A Crisil report on Monday projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 6.5 per cent this fiscal (FY26), supported by improving domestic consumption, among other positive indicators.

The Crisil Intelligence’s near-term outlook report suggested US tariff-related global uncertainty as the top risk to India’s growth. “However, growth is expected to be supported by improving domestic consumption driven by an above-normal monsoon, income tax relief and the RBI MPC’s rate cuts,” the report mentioned.

GDP growth accelerated to 7.4 per cent on-year in the fourth quarter of last fiscal from 6.4 per cent in the previous quarter. Overall, GDP grew 6.5 per cent last fiscal (FY25).

Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation slid to 2.1 per cent in June, the lowest in 77 months, as food inflation turned negative.

The Indian equity market opened almost flat on Monday amid mixed cues from global markets, as investors continue to look for some positive news on the interim India-US trade deal.

At 9:20 am, Sensex was down 50 points or 0.05 per cent at 81,714 and Nifty was down 17 points or 0.07 per cent at 24,951.

Marginal selling was also seen in midcap and smallcap stocks. Nifty midcap 100 index was down 87 points or 0.15 per cent at 59,017 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was down 65 points or 0.36 per cent at 18,892.

According to analysts, the single-most important factor which the market will be focusing on in the coming days will be the outcome of the trade talks between the US and India.

The Udangudi supercritical thermal power plant in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu is expected to commence power generation by next summer, with work progressing rapidly on the first unit.

The Rs 13,076 crore project, comprising two units of 660 MW each, is set to significantly bolster Tamil Nadu’s electricity supply during peak demand periods.

Central Bank of India on Saturday reported a 33 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in net profit, reaching Rs 1,169 crore for the first quarter of FY26, the bank said in an exchange filing on Saturday.

In the same period last year (Q1 FY25), the public sector lender had posted a net profit of Rs 880 crore.

Total income in the quarter ended on June 30 rose to Rs 10,374 crore, up from Rs 9,500 crore in Q1 FY25. Of this, interest income improved to Rs 8,589 crore, compared to Rs 8,335 crore in the year-ago period.

RBL Bank on Saturday posted a net profit of Rs 200 crore for the first quarter of current financial year (Q1 FY26), down 46 per cent year-on-year (YoY), the private sector lender said in an exchange filing.

The bank had posted Rs 371.5 crore profit in corresponding quarter a year ago (Q1 FY25).

The Indian credit market is witnessing some structural shifts with headline bank credit growth and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) credit has bucked the overall headline trend in credit growth, according to an SBI report.

An increased supply of credit to existing borrowers has been observed, with the MSME sector witnessing a notable improvement in balance sheet serious delinquencies — measured as 90 to 120 days past due (DPD) and reported as ‘sub-standard’, which has dropped to a five-year low of 1.8 per cent.

This improvement, particularly among borrowers with exposures ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 50 crore, marked a 35 basis points decline from the previous year, according to Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India.

There has been a definition change for the MSME sector wherein, as an example, for medium enterprises the turnover limit has been increased to Rs 500 crore. Thus, it is possible that MSME credit growth could be enlarged even further, Ghosh mentioned in the report.

Taking on tech giants for allegedly promoting online betting Apps which are under probe for serious financial crimes, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday sent notices to tech giants Google and Meta, summoning them for questioning on July 21.

The notices were sent in connection with an ED investigation into online betting App cases, currently under investigation for financial crimes, including money laundering and hawala transactions.

The regulator alleged that these tech platforms provided prominent advertising slots and allowed websites linked to these online betting platforms to gain visibility on their respective platforms, thereby contributing to the widespread reach of these illicit operations.

Google and Meta have been summoned by the ED for questioning on July 21, accusing them of promoting online betting Apps, according to the ED notice.

ED is closely investigating a large network of online betting Apps. Many of these Apps are actually promoting illicit betting by calling themselves 'skill based games’ while actually engaging in illegal gambling.

Domestic equity markets continued their protracted correction for the third consecutive week and ended below the psychological level of 25,000, weighed down by the broadly tepid start of Q1FY26 earnings, particularly from the IT and financial sectors, analysts said on Saturday.

The IT sector remained under strain due to muted performance and cautious outlooks amid global demand uncertainty, while financials are also expected to report subdued results due to expected NIM contraction and asset quality concerns.

“In contrast, FMCG stocks outperformed, supported by encouraging growth guidance that points to a possible revival in urban consumption trends. Improved earnings momentum supported by macroeconomic tailwinds can shift investor preferences towards consumption stocks,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.

On Friday, Indian benchmark indices ended on a weak footing, with the Nifty slipping below the crucial 25,000 mark amid broad-based selling pressure. The Sensex declined 501.51 points, or 0.61 per cent, to settle at 81,757.73, while the Nifty shed 143.05 points, or 0.57 per cent, to close at 24,968.40.

Electricity derivatives will help participants plan more effectively by managing price uncertainty, mitigate revenue risks, and attract investment in the power sector, SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Friday.

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) hosted a bell-ringing ceremony to formally mark the launch of Monthly Electricity Futures Contracts under the Commodity Derivatives segment and the new spot market dashboard.

The product aims to bring much-needed hedging and price visibility for participants in India’s growing electricity sector.

India holds the potential to become a leading global wedding destination and the booming entertainment and wedding industry can be a powerful tool to empower the country’s youth, Ranjit Mehta, CEO of PHDCCI, said on Friday.

He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning the Indian wedding industry as a key pillar of the country's rich cultural heritage.