Eco Stabilisation Fund to give fiscal headroom to tackle global shocks: FM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 1 tn Economic Stabilisation Fund to cushion shocks without veering from fiscal consolidation. Second Supplementary Grants passed with added fertiliser and food subsidies. FY26 deficit stays at 4.4% of GDP. Jal Jeevan gets Rs 8.69 lakh cr (Centre Rs 3.59 lakh cr).

India-UK FTA takes effect in a month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said, calling it the UK’s fastest approval. Signed July 24, 2025, CETA makes 99% of Indian exports duty-free and 90% of UK goods zero-tariff. A DCC pact ends ~20% double social contributions, aiding 75,000 Indians.

Jefferies’ Chris Wood warns markets underprice West Asia war risk, assuming Trump de-escalates. Oil/gas may rise on Hormuz closure and ship attacks. Nifty could drop another 5–10%, with autos, banks, realty weak; supports at 23,300 then 23,000–22,500. Potential beneficiaries: Russia, China.

MNRE targets 39 lakh rooftop systems (11,700 MW) in FY27 under PM Surya Ghar; installs ~2 lakh/month. FY26 hit 14.62 lakh vs 35 lakh; ₹14,585cr of ₹17,000cr spent. FY27: 92.8% budget to solar incl. ₹22,000cr for the scheme. PM-KUSUM FY27: 2,000 MW, 1 lakh pumps, 9 lakh solarisations; FY26 lagged.

CRISIL says India’s CGD sales may fall 8–10% as West Asia conflict cuts LNG imports after Qatar’s force majeure. CNG/PNG-D are shielded by domestic, priority gas; PNG I&C hit most. Cost pass-through limits margin impact; volumes and cash flows may soften, but credit profiles stay supported.

Amid Gulf tensions, Dubai attractions offer relief with free entry during school break: Atlantis’ Aquaventure World and The Lost Chambers have limited complimentary tickets Mar 10–22 (book online; up to 4). Dubai Miracle Garden is free for residents Mar 15–31 with Emirates ID; citywide deals too.

From Mar 11, 2026, Australia accepts Training visa (subclass 407) applications only after sponsor approval as a Temporary Activities Sponsor and nomination approval. Early lodgement is invalid/refunded; Commonwealth agencies exempt. Aims to curb permanent temporariness; may affect onshore applicants

Rajasthan Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar ordered steps to ensure uninterrupted summer supply amid early heat. Officials will assess demand, seek central allocation, and buy short-term power. State adds 2,900 MW Kusum solar, 6,000 MWh storage, and upgrades discoms/GSS.

IEA plans a record 400m-barrel release (172m from the US) to ease a historic oil shock from the Hormuz closure, but Asia stays short. March saw a 17 mbpd disruption (~430m barrels). Bypass routes (Yanbu, Fujairah) help, yet 6–7 mbpd is shut in; restarting fields/refineries could take months.

Lava Bold 2 launches in India at Rs 12,999 (6GB+128GB), on Amazon from Mar 19. It packs a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED, Dimensity 7060, Android 15, 50MP rear/8MP front cams, in-display FP, 5,000mAh with 33W, 7.5mm thickness, IP64 rating. Colors: Feather White, Midnight Black.

YouTube is adding background play and offline downloads to Premium Lite in India. Rolling out over the coming weeks, the Rs 89/month plan offers ad-free viewing on most videos across devices, now with background audio and downloads. Excludes most music and Shorts; full ad-free needs Premium.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an Economic Stabilisation Fund to create fiscal headroom for India to respond to global shocks such as supply disruptions and energy crises.

Rockstar’s GTA Online Community Series Showcase runs Mar 12–Apr 1: log in for GTA$1,000,000; 3X rewards on Community jobs plus weekly bonuses up to GTA$1.5M. Free special vehicles and LSIA Vehicle Warehouse, race/deathmatch challenges, boosted business payouts, creator/GTA+ perks.

Trump’s $100k H-1B fee saw only 85 payers ($8.5M) and coincided with a ~$28M drop in other H-1B fee revenue. An NBER study finds H-1Bs earn ~16% less than similar U.S. workers, so demand may persist even with higher fees, skewing toward higher-skill hires. Policy faces active court challenges.

After the Supreme Court voided Trump’s IEEPA tariffs, forcing $175B in refunds, the administration is pivoting to new levies under Sections 122, 301 and 232. A Democratic study says tariffs could cost households $2,512 in 2026 (+44%). White House defends; broad 301 probes loom amid high prices.

Mercedes-Benz India will raise vehicle prices by about 2% from April 1, citing rupee depreciation against the euro and higher input costs, aiming to ensure sustainability with minimal customer impact. Audi likewise announced up to a 2% hike from April 1 due to costs and currency fluctuations.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced five new Cultural and Development Boards for Munda, Kora, Dom, Kumbhakar and Sadgope communities to protect languages and traditions and improve education, healthcare and jobs. Announced ahead of April polls, it builds on boards set up since 2013.

US grants 30-day OFAC waiver allowing delivery of Russian oil already at sea (loaded before Mar 12) through Apr 11 to ease ~$100 crude amid West Asia tensions. Limited to in-transit cargoes. India upped buys (~1.63 mbpd). ~130m barrels afloat. US to release 172m from SPR under IEA plan.

US KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in western Iraq during operations against Iran after an incident involving two KC-135s; the other landed safely. Cause not hostile or friendly fire; crew status unclear. Aging KC-135s are vital for long missions; past accidents fuel reliability concerns.

From 2022 to Feb 2026, silver surged ~400% ($24→$120) before settling near $81.6. Vallum Capital’s ETF-flow study shows four phases: global funds exited early, bought dips, then sold the mania; Indian retail accumulated early but chased peaks, deploying ~$4.6B near tops and panic-sold—classic FOMO.

Disney+ launched Verts, a vertical video feed in its mobile app (US rollout) that lets users swipe through short clips from movies and shows, then watch or add to Watchlist. Announced at CES 2026, it uses personalized recommendations and will expand with new formats—similar to Netflix’s.

Southeast Asian governments are curbing fuel use as oil prices surge amid Middle East conflict: Thailand orders WFH for most state staff; the Philippines shifts to a four-day week and widens fuel aid; Malaysia weighs WFH; Vietnam urges remote work and transit. Moves aim to blunt inflation.

Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse warned all schools, including national and international boards, to follow the law making Marathi compulsory for Classes 1–10. Complaints will trigger inspections; schools must rectify or risk derecognition. Marathi may be a 2nd/3rd language but is mandatory.

Debris from a downed drone killed two expatriate workers in Oman’s Sohar; another drone was downed. Sirens sounded at Türkiye’s Incirlik airbase. Israel hit Lebanon’s Al-Zrariya Bridge targeting Hezbollah. Iran’s IRGC claimed missile strikes amid rising tensions threatening shipping and energy.

Rupee forward premiums fell on bets the RBI may do a three‑year $10 bln USD/INR swap after heavy intervention to support a record‑low rupee (92.4250, down 1.5% since Feb 28). Three‑year forward points fell to 8.06. Odds seen low, but speculation spurred heavy, late‑hours forwards trading.

The Supreme Court stayed para 89 of a Dec 2025 Delhi HC ruling that set aside the Lokpal’s sanction and told it to reconsider CBI approval to chargesheet TMC MP Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case.  

Anthropic added inline, adaptive visuals to Claude—charts, diagrams, timelines, and widgets that auto-generate or on request—available to all plans, with Figma/Canva/Slack integrations and student/business use cases, building on “Imagine with Claude.”

The Centre approved ₹1,912.99 crore in extra relief for Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and J&K hit by floods, landslides, cloudbursts and cyclone Montha. Cleared by an HLC chaired by Amit Shah, the aid is over and above SDRF/NDRF/mitigation fund releases in FY25-26

Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin urged PM Narendra Modi to release ₹3,112 crore in pending Jal Jeevan Mission dues to complete projects. He said the Centre has withheld support for the Hogenekkal Phase-III water scheme, approved June 15, 2023—₹8,428 crore total with ₹2,283 crore from JJM.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif visited Jeddah, pledging full support to Saudi Arabia while pushing mediation to curb the widening Iran‑Israel/U.S. conflict. Despite a Saudi defense pact, Pakistan is unlikely to attack Iran, focusing on air‑defense aid. Army chief joined.

AC demand in India is expected to surge this summer, but LPG/PNG shortages, rising copper prices and West Asia tensions could disrupt production. Analysts remain selective on AC stocks.

West Bengal saw a cease-work protest over unpaid dearness allowance arrears, as Sangrami Joutha Mancha urged employees to skip work and held demos at offices. Govt ordered compulsory attendance with dies-non warning. Unions disputed turnout; SC order cited; BJP backed strikers.

Pennsylvania brothers Bhaskar (60) and Arun Savani (58) were convicted for running the Savani Group’s multi-state racketeering: H‑1B visa abuse, $30M Medicaid/healthcare fraud, money laundering, tax/wire evasion, and unsafe dental implants. They face up to 420/415 years; sentencing July 8–9, 2026.

After the US reportedly sank Iran’s frigate Dena in international waters, India’s naval readiness is under scrutiny. Navy budget doubled and share rose, yet fleet lags China/US and vessels per EEZ are low. Capital outlays dipped, and many naval projects face long delays per CAG.

The Supreme Court plans to introduce AI-driven software for case listing and bench allocation after an internal probe revealed administrative lapses in the court registry.

Microsoft’s Copilot Health aggregates medical records, lab results, and data from 50+ wearables to deliver AI insights, reveal health trends, and help prep for doctor visits, with citations and Harvard Health content. Privacy-first (encrypted, no training use). US English waitlist; provider search.

In a Truth Social post, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran, claiming the U.S. is destroying its regime militarily and economically. He said Iran’s forces and leaders have been decimated, attacked the New York Times as “failing,” and warned to “watch what happens today.”

Amazon expands Alexa+ with new “Sassy” personality—sharp wit, playful sarcasm, occasional censored profanity. Now four styles: Brief, Chill, Sweet, Sassy; same features, different tone. Not with Kids; extra app checks. Device-specific, switchable. US-only (Echo/app/web); India rollout later.

Trump told Fox News he believes Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is likely alive but injured after reports he was hurt in US-Israeli strikes that killed his father. He warned of Iran’s missile threat and urged resolve in Hormuz, as Mojtaba vowed defiance and retaliation.

AI is transforming warfare in West Asia as the US employs Palantir’s Project Maven and generative models to fuse sensor data, accelerate the kill chain and strike 2,000 targets in days. While boosting detection, it heightens oversight, accountability and civilian-harm risks as use expands.

Google Maps adds Gemini-powered Ask Maps for natural, contextual place searches and trip planning, personalised from your activity and informed by 300M+ places; rolling out on mobile in India and the US. A 3D Immersive Navigation with richer visuals debuts in the US, expanding soon.

Meta is testing clickable links in Instagram captions, currently for Meta Verified users. Early tests show up to 10 links/month and links working in the mobile app, not on web. If expanded, it could reshape how creators share links. Rollout size and long-term limits remain unclear.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch and inaugurate projects worth ₹47,600 crore in Assam during a two-day visit to Kokrajhar, Guwahati and Silchar ahead of Assembly elections.

India’s HFCL won a five-year OFC supply deal worth about ₹10,159 crore ($1.1bn) from an unnamed global MNC, running 2026–Dec 2030 via its overseas unit. The first long-term pact of its kind for HFCL, it covers high-fibre-count cables to spec and bolsters the firm’s global OFC competitiveness.

An LPG shortage linked to the West Asia conflict is crippling Kerala: about 40% of restaurants may shut, with caterers (amid wedding season), hostels, canteens and crematoriums hit. Prices are spiking, alternatives scarce.

Mounting H-1B uncertainty—salary-weighted lottery, costs near $100k per hire, and processing stretching to ~10.5 months—is pushing Indian founders to O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 NIW routes. O-1 interest has tripled. Despite volatility, most still relocate to the US for talent, market, and capital.

Safesea Group says the March 11 attack on US-owned tanker MT Safesea Vishnu near Basra by explosive-laden Iranian boats was deliberate, killing an Indian seafarer. Twenty-seven crew survived after leaping overboard; Iraqi forces aided rescues.

Madurai police detained two under the Goondas Act for hoarding 398 LPG cylinders, a first in Tamil Nadu. CS-CID raids seized domestic and commercial cylinders; stern warnings issued. Amid shortage rumors, dealers say fuel stocks are ample, while traders urge action against hoarding and price hikes.

The US Trade Representative has launched a Section 301 probe into 60 countries, including India, over alleged failure to block imports of goods produced using forced labour. The investigation could lead to retaliatory tariffs or trade restrictions if the practices are found to harm US businesses.