A JEE aspirant in Kota committed suicide by hanging himself from a fan. The student has been identified as Abhijeet Giri (18), a resident of Odisha, who was living in Kota since April 2024. The reason for the suicide is not yet known.

The crucial verdict on the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata will be delivered at a special court in the city on Saturday. Civic volunteer Sanjay Roy is the “sole prime accused” in the rape and murder crime. Any observations of the judge of the special court, besides pronouncing the conviction of Roy, will throw any light on the aspect of much-talked-about aspect of tampering and altering the evidence during the initial phase of investigation carried by Kolkata Police before the case was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court.

President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on Friday arrived at Bhubaneswar Airport on a two-day visit to Odisha.

India’s exports of agricultural and processed food products registered a robust 11 per cent growth to $17.77 billion during April-December of the current financial year compared to the same period of the previous year, according to official figures. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted a raid at the residence of K.K. Arora, a former Registrar (Properties) in the MP government, in the Murar locality of Gwalior.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday announced the issuing of revised Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations to permit more liberal use of INR accounts held by NRIs to make payments, in order to promote cross border transactions in the Indian rupee and national currencies of trading partner countries.

According to new regulations, overseas branches of Authorised Dealer banks will be able to open INR accounts for a person resident outside India for settlement of all permissible current account and capital account transactions with a person resident in India.

“Persons resident outside India will also be able to settle bona fide transactions with other persons resident outside India using the balances in their repatriable INR accounts such as Special Non-resident Rupee account and SRVA,” according to the statement.

India's domestic benchmark indices ended higher on Thursday as Adani Ports was among the top gainers.

Sensex ended at 77,042.82 up by 318.74 points, or 0.42 per cent, and Nifty settled at 23,311.80, up by 98.60 points, or 0.42 per cent.

Adani Ports closed at Rs 1,151 per share after gaining by Rs 22.85 or 2.03 per cent.

Nifty Bank ended at 49,278.70 up by 527 points, or 1.08 per cent. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 54,483.80 after climbing 584.80 points, or 1.09 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 17,643.30 after adding 289.35 points, or 1.67 per cent.

According to experts, benchmark indices continued to trade in the positive, albeit off highs, driven by positive investor sentiment following mild US inflation data, which raised hopes for a potential rate cut by the Federal Reserve.

The Indian stock market opened higher on Thursday amid positive global cues, including hope of an end to the conflict in Gaza, as buying was seen in the PSU bank and financial service sectors.

At around 9.22 am, Sensex was trading at 77,157.74 after rising 433.66 points or 0.57 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 23,349.15 after climbing 135.95 points or 0.59 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,175 stocks were trading in green, while 139 stocks were in red.

Nifty Bank was up 526.50 points or 1.08 per cent at 49,278.20. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 54,673.70 after adding 774.70 points or 1.44 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,636.85 after climbing 282.90 points or 1.63 per cent.

According to experts, macro indicators from the US suggest that as the swearing-in of Donald Trump nears, the Trump trade has peaked and the decline in US bond yields and the dollar index are indications of this.

Delhi-NCR woke up to heavy fog and light rain on Thursday, causing transportation disruptions, with 29 trains delayed and many flights. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘yellow’ alert, warning of dense fog conditions and light rain throughout the day.

The expected weather conditions may intensify the chill, with temperatures hovering between a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 17 degrees Celsius. The dense fog is likely to persist on Friday morning as well, contributing to continued visibility issues.

Residents can expect poor visibility throughout the morning, evening, and night. The IMD has also predicted light rain showers on Thursday, which could further exacerbate the ongoing cold wave in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and surrounding areas.

The Centre on Wednesday re-imposed GRAP IV restrictions in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) due to the worsening air quality. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) sub-committee decided to implement all actions under Stage-III ('Severe Air Quality of Delhi) and Stage-IV ('Severe+' Air Quality of Delhi) of the existing GRAP schedule, effective immediately, in addition to the Stage-I and Stage-II actions already in place, according to a statement.

"All actions of the GRAP schedule shall be implemented, monitored and reviewed by all the agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further. All implementing agencies shall keep strict vigil and intensify measures of the GRAP schedule. Citizens are requested to strictly adhere to the citizen charter under GRAP," the statement added.

India’s macros (like fiscal consolidation, strong balance sheets and recovery in consumption) remain robust amid slowing global growth and the country's long-term growth prospects remain steady, projected at 6.5 per cent real GDP growth and 10-11 per cent nominal GDP growth, according to a report on Wednesday.

The strength of banks (NPAs below 1 per cent) and corporate balance sheets is notable. India Inc.’s profits are growing strong, but they are also generating large amounts of free cashflows in sharp contrast to 2003-2008, where free cashflows were in deficit, according to the monthly insight report from global financial services company Mirae Asset.

Household debt levels are also reasonable compared to global standards. India's aggregate debt to GDP is lower than in 2010, while it has risen globally, the findings showed.

A thick fog enveloped the national capital and surrounding areas early Wednesday morning, severely affecting visibility and causing widespread transportation disruptions. At least seven flights were cancelled, while 184 others were delayed. Additionally, 26 trains heading to Delhi were running late, with six train schedules altered due to the low visibility.

The thick fog caused visibility levels to plummet to near zero in several areas disrupting air, road, and rail traffic.

This comes a day after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in the national capital, warning of dense to very dense fog.

Road traffic also slowed down as dense fog made commuting difficult across Delhi and other cities in the NCR.

The Indian stock market opened higher on Wednesday as buying was seen in the auto, IT and PSU bank sectors.

At around 9.26 am, Sensex was trading at 76,758.37 after rising 258.74 points or 0.34 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 23,225.50 after climbing 49.45 points or 0.21 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,263 stocks were trading in green, while 289 stocks were in red.

Nifty Bank was up 154.60 points or 0.32 per cent at 48,883.75. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 53,846.40 after adding 169.90 points or 0.32 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,329.05 after climbing 71.25 points or 0.41 per cent.

According to experts, market will witness lots of stock-specific action in response to the Q3 results.

Dense fog enveloped the national capital and surrounding regions on Wednesday morning, as a persistent cold wave continued to grip northern India. The thick fog caused visibility levels to plummet to near zero in several areas, significantly impacting transportation services, especially rail and flight operations.

At 5:30 am on Wednesday, Delhi recorded a temperature of 10 degrees Celcius, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted the minimum temperature for the day would dip to 9 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature was forecast to reach around 19 degrees. The weather department also warned of a generally overcast sky throughout the day, with light rain or drizzle expected to occur later in the evening or night.

The morning temperature in Delhi was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius, and with the dense fog still lingering, the IMD issued another forecast suggesting more fog in the evening and night.

The annual rate of inflation based on the all-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) edged up to 2.37 per cent for the month of December, compared to the same month of the previous year, according to figures released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Tuesday.

The positive rate of inflation in December is primarily due to increase in prices of food articles, manufacture of food products, other manufacturing, manufacture of textiles and non-food articles.

However, the month over month change in WPI for the month of December, 2024 stood at (-) 0.38 per cent as compared to November, 2024.

The index for primary goods decreased by 2.07 per cent in December compared to November 2024, as price of food articles declined (-3.08 per cent) and crude petroleum and natural gas fell (-2.87 per cent) during the month.

Banks have started offering higher returns on FDs amid fierce competition to raise more deposits. While leading banks such as SBI and HDFC were the first to raise interest rates on FDs, smaller banks such as IDBI have followed suit for fear of getting left behind in the race.

SBI introduced a new category of super senior citizens above 80 years -- who will get 10 basis points more than senior citizens. This scheme has been adopted by IDBI Bank as well.

IDBI Bank has launched the 'IDBI Chiranjeevi-Super Senior Citizen FD', a fixed deposit product exclusively for individuals aged 80 years and above. The scheme offers an additional 0.65 per cent interest above the standard fixed deposit rates. The interest rates under this scheme include 8.05 per cent for a 555-day tenure, 7.9 per cent for 375 days, 8 per cent for 444 days, and 7.85 per cent for 700 days. The scheme is effective from January 13, 2025.

Equity alternative investment funds (AIFs) in India achieved a notable pooled internal rate of return (IRR) of 21.5 per cent between fiscals 2013 and 2024, according to a report on Tuesday.

Across the past five fiscals, the benchmark outpaced the BSE Sensex Total Return Index (TRI), reaffirming the resilience and importance of private markets in India’s investment landscape, according to the second edition of the Crisil-Oister report.

Stage-wise, the benchmark of early-stage funds generated a pooled IRR of 26.9 per cent between fiscals 2013 and 2024, outperforming the BSE 250 Smallcap TRI by 4.29 per cent.

Similarly, the benchmark of growth and late-stage funds delivered a robust pooled IRR of 23.6 per cent between fiscals 2015 and 2024, surpassing the BSE 200 TRI by 5.97 per cent, the report noted.

The domestic benchmark indices opened higher on Tuesday as HCLTech’s stock tanked 9 per cent in early trade after posting Q3 results that left brokerages unimpressed.

Brokerage firm Nuvama has downgraded HCLTech to "hold" from its earlier rating of “buy".

NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex opened higher. As of 9:16 a.m., the Nifty 50 was 113.60 points or 0.49 per cent higher at 23,199.55, and the Sensex was 370.21 points or 0.49 per cent higher at 76,700.22.

According to market experts, the constant refrain from many saner voices that the broader market is overpriced and may correct sharply is now playing out.

Reversion to mean valuations are happening in large caps, too. Strengthening dollar, 10-year US bond yields rising to above 4.7 per cent, uncertainty regarding Donald Trump’s actions after January 20 — all have combined to cause this market correction, they noted.

Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'poor' category and fog continued to persist in the morning hours on Tuesday also.

The AQI stood at 247 at 6 a.m. but deteriorated slightly to 250 by 8 a.m., remaining in the "poor" category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The dense fog engulfed the city, significantly reducing visibility, as the cold wave maintained its grip on the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted isolated rainfall in Delhi and nearby areas on January 15 and 16, with a fresh western disturbance expected to impact northwest India starting Tuesday.

A marginal rise in temperatures was noted over the past 24 hours, with the city recording maximum temperatures of 16-17 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures of 9-10 degrees Celsius. While clear skies are forecast for January 14, cloudy conditions are likely to prevail on January 15 and 16.

Indian stock market fell more than 1 per cent on Monday amid mixed global and local cues, including strong US employment data suggesting fewer rate cuts in 2025.

Among other factors that led to the market tumbling were rising crude oil prices, weakening rupee and massive foreign capital outflows which dragged the market, resulting in a loss of around Rs 12 lakh crore for investors.

Heavy selling was seen in realty PSU banks, metal, auto and pharma sectors. Realty sector ended in red with a decline of more than 6 per cent.

Sensex ended at 76,330.01, down by 1,048.90 points, or 1.36 per cent, and Nifty settled at 23,085.95, down by 345.55 points or 1.47 per cent.

The conditions are turning favourable for rate cuts in India and the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) easing cycle is likely to begin from February, according to a report on Monday.

The central bank’s neutral policy stance gives it flexibility to cut rates.

Food inflation, the main roadblock for rate cuts, is expected to ease given healthy agricultural production, according to a Crisil Intelligence report.

While monetary easing is underway in several key economies, uncertainty regarding the extent of rate cuts has risen. Trump’s victory brings with it expectations of tariffs increasing inflationary pressures and tax cuts adding to fiscal stress

In India, domestic financial conditions improved marginally on-month in December. The CRISIL Financial Conditions Index (FCI), an indicator capturing parameters from India’s major financial market segments, rose to 0.5 from 0.4 in November.

With food inflation having peaked out and the government trying to accelerate capex spending, the Indian economy is growing steadily and upcoming Union Budget and Donald Trump 2.0 hold key to market returns, according to a report on Monday.

Rural demand is showing a sustained recovery. The festival and wedding season has provided boost to demand for travel, jewellery, watches, quick service restaurant (QSR), footwear, apparel and durables, according to the report by PL Capital Group - Prabhudas Lilladher.

“We are already witnessing uptick in ordering momentum in Railways, Defense, Power, Data centres etc. the execution of which will accelerate growth in FY26 and beyond,” said Amnish Aggarwal, Director, Institutional Research.

The Indian stock market opened in red on Monday amid weak global cues as selling was seen in the realty, metal, FMCG, PSU bank and auto sectors.

At around 9.34 am, Sensex was trading at 76,821.43 after dropping 557.48 points or 0.72 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 23,257.65 after declining 173.85 points or 0.74 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 532 stocks were trading in green, while 1,744 stocks were in red.

Nifty Bank was down 279 points or 0.57 per cent at 48,455.15. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 53,934.30 after dropping 651.45 points or 1.19 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,472.70 after declining 172.85 points or 0.98 per cent.

According to experts, market will continue to be under pressure from the strong headwinds.

After weeks of enduring air quality in the "very poor" category, Delhi witnessed an improvement, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 282, placing it in the "poor" category on Monday at 8 a.m., as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Despite the improvement, a cold wave continues to grip the capital, accompanied by dense fog that has significantly reduced visibility during the morning and night hours.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for dense fog on Monday, cautioning residents about potential disruptions.

The day began with chilly winds, and the IMD forecast predicts a mainly clear sky, with smog or shallow fog likely to develop during the evening and night. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius, while the minimum could drop to 7 degrees Celsius.

Driven by strong fundamentals and resilient economy, the Indian equity markets are likely to see another record-breaking year for initial public offerings (IPOs), according to reports.

The fundraising activity in the country has been broad-based across sectors so far. Domestic investments provided resilience amid geopolitical risks and market volatility, according to a Kotak Investment Banking report.

According to the investment bank, deal sizes are consistently increasing across products, with more than 30 deals worth $500 million last year. Multinational companies (MNCs) prefer India as a listing destination by making their subsidiaries debut on Indian bourses.

A thick layer of fog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Saturday morning, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting cloudy skies and light rain in the region.

The cold conditions are expected to persist, offering no immediate relief from dense fog and cold waves.

The IMD has forecast cloudy skies with light rain or drizzle during the morning hours on January 11 and 12. Over the past 24 hours, the city experienced a sharp drop in temperature, with readings dipping as low as 1 degree Celsius. Maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded between 18-22 degrees Celsius and 6-8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Although the fog is expected to clear gradually as the day progresses, light rain could prolong its impact. The minimum temperature in the capital is predicted to drop further to around 5 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Despite a slowdown in real GDP growth, per capita nominal GDP in India is expected to increase significantly in FY25, by at least Rs 35,000 more than FY23, economists have said.

The first advance estimate (AE) of GDP for FY25 by the National Statistical Office (NSO) indicates GDP growth at 6.4 per cent. The gross value added (GVA) growth is also estimated at 6.4 per cent. Nominal GDP growth is estimated to remain flattish, increasing by 9.7 per cent in FY25 (9.6 per cent in FY24).

“Historically, the difference between RBI’s estimate and NSO’s estimate is always in the range of 20-30 bps and hence the 6.4 per cent estimate of FY25 is along expected and reasonable lines. We, however, believe that GDP growth for FY25 could be around 6.3 per cent, with downward bias,” said Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, State Bank of India.

“Buoyed by robust policy measures and overlapping phy-gital public infra creation, in lockstep with formalisation of finance, Agriculture and Allied Activities are likely to grow by 3.8 per cent in FY25 (1.4 per cent previous year),” Dr Ghosh mentioned.

The domestic benchmark indices opened flat on Wednesday as selling was seen in the auto, IT, PSU bank, financial service, FMCG, metal, realty and media sectors.

At around 9.28 am, Sensex was trading at 78,014.77 after dropping 184.34 points or 0.24 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 23,662.2 after declining 45.70 points or 0.19 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 749 stocks were trading in green, while 826 stocks were in red.

Nifty Bank was down 117.25 points or 0.23 per cent at 50,084.90. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 56,405.35 after dropping 463.95 points or 0.82 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,568.10 after declining 105.35 points or 0.56 per cent.

According to market experts, the trend of strong US macros weakening emerging markets is continuing. The US 10-year bond yield has spiked to 4.67 per cent on better-than-expected jobs numbers and indications of the services sector doing very well.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is bracing for a sharp dip in temperatures and severe weather conditions as a cold wave is expected to hit the national capital in the second week of January.

Temperatures could plummet to as low as 5 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday, a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius is expected, with the maximum temperature plunging not above 16 degrees Celsius as the day progresses.

Meanwhile, Delhi-NCR's battle with the deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) continues as Delhi wakes up to an AQI clocked at 322 as per the Central Government's Sameer App.

However, other National Capital Region (NCR) cities are currently performing a little better with AQIs clocked at 176, 192, 212, 229, and 196 in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad respectively.

Morgan Stanley expects India to be one of the best performing emerging markets in 2025, with a base case projection for Sensex to rise by 18 per cent by December end.

In its latest note, the US-headquartered investment bank sees 18 per cent base case upside for the BSE Sensex by the December end.

“India's macro stability is strong due to improving terms of trade and flexible inflation target,” said the global brokerage, forecasting earning of 18–20 per cent earning growth over the next four to five years.

Private capital expenditure cycle, re-leveraging of corporate balance sheets and unfolding of a structural rise in discretionary consumption are among reasons for this. A reliable source of domestic risk capital also contributes to the capital expenditure

The Indian stock market witnessed a steep decline on Monday as domestic benchmark indices plunged more than 1.5 per cent amid growing concerns over human metapneumovirus (HMPV) along with global uncertainties.

Heavy selling was seen in the PSU bank sector on Nifty. The PSU bank sector was down by more than 4 per cent. Apart from this, the realty, metal, energy, PSE, and commodities sectors also fell by more than 3 per cent.

Sensex ended at 77,964.99, down 1,258.12 points or 1.59 per cent and Nifty settled at 23,616.05 down 388.70 points or 1.62 per cent. The intraday low of Sensex was 77,781.62, while the intraday low of Nifty was 23,551.90.

The Indian stock market turned red in the afternoon trading session on Monday after opening in the green.

Both the benchmark indices fell by more than 1 per cent.

All sectoral indices were trading in the red. Nifty PSU Bank was trading in the red with a decline of more than 3 per cent.

Auto, metal, reality and media sectors were down by more than 2 per cent.

At around 12:00 pm, the Sensex was trading at 77,979.54 after declining 1,243.57 points or 1.57 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 23,607.35 after declining 397.40 points or 1.66 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 291 stocks were trading in the green, while 2,221 stocks were in the red.

The domestic benchmark indices opened higher on Monday as buying was seen in the IT and auto sectors.

At around 9.32 am, Sensex was trading at 79,470.61 after rising 247.50 points or 0.31 per cent, while Nifty was trading at 24,065 after gaining 60.25 points or 0.25 per cent.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 678 stocks were trading in green, while 1,302 stocks were in red.

Nifty Bank was down 139.60 points or 0.27 per cent at 50,849.20. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 57,823.65 after dropping 107.40 points or 0.19 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,949.75 after declining 83.95 points or 0.44 per cent.

According to market experts, domestically, the December auto numbers indicate that the much talked about urban demand deceleration is exaggerated.

Delhi will experience a mix of weather patterns over the coming week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, forecasting light rain in the national capital during the early hours of Monday.

According to the IMD, from January 6 to 10, residents can expect temperatures ranging between 7 degrees Celcius and 18 degrees Celcius. Moderate to dense fog is predicted from January 7 to 9, while thundershowers may also occur around January 11. Cloudy skies are expected throughout the period.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for dense fog, urging commuters to exercise caution, especially during the early mornings and evenings. These weather conditions are likely to provide a brief respite from the persistent air pollution in the region.

India's office market has become a key hub for global companies expanding their workforce and real estate footprint in 2024, with the net absorption reaching a record 49.56 million sq. ft during the year, according to a report released by real estate firm JLL on Friday.

The year concluded with an exceptional fourth quarter (October-December 2024), marked by record net absorption figures of 18.53 million sq. ft, underscoring the robust growth in this sector.

Bengaluru confirmed its market-leading position with its best-ever net absorption at 14.74 million sq. ft in 2024 with an increase of 63.6 per cent over the previous year. The city also posted its best quarter and now accounts for a 36.1 per cent share in the country’s office lease market, according to the report.

Hyderabad jumped to the second spot with a 16.0 per cent share followed by Delhi NCR with 15.4 per cent and Chennai with 11.5 per cent share in the quarterly net absorption numbers.