India's leading two-wheeler manufacturers experienced significant growth in May, propelled by strong domestic demand for premium motorcycles and scooters, channel inventory replenishment, and a recovery in export markets.
India's exports reached a six-month high, growing by 18 per cent to USD 45.2 billion in May, driven by electronic goods, petroleum products, engineering items, and pharmaceuticals. However, the trade deficit widened to USD 28.21 billion due to a 10 per cent rise in imports, particularly petroleum products and gold, amidst surging crude oil prices.
Maruti Suzuki India's shares gained over 2.5 per cent after a strong March-quarter performance, with analysts maintaining a positive medium-term outlook driven by buoyant domestic market volumes, capacity expansion, and export growth, despite anticipated near-term margin pressures from higher commodity prices and startup costs.
TVS Motor Company is strategically positioned for sustained outperformance in the domestic two-wheeler industry, propelled by increasing market share in scooters, premium motorcycles, electric vehicles (EVs), and robust export growth, according to analysts.
India's exports recorded a 13.78 per cent increase to USD 43.56 billion in April, marking the highest monthly outbound shipments in over four years, primarily driven by petroleum products. However, the trade deficit widened to a three-month high of USD 28.38 billion due to a 10 per cent rise in imports.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced an additional USD 13 billion investment in India, bringing the company's total capital commitment to USD 48 billion by 2030. This significant investment will primarily focus on expanding AI and cloud infrastructure, supporting job creation, boosting e-commerce exports, and digitising small businesses, aligning with India's growing digital economy.
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has appealed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for liquidity support to Indian exporters, citing a significant increase in freight costs and extended payment cycles due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
India's pharmaceutical exports have shown robust growth, reaching over USD 28 billion, despite global economic challenges. The sector is projected to reach USD 130 billion by 2030.
The remarkable rise of smallcaps reflects the emergence of a broad set of specialised businesses operating in industries where the sectoral tailwinds remain considerably stronger than macroeconomic headwinds, points out Debashis Basu.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd reported a 22.22 per cent decline in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 1,255.63 crore in the March quarter, primarily due to higher expenses, despite an increase in total revenue from operations.
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) reported a 21 per cent increase in its March quarter consolidated net profit, reaching Rs 2,994 crore, primarily driven by higher volumes and a significant gain from the divestment of its stake in Nutritionalab.
Indian shipyards Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSEL), and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) are set for substantial growth, driven by a significant pipeline of Indian Navy orders and diversification into commercial and export markets. The Navy's share in defence spending is approximately 21 per cent, ensuring robust order visibility for these domestic players.
India achieved a current account surplus of USD 7.1 billion, or 0.7 per cent of GDP, in the January-March quarter of 2025-26, primarily boosted by robust services exports and increased remittances from overseas Indians, according to recent Reserve Bank of India data.
Nomura has increased its March 2027 target for the Nifty 50 to 25,900, driven by strong corporate earnings and attractive market valuations, even as risks from the West Asia conflict and high oil prices persist.
Indian defence stocks have seen an average year-on-year gain of 67 per cent, driven by renewed interest following 'Operation Sindoor' and a broader increase in global geopolitical tensions, with the combined market capitalisation of 18 firms increasing by approximately 2.3 trillion.
Bharat Forge reported modest Q4FY26 results but provided strong guidance, anticipating significant growth from its defence, aerospace, and data centre segments, with a projected 25 per cent revenue growth in Indian manufacturing for FY27, despite current high valuations.
India's economy in FY26 saw significant momentum from investment demand, with gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) accelerating to 8.2 per cent, while private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) also grew steadily, according to provisional estimates.
Indian pharmaceutical companies are strategically increasing investments in the US market, focusing on specialty drugs, complex generics, respiratory products, and local manufacturing, despite a nearly 10 per cent fall in exports to the US in FY26 due to pricing pressure and competition in traditional generics.
The United Nations has revised downward India's economic growth forecast for 2026 to 6.4 per cent from an earlier 6.6 per cent, attributing the change to global uncertainties and economic shocks stemming from the ongoing West Asia crisis.
Bajaj Auto reported a significant increase in its consolidated Q4FY26 performance, with profit after tax more than doubling to approximately 3,662 crore, a 103 per cent year-on-year rise, primarily driven by record volumes, an improved product mix, and the strategic consolidation of Bajaj Auto International Holdings AG (BAIHAG).
Despite a disappointing Q4 FY26 performance, many analysts remain bullish on Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) due to its substantial order book and pipeline. However, persistent supply chain issues, particularly for jet engines, and execution challenges are key factors that could impact its future stock performance and revenue growth.
A pickup in freight rates, rising fleet utilisation and a long-awaited replacement cycle are breathing fresh life into India's commercial vehicle (CV) market, strengthening the investment case for Tata Motors' CV arm (TMCV). Despite a broadly steady December quarter (Q3) performance, brokerages remain divided on whether the upswing is strong enough to offset margin pressures.
The World Bank has affirmed India's strong position to withstand the current global energy shock, citing high foreign exchange reserves, fiscal space, and low inflation as key buffers supporting continued growth despite international headwinds.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd reported a significant 48.5 per cent jump in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 5,259.91 crore in the March quarter, primarily attributed to strong performance in its auto and farm sectors, alongside ambitious plans for new SUV and EV launches.
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.
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.
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.
'Markets never fully lose hope. But an important shift could come if the Strait remains closed -- moving from high prices to no prices.'
'Once the market decides it wants to go up, it goes up -- no amount of bad news can really hold it back.'
Reliance Industries' digital arm, Jio Platforms, may see its initial public offering (IPO) delayed to the second half of fiscal 2027, according to CreditSights. The delay is primarily attributed to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which could impact market conditions and investor sentiment.
The automobile and auto-ancillary sector is expected to show strong Q3FY26 results, aided by festival-led demand, rationalisation in goods and services tax (GST) rates for select categories of vehicles, easing interest rates, and improving rural sentiment.
'So far our production is not affected. But every day the situation prolongs, it does bring risks in terms of shipments getting delayed.'
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
Two-wheeler (2W) major Bajaj Auto on Friday posted its highest ever quarterly revenue and profit during the third quarter of 2025-26 (Q3FY26). Bajaj Auto's consolidated net profit for the quarter grew by 25 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 2,749 crore, with the revenue also growing 23 per cent to Rs 16,204 crore.
Leading automakers in India, including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Hyundai, reported increased vehicle dispatches to dealers in February, driven by sustained domestic demand.
Leading automakers in India, including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Hyundai, reported increased vehicle dispatches to dealers in February, driven by sustained domestic demand.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
Quick commerce platforms are experiencing a significant increase in demand for ready-to-eat food items as urban households face disruptions in cooking gas supply and a temporary outflow of migrant domestic help.
The deal shifts the US posture towards India from hostile to neutral, and that matters for growth, points out T T Ram Mohan.
