Real estate marketplace Square Yards’ total expenses rose by over 32.21 per cent to Rs 1,613 crore in FY25, from Rs 1,220 crore in FY24, according to its financials.

The increase was mainly driven by higher employee costs, commission payouts, and finance costs, according to the company’s provisional financial statement.

Employee benefit expenses remained the largest cost head, accounting for nearly 38 per cent of the total spend.

These costs increased by 15 per cent, rising from Rs 535 crore in FY24 to Rs 618 crore in FY25.

The company also spent significantly more on commissions, which jumped from Rs 330 crore to Rs 556 crore.

Finance costs rose from Rs 154 crore to Rs 201 crore, while other operational expenses moved up slightly from Rs 141 crore to Rs 159 crore.

India’s GDP growth is expected to increase to 6.9 per cent in Q4 FY2025 from 6.2 per cent in Q3 FY2025 despite the enhanced global uncertainty due to the US tariff turmoil during the quarter, according to an ICRA report released on Monday.

The report also highlights an increase in consumer sentiment in both the rural and urban areas.

ICRA chief economist Aditi Nayar said, “In a quarter characterised by enhanced uncertainty on the global front, ICRA estimates India’s GDP growth to have risen to 6.9 per cent in Q4 FY2025 from 6.2 per cent in Q3 FY2025. Both private consumption and trends for investment activity were uneven in Q4 FY2025, with the latter partly owing to tariff-related uncertainty.”

While the robust increase in the output of most rabi crops is likely to have boosted the agri-GVA growth in Q4 FY2025, the tepid pace of expansion in the industrial volume growth as well as the deterioration in the performance of several service-sector indicators is expected to have weighed on the GVA growth of these segments,” she added.

Smartphones have officially become India’s top exported good in FY25, overtaking traditional heavyweights like petroleum products and cut diamonds, as per latest government figures.

Backed by government support and strong local manufacturing by tech giants like Apple and Samsung, smartphone exports rose 55 per cent to $24.14 billion in 2024-25, compared to $15.57 billion in the previous fiscal and $10.96 billion in 2022-23.

According to the data, the United States and Japan saw the biggest jump in shipments over the last three years.

Exports to the US grew nearly five times -- from $2.16 billion in FY23 to $10.6 billion in FY25.

Similarly, shipments to Japan shot up fourfold, from just $120 million to $520 million during the same period.

The mutual fund (MF) industry ended fiscal 2025 on a high note, with assets under management (AUM) hitting a record Rs 65.74 lakh crore in March 2025, as per the Association of Mutual Funds in India’s (AMFI) annual report released on Monday.

This marked a strong 23.11 per cent rise compared to Rs 53.40 lakh crore in March 2024.

This growth came despite a volatile stock market, showing that investors stayed committed to their financial goals.

Venkat N Chalasani, CEO of AMFI, said the outlook remains positive, with more investors entering the market and macroeconomic conditions staying supportive.

India has made notable progress in enhancing its competitiveness and making its manufacturing sector more attractive to global investors, an S&P Global report said on Monday.

While manufacturing value added accounts for a modest 17.2 per cent of the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP), the government has implemented targeted policy interventions to build domestic manufacturing capacity and strengthen India’s role in global supply chains.

Beyond the near-term impact, therefore, India can benefit from the increasing trade protectionism, which may catalyse supply-chain diversification, according to the report.

India's apparel and home textiles exports to the UK are expected to double from the current levels in the next 5-6 years, with the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) scheduled to become operational in calendar year 2026, according to an ICRA report.

Currently, Indian textile exports to the UK face 8-12 per cent duties, but with 99 per cent of goods, including textiles, gaining zero-duty access under the FTA, India will achieve parity with competitors like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Pakistan, the report states.

China leads UK textile imports with a 25 per cent market share, closely followed by Bangladesh, which has a 22 per cent share. Turkey and Pakistan, with 8 per cent and 6.8 per cent share respectively, are the other major exporters. The FTA will enable India’s textile exports to become more competitive in the UK, leading to an increase in market share.

India is currently the 12th largest trading partner of the UK and ranks fifth in apparel and home textiles imports, with $1.4 billion worth of exports in 2024, which constitutes a 6.6 per cent share of the UK’s textile imports.

The domestic benchmark indices opened flat on Monday amid mixed global cues, as selling was seen in the IT sector in the early trade.

At around 9.32 am, Sensex was trading 3.88 points or 0.00 per cent up at 82,326.71 while the Nifty climbed 14.70 point or 0.06 per cent at 25,034.50.

Nifty Bank was up 134.25 points or 0.24 per cent at 55,489.15. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 57,203.80 after rising 143.30 points or 0.25 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 17,701.75 after climbing 141.35 points or 0.80 per cent.

According to analysts, “they now have only the October 2024 peak ahead at 25,235, which is in close vicinity, before 26,277, the lofty peak of September stares at us. This warns us to be guarded against sudden withdrawal in risk appetite and buying interest as we push ahead”.

The Indian rupee opened 12 paise stronger at 85.44 against the US dollar on Monday, amid a backdrop of global economic developments and market reactions.

The Indian rupee closed at 85.52 a dollar on Friday.

Meanwhile, gold prices increased almost 1 per cent in the morning session of trade on the domestic futures market on Monday, amid a weaker dollar and renewed fears of Donald Trump-era trade tariffs.

MCX Gold June 5 contract traded 0.95 per cent higher at Rs 93,317 per 10 grams in the morning trade. Meanwhile, the dollar index declined nearly 0.3 per cent, supporting gold prices. A decline in the US dollar makes gold cheaper in other currencies, enhancing its demand.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of more than Rs 1.66 lakh on Union Bank of India over discrepancies observed in soiled note remittance, the bank said on Saturday.

In a stock exchange filing, Union Bank of India said “In compliance with Regulation 30(4) read with Schedule III, Part A Clause 20 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, this is to inform that the Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 1,66,868.84 (Rupees one lakh sixty-six thousand eight hundred sixty-eight and eighty-four paise only)”.

This is because of the discrepancies observed in the bank's “soiled note remittance to RBI and ATM cash out”, according to the exchange filing.

According to the bank, the impact on financial, operation or other activities of the bank is not significant.

For the Indian stock market, the upcoming week, from May 19 to 23, is expected to be driven by key global economic data releases and the continued positive impact of easing geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan.

Investors will be closely tracking macroeconomic indicators from India, the US, and China, which could influence market sentiment and central bank policy outlooks, according to Bajaj Broking Research.

In India, the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI data, set to be released on May 22, will be in focus. This index will offer a snapshot of the health of the manufacturing sector and overall business confidence.

China will publish crucial economic figures on May 19, including Industrial Production and Retail Sales data.