E-commerce is still relatively new for us and Satvik is a digital-first brand and understands consumer behaviour online,” Arjun Ranga, managing director of N.

At an Ikea store in India, a shopper’s journey often ends where it quietly begins again—with a tray of food.“Food is a major driver of traffic for us. It’s among the biggest reasons customers walk into our stores,” Adosh Sharma, country commercial manager at Ikea India, told Mint in an interview.What started as an in-store convenience has evolved into a core lever for footfall, repeat visits and customer engagement.

₹2.5 trillion relief package, including credit guarantees for MSMEs amid feedback from banks indicating potential stress in their MSME portfolios starting Q1 FY27, the persons cited above said, requesting anonymity.The current environment, shaped by the West Asia crisis, is creating conditions similar to the covid-19 period, warranting a closer look at relief measures. This assumes significance given that the MSME sector contributes about 30.1% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) and accounts for 35.4% of manufacturing output and nearly 45% of India’s merchandise exports.MSME borrowers have increasingly approached lenders seeking relief measures, citing business disruptions from the West Asia war.

Stock market recap: The markets opened with a sharp gap-up and closed significantly higher on Wednesday, owing to a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The geopolitical de-escalation triggered a sharp 14% decline in the price of crude oil, which fell below $95 a barrel, easing inflation concerns and improving India’s macro outlook.Domestic sentiment was further bolstered by the RBI Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to maintain the repo rate at 5.25%, ensuring policy stability.

₹25,000 a month. More established creators are receiving 6-7 brand campaigns regularly, translating into upwards of ₹50,000 in monthly earnings,” he added.Some creators chose to ditch short-form content and started creating long-form YouTube videos to skip the cut-throat competition.

In a crucial ruling for the banking sector, the Supreme Court clarified that banks are not required to provide borrowers a personal or oral hearing before classifying their accounts as fraudulent. On Tuesday, the court held that a written process is enough to satisfy principles of natural justice.Mint explains the case, the ruling, and what it means for fraud detection by banks and for borrowers.The case before a two-person Supreme Court bench arose from appeals filed by banks, including State Bank of India and Bank of India, against orders of the Calcutta and Delhi High Courts.

Shares of Asian Paints Ltd, Berger Paints India Ltd and Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd rallied 3-5% on Wednesday as crude oil prices eased. Following the news of a two-week ceasefire in the West Asia war, Brent crude slipped to around $93 a barrel from a closing high of $107.9 a barrel on 18 March.Crude derivatives such as solvents, resins and binders comprise around 40% of the raw material basket for paint companies, so higher oil prices weigh on gross margins.