When India’s first LPG cylinders rolled into Pune households seventy years ago, many saw them as exotic objects. Burmah Shell, which was to become BPCL later, was the supplier. The large metal canisters that created a cool, blue flame seemed like a luxury in a country dependent largely on firewood and crop residues for its…
The story so far: As the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz exposed the vulnerability of India’s supply chain for cooking gas, the majority of which is imported, the Union government invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. While long-term steps are needed to diversify and reduce reliance on global suppliers and expand strategic reserves, the…
Global liquefied natural gas price volatility caused by the Middle East crisis is “very short-term”, Mike Sabel, chief executive officer with Venture Global, told the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum in Tokyo. Some 20% of global LNG supply is now offline with QatarEnergy LNG facilities shut amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which…
Image used for representative purpose only. | Photo Credit: AP The resumption of some flights from Dubai has allowed gold flows from this major global trading hub to partially resume this week, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday (March 13, 2026). Deliveries of physical gold to and from Dubai — a…
For SY2026, the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane has been increased by ₹15 to ₹355 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Integrated sugar mills are likely to see moderate revenue growth of 5-8% in FY26, driven by improved sugarcane availability and stable sugar prices, a…
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Lok Sabha during the second part of the Budget session of Parliament on March 13, 2026. Photo: Sansad TV via PTI Amid the $100-per-barrel oil shock, fears of energy shortage and supply chain disruptions arising out the West Asia conflict, the Centre has allocated ₹57,381 crore for an…
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters The U.S. has launched a fresh investigation into 60 countries, including India, to look into whether these countries have failed to ban the import of goods made using forced labour, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced late on March 12. The new investigation…
The new series of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the second data release of which was issued on Thursday, does not yet have enough historical data for robust comparisons, but does include enough information to provide clues about the future. Retail inflation in India quickened to a 10-month high of 3.2% in February 2026, largely…
Image used for representational purposes. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Silver price plunged by ₹5,354 to ₹2.62 lakh per kg in the futures trade on Friday (March 13, 2026) as rising crude oil prices and persistent inflationary concerns weighed on the investor sentiment. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the white metal for May delivery slumped…
Asian stocks slumped on Friday (March 13, 2026), poised for a second straight weekly decline as fast-dwindling hopes of a resolution to the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran kept oil prices aloft, casting a shadow over global markets and spurring inflation fears. The U.S. dollar has become the safe-haven of choice during the tumult,…
