With Gulf countries emerging as popular destinations for Indian weddings and pre-wedding shoots, the March-April season had seen a flurry of bookings.
Analysts predict that developments in West Asia and their impact on crude oil prices will heavily influence investor sentiment in the upcoming week. Global market trends, foreign investor activity, and rupee-dollar movement will also play a role.
Gold has emerged as the most stable asset during episodes of geopolitical stress, and crude oil has been more sensitive than others when it comes to regional conflicts and sanctions, according to a report in the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) monthly bulletin. Silver and the United States Treasury have showed moderate reactions.
Households should moderate large discretionary expenses for the time being.
'They should prioritise essential spending. They should maintain an emergency fund covering 6 to 12 months of expenses.'
Analysts warn that global markets are significantly underpricing the risk of an oil price shock, with Brent crude potentially soaring to $150 per barrel if the West Asia conflict escalates or damages critical oil and gas infrastructure. This could lead to severe inflation and economic repercussions, particularly for import-dependent nations like India.
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.
India would confront a more entrenched China, a less dependable United States, and a regional order increasingly shaped by great-power bargaining over which it exercises limited influence, notes Amberish K Diwanji.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has debunked reports of gold sales, stating that its physical stock of gold remains unchanged at 880.52 tonnes, countering claims of selling approximately USD 12 billion to protect foreign-currency reserves.
'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.'
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.
India has no plans to ration fuel supplies despite ongoing disruptions in global energy markets, according to a top oil ministry official. The country has maintained adequate inventories of crude products and LPG while diversifying imports to manage supply risks.
Hybrid mutual fund schemes attracted significant inflows of Rs 1.55 lakh crore in FY26, a 29 per cent increase, as investors increasingly opted for diversified investment strategies to navigate volatile market conditions and geopolitical tensions.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cancelled its Board and committee meetings due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday.
S Mahendra Dev, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, expressed confidence that the rupee would stabilise around the 92-93 level against the US dollar, despite geopolitical tensions, and that foreign investment flows would return.
A new report highlights India's increasing vulnerability to cyberattacks and CBRN threats due to geopolitical tensions, industrial growth, and urbanisation, calling for an urgent strengthening of its CBRN security strategy through collaboration and investment.
Dozens of US planes carrying ammunition landed in Tel Aviv, raising concerns about potential strikes on Iran. Negotiations between the US and Iran remain deadlocked over key issues, with both sides issuing fresh demands and warnings.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has warned that the ongoing West Asia crisis is not merely a geopolitical issue but will directly lead to higher fuel costs for common people and businesses, impacting shipping, input availability, and export orders.
Indian stock market indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a decline in early trade due to surging crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia. Foreign fund outflows further contributed to the negative sentiment.
A new report suggests China's maritime vulnerability lies in the Strait of Hormuz, not Malacca, creating strategic competition in the Indian Ocean.
Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) have significantly increased their holdings in Nifty 500 companies, reaching a record 20.9 per cent by the end of March, while Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) reduced their ownership to an all-time low of 17.1 per cent, according to Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew a substantial amount from Indian equities in the first half of March, driven by geopolitical tensions, rupee depreciation, and concerns about crude oil prices.
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
US President Donald Trump concluded his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing it as 'incredible' and highlighting 'fantastic trade deals' and a 'very strong' relationship between the two leaders.
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced that India's foreign exchange reserves stand at a healthy $682.3 billion as of May 29, 2026, providing approximately 11 months of import cover and strong protection against external shocks.
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.
'The MPC is likely to prioritise the key mandate, which is inflation, while relying on other instruments to stabilise the currency and bond markets.'
Kumar Mangalam Birla urged young people to 'build in India, build for India and build for the world'.
India on Friday launched a highly coordinated, priority operation to safely guide 13 Indian-flagged commercial vessels out of the volatile Strait of Hormuz, the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways announced on Friday.
India Ratings and Research predicts the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will maintain the repo rate at 5.25 per cent throughout FY27, despite potential inflationary pressures from higher fuel prices, with inflation expected to remain within the central bank's tolerance band.
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.
The support will be provided to oil-marketing companies (OMCs) in the form of interest-free advances through the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The OMCs, in turn, will use the fund to provide ATF price stabilisation support to Indian carriers operating domestic and international flights.
Indian equity markets experienced a significant downturn as geopolitical tensions in West Asia, rising oil prices, and foreign fund outflows dampened investor confidence. The Sensex and Nifty both fell sharply in early trade, reflecting broader global market weakness.
While tensions have eased at several friction points and mechanisms for managing the boundary have been reactivated, underlying differences persist. Disputes over naming practices in Arunachal Pradesh, continued infrastructure development on both sides, and unresolved questions regarding patrolling rights indicate that the structural gap remains, notes Dr Kumar.
Indian benchmark equity indices, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty, experienced a significant drop in early trade due to elevated oil prices, weak global market trends, and renewed fears of military operations in the Middle East following US President Donald Trump's statements regarding Iran. Track Sensex, Nifty on May 20.
The US has seized an oil tanker, 'Skywave', linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean, as part of efforts to disrupt Iran's oil shipments and enforce sanctions. The vessel was part of a network transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil, with the seizure occurring amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Indian equity benchmark indices experienced a significant drop in early trade, with the BSE Sensex falling over 525 points and the NSE Nifty down more than 164 points, primarily due to rising crude oil prices and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict.
Escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia are beginning to disrupt India's automotive supply chain, leading to rising commodity prices, logistics bottlenecks, material shortages, and pressure on consumer demand, with two-wheeler makers already raising prices.
The Customs department seized gold worth Rs 3.15 crore from two passengers at Mumbai airport, including a finance professional smuggling gold due to US-Iran conflict concerns.
Indian investors have seen their wealth erode by a staggering Rs 48.29 lakh crore since the West Asia war began on February 28, leading to a significant downturn in the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty, driven by geopolitical tensions and rising crude oil prices.
In April alone, they snapped up shares worth Rs 19,664 crore, recording their biggest buy since October 2024.
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