The Indian retail sector witnessed 169 per cent growth (year-on-year) in the January-March quarter, as strong momentum in new retail store openings continued to play out in major metropolitan cities, a report said on Friday.

On a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, gross leasing activity in the retail sector noted an uptrend of 9 per cent, according to the report by JLL India.

While demand for retail spaces continued unabated across the top seven cities, the infusion of new retail spaces also totalled to a new high.

During Q1 2025, 3.1 million square feet was leased by retailers in shopping malls and high streets across top seven cities. On the supply front, Q1 2025 witnessed new retail space additions of 2 million sq ft.

India will oppose Pakistan’s case for availing a fresh $1.3 billion IMF loan at an executive board meeting of the multilateral institution to be held on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that India’s executive director, Parameswaran Iyer, will participate in the upcoming IMF board meeting to highlight concerns related to Pakistan as a country that funds and actively promotes terrorism as a state policy.

He said that “the case with regard to Pakistan should be self-evident to those who generously open their pockets to bail out this country.”

He urged IMF board members to “look within and study the facts before extending further assistance.”

The Indian Army has released the first video of a strike carried out at a Pakistani military post, responding to the cross-border firing by Islamabad troops in the face of escalating tension between the two countries.

Although the video doesn't mention the sector where the military post was destroyed, it shows the Army's befitting reply to the continuous ceasefire violations.

The Indian Army, in a statement, said that Pakistan launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along the entire Western Border on the intervening night of May 8 and 9 and resorted to numerous ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, which were effectively repulsed.

"Indian Army remains committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nation. All nefarious designs will be responded to with force," the statement read.

The Indian frontline indices opened lower on Friday on the expected lines, amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

At 9:23 am, Sensex was down 529 points or 0.66 per cent at 79,805 and Nifty was down 207 points or 0.85 per cent at 24,066.

Selling was also seen in midcap and smallcap stock. Nifty midcap 100 index was down 509 points or 0.96 per cent at 52,719 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was 232 points or 1.44 per cent at 15,951.

"After a negative opening, Nifty can find support at 24,000 followed by 23,800 and 23,700. On the higher side, 24,300 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 24,400 and 24,500," said Hardik Matalia from Choice Broking.

Among the sectoral indices auto, IT, financial services, pharma, FMCG, realty and energy were top laggards.

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, India has shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 as well as two JF-17 aircraft after Pakistan tried to attack multiple locations in Jammu and Punjab, government sources said.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan made attempts to target several locations in India; however, Indian air defence guns shot down the intruding drones.

India also shot down Pakistan's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) inside its Punjab province, sources said, adding that it fell on their side.

Meanwhile, drone attacks have also been foiled in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur and Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, and a drone was shot down in Akhnoor.

Two Kamikaze drones were also shot down in Poonch.

According to sources, the Indian SAM (Surface-to-air missile) shot down the F-16 fighter jet near the Sargodha air base.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, the two women officers of the Indian Armed Forces whose briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ made a global statement, made a fresh appearance before the press on Thursday, to inform about Pakistan’s misadventures on the intervening night of May 7/8 and how they were thwarted by Indian defence system.

“On the night of 07-08 May, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. They were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems,” Colonel Qureshi told the press.

Indian stock markets closed lower on Thursday as rising geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan dampened investor sentiment.

The day began with optimism, but a sharp sell-off in the final hour of trade dragged the key indices into the red.

By the close of trade, the Sensex dropped by 411 points, or 0.51 per cent, ending the day at 80,334.

The Nifty opened on a flat note at 24,431 and briefly touched an intra-day high of 24,447. However, in the last hour of the trading session, the index witnessed a sharp decline, slipping to a low of 24,313 and finally, had fallen 0.51 per cent to close at 24,273, slipping below the 24,300 mark.

The decline came after the Indian government confirmed that the armed forces had carried out strikes on air defence radars and systems at multiple locations in Pakistan.

The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, in collaboration with Aerospace Services India (ASI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), hosted the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile India Eco-System Summit 2.0 at the Manekshaw Centre here, aimed at enhancing India’s air and missile defence capabilities, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The inaugural session focussed on the growing synergy between Indian and Israeli Defence sectors.

The day-long summit brought together key stakeholders from India’s Defence eco-system, highlighting collaborative achievements and future possibilities in enhancing India’s air and missile defence capabilities under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make-in-India' initiatives.

The summit emphasised the achievements of ASI-IAI’s wholly-owned Indian subsidiary, which plays a critical role in providing technical representation, life-cycle support, and local manufacturing for the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system and its associated subsystems such as the BARAK 8 missile and Air Defence Fire Control Radar.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday publicly denied media reports suggesting that it has approached the Government for intervention in its ongoing stand-off with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) over its delayed Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In a post on social media platform X, the exchange categorically refuted claims that it had reached out to the government for assistance.

"The story is denied by NSE," the exchange stated in its clarification, adding that there has been "no correspondence with the Government of India in the last 30 months relating to its IPO."

This statement comes in response to a news report citing unnamed sources who claimed that NSE had recently written to the Ministry of Finance requesting help in resolving regulatory hurdles holding up its long-awaited IPO.

The report alleged that the letter followed the rejection of NSE's latest application to SEBI in March for a 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) required to proceed with the listing.

After India successfully carried out Operation Sindoor, domestic carriers cancelled around 430 flights on Thursday, which is nearly three per cent of the total scheduled flights in the country, as 27 airports remain shut till May 10.

According to data from flight tracking platform Flightradar24, airspace over Pakistan and the western corridor of India was largely free of civilian aircraft.

“Airspace over Pakistan and the western shoulder of India between Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat was free of civilian air traffic as airlines shunned the sensitive zone,” according to the portal, which shared live flight path data and cancellation figures.