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A security scare briefly disrupted a high-profile political gathering in Washington, forcing evacuations and an abrupt halt to proceedings. President Donald Trump was uninjured after a reported shooting scare at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Authorities evacuated top US leaders following an unspecified threat, with one law enforcement official suggesting a shooter may have opened fire. The incident remains unclear and the event has been postponed. Read more In aviation news, a safety incident at Delhi airport led to an emergency evacuation during takeoff operations in the early hours of Sunday. A Swiss International Air Lines aircraft was forced to reject takeoff after an engine issue. The Airbus A330, carrying over 200 passengers, was evacuated using emergency slides. Six passengers were taken for medical evaluation, while crew and others were safe. Read more On the economic front, India is set to deepen trade ties with New Zealand through a long-anticipated agreement. India and New Zealand will sign a free trade pact on April 27 aimed at doubling bilateral trade and expanding market access for Indian exporters. The deal is also expected to bring in long-term investment inflows. Read more Meanwhile, India’s top policy advisory body has been reshaped with new leadership appointments. The government has appointed economist Ashok Lahiri as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, alongside four new members. The move is aimed at strengthening economic policymaking and accelerating reform priorities. Read more

In this episode of Business Line’s podcast, Sanjana B speaks with Joseph Anantharaju, Co-chairman & CEO, Happiest Minds Technologies, on how the surge in enterprise AI is reshaping the IT services industry. As players like OpenAI and Anthropic roll out enterprise tools, Anantharaju argues the real opportunity lies in building customised applications on top of these models. He outlines the main barriers to adoption — fragmented data, legacy systems and security concerns — and explains why data quality and governance are now central to AI success. The conversation also looks at how AI is changing software development, pushing engineers towards design, architecture and domain expertise, while nudging firms to move from a coding-led to an outcomes-driven approach. Despite automation, he expects Indian IT to remain a major employer, with demand shifting towards modernisation, security and data-led services. (Host: Sanjana B; Producer: Siddharth Mathew Cherian.

From high voter turnouts in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, Infosys’ steady Q4 earnings performance, shifting US political rhetoric on immigration, to Singapore Airlines tightening its role in Air India’s turnaround — here are today’s top political, business, and international stories you need to know.

Today’s top headlines: Tamil Nadu holds Assembly elections today with sharp candidate wealth gaps. Tesla’s Model Y L faces a pricing squeeze in India’s EV market. Godrej Industries targets ₹5 lakh crore by FY31. Tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz after a ship attack.

Today’s top headlines: Amazon announces a $100 billion AI partnership with Anthropic to revolutionise cloud tech. India pushes for 100% ethanol blending to reduce oil dependence amid global tensions. Pakistan extends its airspace ban on Indian aircraft, escalating regional tensions. The IMO prepares a plan for evacuating ships stuck in the Persian Gulf due to ongoing conflicts. Stay updated on: India’s energy future, global AI investments, international airspace issues, and maritime security in the Persian Gulf.

Today’s top headlines: HPCL’s Rajasthan refinery dedication by PM Modi is postponed after a fire. The RBI rolls back some restrictions on rupee derivative trades while maintaining a cap on positions. Mehli Mistry challenges Tata Trusts' move to amend the Bai Hirabai Trust deed. India and South Korea begin talks to upgrade their economic pact, focusing on trade and technology. Stay updated on: India’s energy sector, RBI policies, Tata Trusts governance, and India-South Korea relations.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Mehli Mistry, who stepped down from the Tata Trusts as a Trustee in November last year after being denied reappointment, has called for an Administrator to be appointed to run the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT). He has also declared that he has no desire to rejoin the board of the trust. In a filing today before the C harity Commissioner, Mumbai, seen by businessline, Mistry alleged grave illegalities in the administration of the Trust by the Board of Trustees which now comprises of Noel Tata (Chairman), Venu Srinivasan (Vice Chairman), Vijay Singh, Darius Khambatta, Bhaskar Bhat and Neville Tata. The last two were appointed in place of Mehli Mistry and Pramit Jhaveri, who stepped down in February. Objecting to the Change Report filed by the Trust after his exit and the entry of new trustees, Mistry has contested his non-renewal as a trustee, arguing that it violates a 2024 resolution for mutual perpetual reappointments among trustess of SDTT and the other major trust, Sir Ratan Tata Trust, reports Raghuvir Srinivasan. —————— India’s markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board ⁠of India (SEBI), will allow companies ​to cut the size of IPOs by as ⁠much as 50% without filing additional onerous paperwork as the Iran war has made it hard to follow through with initial plans, according to an email seen ‌by Reuters. Current rules stipulate that initial public offering documents need to be refiled if the planned fund-raising amount increases or decreases ‌by 20% or more. Firms will now only have to ‌submit ⁠their revised offer size to SEBI for approval and these reviews will be fast-tracked, the regulator said in an email sent to the Association of Investment Bankers of India. The relief will apply to issuers ​planning to raise fresh funds ‌before September 30 and will only be granted if there is no change in the main object of the issue. ————— Markets surged on Wednesday, delivering their strongest session in weeks, as geopolitical optimism, falling crude oil prices, and buoyant global cues triggered broad-based buying that left virtually no sector untouched. The BSE Sensex closed at 78,111.24, gaining 1,263.67 points or 1.64 per cent, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,231.30, up 388.65 points or 1.63 per cent — its highest close since March 10, 2026. From its recent swing low of 22,182, the Nifty has clawed back over 2,100 points in just eight trading sessions. Volumes on NSE’s cash market rose 12 per cent from the previous session, underlining the conviction behind the move. The single biggest catalyst was US President Donald Trump signalling that Washington and Tehran may be heading back to the negotiating table, with talks potentially resuming in Pakistan within days, describing the conflict as “close to being over.”, writes Anupama Ghosh. ------ India’s merchandise exports grew by over 4 per cent in the 2025-26 fiscal year, though the overall trade deficit widened by more than 26 per cent for the full year, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday. Despite the annual expansion of the gap, the trade deficit narrowed in March as both exports and imports saw a synchronized dip during the final month of the fiscal year. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said India’s exports are doing well despite challenges. The country’s merchandise exports during April-March 2025-26 went up 1 per cent to $441.78 billion from USD 437.7 billion. Imports also increased to $774.98 billion during the period from $721.2 billion in 2024-25. Services exports are estimated at $418.31 billion in 2025-26, showing a growth of around 8 per cent, reports Shishir Sinha.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Get today’s top business news, market headlines about the Stock Market, Sensex & Nifty trends, key market insights, economic highlights, and the latest updates from India and global markets.

Today’s top headlines: India’s oil marketing companies cut refinery transfer prices to manage losses from frozen fuel rates. The Gujarat High Court issues a strict AI policy banning judicial use of AI in decision-making and judgment writing. US President Donald Trump announces 100 percent tariffs on select pharmaceutical imports, with limited impact on Indian generic drug makers. Meanwhile, 345 Tamil Nadu fishermen stranded in Iran are safely repatriated to Chennai. Stay updated on: India’s energy sector and fuel pricing, judicial policy and AI regulation, US-India trade and pharmaceutical updates, and humanitarian developments affecting Tamil Nadu fishermen.

CBIC waives full customs duty on critical petrochemical products The Finance Ministry has announced a complete customs duty waiver on 40 petrochemical products, effective through June 30, 2026, in a strategic move to insulate domestic manufacturers from supply chain disruptions and price volatility triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict. These products serve as essential raw materials across various industrial sectors, and the intervention aims to stabilise production costs amid regional instability. According to official estimates, this tax break is expected to result in a revenue loss of approximately Rs 1,800 crore to the national exchequer over the three-month period. The Ministry clarified that the decision was prompted by the escalating West Asia conflict and the resulting turbulence in global supply chains. By removing these trade barriers, the government aims to shield the domestic market from external shocks. This is third measure from Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. First, last week. It slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 a litre as it looked to shield consumers from the impact of rising global crude prices amid the ongoing war, also imposed an export duty of Rs 21.50 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.50 per litre on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). Excise duty on petrol has been slashed to Rs 3 a litre, while on diesel it is zero currently. GE faces penalty action for missing multiple Tejas engine deadlines With GE Aerospace missing multiple deadlines for supply of F404-IN20 engines for powering Tejas LCA Mk1A, penalty against the US-based company outlined in the August 2021 contract with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will be automatically invoked for breach of delivery timeline per engine. Of the overall 99 engines contracted for a cost of $716 million, GE has supplied 5 engines and the 6th is on way to India. The delivery was supposed to start in 2023 but it got delayed for about two years and the first engine was supplied only in March 2025. A subsequent contract was also inked with GE on November 7, 2025, for approximately $ 1 billion, to support 97 more LCA Mk1A jets, and the deliveries are supposed to take place from 2027 and end in 2032. As per the ‘pessimistic assessment,’ GE has promised to supply 20 of 99 F404-IN20 engines towards December, this year, as they claim to have overcome global supply chain issues, top HAL sources revealed. The best case scenario, however, is for shipment of 25 engines by the end of the year, they added. Hormuz crisis chokes shipping, sends freight rates soaring fivefold More than a month into the West Asia crisis triggered by the US–Iran conflict, shipping and trade remain in deep turmoil, marked by extreme volatility and uncertainty. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global energy flows — has severely impacted maritime traffic, pushing freight rates up nearly fivefold, inflating war-risk insurance premiums by 10X, and imposition of emergency surcharges across key trade lanes. Prior to the crisis, around 150 vessels transited the strait daily; that number has now dropped to just four or five. Similarly, deliveries are now arriving two to three weeks behind schedule, as vessels reroute via longer passages such as the Cape of Good Hope, increasing both transit time and costs. FMCG firms likely to hike prices by 3-4% in June quarter due to raw material cost pressures: Nuvama report FMCG companies are likely to hike prices by 3-4 per cent in the June quarter to mitigate raw material cost pressures, according to a report by Nuvama Institutional Equities. It added that in categories such as paints, edible oils, soaps and detergents, it could be even higher. “In our view, companies typically maintain 30–45 days of raw material and finished goods inventory. Hence, we forecast price hikes are likely to be in Q1 FY27. Higher crude oil prices and rupee depreciation have raised input cost pressures, mainly through higher packaging...

India braces for major Oracle layoffs; ex-employees estimate 12,000 impacted Oracle has reportedly begun a new round of layoffs affecting about 30,000 employees across the United States, India, and other regions, with former employees suggesting that around 12,000 of those cuts may be in India alone. According to multiple netizens, termination emails were sent as early as 6 a.m. on Tuesday, catching employees off guard with no prior communication from managers or human resources. The job cuts appear to span several business units and geographies, impacting teams such as Revenue and Health Sciences (RHS), SaaS and Virtual Operations Services (SVOS), and NetSuite’s India Development. Some groups experienced workforce reductions of 30 per cent or more. GST collection exceeds ₹2 lakh crore in March For the first time after rate rationalisation, collection from Goods & Services Tax (GST) in March crossed ₹2 lakh crore, data on GST portal showed. Also, this number is achieved without compensation cess. However, experts anticipate cautious trajectory in April. GST collection in March is related with goods consumed and services availed in February. According to GST portal, collection was over ₹2 lakh crore as against ₹1.83 lakh crore of March 2025. This shows a growth of around 9 per cent. However, growth from domestic sources was just 6 per cent while that from import was around 18 per cent. For full fiscal, the growth rate in gross collection was 8.3 per cent. TN Assembly polls: BJP, Congress delay candidate lists as regional heavyweights gain early edge With just five days left for the close of nominations on April 6 for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled on April 23, both the national parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) — are yet to announce their candidates, reflecting internal pressures and strategic dilemmas within the two outfits. In between the five days, three days are holidays - Good Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In contrast, regional players, including the two heavyweights — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — along with the new entrant, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, had announced their candidate lists last week. Several key leaders, including DMK president MK Stalin and TVK founder C Joseph Vijay, have already filed their nominations. Census 2027 The first phase of Census 2027 began on April 1, in what will be the largest such exercise in the world and it will be conducted digitally for the first time. It is India’s 16th Census and eighth after Independence. For the first time, the option of self-enumeration will also be available. The reference date of Census 2027 is 00:00 hours of March 1, 2027, (for UT of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and States of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh reference date is 00:00 hours of 1st October, 2026). Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases - Phase I-House Listing and Housing Census popularly known as HLO during six months from April to September, 2026, in a period of 30 days as per the convenience of the State/UT governments along with option of Self-enumeration of 15 days period just before the 30 days period of house-to-house houselisting work.

The Reserve Bank of India has deferred implementation of the recently issued Amendment Directions on Capital Market Exposures of Banks by three months to July 1, 2026. The move follows representations from stakeholders including banks, capital market intermediaries, and industry associations. The RBI has also issued clarifications on acquisition finance, expanding it to include mergers and amalgamations, while restricting it to cases involving acquisition of control in non-financial target companies. You can read more here Moving on. India’s IT sector is expected to see a steady but largely ordinary fourth quarter for FY26. Analysts point to selective demand, healthy deal pipelines, and early opportunities in AI-led projects supporting modest growth. However, elongated decision-making cycles and weak discretionary spending continue to limit upside. Industry experts say demand remains stable but not broad-based, with growth likely to stay in the mid-single-digit range as recovery continues. Details here Next. In the electric mobility space, Switch Mobility has overtaken Tata Motors and Olectra Greentech to become India’s largest electric bus maker in FY26. Backed by the Hinduja Group, the company recorded a 177 per cent surge in volumes, far ahead of the market’s 44 per cent growth. Switch Mobility clocked 1,144 units in FY26, with its market share rising to 26.4 per cent, driven largely by strong execution in large state transport tenders. More on this story And finally. The new Income-tax Act, 2025, set to come into effect from April 1, 2026, marks a major overhaul of India’s tax framework. The changes focus on simplifying compliance, improving transparency, and rationalising exemptions for salaried taxpayers. Among the key updates — expanded House Rent Allowance benefits, with more cities now eligible for the higher 50 per cent exemption limit. There is also a sharp increase in children’s education allowance, rising from Rs 100 per child per month to Rs 3,000. Meal-related tax exemptions have also been raised significantly, from Rs 50 per meal to Rs 200. Other changes include updates to how perks are taxed, company car usage, and provisions for overseas medical treatment. Full explainer here