Page 21 - West Asia

An 'Election Bill', says Rahul Gandhi on commercial LPG price hike

Opposition leaders criticise steep LPG price hike, warning of impact on small businesses and households, while government cites global energy trends to justify increase

Best of BS Opinion: FinMin offers sobering view of macroeconomic risks

From rising oil-linked risks and services data gaps to gold loan expansion and global capital flows, here are the key insights from Business Standard's Opinion page

Further oil spike likely to put the growth-inflation balance at risk

A fresh surge in crude oil prices amid West Asia tensions threatens to weaken India's growth outlook while pushing inflation higher in FY27

Policy prescription: MoF's economic review presents a realistic assessment

One clear message from the West Asia conflict is the need to build buffers of key inputs, and this should not be limited to oil and gas

Fertiliser output steady; govt secures 3.7 MT urea imports for kharif

Total domestic fertiliser production (that includes DAP, NPKS and others) stood at 6.23 million tonnes during March-April, while imports were at 1.53 million tonnes

Hidden cost of war on wealth: Capital compounding may be less forgiving

Instead of panic, respond with preparedness; keep separate money pools of money for short-, medium-, and long-term needs

Mojtaba Khamenei says new phase ahead for Gulf, Strait of Hormuz after war

Iran's Supreme Leader signals a 'new phase' in the Gulf, raising concerns over Strait of Hormuz security and global oil supply disruptions

Declining influence: UAE exit signals Opec's waning grip on oil prices

The UAE's exit has raised questions about the future of Opec and its ability to influence global oil prices

AWL flags 20% surge in oil-linked input costs amid West Asia conflict

The ‌pressures reflect a broader industry trend, with peers such as bottled water maker Bisleri and Dove soapmaker Hindustan Unilever raising prices to counter higher conflict-linked input costs

West Asia war impact managed well, but some concerns remain: Madan Sabnavis

More importantly, the inflation has been kept under control as of now with the government absorbing a large part of the crude oil cost increase.

Two months of West Asia war: 4 lessons for India from US-Iran conflict

An important lesson from the history of geopolitical conflicts, including wars, is that their impact on the stock market is short-lived.

Time to build crude oil reserves as West Asia supply shock hits stocks

Experts said the crisis in West Asia is likely to prompt producers like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to participate in building oil reserves in major consuming nations like India

Prolonged West Asia shock raises stagflation risks for India's economy

The most visible difference will be on the balance of payments front

Indian airlines warn govt soaring fuel costs threaten ops, seek urgent help

India's top airlines have asked the government for urgent relief as record-high jet fuel prices raise costs, threaten flight operations and may lead to higher fares and route cuts

Two months of West Asia war: Analysts see smallcap's outperformance continuing

From their February 27, 2026, level, the Nifty Smallcap 100 index rallied 6.5 per cent, while the Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 2.2 per cent. In comparison, the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex are still down.

Iraq's dominant bloc nominates Ali al-Zaidi for PM after weeks of talks

Iraq's dominant parliamentary bloc on Monday nominated Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, to be the country's prime minister. The announcement by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran, followed a meeting at the government palace. It came after weeks of internal debate among its member parties aimed at selecting a compromise candidate to lead the next government. Even with the backing of the dominant bloc, the new government is not assured of receiving the required number of votes. The coalition had previously said it would back former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who the US administration views as too close to Iran. US President Donald Trump publicly announced his opposition to al-Maliki and threatened to cut off aid to Iraq if he was appointed. While al-Maliki remained defiant after Trump's intervention, the bloc decided to shift to a compromise candidate. In a statement announcing al-Zaidi's nomination, the Coordination

Energy-driven economic shocks must be offset by productivity gains: CEA

CEA V Anantha Nageswaran calls for productivity gains to counter energy shocks from West Asia, highlights role of digital public infrastructure in building economic resilience

West Asia crisis: Affordable housing may lose more ground amid rising costs

Rising input costs amid West Asia tensions may shrink affordable housing supply, as thin margins deter developers despite strong demand in urban India