India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), reported a 12.6% year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for Q4 FY26, posting ₹16,971 crore against ₹19,407 crore in the previous year. Despite the earnings squeeze—driven primarily by margin pressures in the Oil-to-Chemicals (O2C) segment and volatile West Asia geopolitics—the company’s revenue surged 13% to ₹2.98 lakh crore. Strength in digital services saw Jio Platforms deliver a 13% profit jump to ₹7,935 crore, while Reliance Retail added over 300 new stores to reach a count of 20,160. Chairman Mukesh Ambani signaled long-term confidence by recommending a dividend of ₹6 per share and hinting that the highly anticipated Jio IPO remains steadily on track.

Indian equities suffered a brutal second day of losses on Friday, April 24, 2026, as the NSE Nifty 50 slid below the 24,000 mark and the BSE Sensex plummeted nearly 1,000 points. Market sentiment was hammered by a fresh spike in Brent crude to $107.24 following the seizure of vessels by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent stalling of US-Iran diplomatic talks. While Nifty Pharma provided a defensive sanctuary—bolstered by Cipla’s 5.7% rally—heavyweights in the Auto and Banking sectors dragged the benchmarks to nearly 10% below their 52-week highs. With FII outflows intensifying and the RBI warning of “second-round” inflationary effects from West Asia, traders remain on edge for any signs of geopolitical de-escalation.

Indian equity markets succumbed to heavy selling on Wednesday as the NSE Nifty 50 dropped nearly 200 points to settle at 24,378.10, led by a brutal 3% meltdown in the IT sector. A pessimistic revenue guidance from HCL Technologies triggered a wave of profit-taking across tech majors, while global crude prices flirting with $100 per barrel added to the inflationary gloom. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump extending an indefinite ceasefire with Iran, geopolitical “wobbliness” and news of potential Chinese military shipments to Tehran kept the risk premium high. While broader markets showed some resilience through solar and realty gains, the headline indices remained under pressure from a “higher-for-longer” interest rate outlook and weakening global discretionary demand.

Dalal Street shrugged off global jitters and delivered a blockbuster Tuesday, with frontline indices charging higher for the fourth straight session. Buoyed by steady FII inflows and hopes of a US-Iran thaw, the bulls took charge from the opening bell and refused to look back.

Intraday whipsaw ends with modest green close; oil shock and Iran blockade rattle global desks while India ETFs surge in US trade

Kolkata, April 17, 2026: For decades, the global economy’s most reliable tailwind was demographic. More people meant more workers, more consumers, more taxpayers. That tailwind has turned. From Tokyo to Berlin to Shanghai, fertility rates are far below replacement level, migration is no longer bridging the gap, and working-age populations are shrinking in absolute terms. The next five years will be the first when population degrowth moves from UN charts to boardroom P&Ls.