The escalating tensions in West Asia are causing disruptions to the world’s energy flow, putting a strain on the supply of oil and gas and leading to significant price fluctuations, according to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Monday.

He warned in his speech to the 19th CII Corporate Governance Summit that the current war may have significant consequences for the world economy.

According to Pandey, the present catastrophe only exacerbates a string of shocks that companies and regulators have experienced in recent years, such as the COVID-19 epidemic and quick technological changes like artificial intelligence (AI), which have put institutional resilience to the test.

The SEBI chief emphasized regulatory changes, stating that the framework has changed in a measured way, improving disclosure norms through periodic and event-based requirements, establishing clear materiality thresholds and timelines, and strengthening board independence and oversight.

He also said that increased responsibility procedures, such as secretarial audits and a greater role for compliance officers, have helped to strengthen governance norms.

When discussing corporate governance, Pandey said that the emphasis should now be on the caliber of boardroom interaction and decision-making, rather than on the makeup of the board.

He emphasized the importance of independent directors and the necessity of ongoing capacity development via organized learning and robust knowledge frameworks.

Pandey also advocated for a move from frequent evaluations to ongoing monitoring, stating that institutional capacity would be essential for enhancing governance outcomes.

In the interim, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government have responded quickly to the changing circumstances, which has aided in calming market confidence.

However, he said that there are still supply-side challenges in the energy, logistics, and trade industries, and that sectors like energy-intensive businesses, exporters, and MSMEs are still experiencing operational and financial difficulties.

The next round of policy responses may need to concentrate on targeted liquidity support, credit assistance, and initiatives to maintain foreign exchange stability, according to Banerjee.

While praising “the series of timely, well calibrated, and coordinated measures” that have already been implemented in response to the global uncertainty brought by the West Asia conflict, the top industry group CII on Sunday requested further monetary and fiscal policy concessions from the government and the RBI to overcome it.

“The Government and the RBI have reacted with speed, clarity, and coordination,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of the CII. India’s policy framework is resilient and responsive to external shocks, as shown by the early steps taken to calm mood.

Simultaneously, CII noted that the situation is still changing, with underlying supply-side constraints in the energy, logistics, and trade sectors continuing beyond the initial phase. According to industry feedback, the initial set of policy actions has lessened the immediate effects, but several industries, notably MSMEs, exporters, and energy-intensive ones, are still experiencing operational and financial challenges.

Banerjee stated that “India’s experience during past crises has demonstrated that coordinated fiscal and monetary action can greatly increase resilience. ” The next stage of the policy response may thus need to prioritize trade cost management, targeted liquidity assistance, credit facilitation, and exchange rate stability.

The Finance Ministry has been urged by CII to introduce a time-bound Conflict-Linked Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (CL-ECLGS) that is modeled after the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) that was implemented during the epidemic. Through government-backed guarantees, the CL-ECLGS would provide more collateral-free working capital to impacted businesses, with a focus on MSMEs, exporters, and gas-dependent industries.

Additionally, it has requested the RBI to think about a brief, well-defined three-month moratorium and restructuring window for MSMEs, particularly those engaged in exports and ancillary operations connected to export supply chains.

The CII statement states that the RBI may establish a Special Refinance Window for MSMEs and other impacted sectors, along with focused liquidity assistance via tools like Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO), allowing banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to continue providing credit to productive industries at a fair cost.

Additionally, it said that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the RBI, could offer industry—particularly MSMEs—immediate contractual and operational assistance by extending delivery timelines for Central and State PSU contracts by 3–4 months without triggering Liquidated Damages clauses, and by lowering Performance Bank Guarantee and Security Deposit requirements to minimal levels to alleviate liquidity problems. To help manage increasing input costs during the interruption time, temporary reductions in electricity rates may also be made available.

Additionally, CII has proposed that, in deserving cases, banks be given the power to reevaluate and improve working capital restrictions for a short period of time, especially for gas-dependent, export-oriented enterprises that are experiencing transient distress. A calibrated increase in cash credit limits of up to 20%, together with soft lending conditions throughout the interruption, would give significant operational relief.

It has requested a brief decrease or waiver of administrative banking expenses, such as loan processing costs, foreign exchange management fees, and documentation expenses, which could be taken into account for MSMEs and impacted industries.

Additional items on the CII wish list include a time-bound rationalization of the tax and duty system on energy inputs to lessen the cascading cost consequences of the interruption, accelerated depreciation benefits on capital goods, and that the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform may be more actively expanded across affected industrial clusters.

According to industry insiders, Samsung Electronics and French AI firm Mistral AI held discussions on Sunday about possible collaboration in the AI memory space.

According to sources, Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI, met Jeon Young-hyun, the head of Samsung Electronics‘ device solutions sector, on Thursday at the company’s Hwaseong campus to discuss possible cooperation in the areas of AI chip supply chains and associated technologies.

Yonhap news agency reports that Mensch was in South Korea last week to coincide with French President Emmanuel Macron‘s trip to Seoul to meet with President Lee Jae Myung.

Mistral AI, which is frequently referred to as the European equivalent of OpenAI, is attempting to ensure a consistent supply of semiconductors in order to support its enormous language model, Mistral Large, and grow its AI infrastructure. As part of that endeavor, the tour of Samsung’s semiconductor factory is regarded.

A Mistral AI official stated that, in the wake of recent conversations between Samsung management and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su, it seems that Mistral AI is also attempting to negotiate with Samsung to guarantee a steady chip supply in the face of a constrained memory market.

In the past month, as the American tech giant looks to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) collaborations in the area, Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), met with representatives from Samsung Electronics, Upstage, and the South Korean government.

He spoke with Ha Jung-woo, the presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning, and Im Moon-young, the vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, about possible collaboration in the AI sector.

According to the committee, South Korean authorities presented Seoul’s initiatives to establish Asia’s fourth-largest economy as one of the top three AI powerhouses in the world during the meeting, and they also spoke on strategies to foster synergies between Korean businesses and AMD in the AI industry.

The committee stated that AMD and Seoul authorities have pledged to keep working together in ways that benefit both parties in order to foster an open and global AI environment.

In light of the ongoing developments in West Asia, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to hold off on making any changes at the next monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting next week (April 6-8), according to SBI Report.

The RBI would be far more cautious in expressing its stance, being the first policy since the beginning of the US-Israel and Iran war.

According to the study, the Central Bank has to “concomitantly explore the probability of conducting Operation Twist,” which raises the short-term yield while calming the yield on long-term papers and ensuring that various reference rates remain within the prescribed bands, in line with the policy rate in a measured manner, all while tackling the balance of payment deficit through carefully thought-out measures.

The entire planet has been thrown into disarray by a war in West Asia that has been ongoing since the previous policy.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the damage to regional infrastructure have caused the worst disturbance to the world oil market in its history since 1973.

“Clearly, India is experiencing the rising temperatures and is not unaffected by the present crisis. Crude oil prices are stubbornly over $100 per barrel, and the rupee is already trading at over 93 per dollar, which has caused imported inflation to rise in many states. “In addition to the projection of ‘Super El Nino’, this may also raise inflationary pressures,” stated Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor for the State Bank of India.

The RBI has made a number of announcements aimed at controlling speculation in both the onshore and offshore NDF markets, concerned about the increase in the rupee’s gravitational pull during the ongoing conflict.

Nonetheless, certain norms might provide practical difficulties for banks.

The report noted that the current CPI trajectory may point to inflation of more than 4. 5% for the next three quarters, even if the projections for FY27 are far below the RBI’s target range.

Nevertheless, Dr. Ghosh said, “the government’s recent choice for full customs duty exemption on a wide range of critical petrochemical products until June 30, 2026 may lower input costs and hence may have benign impact on imported inflation. ”

Given the current volatility in rupee and yield, the SBI economist said, “we believe the liquidity should be modulated to ensure rupee also gets support”.

The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by a score of 43 runs in their IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday thanks to a dominating batting performance by Tim David, Rajat Patidar, and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s astute spell of 3-41.

Padikkal’s smooth 50 off 29 deliveries—his second straight half-century of the season—laid the groundwork for the formidable total as David’s 70 not out off only 25 deliveries and Patidar’s undefeated 48 off just 19 balls helped RCB’s batting lineup obliterate CSK’s attack with relentless hitting in the marquee match.

RCB’s formidable 250/3, which established a new record for the highest total in IPL 2026, was brought about by the trio’s combined effort, which included an unbroken 99-run stand between David and Patidar, who engaged in mind-blowing range-hitting, off of just 35 balls.

In the penultimate over, David unleashed a spectacular David by hitting Jamie Overton for four sixes and a four to reach his second IPL half-century in just 21 balls, after hitting Noor Ahmad for three straight sixes. Even Virat Kohli had been moved to get up from his chair in the RCB dugout by his powerful hitting.

In response, CSK collapsed under the weight of the scoreboard, with Sarfaraz Khan’s 50 off 24 balls and Prashant Veer’s 43 being the only examples of defiance in the face of a series of top-order failures.

In IPL, Bhuvneshwar was at his disciplined best and even surpassed the 200-wicket milestone, with others contributing as well as CSK was bowled out for 207 in 19. 4 overs. For the first time in the IPL’s history, the convincing victory also signified that RCB has won four straight matches against CSK.

Following being placed into bat first, RCB started off cautiously, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli handling the initial swing from Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. In the fourth over, Kohli broke free of his restraints, hitting Henry for a six and two boundaries, but he was soon caught by Shivam Dube, who had missed an earlier opportunity, off Anshul Kamboj for 28 runs off 18 balls.

After a difficult start, Salt discovered a rhythm with pulls and slog-sweeps, sprinting to 46 off 30 before Dube dismissed him in the 11th over. After being dropped once at cover by Ruturaj Gaikwad, Padikkal changed his strategy in the middle overs.

He raised his bat to the cheering and boisterous Chinnaswamy audience after scoring two sixes and three fours off Dube and Henry to reach his second straight half-century. His innings ended with Jamie Overton’s delivery of 50 runs off 29 balls in the 15th over, when he attempted a lap stroke.

Patidar and David launched an amazing counterattack, leaving many people in amazement of it, from 151/3 in 14. 1 overs. In the 17th over, David targeted Noor Ahmad, hitting three straight sixes – two over deep mid-wicket and one over long-off – while Patidar struck Khaleel for two sixes and a four.

David was yorked, according to Kamboj, but a step over resulted in a free hit, which David slammed for another maximum. With an astounding 97 runs coming off the final five overs, Overton took the brunt in the nineteenth over, giving up 30 runs as David smashed four sixes and a four to reach his half-century in 21 balls, with a towering 106-meter maximum going over the stadium’s roof.

As Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed by Jacob Duffy and Ayush Mhatre was taken out for a bargain price by Bhuvneshwar, who claimed his 200th IPL wicket, CSK’s chase got off to a shaky start. Sarfaraz responded with a torrent of fours and sixes against Duffy, Bhuvneshwar, and Abhinandan Singh to reach fifty in just 24 balls after Duffy rejected Sanju Samson.

In the seventh over, however, his dismissal to Krunal Pandya, who also dismissed Kartik Sharma, left CSK reeling at 84/5. Veer and Jamie Overton teamed up for a lively 57-run partnership after Abhinandan ended Shivam Dube’s vigil.

Overton’s 37 off 16 balls and Veer’s 43 off 29 balls, respectively, were ended by Bhuvneshwar and Suyash Sharma. In a match that failed to live up to its excitement, Bhuvneshwar and Abhinandan dismissed Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj, securing a fantastic victory for RCB.

Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 250/3 in 20 overs (Tim David 70 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 50; Shivam Dube 1-30, Jamie Overton 1-42)
Chennai Super Kings 207 in 19.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 50, Prashant Veer 43; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-41, Abhinandan Singh 2-30)

The producers of director Rahul Sankrityan’s highly anticipated historical drama ‘Ranabaali,’ which stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in the key roles, have now revealed that the film unit completed a significant schedule in Rayalaseema.

The announcement was made on the X timeline of Mythri Movie Makers, the film’s production company. The video also showed the actors receiving a warm welcome in the area.

‘MAA SEEMA RAAYALASEEMA‘ was written by Mythri Movie Makers. All of Rayalaseema’s affection went to the Ranabaali couple. The group finished a crucial schedule in the area. The global premiere of Ranabaali occurred on September 11.

Vijay Deverakonda is seen speaking to a crowd of followers in the video snippet that was made available. It feels like returning to my hometown, he says. Anantapur seems like my second home when I’m here for the filming. I constantly have a seema sensation within me.

In the film, Rashmika Mandanna portrays his wife Jayamma, and Vijay Deverakonda portrays Ranabaali for the uninitiated. Sir Theodore Hector, the antagonist, is portrayed by Arnold Vosloo, who is most famous for his role in ‘The Mummy’.

Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar are producing “Ranabaali” on a massive scale, and T-Series is releasing the film. The film, which is being produced as a period action drama, is set during the British era.

The movie, which is set in the 19th century and is being produced as a huge pan-India effort, is based on actual historical events that occurred between 1854 and 1878.

According to some sources, the events in “Ranabaali” are based on real events from the 1850s that were not included in mainstream history texts. According to them, the movie will be set between 1850 and 1900 and will attempt to highlight events that the British historically misrepresented.

According to sources, Ranabaali will be a cinematic depiction of an era based on numerous real accounts, oral histories, and repressed documents, rather than a textbook summary or a biography.

‘Ranabaali’ will be the third movie in which Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna play a couple, following ‘Geetha Govindam‘ and ‘Dear Comrade‘.

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas stated on Saturday that there are still 17 Indian-flagged ships sailing in the western Persian Gulf area with about 460 Indian seafarers on board.

Additionally, the government stated that appropriate measures are in place to protect their safety as maritime conditions change.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways claims that it is carefully monitoring ship movements, port activities, and the safety of Indian sailors while simultaneously guaranteeing uninterrupted maritime trade.

The ministry claims that all Indian seafarers in the area are safe and that there have been no reports of incidents involving ships flying the Indian flag in the last 24 hours.

Additionally, it stated that the Green Sanvi, an LPG ship carrying 46,650 metric tons of LPG cargo and 25 seamen, had successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz.

In the western Persian Gulf area, there are still 17 Indian-flagged ships, and the Directorate General of Shipping is closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with Indian Missions, RPSL agencies, and ship owners.

Since it went live, the DG Shipping Control Room has answered 5,015 calls and 10,425 emails, and it is still open around the clock. Over the course of the past 24 hours, it has received 31 phone calls and 129 emails.

According to the government, the Directorate has also helped more than 1,320 Indian sailors return safely thus far, including 190 in the last 24 hours from airports and various regional locations throughout the Gulf.

India’s port operations are still running smoothly, with no congestion reported. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry’s State Maritime Boards have all attested to their effective operation.

Additionally, the ministry said it is working with Indian missions, the Ministry of External Affairs, and other marine stakeholders to safeguard seafarer welfare and maintain maritime operations.

In the midst of worldwide uncertainties, the government is intensifying its efforts to reduce any interruption to gasoline supply chains.

As the government increases its efforts, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), the state-run oil marketing company (OMC), assured on Saturday that there are enough supplies of petrol, diesel, and LPG throughout the nation.

The PSU company stated that it is closely monitoring its nationwide distribution network and taking the necessary measures to stop the illegal hoarding and sale of LPG cylinders.

The firm issued a public warning on X, urging consumers not to engage in panic purchasing or make needless LPG reservations, highlighting that despite worries brought on by tensions in West Asia and disruptions around important shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz, supply chains remain stable.

We at IndianOil are dedicated to making sure there is enough petrol, diesel, and LPG available throughout the nation. According to the post, the firm is taking the necessary steps to stop the hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders by constantly monitoring the supply chain.

The promise comes at a time when there are worries about potential interruptions in the global oil supply caused by increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Indian refiners have actively obtained crude oil supplies for the next months, according to authorities, thereby guaranteeing the continuity of the availability of fuel on the local market.

According to authorities, refiners may also choose to purchase crude from a variety of geographic locations for business reasons, which will lessen the effects of global volatility.

India has lately imported a shipment of LPG from Iran, according to the oil ministry, which has arrived in the western port city of Mangalore and is now being unloaded.

Despite organized efforts to guarantee smooth distribution and avoid any manufactured shortages, the authorities insisted that the supply of fuel for domestic use remains steady.

In addition, in order to refute disinformation and allay public concerns about the availability and distribution of LPG, 21 states and Union Territories are holding press briefings.

In addition to the timely dissemination of reliable information via social and electronic media, the government has instructed the Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs to increase proactive public communication, such as daily press conferences at senior levels.

Additionally, on presentation of a valid ID, OMCs provide 5-kg LPG cylinders at petrol pumps and distributors without needing proof of address.

You may buy the 5-kg FTL cylinders by producing any acceptable identification at the local LPG dealership. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated that there is no need for address verification.

Over 71,000 of these cylinders were sold in one day recently, and about 5. 7 lakh have been sold overall since March 23.

In a nail-biting match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, the Rajasthan Royals defeated the Gujarat Titans by a thrilling six runs thanks to a spectacular last over from pacer Tushar Deshpande.

Riding on excellent half-centuries from Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan scored a respectable 210/6 in 20 overs after choosing to bat first. Sai Sudharsan’s superb innings led Gujarat’s chase, but the hosts narrowly missed out despite a late push from Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada.

During the Power-play, Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi exerted pressure on the Gujarat bowlers, propelling Rajasthan, who had won the toss and opted to bat, to a strong start. Jaiswal was hitting well through the off side as the pair raced to 69/0 in six overs. In the end, Rashid knocked off Sooryavanshi for a quick 31 off 18 deliveries, breaking the stand.

Before being caught by Rabada for 55 runs off 36 balls, Jaiswal maintained the momentum and reached a well-timed fifty.

With a few wickets falling, Rajasthan momentarily lost steam, but Jurel made sure the innings kept moving forward.

With five fours and five sixes, the wicketkeeper-batsman hit 75 off 42 balls in the closing overs, having paced his innings well. Rajasthan’s score exceeded 200 thanks to cameos from Shimron Hetmyer and the middle-order hitters.

As Kumar Kushagra made his debut and started the innings with Sudharsan, GT were without their usual captain, Shubman Gill, who was sidelined for the game due to a muscular spasm.

The pair established a solid start, reaching 56 without loss in the power play, while they were chasing 211. Sudharsan appeared to be in great form, hitting the ball cleanly against both speed and spin. The opening stand came to an end when Kushagra was caught at long-on by Riyan Parag after scoring a useful 18 off 14 deliveries.

Gujarat was still well behind, thanks to Sudharsan’s continued domination and smooth half-century. With a brilliant four-wicket haul that gave him his best stats of the competition, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi led Rajasthan to fight back and flip the game. Sudharsan’s magnificent 73 off 44 balls saw him eliminate the threat of Bishnoi before quickly taking out Washington Sundar and Glenn Phillips.

Gujarat went from a commanding position to 133/5 as wickets continued to fall, and the heat increased as Jos Buttler was caught by Nandre Burger.

Rashid and Rabada launched a surprising counterattack at the moment when Rajasthan seemed to have the upper hand. With aggressive hitting, the pair, who shared a 43-run partnership, scored quick runs, including a massive six from Rabada and a few astute boundaries from Rashid, which drastically changed the game.

RR captain Parag gave Deshpande the responsibility of getting the 11 runs that were needed in the last over. The pacer performed admirably under extreme pressure, consistently hitting his yorkers and keeping the batsmen at bay.

The turning point occurred when Rashid tried a long shot but was intercepted by Jofra Archer in the deep, giving Gujarat an excessive amount to accomplish.

In the end, what was the first nail-biter of the season came down to Deshpande, who only allowed four runs in the last over to give Rajasthan an exciting victory.

Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 210/6 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 75, Yashasvi Jaiswal 55; Kagiso Rabada 2-42)
Gujarat Titans 204/8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 73, Jos Buttler 26; Ravi Bishnoi 4-41, Tushar Deshpande 1-24)

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced on Friday that world food commodity prices rose for the second consecutive month in March, primarily due to higher energy prices driven by the escalation of the conflict in West Asia.

The average value of the FAO Food Price Index, which monitors monthly fluctuations in the global prices of a selection of internationally traded food products, was 128. 5 points in March, representing a 2. 4% increase from February and a 1. 0% increase over the previous year.

According to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero, price increases since the start of the conflict have been small, mostly caused by higher oil prices, and mitigated by abundant global cereal stocks.

“However, if the conflict lasts more than 40 days with high input costs and current low margins, farmers will have to choose between farming the same with fewer inputs, planting less, or switching to less intensive fertilizer crops. Those decisions will have an impact on future yields as well as influence the cost of our food supply and commodities throughout the remainder of this year and the whole of next year,” Torero said.

Higher global wheat prices, which rose 4. 3% due to drought-related deterioration of crop prospects in the United States of America and expectations of reduced plantings in Australia due to higher fertilizer costs, were the main factor behind the 1. 5% increase in the FAO Cereal Price Index from the previous month.

Concerns about fertilizer affordability and indirect support from increased ethanol demand prospects connected to rising energy prices were countered by abundant global availability, which led to a minor increase in maize prices globally.

Due to harvest timing, lower import demand, and currency depreciations versus the US dollar, the FAO All-Rice Price Index fell 3. 0% in March.

From February, the FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 5. 1% to be 13. 2% higher than its level a year earlier. The surge in crude oil prices caused by spillover effects and catalyzed expectations of increased biofuel demand are mirrored in the rise in international prices for palm, soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed oil.

Due to rising pig meat prices in the European Union in anticipation of growing seasonal demand, as well as rising global bovine meat prices, particularly in Brazil, where tight cattle availability restricted exportable supplies, the FAO Meat Price Index increased by 1. 0% from the previous month.

Due to logistical difficulties restricting market access in the Near East, the cost of poultry and ovine meat decreased.

In March, the Sugar Price Index rose by 7. 2% and the FAO Dairy Price Index increased by 1. 2%.

A generally favorable global supply outlook for the current season, supported by excellent harvest progress in India and Thailand, was offset by increased expectations that Brazil, the major sugar exporter, would use more sugarcane to make ethanol in order to combat rising international crude oil prices.

FAO predicts a 1. 7% decline in global wheat production this year to 820 million tons, as most of the world’s wheat crop has already been planted.