Author: Staff Writer

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Corporate

Sensex sheds 300, Nifty below 25,800, muted opening

Indian equities opened weak on Friday, with the Sensex losing nearly 300 points and the Nifty slipping below 25,800 as caution set in ahead of the Bihar election results. The four-day rally paused, dragged down by declines in metal, IT, auto and FMCG stocks.

Among major movers, Pine Labs made a firm debut with a 9.5% premium, while Muthoot Finance surged nearly 10% after reporting strong Q2 earnings. Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles arm fell around 3% after posting a ₹867-crore net loss in its first quarterly results post-listing.

On the macro front, India’s retail inflation eased sharply to 0.25% in October, strengthening expectations of a possible RBI rate cut in December. IPO sentiment stayed strong, with large issues seeing healthy demand.

In the Nifty 50, Asian Paints led the gainers with a rise of about 3.7%, followed by Hindalco and ICICI Bank. On the losing side, M&M, Bharat Electronics and other metal-linked stocks featured among the top drags.

Also Read: Sensex & Nifty pause after four-day rally

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Beyond

Government lifts quality rules on polyester fibre and yarn

The Central Government has cancelled the quality-control order that applied to several polyester fibres and yarns. Earlier, manufacturers and importers had to get Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification before selling these products in India.

The textile industry had long asked for this rule to be removed, saying it raised costs and made it harder to get raw materials. The decision is expected to lower production costs, make sourcing easier, and improve export prospects, especially for the man-made fibre segment.

The move is part of the government’s wider plan to simplify quality-control rules and make Indian manufacturing more competitive. It will also help attract new investments in the textile value chain.

Also Read: Reliance’s Campa Energy partners with Ajith Kumar Racing

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Corporate

Sensex & Nifty pause after four-day rally

Indian stocks paused on Thursday, with the Sensex and Nifty ending almost flat as a four-day rally lost momentum.

The S&P BSE Sensex inched up 12 points (0.01%) to 84,478.67, while the NSE Nifty 50 added just 3 points to close at 25,879.15. On the 30-stock Sensex, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, Power Grid, Larsen & Toubro, and Bajaj Finserv led the gainers, rising between 1% and 4%.

Asian Paints surged 3.8%, extending its 4% rally from the previous session after reporting stronger profits driven by growth in its decorative paints segment.

Meanwhile, the IT index slipped 0.5% as investors booked profits following a nearly 5% rise over the past three sessions.

Positive sentiment from easing inflation and hopes of an India-US trade deal was balanced by caution ahead of the Bihar election results.

Also Read: Sensex volatile, Nifty steady above 25,850

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Corporate

SpiceJet adds 5 planes, daily flights rise to 176

SpiceJet has added five new planes to its fleet, including a Boeing 737 MAX, bringing the total number of aircraft to 35.

With these additions, the airline has increased its daily flights from 100 to 176, responding to the higher number of passengers during the festive and winter season.

The new planes are part of a larger expansion: SpiceJet added 15 aircraft in the past month, including leased planes and one reactivated from earlier grounding.

Despite the fleet growth, the airline posted a net loss of around ₹621 crore for the quarter ending September 2025, compared with a loss of ₹457.8 crore a year ago. Revenue also fell about 13% to ₹792 crore.

SpiceJet’s shares rose slightly after the news, as investors welcomed the airline’s plan to increase capacity and cover more routes.

Also Read: India’s inflation plunges to 0.3% in October

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Beyond

Cabinet approves ₹45,060 cr plan to boost exports

The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹45,060 crore package to support India’s exporters, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), amid rising global trade challenges. The move aims to make credit easier for exporters and provide a unified framework for export promotion.

The package has two main components. The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE) will provide 100% government-backed guarantees to banks for up to ₹20,000 crore in collateral-free loans. This is expected to help MSMEs access working capital, manage export orders, and expand into new markets without the need for collateral.

The Export Promotion Mission (EPM), with an outlay of ₹25,060 crore for FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31, consolidates multiple export support schemes into one streamlined mission. It has two sub-programs: Niryat Protsahan (~₹10,400 cr) offers financial support such as interest subvention, export factoring, and credit cards for e-commerce exporters. Niryat Disha (~₹14,660 cr) provides non-financial support, including testing, certification, branding, packaging, logistics, and assistance for exporters from low-export districts.

Officials said the initiatives will help exporters tackle rising global tariffs, diversify markets, and improve competitiveness. Labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods, and marine products are expected to benefit the most.

The Cabinet highlighted that a unified export support framework will reduce fragmentation, improve efficiency, and strengthen India’s position in global trade. By supporting MSMEs and key sectors, the government aims to sustain export growth, protect jobs, and build a more resilient export ecosystem.

Also Read: Jaishankar meets Rubio at G7, India-US ties strengthen

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Corporate

India’s inflation plunges to 0.3% in October

India’s retail inflation fell to a record low of 0.3% in October, offering welcome relief to households. Reuters reports a similar figure of 0.25%, marking one of the slowest rates of price rise in recent years.

The drop is largely due to falling food prices. Overall food inflation fell around 5%, with vegetables down over 27%. Onion prices plunged 54%, tomatoes 43%, and potatoes 37%. Cuts in the GST on everyday items also helped keep prices in check.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel costs, eased slightly to 4.4%, while September’s inflation was revised to 1.44%.

Economists say the subdued inflation gives the Reserve Bank of India space to consider cutting interest rates in December. However, they caution that lower prices alone do not guarantee stronger growth, with upcoming GDP data expected to show the real state of the economy.

For consumers, this means some relief in their daily expenses, while policymakers now have room to support economic growth.

Also Read: Jaishankar meets Rubio at G7, India-US ties strengthen

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Corporate

Asian Paints brushes up 47% profit gain in Q2

Asian Paints reported a sharp rise in profits for the July-September quarter, driven by strong festive-season demand and steady growth in its decorative paints segment.

The company’s consolidated net profit jumped 47% year-on-year to ₹1,018.23 crore, compared to ₹692 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations rose 6% to ₹8,531 crore. The paint major also declared an interim dividend of ₹4.50 per share.

Asian Paints said its decorative paints business grew 10.9% in volume, supported by good demand across metros, towns, and rural areas. The home improvement and industrial coatings divisions also recorded steady gains, while international operations in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa contributed positively.

Margins improved on the back of higher operating efficiency and stable raw-material costs, boosting overall profitability.

Following the results, Asian Paints’ shares rose over 3%, extending their post-earnings rally. The stock has gained about 8% this week, outperforming the broader market.

The management remains optimistic about sustaining growth, backed by new product launches, improved distribution, and festive-driven demand recovery.

However, brokerages offered mixed reactions. While some analysts remain bullish on the company’s strong brand equity and pricing power, others flagged rising competition and uncertain rural demand as near-term challenges.

Also Read: Tata Steel Q2 profit soars 272% to ₹3,102 crore

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Beyond

Gold slips ₹10 to ₹1.25 lakh, Silver gains ₹100

Gold prices fell slightly in India on Thursday, while silver became a bit more expensive. The price of 24-carat gold dropped by ₹10 to ₹1,25,500 for 10 grams, and 22-carat gold also declined by ₹10 to ₹1,15,040.

In Delhi, 24-carat gold was selling at ₹1,25,650 for 10 grams, and in Chennai, at ₹1,26,550. Silver, on the other hand, gained ₹100 to reach ₹1,62,100 per kg in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, while it stood higher at ₹1,73,100 in Chennai.

Globally, spot gold slipped 0.1% to around $4,194 an ounce after touching a three-week high the previous day. The slight fall was mainly due to a stronger U.S. dollar and investors waiting for key U.S. economic data that could affect future interest rate decisions by the Federal Reserve.

Also Read: Sensex volatile, Nifty steady above 25,850

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Technology

Google Photos adds 6 AI tools, expands ‘Ask Photos’

Google Photos is getting smarter. The app now features six new AI-powered tools designed to make photo editing and searching faster and easier. These tools use Google’s Gemini image model, Nano Banana, to understand natural-language instructions.

One standout feature, “Help Me Edit”, allows users to type or speak commands such as “remove sunglasses” or “make someone smile,” and the AI automatically applies the changes. The redesigned editor also supports creative commands like “make this look like a children’s storybook page.”

Under the “Create with AI” section, users can generate fun or professional content, such as high-fashion photoshoots or professional headshots, with just a few words.

On the search side, the “Ask Photos” feature lets users ask questions like “show me photos from London” or “find the photo with that dog,” and the AI scans their library to deliver results.

The update is rolling out globally on Android, iOS, and the web, with Ask Photos expanding to 17 additional languages and over 100 countries.

Google says these tools aim to make photo editing more intuitive and enhance the user experience, turning Google Photos into not just a storage app but also a creative and searchable hub.

Also Read: Adani Enterprises raises ₹25,000 crore via rights issue

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Corporate

Adani Enterprises raises ₹25,000 crore via rights issue

Adani Enterprises (AEL) has announced a ₹25,000 crore rights issue, opening on 17 November 2025 for existing shareholders. The issue is priced at ₹1,800 per share, at a significant discount to the market price.

The capital raised will be used to convert shareholder loans into equity and fund growth across airports, roads, petrochemicals, metals, and new-energy ventures. In FY26, the company expects total capital expenditure to reach around ₹36,000 crore, with major allocations for airports (₹10,500 crore), roads (₹6,000 crore), new-energy businesses (₹5,500 crore), petrochemicals and materials (₹9,000 crore), and metals & mining (₹3,500 crore).

Adani Airports plans to start commercial operations of Phase‑1 of Navi Mumbai Airport this quarter and a new terminal in Guwahati later in the year. Additionally, the company is developing city-side infrastructure near Mumbai/Navi Mumbai airports, targeting revenue from FY30.

This is AEL’s largest equity raise to date, signaling renewed shareholder confidence after a previously withdrawn ₹20,000 crore follow-on public offer in 2023. The move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the balance sheet and support the next phase of the company’s ambitious growth plans.

Also Read: Adani Cement to launch first carbon-free heater