Stories from earlier this week and beyond.
Despite Iran conflict tensions, oil prices have not surged as many expected. Traders are watching inventories: rising storage levels are taking the heat out of the market by signaling ample supply. Instead of geopolitics driving immediate gains, the risk now is that crowded tanks could pressure prices further as traders anticipate how demand and shipments evolve.
India’s Cabinet has approved the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool, funded with a sovereign guarantee exceeding ₹12,980 crore. The scheme is designed to provide steady maritime insurance coverage for Indian vessels across a wide range of risks, reducing insurers’ reliance outside the country. Officials say it will lower operating costs and strengthen domestic capacity in maritime risk management.
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Tenneco India’s IPO is drawing interest for its strong franchise, market leadership, and seemingly fair valuation, with solid historical returns. Yet the growth runway looks less certain: electrification could hit around half its revenue streams, while capex investment has stayed relatively low. Investors may like the numbers, but the “next lap” depends on how quickly it pivots.
Bitcoin and Ethereum rose about 3% in a single day as traders reacted positively to President Trump’s State of the Union address. The move comes after a choppy prior week, with major altcoins also gaining. Overall crypto market capitalization climbed to roughly $2.25 trillion, signaling stronger macro sentiment and expectations of policy continuity.
Zippee, a quick commerce logistics startup, crossed 9 lakh orders in February, riding the Q commerce boom. The company helps D2C brands offer sub two hour delivery while keeping customer data and the brand experience intact. With demand for faster fulfilment rising, Zippee is positioning its logistics network as the backbone for rapid, customer friendly shopping.
Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma announced his arrival in IPL 2026 with a dominant century against Delhi Capitals in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The Indian batter raced to his second IPL hundred in just 47 balls, powering SRH toward a massive total and shifting the momentum decisively in the opening clash.
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Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is expected to scale quickly, with projections of 50,000 passengers a day and about 380 flights by year-end. Commercial operations have started, but international flights have been postponed due to the Gulf war. The growth outlook is powered in part by IndiGo’s expanding commitment to the airport.
Zerra DC, AGP’s data centre arm, has secured Rs 1,200 crore in funding from Tata Capital to build a 200 megawatt data centre in Navi Mumbai. The company is now in discussions to lock in cloud hosting partnerships, which could expand the project’s tenant and services pipeline as construction ramps up.
Georgia will roll out a mandatory work permit system for most foreign workers from March 1, 2026, replacing the current informal approach. Employers will need to advertise vacancies before seeking permits. Foreign workers already in the country will have until January 1, 2027, to comply. The government says the change will improve labor oversight and reduce illegal employment, with penalties for violations.
Sun-powered AI robots are starting to replace traditional farm labor and chemical weeding. In California cotton fields, wheeled machines scan and pluck weeds while avoiding damage to crops. Company Aigen says the same approach is already operating in tomatoes, cotton, and sugar beets, positioning AI as a more precise, potentially lower-impact alternative to conventional methods.
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Nifty and Sensex climbed to fresh lifetime highs for the first time in 14 months, driven by strong sectoral momentum. Ashok Leyland, Gallard Steel and GMDC were among the biggest gainers, while Whirlpool, CarTrade and Magellanic Cloud slipped sharply. Movement was influenced by deal developments and heavy selling across pockets of the market.
Umar Farooq Zahoor, a Pakistan-origin businessman wanted in Norway for major financial fraud and money laundering, is drawing fresh attention after reports said he was spotted alongside US Vice President JD Vance during engagements in Islamabad. Despite being a fugitive, he is reportedly recognized in Pakistan for foreign investments, prompting renewed scrutiny over his international ties.
Courtroom allegations and counter-allegations are intensifying in a real-life dispute involving yesteryear Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor. What began as competing claims has reportedly grown into a dramatic fight over a mysterious death and a will, with allegations raising doubts about fairness and intent. The unfolding case is drawing comparisons to the twists of her most memorable screen stories.
India’s Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, was built around the UNCITRAL model to modernize arbitration and align with global best practices. The push now is to strengthen the alternative dispute resolution process so cases resolve more smoothly, attract international parties, and help India compete as a world hub for arbitration.
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SBI General Insurance notched its first-ever milestone in FY26, with gross direct premium crossing Rs 15,000 crore and growing 14.5%. Profit after tax rose 8.7% to Rs 553 crore, backed by expansion across health, motor, personal accident, and fire insurance, alongside improving underwriting metrics.
ETS India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Physics Wallah to support students aiming for top international universities. The collaboration focuses on helping aspirants prepare for the GRE and TOEFL through holistic guidance, including free one-on-one counselling sessions provided to students as part of the agreement.
LTIMindtree, formerly LTM, reported March-quarter revenue of Rs 11,292 crore, up 15.6% year-on-year, with profit rising 18.8% to Rs 1,341 crore. Growth came as deal momentum improved despite a sluggish macro backdrop. The company is targeting a doubling of revenue within five years, after crossing the Rs 10,000-crore topline milestone in the July-September 2025 quarter.
India’s life insurance industry saw new business premiums rise 16% to ₹4.59 lakh crore in FY26. Analysts attribute the jump to GST relief benefits, increased demand for regular premium policies, and a deliberate tilt toward higher-margin protection and long-term savings products. The shift signals insurers are optimizing both growth and profitability as customer preferences evolve.
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The Delhi High Court has suspended a three-year prison sentence awarded to a man convicted of child trafficking and kidnapping. The convict, Krishan, challenged the trial court’s February 23, 2026 judgement, and the High Court’s interim order keeps the case in limbo pending further consideration. The decision could reshape proceedings in the appeal stage.
Pharmacy quick-delivery startup Plazza is in talks to raise $12–15 million, with backing from Accel, Nexus, and Elevation. The funds are earmarked to expand its physical footprint in Bengaluru, targeting growth from two stores to around 20 by year-end. Plazza also plans to broaden offerings beyond prescription medicines.
A Chainalysis report says groups connected to Russia and Iran are increasingly using cryptocurrency to finance the purchase of low-cost military drones and related components. The findings highlight how digital assets are being routed into military supply chains, making transactions harder to track through traditional banking channels. Authorities may face new enforcement challenges as crypto use grows.
New research challenges the widely cited pre-tax Gini coefficient of 0.61, arguing it overlooks how government welfare reshapes household resources. By factoring in benefits such as food and housing, the post-fiscal Gini is reported to fall dramatically, even approaching zero, reshaping how India’s inequality is understood and debated.
Adani Green Energy reported strong March quarter performance, with consolidated PAT rising 34.3% year-on-year to Rs 514 crore. Revenue from operations increased 16% as the company added 5.1 GW of new capacity. Operational capacity also expanded to 19.3 GW, signaling rapid scale-up as profitability accelerates alongside growth.
After years of restraint, Indian IT companies are moving from cautious scouting to active M&A, spurred by rising AI pressure. A more acquisitive TCS is leading the shift, while ER&D is increasingly viewed as value buying. In 2026, AI-linked cloud assets are expected to drive deals, with ambitious mid-tier firms gaining momentum over top-tier giants.
Shares of India’s major cigarette companies have surged over the past month, pushing ITC, Godfrey Philips, and VST Industries to record highs. The rally signals strong investor appetite, with the move linked to price increases paired with higher trading volumes. For markets watching consumer staples and volume trends, the sector’s momentum is now impossible to ignore.
A year after the Pushpa 2: The Rule stampede at its premiere, a chargesheet has been filed in Nampally Magistrate Court naming 23 people, including Allu Arjun. The incident on December 4, 2024, left a woman, Revathi, dead and her child, Sri Teja, injured, triggering ongoing legal proceedings.
After years of stagnation, SML is showing early growth since Mahindra took over. The question now is whether a niche school bus maker can expand fast enough to challenge industry heavyweights like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland—without getting squeezed on scale, supply, and competitive pricing in a crowded market.
India’s digital health push is building on proven playbooks like UPI and CoWIN, demonstrating the country can deploy population-level systems at speed. However, the framework’s scope is still evolving, leaving open questions about how broadly it will cover, what data will be used, and how smoothly services will integrate across the health ecosystem.
Western and Saudi companies in Riyadh have extended work-from-home advisories as fears rise around a looming U.S. deadline for Iran tied to the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes after Iran threatened to target U.S. tech firms amid continuing regional attacks. Advisories reportedly cover key business districts across Saudi’s capital, disrupting normal commuting.
Startups raised about $46 million in the week ending 17 February, a sharp drop from the $135 million raised in the same period last year, according to Tracxn data. The steep 66% year-on-year decline signals a cooling funding environment as investors become more selective and deal flows slow.
A battle is brewing in India’s airwaves as satellite communication firms rely on the 28GHz band for earth station-to-satellite links. They argue that reallocating any portion to telcos for 5G would harm their services. Telcos counter that 28GHz is critical for 5G’s high capacity, low latency, and high throughput—raising questions on how regulators will split the band.
The UK has awarded $510 million to Tata’s Agratas for a planned EV battery gigafactory in Somerset, announced by the country’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The money is part of a wider £470 million grant package, underscoring the UK’s strategy to scale domestic battery manufacturing and accelerate electric-vehicle supply chains.
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will invest ₹25 crore each in space-tech startup AgniKul Cosmos and electric mobility firm Raptee Energy. The move kicks off TIDCO’s Startup Investment Policy 2025, designed to deepen the state’s startup financing ecosystem. TIDCO is also rebranding itself as a venture catalyst to back future growth sectors.
Persistent Systems reported a sharp rise in Q4 performance, with consolidated net profit growing 33.73% YoY to Rs 529.26 crore for the January–March quarter of FY26. Revenue also expanded by 25%, signaling stronger profitability momentum than top-line growth in a mid-tier IT services cycle.
Manipur is again on edge as renewed unrest turns violent after the discovery of six bodies allegedly linked to hostages. Mobs attacked the homes of ministers and MLAs, while civil society groups demand action against armed groups. The state cabinet is pushing a review of AFSPA, even as tribal groups seek extending it to valley districts.
Bayern Munich is on the brink of the Bundesliga title after Borussia Dortmund were beaten by Hoffenheim, widening Bayern’s advantage. Union Berlin’s new coach Marie-Louise Eta suffered a defeat in her debut, while Leverkusen also lost. The latest results reshape the league standings and intensify the race at both ends of the table.
The Supreme Court has settled a long-running tax classification debate, ruling that payments made by resident end users for the resale or use of computer software generally cannot be labelled as “royalty” under tax treaties. Instead, such transactions are treated as procurement of goods, reshaping how software-related income is taxed under the DTAA framework.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has re-clarified his stance, saying he opposes RSS ideology but admires the group’s organisational capacity. The remarks drew backlash after earlier in the day he shared an old black-and-white photo of young Narendra Modi with senior BJP leader LK Advani, sourced from Quora. Singh defended his comments to ANI.
Goldman Sachs says it has named a record 49 employees in India as managing directors in 2025, up from 35 in 2023. The firm points to expanding opportunities and growing investment in India, with Bengaluru emerging as the biggest driver of the promotions as a global technology hub.
NASA’s Artemis II mission sets off with four astronauts for a lunar flyaround beyond the moon, marking a critical step toward a sustained lunar presence. The journey also spotlights groundbreaking representation, featuring the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American to travel to the moon—turning a space milestone into a global moment.
AMD shares are climbing quickly and breaking above the $300 mark as surging AI chip demand meets fresh analyst upgrades and optimistic price targets. Support is also coming from a broader semiconductor upcycle and continued spending by major tech firms. Investors are now focused on AMD’s upcoming earnings, which could confirm the rally—or signal a slowdown.
Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services firm, reported a strong 21% jump in Q4 FY26 profit alongside resilient revenue. While it continued to outperform some rivals, the company expanded its FY27 annual revenue guidance range, signaling caution. Management pointed to global economic uncertainty and shifting IT demand pressures, including the evolving influence of AI on budgets and deal cycles.
India’s copper supply hinges on Hindustan Copper Limited, which controls the country’s operating ore leases yet has long struggled with mining and execution bottlenecks. Now the state-run miner is looking to triple ore capacity to 12 million tonnes per annum by 2030. The question is whether past constraints can be overcome in time.
The US is reportedly threatening a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a shift from diplomacy toward economic warfare. The strategy would target Iran’s oil revenue to pressure Tehran back to negotiations. But the move also raises the odds of escalation, with global energy prices and international stability at heightened risk.
A Delhi High Court judge has withdrawn from a PIL alleging that audio and video clips of court proceedings were recorded and circulated. The petition targets Aam Aadmi Party leaders and others, claiming the clips were shared after Arvind Kejriwal sought recusal in the excise policy case, raising fresh questions over the handling of sensitive proceedings.
Authorities seized more than ₹1,000 crore in poll-related materials across West Bengal and Tamil Nadu ahead of Assembly elections. Tamil Nadu accounted for ₹599 crore and West Bengal for ₹472 crore, with seizures including alleged freebies, cash, liquor, and drugs. The Election Commission has sent teams to ensure a level playing field and handle public complaints.
The rupee has crossed 95 per dollar amid structural pressure, foreign outflows, and elevated oil prices. The RBI’s limits on banks’ forex positions target speculation and arbitrage, but a move toward 100 could hit import-heavy industries and rattle financial markets. Exporters like IT and pharma may see some support, yet experts warn the currency remains under sustained stress.
Infosys ended FY26 on a strong note, with Q4 profits rising as demand picked up from banking, energy, and communication clients. The turnaround in these key verticals helped lift performance, setting the tone for what investors will watch next. Meanwhile, other tech updates in the news cycle also kept attention on India’s broader digital marketplace.
The government is preparing a major overhaul of GST provisions after five years, aiming to make compliance easier for small businesses. The key shift: separating minor offences from willful evasion of duty, reducing disproportionate consequences. If implemented, many businesses could see relief from harsh action tied to technical or low-severity mistakes, focusing enforcement on genuine tax fraud.
After videos from Jasmine Sandlas’ Ahmedabad concert went viral, sparking online backlash, the Dhurandhar singer didn’t issue a long explanation. Instead, she reshared a clip of herself pouring water on her body mid-concert, addressing the controversy indirectly and shutting down naysayers with a simple repost.
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