Pakistan may face a significant water shortage during the Kharif season due to reduced water supplies from India.
Stock markets are in for an event-heavy week ahead with a raft of Q1 earnings from blue-chips, the US Fed interest rate decision and foreign investors trading activity driving investors' sentiment, analysts said. Macroeconomic data announcements, monthly auto sales numbers and global market trends would also guide movement in the domestic equities, they said.
CPGRAMS -- an online platform available to citizens 24x7 to lodge their grievances to public authorities on service delivery -- has existed for close to two decades. But it has never been this active, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
ICICI Bank has reversed its decision to raise the minimum monthly average balance (MAB) for new savings accounts in metro and urban locations to Rs 50,000, revising it instead to Rs 15,000, effective August 1. The MAB for new savings accounts in semi-urban locations has been revised from Rs 25,000 to Rs 7,500, and for rural locations from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2,500.
The National Democratic Alliance's vice presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan was felicitated at a meeting of the ruling bloc's MPs in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union ministers. He is expected to file his nomination soon.
'Engaging with Pakistan at this stage sends out a message that undermines the sentiments of the people of India who stand firmly against any compromise on national security.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar clarified that there was no third-party intervention in the ceasefire with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. He asserted that halting the operation was not linked to trade and refuted claims of mediation by US President Donald Trump.
'China has thus far been cautious, emphasising its focus on development rather than weaponising water resources.'
He clarified that though China has not announced any such move, but even if it happens, it would in fact help mitigate the annual Assam floods.
The announcements were made after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to formulate the country's response to India's move to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and downgrade diplomatic ties after the Pahalgam terror attack.
He conveyed this during a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a statement posted by the state-run Pakistan Television on X.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his "blood would flow in rivers" remark and called former cricketer Shahid Afridi a "joker" for his comment on the Pahalgam terror attack. Owaisi also supported India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and called for Pakistan to be placed on the FATF grey list. He also advocated for cyber attacks against Pakistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said on Friday that the ceasefire with India was holding and the country is committed to it. He also said that Pakistan is committed to making the ceasefire hold and de-escalation succeed, and then engagement to lead to stability and resolution of issues. Khan said that the two militaries have a channel of communication through the Directors General of Military Operations, through which they are working for de-escalation, in terms of the movement of troops. He added that Pakistan remains committed to the ceasefire announced on May 10 and lately, both sides have taken steps for de-escalation and return of stability.
Modi said India has now established a "new normal" of not differentiating between terrorists and those who nurture terrorism as they are both enemies of humanity.
The MiG-21 episode demonstrates that procurement is always strategic.
Choices about what aircraft to acquire, who builds them, who supplies the spares, who trains the pilots and technicians are decisions with political consequences lasting for decades.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said that the Indian sub-continent offers a "stark contrast" in terms of progress, prosperity and development models.
The army said the missile launch was part of "Exercise INDUS" without giving details about the exercise.
Pakistan successfully conducted a training launch of the 'Fatah series' surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometers. The launch comes amid heightened tensions with India following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the test was part of the ongoing exercise 'INDUS' and was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy.
The invitation cards for the 79th Independence Day celebration also carry the Operation Sindoor logo, and the water mark of Chenab bridge to exemplify the rise of 'Naya Bharat'. Floral decorations at the venue will also be based on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Many buyers skip or misread critical provisions in builder-buyer agreements.
From the Sensex pack, Sun Pharma, Eternal, Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among the major laggards. In contrast, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Asian Paints and Maruti were among the gainers.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.
'There is responsibility to make great games that are played by audiences, that fill the gap from an entertainment perspective.'
Amid liquidity tightness in the banking system, certificate of deposit (CD) rates topped 8 per cent for some smaller banks, with rates remaining on the higher side for derivatives loss-hit IndusInd Bank. On Thursday, CSB Bank raised Rs 100 crore via one-year CDs at 8.5 per cent, while Utkarsh Small Finance Bank issued three-month CDs at 8.05 per cent to raise Rs 50 crore.
Among Sensex stocks, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, Power Grid, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, Bajaj Finserv and NTPC were the biggest gainers. However, Eternal, ICICI Bank, Titan, Mahindra & Mahindra, Adani Ports, Tata Steel and Bharti Airtel were among the laggards.
'Operation Sindoor had three objectives.' 'One, destroy the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters at Muridke and the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters at Bahawalpur.' 'Second, deter and defend any counterstrike by Pakistan.' 'And third, if they persist, demonstrably deliver counterforce punishment.' 'All of the three boxes, the IAF checked,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
From the Sensex firms, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, Nestle and Tata Steel were among the major laggards. In contrast, Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan, Larsen & Toubro, Bharti Airtel and Maruti were among the gainers.
Among Sensex firms, Tata Consultancy Services, Adani Ports, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, Bajaj Finserv and NTPC were the laggards. IndusInd Bank, Titan, Mahindra & Mahindra and Maruti were among the biggest gainers.
Telecom infrastructure player Indus Towers has been largely ignored by investors with occasional bursts of trading when there's news flow. For example, the stock fell from Rs 188 (Jan 1, 2023) to Rs 135 (Jan 27) and then bounced back to Rs 165 in early February as the Government of India (GoI) converted Vodafone Idea's (Vi) debt into equity and Bharti Airtel pushed up its direct stake in Indus to 47.95 per cent. The cash-strapped Vi holds 21 per cent stake in Indus Towers and Indus also has substantial receivables to come in from Vi which is a negative overhang.
India has closed its airspace to flights operated by Pakistani airlines in a retaliatory move following the Pahalgam terror attack. The ban will be in effect until May 23 and applies to all aircraft registered in Pakistan, as well as planes operated, owned or leased by Pakistani airlines and operators. This comes a week after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers. The move is part of various measures taken by the Indian government against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
'Operation Sindoor is still ongoing. The Prime Minister himself said that blood and water cannot flow together, that talks and terrorism cannot go together. So how can we have a cricket match with a country that indulges in terrorism?'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discusses India's approach to cross-border terrorism following the Pahalgam attack, emphasizing a firm response and no compromise on nuclear blackmail.
Former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto had acknowledged his country's tango with terror operatives, saying that Pakistan has a past.
From the Sensex firms, Adani Ports declined 2.42 per cent. Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Power Grid, Eternal, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, Tata Consultancy Services and UltraTech Cement were among the biggest laggards. Mahindra & Mahindra emerged as the only gainer in the pack.
The Pakistani military fired unprovoked shots across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir for a second consecutive night, triggering retaliatory action from Indian troops. This escalation follows heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Despite the exchange of fire, no casualties were reported. India has imposed a series of punitive measures in response to the attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari land-border crossing. Pakistan has responded in kind, closing its airspace to Indian airlines and suspending trade with India.
Sections in the US State Department and Pentagon have always felt more comfortable dealing with all powerful Pakistani generals instead of elected civilians, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
From the Sensex pack, HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, Tata Motors and Eternal were the lead gainers. Power Grid, Adani Ports, IndusInd Bank, Nestle, HDFC Bank and Hindustan Unilever were among the laggards.
The CCS meet was held at the prime minister's Lok Kalyan Marg residence, a day after he held a meeting with the top military brass and accorded operational freedom to the armed forces on the "mode, targets and timing" of India's response to the April 22 attack that killed 26 people.
IndusInd International Holdings chairman Ashok Hinduja on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Reliance Capital, completing the three-year-long resolution process of the debt-ridden company. IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL) has transferred the bid amount to the escrow account of the lender, and the takeover of the management from the Administrator will happen on Wednesday.
'If you fire two missiles at Jamnagar or ten missiles there, what do you think India will do?' 'India will fire 500 missiles on Tarbela and Mangla, destroy the Sukkur Barrage, destroy Karachi port.' 'When you start issuing threats, it should be with some sense and sensibility.' 'You shouldn't just shoot your mouth off just because you have appointed yourself field marshal.'
