Saturday, December 20

Business

From Village Boy to Billionaire: The Idea That Made Lalit Keshre ₹9,448 Crore Rich
Business

From Village Boy to Billionaire: The Idea That Made Lalit Keshre ₹9,448 Crore Rich

New Delhi: Lalit Keshre, co-founder and CEO of Groww, the parent company of BillionBranes Garage Ventures Limited, has officially joined the list of Indian billionaires. Since Groww’s public listing, Keshre’s net worth has soared, making him one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in India, with his 9.06% stake valued at over ₹9,448 crore. His journey from a farmer’s family in Lepa village, Madhya Pradesh, to the top echelons of the Indian startup ecosystem is a testament to perseverance, innovation, and entrepreneurial vision. From Village School to IIT Bombay:Born in a small farmer family in Lepa village, Khargone district, Keshre spent his early years with his grandparents, facing financial constraints. Despite limited educational resources, he attended the only English-medium school in ...
Stocks to Watch: LT Foods, Kirloskar Oil Among Picks for Potential Gains
Business

Stocks to Watch: LT Foods, Kirloskar Oil Among Picks for Potential Gains

New Delhi: The local stock markets ended lower on Tuesday, reflecting concerns over foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, the rupee hitting record lows against the dollar, and weak global cues. The BSE Sensex fell 533.50 points (0.63%) to 84,679.86, while the NSE Nifty 50 dropped 167.20 points (0.64%) to 25,860.10. During intraday trading, Sensex briefly touched 84,620.61, down 592.75 points. Sectoral Performance:Among Sensex constituents, Axis Bank recorded the largest decline of 5.03%. Other laggards included Eternal, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, and Bajaj Finance. On the upside, shares of Titan, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Asian Paints witnessed positive momentum. Stocks Showing Strong Buying:Analysts noted strong buying activity ...
Rupee Weakness: A Double-Edged Sword – Who Gains and Who Loses?
Business

Rupee Weakness: A Double-Edged Sword – Who Gains and Who Loses?

New Delhi: The weakening of the Indian rupee has once again sparked debate on whether a weaker currency actually boosts India’s export competitiveness. A new report by Systematics Research sheds light on the issue, revealing that the effects vary across sectors and that the benefits of a weak rupee are limited and uneven. Sectoral Impact: Beneficiaries: Food and agriculture-based exports are the primary beneficiaries of a weaker rupee. Since these sectors have low import dependence, a weaker rupee translates directly into higher foreign revenue and improved trade balance. Limited Gain: Electronics, chemicals, machinery, and petroleum products gain some advantage in exports from rupee weakness, but the benefit is offset by high import costs, as these sectors rely heavily on import...
India-China Trade: China Helps Offset Major Export Losses, Petroleum and Electronics Lead the Way
Business

India-China Trade: China Helps Offset Major Export Losses, Petroleum and Electronics Lead the Way

New Delhi: India’s trade deficit with China has long been a concern, standing at nearly $100 billion. However, recent trends show a significant boost in Indian exports to China, helping mitigate losses elsewhere. According to the Ministry of Commerce, India’s exports to China rose from $9.20 billion during April–November 2024 to $12.22 billion in the same period of 2025, marking a remarkable 32.83% increase. This growth highlights the benefits of export diversification, especially at a time when the United States has imposed steep tariffs of 50% on Indian goods. What India Exported:The surge in exports was driven primarily by: Petroleum products – the largest contributor Electronics – second major category Marine products and crude oil An official stated that this rapid...
Bill Gates Suffers Major Net Worth Loss in 2025; Falls to 16th Richest in the World
Business

Bill Gates Suffers Major Net Worth Loss in 2025; Falls to 16th Richest in the World

New Delhi: Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, who held the title of the world’s richest person from 2013 to 2017, has faced a significant decline in his net worth in 2025. After consistently remaining in the top 10 billionaires, Gates saw his net worth drop by $41.3 billion this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, leaving him with $117 billion and ranked 16th globally. Gates is the only billionaire among the top 30 to have suffered such a major loss in net worth this year. Over the years, the title of the world’s richest has shifted among several global business leaders. From Carlos Slim of Mexico (2009–2012) to Warren Buffett in 2008, followed by Jeff Bezos for four years, Elon Musk in 2022, Bernard Arnault in 2023, and Musk reclaiming the top spot in 2024. Curren...
For the First Time in 45 Years, Silver Surpasses Crude Oil; Three Years Ago Crude Was Five Times Higher
Business

For the First Time in 45 Years, Silver Surpasses Crude Oil; Three Years Ago Crude Was Five Times Higher

New Delhi: Silver has emerged as the surprising outperformer in 2025, recording a 115% surge this year, its best performance since 1979. In contrast, crude oil prices have fallen by 44%, marking the worst year for the commodity since 2020. Recently, silver prices crossed ₹2 lakh per kilogram in India, while the international rate hovered around $65 per ounce. Meanwhile, WTI crude traded at $55.93 per barrel and Brent crude at $59.71 per barrel. This marks the first time since 1980 that silver has outpriced crude oil. A Remarkable Shift:In mid-2022, WTI crude was approximately 5.5 times more expensive than silver. Since then, silver prices have soared 206%, while crude has declined 44%. This year will go down as one of the worst for crude oil in the post-pandemic era and one of the be...
Indian Markets Slide for Second Straight Session; Rupee Hits Record Low Against Dollar
Business

Indian Markets Slide for Second Straight Session; Rupee Hits Record Low Against Dollar

Indian equity markets extended their losing streak for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, weighed down by sustained foreign fund outflows, a sharply weaker rupee, and global uncertainties. Both benchmark indices—the Sensex and the Nifty 50—ended firmly in the red, while the rupee slipped to an all-time low against the US dollar. Sensex, Nifty End Lower The BSE Sensex fell 533 points, or 0.63%, to close at 84,679.86, while the NSE Nifty 50 declined 167 points, or 0.64%, to settle at 25,860.10. Market sentiment remained cautious amid concerns over global trade dynamics and currency volatility. Among Sensex constituents, Axis Bank, Eternal, HCL Technologies, Tata Steel, and Bajaj Finserv were the top laggards, registering losses between 2% and 5%. Axis Bank tumbled nearly 5% afte...
Multibagger Stock Defies Market Slump, Hits Upper Circuit for Consecutive Days
Business

Multibagger Stock Defies Market Slump, Hits Upper Circuit for Consecutive Days

Even as Indian equity markets witnessed sharp selling pressure for the second consecutive session, shares of A-1 Limited continued to buck the trend, closing at the upper circuit for the third straight trading day. While the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 533 points on Tuesday after declining in the previous session as well, A-1 Limited’s stock surged 5% to close at ₹2,055.10. The Ahmedabad-based chemical trading and logistics company has been attracting strong investor interest following key corporate announcements aimed at improving liquidity and rewarding shareholders. Bonus Issue and Stock Split Drive Rally A-1 Limited (formerly A-1 Acid Limited) recently informed the BSE that it has fixed December 31, 2025, as the record date to determine shareholder eligibility for a 3:1 bonus is...
Reliance Relaunches 75-Year-Old SIL Brand with Ultra-Affordable Products, Shaking Up FMCG Market
Business

Reliance Relaunches 75-Year-Old SIL Brand with Ultra-Affordable Products, Shaking Up FMCG Market

In a bold move set to intensify competition in India’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL) has relaunched the iconic SIL food brand, nearly 75 years after its original debut, with a refreshed portfolio of value-driven products. Backed by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, the relaunch signals the company’s aggressive push to expand its footprint in the packaged food segment. The revived SIL brand has been introduced with highly competitive pricing, including noodles starting at ₹5, tomato ketchup priced at just ₹1, and mixed fruit jam beginning at ₹22. Reliance says the products combine global-quality standards with affordability, positioning SIL as a strong challenger to established FMCG giants such as Maggi in instant noodles and Kis...
FIIs Sell ₹152 Crore Every Hour in 2025, But Domestic Investors Keep Markets Steady
Business

FIIs Sell ₹152 Crore Every Hour in 2025, But Domestic Investors Keep Markets Steady

Foreign investors’ cautious stance on Indian equities is hard to miss. This year, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have sold roughly ₹152 crore worth of shares every trading hour. Yet, despite this massive outflow, the Indian stock market has remained remarkably resilient, thanks to strong domestic participation. Record Hourly Outflows by FIIs FIIs, often considered the lifeblood of Indian markets, have been aggressively selling in 2025. According to reports from ET, FIIs have offloaded over ₹2.23 lakh crore of shares in the secondary market so far this year. Broken down, this equates to around ₹900 crore in sales per trading day—or approximately ₹152 crore every trading hour. Despite this consistent selling pressure, benchmark indices like the Sensex have largely held their gr...