India's manufacturing sector growth slowed to a four-year low in March, impacted by cost pressures, competition, market uncertainty, and the Middle East conflict, according to the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI.
This would imply a 29 per cent year-on-year rise, significantly lower than growth rates seen in recent years.
India's economy is projected to maintain growth above 7 per cent in 2026-27 (FY27), supported by strong domestic consumption and investment, even as global growth faces risks from geopolitical tensions, according to industry body Assocham.
India's industrial production growth decelerated to a five-month low of 4.1 per cent in March, primarily due to the subdued performance of the manufacturing and power sectors, exacerbated by the West Asia crisis.
'In India's case, an extended earnings slowdown accompanied by rich valuations have dimmed returns since late 2024.'
The Strait of Hormuz crisis is impacting lifestyles worldwide, from reduced gold purchases in India to energy conservation in Europe and Japan, as governments urge citizens to adapt to the global energy shock.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' acquisition of US-based Organon & Co. for $11.75 billion, the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian pharma company, has been met with mixed reactions from brokerages, who see strategic entry into women's health and biosimilars but also flag potential integration challenges and debt concerns.
New completions in India's office real estate sector fell by 36 per cent to 9.7 million square feet in Q1 2026, the lowest in four quarters, primarily due to developers adopting a cautious stance amid global uncertainties, particularly in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Despite this, office absorption increased by 20 per cent, indicating strong occupier demand.
It seems odd to criticise a country for delivering growth rates in standards of living and consumption that have been perhaps the fastest, longest, and most broad-based (affecting hundreds of millions of people) in history, points out Arvind Subramanian.
'Policy consistency combined with timely and calibrated reforms are expected to ensure that India not only maintains macroeconomic stability, but also emerges as a globally competitive and inclusive economy.'
'At the first sign of real trouble, that money will move. There will be a run.'
Yield-generating instruments like Infrastructure Investment Trusts (Invits), Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits), and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) are witnessing a surge in investor interest, contrasting with a notable slowdown in the equity primary market, which saw only one IPO in April.
India's services sector growth reached a five-month high in April, with the HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index rising to 58.8, primarily driven by robust domestic demand and a shift from international to local suppliers amidst the West Asia crisis.
Real estate developers are increasingly offering flexible payment plans, such as low booking amounts and deferred payments, to stimulate housing sales and manage affordability concerns without resorting to price cuts, as sales volumes declined by 14 per cent in 2025.
"Our strategy has always been to focus on volume-led penetration growth," said Manish Tiwary, chairman and managing director, Nestle India.
Millions of soccer fans in the world's two most populous nations may not be able to watch the World Cup that starts next month, due to a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and no official decision in China.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transaction value and volume saw a slight month-on-month dip in April after record highs in March, but daily transaction volumes increased, indicating sustained growth in digital payments across India.
Growth in AI engineering hiring is being driven by rapid AI adoption across organisations of all sizes, said the LinkedIn report.
Godrej Properties closed FY26 with record bookings and presales, exceeding its annual guidance, but brokerages express concerns over weak cash-flow generation and the ability to sustain growth amidst a muted real estate market.
Mumbai Indians rode on sublime half-centuries from openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton to outclass Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in a high-scoring Indian Premier League clash in Mumbai on Monday.
India's EV ecosystem is growing, but remains too underdeveloped to cushion a major oil supply shock.
India's services sector growth slowed in March, reaching a 14-month low, according to the HSBC India Services PMI. The slowdown reflects weaker new business intakes and rising input costs, particularly in fuel, transport, and logistics.
Even if there is an early agreement on a cessation of hostilities in West Asia, the price shock will not go away easily, points out A K Bhattacharya.
These offers provide some relief to engineering students impacted by the uptake in artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
South Africa defeated India by 23 runs in the fifth T20I to win the series 4-1, with Laura Wolvaardt's unbeaten 92 leading the charge. India's batting lineup struggled, failing to chase a modest target of 156.
Virat Kohli expressed his fondness for the Chinnaswamy Stadium after Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a victory against Gujarat Titans.
India's private sector activity saw a significant recovery in April, driven primarily by robust growth in manufacturing output and sales, following a three-year low in March attributed to the West Asia conflict.
'In investing, poor sentiment is always a good vintage to build a portfolio.'
'Decisions on talent and rewards have shifted as employees and companies are operating in a buyer's market across most skill categories.'
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has significantly reduced the number of draft offer documents returned or rejected, dropping from 17 in FY25 to just two in FY26, thanks to a more facilitative and engagement-first regulatory approach.
Moody's Ratings has downgraded India's growth forecast for financial year 2026-27 (FY27) to 6 per cent from 6.8 per cent, attributing the revision to weaker consumption and industrial activity, elevated energy prices, and rising input costs stemming from 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.
'Even if the war ends tomorrow, which is unlikely, and we go back to the pre-war status quo, the world will still need some time to get over the sudden shock of oil price increases.'
Several non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are observing an increase in early-stage delinquencies within their micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) loan portfolios, primarily driven by supply chain disruptions and escalating raw material costs exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Analysts have largely maintained a bullish outlook on HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank following their Q4FY26 results, though their perspectives on future growth drivers differ. HDFC Bank's near-term performance is tied to accelerating loan growth, while ICICI Bank is seen as a strong candidate for a valuation rerating.
India's new manufacturing project announcements more than halved in the fourth quarter of FY26, falling 60 per cent sequentially and 78 per cent year-on-year to approximately 1.7 trillion, driven by global uncertainties, geopolitical conflicts in West Asia, and existing unutilised manufacturing capacity.
Info Edge (India) shares fell 2.9 per cent after the company reported muted growth in recruitment billings for Q4 FY26, leading brokerages to expect impacted operating performance and potential margin contraction.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia have slowed deal momentum in Dubai's luxury residential market, but Indian high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) are not exiting their marquee assets, with any 'discounted' resale deals attributed to investor liquidity stress rather than geopolitical flight.
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected a 6.9 per cent GDP growth for the current financial year, citing concerns over commodity prices and supply chain disruptions stemming from the West Asia crisis.
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