Economics
Trade, fiscal policy, banking, agriculture and economic indicators
Rupee in free fall, down 60 paise to new all-time low of 93.49 against US dollar
The Indian rupee fell to an all-time low of 93.49 against the US dollar on March 20, 2026 — down 60 paise in intraday trading — breaching the psychologically...
UAE, Qatar, Kuwait & more: DGCA asks airlines to avoid 9 airspaces amid escalating Middle East tensions
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a safety advisory directing all Indian airlines to avoid the airspaces of nine countries: Bahrain...
LPG crisis: In Kerala, war reaches the doorsteps
The West Asia war's disruption of LPG supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz has translated into an acute cooking gas shortage in Kerala, with households...
Cooking gas crisis on the boil across Telangana
A severe LPG (cooking gas) shortage has taken hold across Telangana, with households, restaurants, and small businesses struggling to secure cylinders as the...
Trump, Netanyahu split on gas field attack, raise questions about whether they’re in sync on war
A significant public rift emerged between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's decision to strike Iran's Sou...
Govt classifies energy data as national security matter
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a gazette notification on March 18, 2026 — the Petroleum and Natural Gas (Furnishing of Information) Order, ...
West Asia troubles to delay India’s FTA talks with GCC countries and Israel
India's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been pushed to the second half of 2026 due to ongoing geopolitic...
Govt expands scheme to enable CBG injection in gas pipelines
The Government of India has expanded a scheme to enable the injection of Compressed Biogas (CBG) into the national natural gas pipeline (NGPL) and City Gas D...
EU lawmakers vote to advance U.S. trade deal
The European Parliament's trade committee voted 29 in favour on March 19, 2026 to advance the EU-US trade deal (the "Turnberry deal"), paving the way for eli...
24 States, U.T.s set aside funds for new rural jobs scheme
Twenty-four states and Union Territories have set aside funds in their FY2026–27 state budgets for the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Missio...
Israel, GCC trade pact talks lose steam, UK FTA likely to be implemented by May
The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in July 2025 after three years of negotiations, is on track for implementation by early May 2026, with offici...
Oil, power, and politics of disruption
The ongoing US-Israel war against Iran (initiated February 28, 2026, under Operation Epic Fury) has effectively disrupted transit through the Strait of Hormu...
India to pitch for strengthening WTO at upcoming ministerial: Officials
Ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), Indian officials have outlined India's overarching agenda: advo...
Iran may let more Indian vessels pass Hormuz Strait: Lloyds List
Maritime data company Lloyd's List Intelligence reported that nine Indian-owned or Indian-linked ships have exited through Iran's permitted corridor in the S...
India rolls out ₹497 crore RELIEF scheme to support exporters amid West Asia conflict
The central government unveiled the RELIEF scheme — Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — with a total financial outlay of ₹497 cro...
Food security and agriculture issues top India’s agenda at WTO meet
At the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon (March 26–29, 2026), India has placed food security and agricultural safeguards a...
Ashwini Vaishnaw announces rail push along India-Pak border to strengthen defence readiness
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a major push to build railway infrastructure along the India-Pakistan border to enhance military mobility, logis...
Govt launches ₹497-crore RELIEF for exporters with deadline relief, insurance cover, MSME aid
The Government of India launched the Rs 497 crore Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) scheme to provide targeted, time-lim...
Iran-Israel war: Brent tops $114 as Strait of Hormuz remains closed; Petrol, diesel prices in India hold stable
Brent crude oil prices crossed $114 per barrel on March 19, 2026, briefly touching $119 after Iranian forces struck Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG complex — building...
AI, data centres could raise India’s peak power demand by 30GW
A new analysis projects that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence workloads and data centres could increase India's peak electricity demand by up t...