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The Indian Rupee experienced a significant drop, breaching the 95 per dollar mark. This marked the steepest decline in 14 years, with the last month being particularly challenging. Despite early gains, strong dollar demand from oil companies and importers pushed the currency to record lows. The Reserve Bank of India intervened to help the rupee close at 94.

Indian stock markets experienced a significant downturn. Overseas investors sold shares heavily, impacting the Sensex and Nifty. Rising crude oil prices and a weakening rupee added to investor concerns. Bank stocks also saw a sharp decline following regulatory changes. Global markets showed mixed reactions to geopolitical developments.

Oil prices are climbing for the fourth day. Brent crude is set for its largest monthly gain ever. U.S. crude futures are also seeing a significant increase. This is driven by supply concerns stemming from the escalating Middle East conflict. Iran's actions have impacted key shipping routes, raising fears of further disruptions to global energy supplies.

Global markets faced a tumultuous month as Middle East tensions fueled fears of rising inflation and slower growth. Oil prices surged to record highs, while Asian shares plunged. Bonds declined significantly due to hawkish interest rate outlooks, and the dollar strengthened. Investors are increasingly concerned about a prolonged conflict.

Indian stock markets are closed today for Shri Mahavir Jayanti. This is the first of two market holidays this week. Trading will resume on Friday for Good Friday and again on April 14 for Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. Several other holidays are scheduled throughout the year. MCX will have a trading break in the first session.

Equity derivatives trading faces higher costs from April 1. New government taxes on futures and options will increase trading expenses. The Reserve Bank of India's stricter lending rules for brokers also take effect. These measures aim to moderate speculation. Trading volumes are expected to decrease, particularly for retail traders. Costs for trading, arbitrage, and hedging will rise.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is boosting efforts to raise funds and control the fiscal deficit. The government is protecting citizens from rising crude oil prices. Lockdowns are not planned. She urged leaders to avoid spreading rumors. Excise duty on petrol and diesel has been cut to manage domestic inflation and volatility.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on the sidelines of the WTO Ministerial Conference. Discussions focused on the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement and bilateral trade matters with China, amidst India's growing trade deficit with the latter.

A Moody's report warns that India and other Asia-Pacific economies face rising credit stress due to the ongoing Gulf conflict. Higher energy prices and supply disruptions, particularly for fuel, food, and industrial inputs, will impact import-dependent nations. Producers heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil and naphtha are most exposed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the U.S. aims to dismantle Iran's missile, drone, naval, and air force capabilities without ground troops, expecting operations to conclude in weeks. He clarified recent troop deployments offer President Trump options for contingencies, not for direct engagement in the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Iran are accelerating. Proposals are being exchanged through Pakistan, though Iran denies direct talks with the US. Iran's demands include an end to aggression and financial compensation. The US seeks Iran's nuclear disarmament and missile program limits. Both sides need to claim victory for a deal. The conflict's outcome remains uncertain.

India is compiling detailed industry data following a US Section 301 probe into alleged excess capacity in sectors like petrochemicals and steel. The commerce ministry is gathering information on production, employment, and policy support to address US concerns about practices potentially burdening American commerce.

India has maintained its retail inflation target at 4 percent for the Reserve Bank of India. This decision ensures continuity and price stability amidst global economic uncertainties. The framework, set for another five years until March 2031, obligates the RBI to manage monetary policy for price control. This move influences government fiscal measures, aiming for overall economic stability.

A new bill aims to speed up bankruptcy resolution in India. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The proposed changes focus on creditor-led, out-of-court settlements. This aims to reduce delays and improve the process for resolving insolvent companies. The bill also addresses cross-border and corporate group insolvency cases.

Pakistan Ship stopped by Iran in Strait of Hormuz: Iran has denied passage to a Karachi-bound vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, citing protocol violations and lack of clearance. This action, coupled with a potential $2 million transit fee, signals Iran's tighter control over the crucial oil route amid escalating regional tensions.

Iranian attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG hub have caused natural gas prices to surge, though Europe's impact is expected to be less severe due to reduced reliance on Qatari LNG. While wholesale prices have jumped, they remain significantly lower than during the Ukraine conflict, with storage levels below average for the upcoming winter.

Oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel amid escalating Iran–Israel tensions and fears of a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint. Analysts warn crude could climb to $150 if disruptions persist, raising inflation risks and pressuring Indian equities, which have already seen sharp declines amid foreign outflows, rupee weakness and energy supply concerns.

European nations are reacting to major strikes on Iran by the US and Israel. Leaders are working to safeguard their citizens in the Middle East. Germany is holding an emergency meeting. The European Union is evacuating some staff. France and Italy are urging caution for their citizens. The situation is described as perilous and a military escalation is underway.

Nepal's national elections are just days away as millions of eligible voters prepare to cast their ballots. The campaign centers on jobs and the economy, with a special emphasis on opportunities for youth. India and China are closely watching the outcome.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the seat-sharing deal for the upcoming assembly elections is complete. The NDA alliance, including BJP, AGP, UPPL, and BPF, has finalized its contest plan. The state leadership will present the candidate list to Union Home Minister Amit Shah soon. Elections for the 126-member assembly are anticipated in March-April, following a recent delimitation exercise.

As global markets outperform India, diversification is gaining urgency. Subho Moulik explains why a 70:30 India global portfolio improves risk adjusted returns, reduces concentration risk, and provides access to long term global growth themes such as AI, defence, and quantum computing.

Kaynes has plunged 43.5% from its October peak, with Friday’s 12.5% drop marking the steepest single-day decline. Momentum indicators remain bearish, signaling a risk of further slide toward the year’s low of Rs 3,825. However, being nearly 26% below its 200-day SMA suggests potential mean-reversion, with a contrarian recovery target at Rs 4,541 and downside below Rs 4,300.

Warren Buffett and Michael Burry are taking opposing stances on the AI boom, highlighting investor uncertainty. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has added a major stake in Alphabet, signaling confidence in the AI-driven growth, while Burry shorts Palantir and Nvidia, criticizing Big Tech accounting practices. Their contrasting positions coincide with transitions in their careers and growing debate over whether AI hype is justified or a bubble.

SoftBank-backed digital-commerce ecosystem AceVector Ltd has filed updated draft papers with markets regulator Sebi for an initial public offering (IPO), which will include a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 300 crore.

The combined market valuation of five of the top-10 most valued firms surged by Rs 72,284.74 crore last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys emerging as the biggest winners.

The Election Commission's 'Special Intensive Revision' of Bihar's electoral rolls has ignited political debate, differing from past revisions. While intensive revisions aren't new, the timing of Bihar's SIR, months before assembly elections, is unusual. Unlike previous 'de novo' exercises, it builds upon the 2002-03 roll, incorporating new enumeration forms and document submission.

BJP has accused Arvind Kejriwal of orchestrating hoax calls to mislead voters, alleging that the AAP is claiming votes are being cut by the BJP to support AAP. They also allege distribution of money in slum areas and raised concerns about voter data confidentiality, demanding an investigation.

Lok Sabha election 2024: ​​The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18.

Gujarat's upcoming Lok Sabha elections are influenced by PM Narendra Modi's charisma, anti-incumbency, unemployment, inflation, education, healthcare challenges, and BJP's endeavor to secure all 26 seats. ​​Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. Anti-incumbency, unemployment, inflation, education and healthcare facilities are some of the other important issues in the election, where the ruling BJP in Gujarat will attempt to retain all the 26 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2019.

The BJP, riding high on its growing voter base in Telangana, is now aiming to win over 12 out of the total 17 seats and 35 per cent vote share, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party doubled its vote share to nearly 14 per cent resulting in eight seats in the assembly elections held on November 30, last year. BRS, which ruled the state for about a decade since its emergence, is low on morale following the defeat, even as its founder and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha was arrested on the eve of poll dates announcement, adding insult to the injury.

Anita Nariani Schulze is part of the Sindhi minority. Her complaint alleges that her senior and direct managers, both male, consistently excluded her from meetings while inviting her male counterparts, criticised her, micromanaged her work and deprived her of bonuses, despite positive performance evaluations and significant team contributions.

But two senior envoys who attended said there was no direct response from the ministers gathered in Brussels when Blinken said: "We must push back on China together and show strength in unity."

This comes as the San-Francisco based firm is at the receiving end of the Indian government over an issue of blocking and unblocking certain handles tweeting about farmer protests.

Foreign companies looking for incentives under the scheme may have to invest Rs 500 crore over four years, while the threshold for domestic firms is likely to be around Rs 20 crore for five years, the source who did not wish to be named said.

Growth More than in MetrosAccording to companies like Aisle and Truly Madly, which have millions of users and position themselves as “serious” dating apps, and bespoke high-end dating services like Sirf Coffee, a lot more users from such places are not only keen on using these apps, but also willing to pay for it.

“Indian companies need to re-skill, train, and acquire more relevant talent, if they are to successfully integrate AI technologies. Most importantly, they should be willing to make the continued investment. It is an uphill race in which there will be winners and losers,” said Deloitte India CEO N Venkatram.

Ambassador Joao Cravinho, head of the EU delegation, led Ambassadors of various European countries to a quiet lunch with Modi at the capital last year.

"It is the collective wisdom of the marketplace that there is action and we will move with speed. That improves the confidence level of industry."

Directives from the Centre have to be executed at the state level. So, there are many things that are not in Modi’s hands, says Raamdeo Agrawal.

"The fact that we are the world’s largest democracy and we are all aware that power and a role in global affairs for a nation comes from economic strength."

"Now there is a stage three and stage four of digitisation, we will take a call on this only after taking all things into account."

"There is a leadership vacuum in the company, because they made the wrong choice of CEO three years ago and that is playing out right now."

Rupee#CAD#Economic crisis#Food Bill

The team behind The Artist will have spent the first day of the rest of their lives conforming to the grandest, and most lucrative, of Hollywood traditions.

It's the World Book fair, which comes around once every two years sprawling across the giant halls of Pragati Maidan. This is the fair's 20th edition.

An elephant figurine gifted by the then HM LK Advani to US Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2002, has made its way to the State Department hall.

Statistical models used by IMD will still be used for monsoon forecast, but the ministry of earth sciences is putting more emphasis on dynamic models.

Newly discovered documents have revealed the first telegraph messages and joy when England was linked for the first time with India on 23 June, 1870.

Hundreds of worried fans of ailing Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan today performed a yagna here to pray for his speedy recovery.

Alfa Laval (India) today said its parent firm has raised the delisting offer price to Rs 2,850 a share.