Gold prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) opened with a sharp jump on Friday, crossing the Rs 1 lakh mark per 10 grams.

The rally came as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East boosted safe-haven demand for the yellow metal. Silver prices also gained in early trade.

MCX gold opened higher by Rs 1,108 or 1.12 per cent at Rs 99,500 per 10 grams, compared to the previous close of Rs 98,392.

Soon after, the price surged to Rs 1,00,403, breaching the Rs 1 lakh level for the first time. At 12:44 p.m., gold was trading at Rs 99,673.00, up 1.30 per cent.

Additionally, retail gold prices in India also reflected the rise. According to data from the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), around 12:50 p.m., 22-carat gold was priced at Rs 9,679 per gram, while 24-carat fine gold stood at Rs 9,917 per gram.

India inflation is likely to average around 2.5 per cent for the next six months, lower than the RBI's forecast of 3.5 per cent, an HSBC report said on Friday.

The June inflation print is trending a tad lower than May levels.

“We think that the low inflation print can be attributed to the high base of last year. Vegetable prices in the first 10 days of June have risen in the range of 0-13 per cent,” according to HSBC Global Research.

The monsoon season started early, but the rains have slowed since. That said, sowing of the summer crop is progressing well, particularly for rice and pulses.

This, along with a strong cereal production from last year means that granaries are full and the government can choose to slow release stocks to control cereal inflation over a 2-year horizon, the report noted.

India and China have agreed to expedite steps to resume direct air services between the two countries and also hold talks to resolve trade issues.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, who is on a two-day visit to New Delhi from June 12 -13.

“The Foreign Secretary hoped for the early conclusion of an updated Air Services Agreement. The two sides further agreed to take practical steps for visa facilitation and exchanges between media and think-tanks,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday.

The two countries have agreed to hold certain functional dialogues, including in the economic and trade areas, to discuss and resolve specific issues of concern, the statement said.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Beijing on January 27 and agreed to continue to stabilise and rebuild ties with a priority on people-centric engagements, according to the statement.

Given the current inflation trajectory, headline inflation is projected to average 4 per cent this fiscal (FY26), from 4.6 per cent last fiscal, a Crisil report said on Friday.

Lower inflation keeps the window open for one more repo rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), apart from the 100 basis points cut announced so far, the report forecast.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation dropped to 2.8 per cent in May, the lowest reading since February 2019, from 3.2 per cent in April as food inflation continued to decline.

Fuel and core inflation also softened. Food inflation fell to 1 per cent, the lowest since October 2021, from 1.8 per cent in April. Fuel inflation reversed trend and eased marginally to 2.8 per cent from 2.9 per cent.

Core inflation eased to 4.18 per cent from 4.23 per cent in April. Core inflation remained below its trend level (measured by the decadal average) of 4.9 per cent.

Among food items, pulses, vegetables and spices saw deflation, while cereals recorded lower inflation.

The Indian benchmark indices opened sharply lower on Friday as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. Heaving selling was seen in the auto, IT, Financial service and PSU Bank sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.33 am, Sensex was trading 896.5 points or 1.10 per cent down at 80,795.44 while the Nifty declined 278.5 point or 1.12 per cent at 24,609.70

Nifty Bank was down 633.80 points or 1.13 per cent at 55,448.75 The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 57,836.95 after dropping 603.90 points or 1.03 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,272.30 after declining 192.75 points or 1.04 per cent.

Analysts said that the economic consequences of this Israeli strike can be profound if the attack and counterattack by Iran lingers long. Israel has declared that the operation will last several days.

The softening of CPI inflation would provide a substantial boost to households and businesses, industry chamber PHDCCI said on Thursday.

The retail inflation for May has softened to 2.82 per cent, marking a notable reduction of 34 basis points compared to April (3.16 per cent).

“This is the lowest year-on-year inflation recorded since February 2019 and gives further boost to consumer and industry sentiments,” said Hemant Jain, President of PHDCCI.

The year-on-year inflation rate, based on the All-India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), for the month of May compared to May 2024 is 0.99 per cent (provisional), which is the lowest since October 2021.

India's inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined to 2.82 per cent in May this year compared to the same month of the previous year. This is the lowest level of retail inflation since February 2019, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics on Thursday.

Food Inflation declined to 0.99 per cent during May, which is the lowest since October 2021. This is the seventh month in a row that food inflation has registered a decline as the agricultural output has been on the rise.

The significant decline in inflation during the month is mainly attributed to the decline in inflation of pulses, vegetables, fruits, cereals, household goods & services, sugar, and eggs, according to the official statement.

At least 169 Indians and 53 British nationals were travelling in Air India’s flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick which crashed soon after take-off, an airline official said on Thursday.

The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1.38 p.m. carrying 242 passengers and crew members, also had seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian national on board.

The plane had 10 cabin crew, and two pilots - Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, a long-time Air India pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours.

The first major crash since the national carrier’s privatisation in January 2022, led to the Tata Group-managed airline mourning the incident by changing its official 'X' account profile and cover photo to black as a mark of solidarity and respect for the departed souls.

The Indian stock markets witnessed a sharp fall on Thursday after a volatile trading session, as weak global cues and rising tensions between the US and Iran weighed on investor sentiment.

The Sensex dropped by 823.16 points, or 1 per cent, to close at 81,691.98 after slipping to an intra-day low of 81,523.16.

The Nifty fell below the psychological 25,000 mark and ended at 24,888.20, down by 253.20 points or 1.01 per cent.

Among the 30 Sensex stocks, Tata Motors, Titan, Power Grid, Tata Steel, L&T and Mahindra & Mahindra were the top losers, each falling over 2 per cent.

Only Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints and Tech Mahindra managed to stay in the green.

There has been a surge in private investments in the last 11 years, with Indian startups and emerging entities attracting significant private funding to the tune of over $150 billion in the past decade, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

More than Rs 22,900 crore have been invested in over 1,270 startups via the government's Fund of Funds for Startups scheme.

"India is embracing technology like no other! This digital transformation is the outcome of the forward-looking vision and timely policy interventions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every section of society and every aspect of life has been positively impacted by 11 years of Digital India," Goyal said in a post on social media platform X.

IP filings by the domestic startups surged from 2017 to 2024, with over 355 per cent growth in patents and more than 543 per cent growth in trademarks.

There has been more than 90 times rise in direct benefit transfer (DBT) in just a decade under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday.

Moreover, India leads the world in real-time payments, with more than Rs 260 lakh crore worth of transactions processed in 2024-25, the Finance Minister informed on the X social media platform.

“From Rs 7,368 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 6.83 lakh crore in 2024-25, there has been a 90X+ rise in DBT transfer in just a decade under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, ensuring that every rupee reaches to every citizen,” said FM Sitharaman.

She further stated that India leads the world in real-time payments as “Rs 260+ lakh crore worth of transactions processed in 2024-25 and approximately 18,600 crore transactions by volume handled annually”.

In a shocking incident, a woman Constable was killed and two other on-duty officers were grievously injured after being rammed by a speeding Scorpio SUV on the four-lane Atal Path under the jurisdiction of Sri Krishnapuri police station in the early hours of Thursday.

Confirming the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avkash Kumar said that two individuals, including the SUV driver, have been arrested.

The vehicle has also been seized for further investigation. What has raised eyebrows is the presence of a powerful political party's flag on the vehicle, suggesting possible political links with the ruling coalition.

According to an official, the incident occurred at around 12:30 AM during a special night vehicle checking campaign aimed at curbing criminal activities in the city.

A Scorpio travelling at an estimated speed of 90 kmph from the Digha side was signalled to stop for checking by the police team.

The Indian benchmark indices opened flat on Thursday ahead of key retail inflation data, as selling was seen in the auto, IT and PSU Bank sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.28 am, Sensex was trading 69.22 points or 0.08 per cent up at 82,584.36 while the Nifty added 23.65 point or 0.09 per cent at 25,165.05.

Nifty Bank was up 98.65 points or 0.17 per cent at 56,558.40 The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,267.75 after dropping 120.40 points or 0.20 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,772.35 after declining 26.40 points or 0.14 per cent.

According to analysts, Nifty ended higher yesterday but slipped off its intra-day peak. Technically, yesterday's candle was a doji with a slightly longer upper shadow immediately following the 'upside-gap two crows' pattern so the onus is on bulls to protect 25,029 in the near-term.

India has witnessed an unprecedented scale of infrastructure development over the past decade, driven by the success of a holistic and integrated approach under major national initiatives like PRAGATI, PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and UDAN, according to an official report released on Wednesday.

The report encapsulates the rapid transformation that has taken place in the country’s transport infrastructure across the highways, railways, maritime and civil aviation sectors of the economy on the back of massive investments made by the Central government in the last 10 years.

Private equity (PE) activity in India is expected to revive in the second half of 2025 as market valuations stabilise and exit opportunities improve, according to a report on Wednesday.

India recorded 179 deals valued at $4.5 billion in May. Excluding IPOs and QIPs, the market saw 175 transactions worth $4.2 billion, reflecting a 17 per cent drop in volumes and a marginal 4 per cent decline in values compared to April, according to the report by Grant Thornton Bharat.

Additionally, the uptick in outbound M&A signals growing corporate confidence in global expansion and strategic diversification.

"May marked a slowdown in overall deal activity due to muted private equity sentiment. The emergence of two unicorns and an uptick in Corporate India's outbound deals indicate a promising deal outlook,” said Shanthi Vijetha, Partner, Growth at Grant Thornton Bharat.

“Expect deal momentum to build in the second half in the backdrop of a rejuvenated IPO market,” she mentioned.

India continues to be in the top 10 global cross-border investment destinations for land and development sites, a report showed on Wednesday.

The country is emerging as a key investment destination within Asia Pacific, driven by strong fundamentals, a maturing real estate market, and growing interest in land and development assets.

Favourable policy measures and continued infrastructure push are further enhancing the investment climate and reinforcing India's appeal to global and regional capital, said the report from Colliers.

While Japan and Australia ranked among the top 10 global cross-border capital destinations for standing assets, India continued to feature prominently at the seventh place in the top 10 global cross-border capital destinations for land and development sites.

India’s infrastructure has seen rapid progress in the last decade, as capital expenditure surged from Rs 2 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 11.21 lakh crore in 2025-26 — a significant six times increase towards the 'Viksit Bharat' goal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

Allocation for capital expenditure is at its highest-ever at Rs 11.21 lakh crore during FY2026.

“India’s Infrastructure has seen rapid progress in the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” FM Sitharaman said in a post on X.

“A leap of more than 860 per cent in budget allocation for road transport to Rs 3+ lakh crore. Four times surge in Metro Rail Network from just 248 KM in 2014 to 1011 KM in 2025,” the minister further informed.

The Nifty 50 and Sensex opened almost flat on Wednesday, as buying was seen in sectors like oil and gas and metal, while FMCG and PSU Bank were trading in the red.

Sensex was up 59 points at around 82,451 while Nifty was up 18.55 points at 25,122 in the early trade.

On the National Stock Exchange, 11 sectoral indices advanced, two declined, and two remained flat out of 15 (around 9.25 am). The NSE Nifty Media rose the most.

JSW Steel, Cipla, NTPC and Tech Mahindra were among major gainers on the Nifty, while losers were Grasim Industries, Shriram Finance, Asian Paints, L&T, Titan Company. BSE Midcap and smallcap index up 0.3 percent each.

According to analysts, market is likely to continue in the consolidation range with a slight upward bias.

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) inflows reached an all-time high of Rs 26,688 crore in May, from Rs 26,632 crore in April, according to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Tuesday.

The highest-ever inflow of SIP shows that people are investing in mutual funds from a long-term perspective.

According to the AMFI data, the number of contributing SIP accounts increased to 8.56 crore in May, from 8.38 crore in the previous month.

"Investor preferences are evolving. There’s a clear lean toward equity and hybrid funds, driven by long-term growth outlooks and a cautious stance on debt. Retail participation is also surging. The mutual fund revolution is becoming mainstream," said Narender Singh, smallcase Manager and Founder of Growth Investing.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has transformed into an emerging defence exporter, strengthening national security and becoming a trusted partner in global peace.

“India’s defence sector has undergone a major transformation in the last decade. India's defence exports have grown by over 1,100% in the last decade from ₹1,941 crore in 2014 to an all-time high of ₹23,662 crore in 2024. The country now exports military hardware to over 100 countries,” the Finance Minister said in a statement on X.

She underscored that 75 per cent of the defence capital acquisition budget has been earmarked for domestic production in the financial year 2025-26.

The Finance Minister further pointed out that over 5,000 items have been added to the defence indigenisation lists as part of the government’s Aatmanirbharta campaign.

Indian corporates are projected to double their capital spending to $800 billion-$850 billion over the next five years, which will be largely financed by operating cash flows and facilitated by ample domestic funding options, said an S&P Global Ratings report on Tuesday.

Barring execution mistakes or negative macro changes, these investments should boost business scale without driving up leverage, the report noted.

“Corporate India is chasing growth opportunities. In our view, Indian companies are well positioned for a growth run. Balance sheets are the leanest they've been in years. Companies are investing to meet demand underpinned by favourable government policies and a positive economic outlook,” according to the credit rating agency.

Successful execution of plans would enlarge their operational scale, providing lasting cost benefits and business efficiencies.

The RBI monetary policy committee's (MPC) decision to go for a relatively mammoth cut, while changing the stance to neutral, should not be confused with a pause on future rate cuts trajectory in the medium term, but rather a semblance of adopting flexible manoeuvrability on part of a conscious regulator to diligently perform a new troika, a State Bank of India (SBI) Research report said on Tuesday.

The Central Bank aims to manage the yield curve and ensure adequate liquidity in the ecosystem, while renewing the pledge to keep growth sacrosanct, mindful of inflationary concerns and checkmating any bubbles formation, said Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, SBI.

“The current focus of RBI is to support the momentum in capital formation for more durable growth,” Dr Ghosh mentioned.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said he held insightful conversations with leading business leaders in Switzerland on exciting opportunities, partnerships, and new avenues for trade and investment between both the nations.

In a post on social media platform X, the minister said he spent an engaging evening with Indian business delegates.

“Held insightful conversations on exciting opportunities, partnerships, and new avenues for trade and investment between India and Switzerland, emerging from the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement,” he noted.

Goyal on Monday commenced his official visit to Switzerland as part of a five-day tour during which, he will also visit Sweden to further strengthen trade ties.

The domestic benchmark indices extended their winning streak to the fifth consecutive session on Tuesday, opening with some moderate gains. However they trimmed early wins to trade a tad lower.

At 9.17 am, Sensex was up 28.49 points or 0.03 percent at 82,473.70, and the Nifty was up 21.15 points or 0.08 per cent at 25,124.35.

On the sectoral front, technology, metals and media stocks rallied sharply. The banking stocks saw mild pressure amid profit booking in trade.

The smallcap and midcap indices gained up to half a per cent, reflecting broad-based buying across the markets.

According to Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research, Axis Securities, Yesterday was an upside follow-through on Friday's advance for the Nifty.

The Indian stock markets closed in the green on the first trading day of the week, as Bank Nifty hit a new all-time high of 57,000 on Monday, reflecting strong sentiment and momentum in the banking sector.

The Sensex ended 256.22 points or 0.31 per cent up at 82,445.21 and Nifty closed 100.15 points or 0.40 percent up at 25,103.20.

Midcap and smallcap stocks saw a rise compared to largecaps. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was up 664.65 points or 1.13 per cent at 59,674.95 and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index was up 290.95 points or 1.57 per cent at 18,873.40.

On a sectoral basis, auto, IT, PSU banks, financial services, pharma, metal and media indices closed in the green. Only the Nifty Realty index closed in the red.

 To unlock the value of operational National Highway assets, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday released its first ever ‘Asset Monetization Strategy for the Road Sector’.

The move is aimed at increasing public private partnership (PPP) in India’s infrastructure development.

The strategy aligns with the government’s objective under Assets Monetisation Plan - 2025-30 and represents a pivotal shift towards sustainable, market-driven infrastructure financing.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the strategy presents a structured framework that provide a robust blueprint to mobilise capital through toll-operate-transfer (ToT), infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), and securitisation models.

Amid all the tariff uncertainty, India’s macros remain on a strong foothold, an HSBC Mutual Fund report said on Monday, adding that it remains constructive on Indian equities supported by the more robust medium-term growth outlook.

Due to the tariff war and global outlook, demand for safe-haven assets has led to capital outflows and weighed on emerging market (EM) currencies, including India.

"India’s exposure to the US, its trade diplomacy, and the RBI’s steady hand and its policy approach have put India on the leaderboard amid the tariff concerns that have eclipsed business and growth outlook, globally," said the outlook report.

India’s cooling inflation has provided the RBI MPC to focus on supporting growth by way of front-loaded policy easing. The MPC’s shift to a neutral stance implies that the scope for future cuts might be limited and also that it will remain data-dependent.

In a significant feat under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary government, India has made key strides in the last decade in reducing its extreme poverty rate, which fell to 5.3 per cent in 2022–23 from 27.1 per cent in 2011–12, latest World Bank data has revealed.

About 75.24 million people were living in extreme poverty in India during 2022–23, a massive drop from 344.47 million in 2011–12.

According to the World Bank data, this means 269 million individuals were lifted out of extreme poverty over approximately 11 years.

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, which collectively accounted for 65 per cent of India’s extreme poor in 2011–12, contributed to two-thirds of the overall decline in extreme poverty by 2022–23.

India's foreign exchange reserves stood at $691.5 billion, as of May 30, and are sufficient to fund more than 11 months of goods imports and about 96 per cent of external debt outstanding, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday.

For the week ended May 30, the reserves dropped by $1.2 billion to break an 8-week rising trend. India’s foreign exchange reserves had recorded a robust increase of $6.99 billion to $692.72 billion in the preceding week ended May 23.

Changes in foreign currency assets, expressed in dollar terms, include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of other currencies held in the reserves.

External commercial borrowings (ECBs) and non-resident deposits have seen higher net inflows compared to the previous year.

The domestic benchmark indices surged on Friday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50 per cent and cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 100 basis points (in four tranches).

Sensex gained 746.95 points or 0.92 per cent at 82,188.99 and the Nifty rose 252.15 points or 1.02 percent to close at 25,003.05.

The rise was led by banking stocks. Nifty Bank closed at 56,578.40, up 817.55 points or 1.47 per cent. During the day, Bank Nifty touched the level of 56,695, which is the highest level of the main banking index so far.

Along with largecaps, midcaps and smallcaps also witnessed a rise. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was up 707.30 points, or 1.21 per cent, at 59,010.30, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index was up 149.85 points, or 0.81 per cent, at 18,582.45.

The jumbo 50 bps rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will directly benefit home loan borrowers, especially existing ones, by reducing their interest burden, experts said on Friday.

The decision comes at a pivotal time, as India, now the world’s fourth-largest economy, is witnessing strong real estate momentum across metros as well as tier 2 and 3 cities.

“Lower lending rates will directly enhance home loan affordability, particularly in interest-sensitive categories like mid-income and affordable housing. Reduced EMIs are expected to significantly improve buyer sentiment and encourage first-time homebuyers to enter the market,” said Shekhar G Patel, President, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI).

The RBI has projected India’s GDP growth at 6.5 per cent for 2025-26, with domestic economic activity showing resilience on the back of a strong agriculture sector, industry picking up, and the services sector expected to maintain momentum.

The quarterly growth rates projected for the financial year are: Q1 at 6.5, Q2 at 6.7, Q3 at 6.6 and Q4 at 6.3 per cent.

“The provisional estimates released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) placed India’s real GDP growth in 2024-25 at 6.5 per cent. During 2025-26 so far, domestic economic activity has exhibited resilience. The agriculture sector remains strong. With a very good harvest in both the kharif as well as rabi cropping seasons, the supply of major food crops is comfortable. The reservoir levels remain healthy. The highest procurement of wheat in the last four years provides a comforting stock position,” RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday.

Industrial activity is gradually increasing, even though the pace of recovery is uneven. The services sector is expected to maintain momentum. PMI services stood strong at 58.8 in May 2025, indicating robust expansion in activity, he pointed out.

The Indian benchmark indices surged on Friday after the RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced a jumbo 50 bps rate cut — from 6 per cent to 5.5 per cent — and a 100 basis point cut in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.

The immediate effect of the decision was seen on the Indian stock market. At around 10.46 am, Sensex was trading 505.7 points or 0.62 per cent up at 81,947.74 while the Nifty added 168.40 point or 0.68 per cent at 24,919.30.

Nifty Bank was up 682.95 points or 1.22 per cent at 56,443.80 . The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 58,666.20 after rising 363.20 points or 0.62 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,480.85 after climbing 48.25points or 0.26 per cent.

In the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Kotak Mahindra Bank and IndusInd Bank were the top gainers. Sun Pharma, Infosys, Nestle India and HCL Tech were the top losers.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday announced a jumbo 50 basis points cut in the repo rate from 6 per cent to 5.5 per cent to spur growth in the economy, as inflation has come down below the lower RBI band of 4 per cent.

A lower policy rate leads to a decline in interest rate on bank loans which makes borrowing easier for consumers as well as businesses resulting in higher consumption and investments in the economy leading to higher growth.

However, the effectiveness of this rate cut will largely hinge on how quickly and efficiently commercial banks pass on the benefits to borrowers.

The RBI Governor said the repo rate has now been reduced 100 basis points in quick succession since February this year and hence, the monetary policy stance has been changed from accommodative to neutral.