Indian markets on Dalal Street rallied sharply as easing tensions in the US-Iran conflict and stable oil prices boosted sentiment. Track Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex performance and key global triggers.
The IMF on Monday raised India's growth projection to 7.3 per cent for fiscal 2025-26, up 0.7 percentage point from its October forecast, on the back of better-than-expected performance of the economy. The Washington-headquartered multilateral lending agency has also revised India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast to 6.4 per cent for fiscal year 2026-27 beginning April 1, 2026, from its earlier estimate of 6.2 per cent.
India's private-sector banks are likely to lose market share for a second consecutive year in 2025-26, as their loan books continue to expand much slower than overall bank credit.
With discretionary spending still under pressure, the information technology (IT) services industry continued to face an uncertain demand environment in the third quarter of 2025-26 (Q3FY26).
The tax is collected by brokers on behalf of the government and forms a key component of the Centre's tax revenues.
The highest number of requests was reported for the purchase or construction of residential houses, which stood at 172,625, of which 155,236 were settled, involving an amount of Rs 1,327.91 crore partial withdrawals under the National Pension System (NPS) in FY 2024-25, according to data from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) annual report released this month.
India's industrial production saw a 5.2 per cent increase in February, primarily fuelled by a significant improvement in the manufacturing sector, with 14 out of 23 industry groups recording positive growth.
For engineers across the country, the Oracle job cuts served as a rude reminder of what the AI era has in store for the tech world.
Indian stock markets tumbled sharply with the Sensex falling 800 points and nearly 4 lakh crore wiped out in a single session. Here are the 6 key factors, including rupee weakness and global cues, behind the crash.
Jefferies has downgraded Indian information technology (IT) companies Infosys, HCLTech, and Mphasis to "hold"; LTI MindTree, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Hexaware to "underperform", citing artificial intelligence (AI)-related concerns. Coforge, Sagility and IKS, however, still remain its top picks.
Six banks that reported their quarterly business updates for the October-December (Q3FY26) quarter on Friday recorded double-digit growth in their loan books compared with a year ago. Deposits also posted healthy growth during the period.
The BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50 declined around 4.5 per cent each since the start of the West Asia conflict.
Production growth in India's eight core infrastructure sectors slowed to a three-month low of 2.3 per cent in February, impacted by contractions in crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products output.
'When there is such an elaborate and a strong process, one would have expected anyone to either place the issues so that they can be addressed or go to the regulator and probably tell them rather than creating a kind of uncertainty for the stakeholders.
A key mistake would be continuing to rely on provisions of the Income-Tax Act, 1961, where the new law now applies, and vice versa.
The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile sector has created market distortions, excluded innovation-led electric two-wheeler (e2w) makers, and failed to convert cost advantages into export competitiveness, with 77 per cent of export volumes driven by non-PLI models, said a report released by the Centre for Domestic Economy Policy Research (C-DEP) on Friday.
With the worst in terms of pricing pressures behind Tata Steel, its outlook is expected to improve. Europe has seen hot rolled coil prices rise this January after the European Union's (EU's) carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) kicked in and further price improvements may be on the cards once import quotas come into play in June.
Hindustan Unilever Limited's (HUL's) standalone revenue grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), while volume rose 3.5 per cent during the third quarter of financial year 2026 (FY26).
A new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals a significant increase in donations to national parties in India, with the BJP receiving the overwhelming majority, surpassing the combined total of all other national parties by more than tenfold.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has asked the finance ministry to spell out a clear legal strategy, including options such as a "golden share" or indirect control structures, to maintain strategic oversight in public sector entities if state ownership falls below 51 per cent.
India's economy experienced a growth of 7.8 per cent during the October-December quarter of 2025-26, according to the new series of national accounts with 2022-23 as the base year.
Nayara Energy, a private fuel retailer in India, has increased petrol and diesel prices following a surge in global oil prices due to Middle East tensions. This move contrasts with state-owned retailers who continue to freeze prices.
Shares of electric vehicle (EV) maker Ola Electric Mobility fell nearly 7 per cent to a fresh low on Monday after its revenue growth in the third quarter (October-December/Q3) of 2025-26 (FY26) slowed, with analysts warning that any turnaround could be prolonged.
Private investment projects constitute well over 70 per cent of the nearly Rs 34 trillion of fresh investments announced in H1 this year.
Foreign investors pulled out Rs 21,000 crore (around $2.3 billion) from Indian equities over the last four trading sessions amid deteriorating global risk sentiment triggered by the West Asia crisis.
As the March 31 deadline arrives, a wave of Maoist surrenders suggests insurgency's end, but political and social concerns remain.
On Agri Stack, Expenditure Secy V Vualnam says it's progressing well; using IT, farmers will be able to choose exact fertiliser quantities needed, reducing crowding at fertiliser outlets.
The Indian economy is likely to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2025-26, up from 6.5 per cent in the previous fiscal, mainly on account of better performance of manufacturing and services sectors, as per the government data released on Wednesday.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) infused Rs 22,615 crore into Indian equities in February, marking the highest monthly inflow in 17 months, driven by factors such as the interim India-US trade deal, correction in domestic market valuations, and strong corporate earnings.
If the conflict continues for a prolonged period, State-run oil companies may have to review retail fuel prices accordingly.
A BofA Global Research report indicates that Paytm is leading in monetisation compared to its competitors due to its diversified mix of merchant lending and financial services, which enhances profitability and strengthens its position in the Indian fintech market.
IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation had a mildly encouraging third quarter in financial year 2026 (Q3FY26).
Petrol diesel price today March 20, 2026: IOCL & HPCL hike premium petrol (XP95, Speed, Power) by 2/litre and industrial diesel by 22/litre. Regular petrol in Delhi 94.77, diesel 87.67 unchanged. Full city-wise rates inside.
The government has sharply reduced excise duty on petrol to 3 and diesel to zero, offering major relief to consumers. Here's how the price cut will impact fuel rates and inflation.
Petrol diesel price today March 20, 2026: IOCL & HPCL hike premium petrol (XP95, Speed, Power) by 2/litre and industrial diesel by 22/litre. Regular petrol in Delhi 94.77, diesel 87.67 unchanged. Full city-wise rates inside.
Fexo, an AI intelligence platform focused on the BFSI sector, has launched its AI decisioning engine for business loans, designed to help financial institutions accelerate AI adoption and improve decision-making processes.
This would imply a 29 per cent year-on-year rise, significantly lower than growth rates seen in recent years.
Brokerages were divided on Bajaj Finance after its 2025-26 (FY26) third-quarter (October-December/ Q3) results, with a few raising targets on valuation comfort, while others flagged concerns over the credit cost trajectory.
Foreign brokerages have started to cut their year-end targets for the Nifty 50 index amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
'If you go by the capital expenditure, this is a good defence budget. But we will have to see if the government can keep defence spending at 2 per cent or higher in 2027-2028.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances