Markets

Consultancy Outlook Points to Strong Services and Manufacturing Performance The Indian economy is expected to record a growth rate of 7.3 to 7.5 per cent in the financial year ending March 2026, with growth likely to ease to around 7 per cent in 2026-27, according to an outlook shared by Grant Thornton Bharat.The projection aligns closely with the First Advance Estimates released by the National Statistics Office, which peg India’s growth at 7.4 per cent in 2025-26. This marks a notable improvement over the 6.5 per cent expansion recorded in the previous financial year, supported by sustained momentum in the services and manufacturing sectors.Exports Remain Resilient Amid Global Headwinds Despite external pressures, including...

Tirupur, January 14, 2026: Garment Mantra Lifestyle Limited has achieved export sales of ₹100 crore in the current financial year, marking the highest-ever export performance in the company’s history and a defining milestone in its growth journey.The achievement underscores the company’s successful transition into a strong export-oriented apparel and textile player, supported by rising demand from international markets, particularly across the Gulf region and the Middle East. The milestone reflects consistent execution, expanding global customer acceptance, and a focused strategy centered on export-led growth.Garment Mantra’s performance has been driven by its emphasis on quality manufacturing, product innovation, timely order...

Mumbai, January 14, 2026: India celebrates Makar Sankranti today, marking the Sun’s transition into Makara (Capricorn) and the beginning of the auspicious Uttarayan period. While the festival is widely observed across the country under different regional names such as Pongal, Lohri, and Uttarayan, trading activity in the equity markets continues uninterrupted.Stock Markets Open on Makar Sankranti Despite the festive sentiment, Indian stock markets remain open for normal trading today. There is no scheduled trading holiday on account of Makar Sankranti for the domestic exchanges, allowing investors and traders to participate in the markets during regular hours.Trading across equity, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, and...

Reforms and Integrated Planning Drive Efficiency Gains India’s logistics sector has recorded a major efficiency milestone, with logistics costs reduced to 7.97 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The government said this progress reflects the outcome of sustained reforms and integrated planning across the logistics and transportation ecosystem, bringing India closer to global benchmarks in cost efficiency.The reduction highlights improvements in infrastructure planning, modal integration, and execution across freight networks, supporting smoother movement of goods and lowering overall logistics expenditure for the economy.Rail-Led Infrastructure Expansion Under Gati Shakti As part of these efforts, Indian Railways has...

Edible Oil Imports Record Annual Growth India’s vegetable oil imports increased by 8 percent year on year in December, reaching 13.83 lakh tonnes, driven primarily by higher inbound shipments of edible oils.Data released by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India shows that total vegetable oil imports, which include both edible and non-edible oils, stood at 13,83,245 tonnes in December, compared with 12,75,554 tonnes in the same month last year.Within this, edible oil imports rose to 13,62,245 tonnes during the month, up from 12,29,790 tonnes in December 2024, indicating stronger demand in the domestic market.Non-Edible Oil Imports Decline In contrast, imports of non-edible oils declined sharply. Shipments fell to 21,000...

Funding Marks Milestone for Indian Cybersecurity Firm’s Global Growth Cybersecurity company CloudSEK has raised USD 10 million, equivalent to around ₹90 crore, from Connecticut Innovations, the strategic venture capital arm of the State of Connecticut. The funding marks a significant step in the company’s global expansion strategy, particularly in the United States.First Indian-Origin Cybersecurity Firm Backed by a US State Fund CloudSEK co-founder and chief executive officer Rahul Sasi described the investment as a landmark achievement for both the company and the broader Indian cybersecurity ecosystem. He said the funding reflects growing global recognition of Indian innovation in advanced cyber threat intelligence.With this...

Indian Currency Opens Weaker Against the US Dollar The Indian rupee weakened by 5 paise to 90.22 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday in Mumbai, tracking a stronger American currency, rising crude oil prices, and continued foreign fund outflows.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.24 and moved marginally higher to 90.22 against the greenback in initial deals. This marked a decline of 5 paise from its previous close.On Monday, the rupee had ended slightly higher at 90.17 against the US dollar.Global Uncertainty Lifts Dollar Demand Market participants pointed to heightened geopolitical concerns and global trade uncertainty as key factors driving demand for the US dollar. The increased global...

Trump Issues Immediate Trade Warning Linked to Iran US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping trade measure under which any country continuing business dealings with Iran will face a 25 percent tariff on all trade conducted with the United States. The declaration was made through a public post on Monday and was described as effective immediately.Trump stated that the tariff would apply to any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran, calling the order final and conclusive.India, China and UAE Named Among Iran’s Major Trade Partners The announcement places several of Iran’s major trading partners in focus, including China, Turkey, India, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Armenia. India has consistently...

Ninth Budget for Nirmala Sitharaman, One Short of Morarji Desai’s Record Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget in Parliament on Sunday, February 1, marking the first time the annual Budget will be tabled on a Sunday. The announcement was made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.This will be Sitharaman’s ninth Union Budget presentation, placing her one short of the record held by former finance minister Morarji Desai, who presented 10 budgets during his tenure.Budget Session to Begin on January 28 The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on January 28, with President Droupadi Murmu addressing members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha assembled in the Lok Sabha chamber.Following the President’s...

Institutional Participation Remains Firm in December Quarter One 97 Communications Ltd, the parent company of Paytm, continued to see sustained institutional participation during the December quarter of FY26, reflecting ongoing confidence in its long-term growth outlook and improving business fundamentals.Foreign Portfolio Investors emerged as the key incremental buyers in the quarter. Category I FPIs increased their shareholding to 25.33 per cent in Q3 FY26 from 23.01 per cent in the previous quarter, supported by the company’s inclusion in the MSCI Global Standard Index in November 2025.FDI Holding Moderates After Block Deal Foreign Direct Investment shareholding declined sequentially to 25.18 per cent in Q3 FY26 from 27.44 per...

Mumbai Trading Session Overview The Indian rupee recovered from intraday lows and closed marginally stronger against the US dollar on Monday, supported by weakness in the American currency and a decline in global crude oil prices. Improved sentiment in domestic equities also aided the recovery, although ongoing geopolitical uncertainty limited sharper gains.Intraday Currency Movement In the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.23 against the US dollar. During the session, it strengthened to an intraday high of 90.13 but also touched a low of 90.25. The domestic currency finally settled at 90.17, marking a gain of 1 paisa from the previous close.In the previous session on Friday, the rupee had weakened sharply...

Focus on Accessibility, Security, and Accountability in India’s AI Growth Trai Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti on Monday underlined the need for resilient artificial intelligence infrastructure and strong self-regulation to proactively mitigate risks and ensure systems remain secure, accountable, and adaptable to disruptions.Speaking at a pre-summit event organised by NASSCOM ahead of the AI Impact Summit, Lahoti said the way AI infrastructure is designed and deployed will determine whether the benefits of the technology remain limited to a few or are widely distributed across regions and sectors.Self-Regulation Seen as Key to Risk Mitigation Lahoti emphasised that maintaining resiliency in AI infrastructure requires safeguards and...

India’s mobile phone manufacturing sector is on track to post a significant milestone in the current financial year, with total production expected to reach USD 75 billion and exports projected to exceed USD 30 billion by the end of FY26.Strong Momentum in Electronics Manufacturing The electronics industry has continued to deliver robust growth, with total electronics production reaching USD 133 billion in 2025, alongside a sharp expansion in exports. The mobile phone segment has remained a central pillar of this growth, supported by sustained capacity expansion and rising global demand for India-made devices.Mobile Phone PLI Nears Completion The Production Linked Incentive scheme for mobile phones, which continues through FY26, is...

Headline Inflation Moves Up but Stays Below Tolerance Band India’s retail inflation edged up to a three-month high of 1.33 per cent in December, driven largely by higher prices of select food items. Despite the uptick, inflation remained below the lower tolerance level set by the Reserve Bank of India.The Consumer Price Index based headline inflation stood at 0.71 per cent in November, compared with 1.44 per cent in September. In December last year, headline inflation had printed at 5.22 per cent.Food Inflation Remains in Deflation for Seventh Month Food inflation continued to stay in negative territory for the seventh consecutive month, registering (-) 2.71 per cent in December. However, the overall rise in headline inflation was...

Markets Extend Losses in Late Morning Trade Indian equity benchmarks continued to trade under pressure on Monday, with losses deepening by late morning amid persistent foreign fund outflows, global uncertainty and cautious investor positioning.At around 11:40 am IST, the BSE Sensex was trading at 82,910.00, down 666.24 points or 0.80 percent. The NSE Nifty slipped to 25,485.85, declining 197.45 points or 0.77 percent.Heavyweight Stocks Lead the Decline Selling pressure remained concentrated in key index heavyweights. Stocks such as Bharat Electronics, Larsen & Toubro, Eternal, Power Grid, Adani Ports, Infosys, Reliance Industries and Bajaj Finance continued to weigh on benchmark indices.In contrast, select stocks such as Hindustan...

Gold prices witnessed heightened volatility in global markets on January 12, with the precious metal briefly surging to a new lifetime high on the Comex before easing from peak levels as early trade progressed.Early Surge Pushes Gold to All Time High Spot gold recorded a sharp rally in the early hours, touching an all time high of $4,610.5 per ounce on the Comex at around 1:05 am GMT. The surge, however, was short lived, with prices retreating swiftly to $4,580.60 per ounce by 2:28 am GMT. Despite the pullback, gold was still trading 1.77 percent higher compared with its previous close, indicating continued underlying strength.MCX Gold Holds Firm in Domestic Market In India, gold futures showed marginal gains in the previous trading...

Gold continues to hold a unique and powerful position in India’s financial system, combining economic scale with deep cultural relevance. With India’s GDP estimated at around $4.18 trillion, the value of gold held by Indian households, estimated at nearly $4 trillion at current prices, stands almost on par with the country’s annual economic output. Few assets exert such influence across savings behaviour, external balances, and policy formulation.As expectations build ahead of the Union Budget 2026, gold policy appears to be entering a phase of relative stability, with market participants anticipating rationalisation rather than aggressive intervention.Gold Policy at an Inflection Point For decades, gold has served Indian households...

Mumbai, January 11, 2026 – WSIF has introduced its Equity Long-Short Fund, an open-ended investment strategy designed to generate long-term capital appreciation through a diversified portfolio of listed equities and equity-related instruments, while also using limited short exposure through derivatives to manage downside risk across market cycles. Investment Objective and Strategy Overview The WSIF Equity Long-Short Fund aims to deliver sustained capital growth by combining long-only equity investments with selective short positions. The strategy allows participation in rising markets while seeking to cushion volatility during market corrections through tactical derivative positioning. The portfolio primarily focuses on fundamentally...

Mumbai, January 11, 2026 – NSE Clearing Limited has announced a revision in the settlement schedule for the debt segment following the declaration of January 15, 2026 as a settlement holiday on account of Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra. As a result, settlements that were originally scheduled around the holiday have been deferred, and the revised settlement calendar will apply for affected trade dates in mid-January. Revised Debt Segment Settlement ScheduleDebt Settlement NumberTrade DateRevised Settlement DateI-202601014-Jan-202616-Jan-20262-202600914-Jan-202616-Jan-20262-202601016-Jan-202619-Jan-2026The adjustment ensures continuity in clearing and settlement operations despite the election-related...

Live Verification and Location Tracking Made Mandatory India has introduced a tougher compliance framework for cryptocurrency exchanges, tightening Anti Money Laundering and Know Your Customer requirements to curb illegal activity in the digital asset ecosystem. The updated norms significantly expand onboarding checks and ongoing monitoring obligations for exchanges operating in the country.Under the revised framework, cryptocurrency platforms are classified as Virtual Digital Asset service providers and are required to move beyond basic document uploads during customer onboarding.Live Selfie Checks and Geographical Data Capture A key change is the mandatory use of live selfie verification. Users must complete a real time photo...