India Trade Deficit Widens in April, Drags Rupee to Record Low

BasisPoint Insight

May 15, 2026 at 11:48 AM IST

Govt Imposes Fresh Curbs on Gold Imports Under Advance Authorisation Scheme

Duty-free gold imports now face a 100-kg cap, mandatory inspections, export-linked approvals and tighter reporting requirements.

BasisPoint Insight

May 14, 2026 at 3:08 PM IST

Oil Prices Lift India’s WPI Inflation to 8.3% in April, Raise Pass-Through Risks

India’s wholesale inflation climbed to a 42-month high in April, driven by fuel and metal prices, raising concerns over future retail price pass-through.

BasisPoint Insight

May 14, 2026 at 7:37 AM IST

India Approves ₹375 Billion Scheme to Incentivise Coal Gasification Projects

BasisPoint Insight

May 13, 2026 at 1:10 PM IST

RBI Governor Says Will Need to Act If Price Pressures Get Entrenched: Bloomberg

BasisPoint Insight

May 13, 2026 at 8:26 AM IST

RBI Malhotra Sees Fuel Price Hike If Elevated Oil Prices Persist: Bloomberg

BasisPoint Insight

May 13, 2026 at 7:41 AM IST

Managing Current Account, Rupee Stability Key Macro Priorities For 2026–27: CEA

BasisPoint Insight

May 12, 2026 at 7:33 AM IST

Oil Firms’ Borrowing Surge May Become Bond Market’s Next Stress Test

Elevated crude prices and delayed fuel price revisions may push OMCs into aggressive bond and CP borrowings, tightening liquidity conditions.

Venkatakrishnan Srinivasan

May 12, 2026 at 3:48 AM IST

iStock.com

Govt Says Fuel Stocks Adequate, Urges Conservation as Iran War Strains Economy

BasisPoint Insight

May 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM IST

Geopolitical Volatility Demands a More Economically Disciplined India

The Prime Minister’s advisory reflects emerging realities of inflation, external vulnerability and sovereign economic resilience.

Srinath Sridharan

May 11, 2026 at 5:14 AM IST

iStock.com

PM Modi Calls for Covid-Era Restraints to Tackle Global Disruptions: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid non-essential foreign travel and adopt Covid-era practices to help India navigate global disruptions and conserve foreign exchange reserves.

BasisPoint Insight

May 11, 2026 at 3:23 AM IST

PIB

The Morning Edge

Asian Equities Waver Amid Fresh West Asia Geopolitical Risks

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

May 11, 2026 at 2:05 AM IST

iStock.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

The war in West Asia and the sharp increase in crude oil prices notwithstanding, demand for automobiles has continued to remain largely unscathed.

Datametricx

May 9, 2026 at 11:32 AM IST

Istock.com

RBI Surplus Transfer Windfall to Support Liquidity, Fiscal Math in FY27: IDFC FIRST Bank

BasisPoint Insight

May 8, 2026 at 6:20 AM IST

The Morning Edge

Fragile Ceasefire Keeps Markets on Edge Amid Fresh Hostilities

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

May 8, 2026 at 1:56 AM IST

iStock.com

Op Sindoor and the Resetting of India’s Engagement with the West

Pakistan is protecting Anglo-Saxon interests in West Asia, for which it was created by the British Empire, and the US, in turn, is offering it security, while a Russia-India-China huddle promises greater multilateralism and sovereignty

Rajesh Ramachandran

May 7, 2026 at 7:32 AM IST

PMO

The Morning Edge

Asia Rallies in Risk-On Mood as Oil Falls, Diplomacy Gains Traction

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

May 6, 2026 at 1:51 AM IST

iStock.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

High-frequency data suggest that the Indian economy has slowed in March due to the war in West Asia, though less than feared.

Datametricx

May 3, 2026 at 5:41 AM IST

Istock.com

The Rupee’s Mauna Kea Problem: What We Don’t See Matters More

The rupee debate fixates on visible costs, ignoring hidden fiscal risks, political compulsions and market psychology that make inaction far riskier.

Vivek Kaul

April 30, 2026 at 3:52 AM IST

iStock.com

State Finance: A Growing Challenge for the Debt Market

Rising state deficits, slowing revenues and falling grants are driving higher bond supply, intensifying competition for funds and complicating policy trade-offs

Gaura Sen Gupta

April 24, 2026 at 12:09 PM IST

RBI Bulletin Warns of Risks to Inflation from Second-Round Effects of West Asia Conflict

BasisPoint Insight

April 23, 2026 at 3:44 PM IST

Deferred Fuel Price Reset Could Reprice India’s Inflation Path

Post-election fuel hikes risk setting off a staggered inflation cycle, with delayed pass-through, margin stress and tighter policy trade-offs.

Dhananjay Sinha

April 23, 2026 at 5:16 AM IST

iStock.com

MPC Minutes

When Neat Policy Theory Meets a Messier Reality

The RBI’s April minutes show a textbook response to a supply shock, but the Iran conflict is testing the limits of clean policy rules.

BasisPoint Groupthink

April 22, 2026 at 3:04 PM IST

linkedin.com/Poonam Gupta

Market Wrap

Equities Hit Six-Week Highs as Banks Rally; US-Iran Talk Hopes Lift Sentiment

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

April 21, 2026 at 11:37 AM IST

RBI Flags Second-Round Inflation Risks from West Asia Conflict

RBI flags second-round effects as the real concern, shifting focus to persistence and expectations while keeping policy flexible and path deliberately undefined.

BasisPoint Insight

April 21, 2026 at 4:11 AM IST

RBI Tweets

The Morning Edge

Risk Aversion Rises as Hormuz Tensions Flare Again

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

April 20, 2026 at 1:27 AM IST

iStock.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

March data on inflation and merchandise trade show that the impact of the war in West Asia is yet to show up in the numbers.

Datametricx

April 18, 2026 at 11:23 AM IST

iStock.com

Market Wrap

Equities Continue to Rise as Oil Prices Drop, Hopes for a Ceasefire Increase

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

April 17, 2026 at 11:35 AM IST

Unemployment Tracker

Flat Jobs Data Masks a Labour Market Under Growing Strain

Unemployment stays at 5.1%, but youth and women, especially in rural India, face worsening prospects as participation dips and pressures quietly build.

Akshi Chawla

April 15, 2026 at 3:59 PM IST

iStock.com

India’s FY26 Trade Gap Widens as Import Momentum Outpaces Patchy Export Gains

BasisPoint Insight

April 15, 2026 at 1:53 PM IST

The Morning Edge:

Asia Markets Rise as Diplomacy Hopes Drive Risk-On Sentiment

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

April 15, 2026 at 1:48 AM IST

iStock.com

India's Funds Are Absorbing the FPI Exit but Not Owning It

India's mutual funds are winning an ownership battle that foreign investors are walking away from. The question is whether that advantage is being built, or just inherited.

Krishnadevan V

April 14, 2026 at 6:10 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

March CPI Rises to 3.40%, Highest in 12 Months as Food Prices Firm Up

BasisPoint Insight

April 13, 2026 at 11:54 AM IST

US Threatens Naval Blockade of Hormuz, Escalates Iran Standoff

BasisPoint Insight

April 12, 2026 at 2:22 PM IST

iStock.com

Monetary Policy

Staying on Pause May Be the Optimal Policy Response to a Supply-Shock

With uncertainty elevated, RBI’s optimal response is to stay on pause and ensure ample liquidity, while fiscal policy takes the lead in cushioning supply shocks and rising energy costs.

Gaura Sen Gupta

April 9, 2026 at 11:18 AM IST

Monetary Policy

RBI’s Quiet Dovish Tilt Meets a Fragile Rupee Defence

RBI signals a growth priority amid oil-shock risks, even as it defends the rupee with calibrated intervention and selective curbs on speculation.

Abheek Barua

April 9, 2026 at 1:46 AM IST

The Morning Edge

Asia Opens Subdued as Ceasefire Cracks Revive Oil, Inflation Concerns

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

April 9, 2026 at 1:36 AM IST

iStock.com

Monetary Policy

RBI Stays on Hold, but Signals Flexibility in a Shifting Risk Landscape

A ceasefire eased the backdrop, but RBI’s message was clear: policy stays flexible, FX steps are temporary, and risks to growth and inflation remain live.

Aastha Gudwani

April 8, 2026 at 1:03 PM IST

Monetary Policy

Risk Signals, Not Reassurance from RBI’s GDP, CPI Projections

RBI’s latest projections acknowledge a harder macro trade-off, with external shocks reviving inflation risks and forcing policy into a more conditional, risk-managed stance.

BasisPoint Groupthink

April 8, 2026 at 10:43 AM IST

iStock.com

Monetary Policy

RBI’s Optimism Sits Uneasily with Its Own Risk Diagnosis

The central bank has identified how supply shocks will hit demand, yet its growth and inflation projections do not fully reflect that reality

Dhananjay Sinha

April 8, 2026 at 9:28 AM IST

Monetary Policy

War Breaks the Policy Cycle

The April MPC ends the disinflation-led easing phase, pushing the RBI into a supply-shock regime where inflation risks rise even as growth weakens.

BasisPoint Groupthink

April 8, 2026 at 9:02 AM IST

linkedin.com/Poonam Gupta

Towards Smarter, Greener, Indigenous Fertilisers

With global supply chains increasingly fragile, fertiliser security has become central to India’s food security. Reducing import dependence through more sustainable and efficient nutrient use must be a priority.

G. Chandrashekhar

April 6, 2026 at 11:55 AM IST

WikiCommons

War, Woes and Worries: The MPC's Policy Perplexity

As the Middle East conflict roils oil markets and rattles capital flows, India's Monetary Policy Committee faces a near-impossible balancing act.

Rajendra Paramanik

Unninarayanan Kurup

April 4, 2026 at 10:34 AM IST

Pavel Muravev/iStock.com

Indian Banks to Face Margin Pressure as Liquidity Tightens: Fitch

BasisPoint Insight

April 2, 2026 at 6:53 AM IST

India’s Case for Monetary Sovereignty in a Changing Order

The future of power in finance lies not in currencies alone, but in who controls how they settle.

Srinath Sridharan

Anand Venkatanarayanan

April 2, 2026 at 3:10 AM IST

iStock.com

Balancing on the Brink: India’s Economic Policy in a Time of Crisis

A crisis in formation, not yet in full view, as rising oil prices, a weakening rupee and policy incoherence begin to align, raising risks of a broader macroeconomic strain.

Arvind Mayaram

March 30, 2026 at 11:29 AM IST

iStock.com

Safeguarding Financial Stability amidst the West Asia Crisis

A framework for regulators and institutions to manage multi-channel shocks, combining liquidity support, sharper supervision and stronger internal risk discipline without distorting markets.

Anupam Sonal

March 30, 2026 at 10:01 AM IST

Rupee Surges 1% After RBI Clamps Down on Banks’ FX Positions

BasisPoint Insight

March 30, 2026 at 4:15 AM IST

India’s Oil Response Needs a Demand Signal Too

As supply lines hold for now, the absence of price and consumption signals risks delaying adjustment and amplifying the macro impact of any disruption

Aabhas Pandya

March 30, 2026 at 4:11 AM IST

iStock.com

Geopolitics

India Ought to Be Relieved It Isn’t a West Asian Interlocutor

Pakistan may be in the room, but India is better off staying out of a mediation process it cannot control.

Rajesh Ramachandran

March 27, 2026 at 9:16 AM IST

iStock.com

Markets Are Mispricing a Structural Geopolitical Regime Shift

Markets trade ceasefires and strikes, but miss the deeper shift. Fragmentation, defence spending, and oil risks are resetting global risk premia.

Dhananjay Sinha

March 27, 2026 at 6:33 AM IST

iStock.com

The Morning Edge

Risk aversion returns as Middle East tensions cloud markets despite strike pause

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

March 27, 2026 at 1:50 AM IST

White House

Shock Rules, Not Shock Responses

Lagarde’s three principles recast shock response as risk management. For the RBI, the task shifts to containing spillovers, not just inflation.

BasisPoint Groupthink

March 26, 2026 at 5:13 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

RBI’s FX Strategy Shifts as Oil Shock Tests External Stability

A prolonged West Asia shock may widen external deficits and strain capital flows, forcing the RBI to prioritise FX reserve preservation over currency defence

Gaura Sen Gupta

March 25, 2026 at 2:02 PM IST

West Asia Shock Tests RBI’s Growth-First Playbook

A dual oil supply and price shock may lift inflation and strain growth, forcing the RBI to rely on liquidity and signalling to keep conditions supportive.

Gaura Sen Gupta

March 18, 2026 at 5:47 AM IST

istocks/imaginima

The Morning Edge

Asian Markets Slide as Oil Surge Deepens Risk-Off Mood

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

March 6, 2026 at 1:38 AM IST

istocks/imaginima

Geopolitics

Why MBZ’s Two-Hour Dash to New Delhi Matters

When the President of the United Arab Emirates lands in New Delhi for barely two hours, it is not a courtesy call or a routine stopover. It is a signal.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

January 19, 2026 at 5:42 PM IST

PIB

The Bureau