Due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, new worries about supply arose, driving crude oil prices up about 3% on Tuesday, reversing the losses of the prior session.

At about 9:45 a. m. , US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased 3. 05% to $96. 36 per barrel, while Brent crude futures rose 2. 98% to $103. 20 per barrel.

Despite both benchmarks increasing by about 4% earlier in the day, Brent fell 2. 8% and WTI fell over 5% in the last session.

The current US-Israel-Iran conflict, now in its third week, has caused significant disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint for around 20% of the world’s trade in oil and liquefied natural gas.

The possibility of supply shortages, increasing energy costs, and growing inflation has increased due to the situation.

On the other hand, oil prices were rather steady week to week. WTI traded more than 1% lower during the same period, while Brent crude was generally flat compared to last Friday’s closing.

In the meanwhile, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the United States has reached energy agreements worth between $56 and $57 billion with Indo-Pacific allies, calling the action a component of initiatives to increase energy security among allies.

At the US-sponsored Indo-Pacific energy security conference, which included representation from nations throughout the area, the deals were completed.

In an attempt to maintain the stability of the world’s energy supplies, Iranian oil tankers have been granted permission to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, notwithstanding the continuing conflict.

Any disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, which is still a crucial route for international energy commerce, represents a serious threat to markets.

Analysts say that because of their significant reliance on crude imports from the Gulf area, Asian economies, notably India, are still very at risk.

The Sensex and Nifty, two of India’s main stock market indicators, also experienced significant volatility during Tuesday’s trading.

India is becoming one of the most proactive markets in the world when it comes to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into payroll processes, with 34% of Indian firms intending to implement AI in the near future.

ADP report states, an HR solutions provider, India’s use of AI is growing in essential payroll tasks, with about half of businesses using it to automate procedures, simplify data entry, and compute taxes, benefits, and overtime.

The study went on to say that data validation, audits, and regulatory compliance are just a few of the other sectors being investigated for potential AI innovation.

“Payroll is located at the intersection of size and inspection in India. To improve decision-making, organizations are focusing on better controls, audit readiness, and high-quality data. Payroll teams will concentrate on data integrity, regulatory compliance, and governance excellence as AI takes over repetitive jobs, according to Rahul Goyal, Managing Director, ADP India and Southeast Asia.

The business emphasized skill shortages facing payroll teams in the Asia Pacific region (APAC), pointing out that, above the global average of 72%, 80% of businesses are looking at how to manage payroll with fewer employees.

To remedy this, reskilling and upskilling are high on the list of priorities, with about 74% of payroll managers in the Asia-Pacific region saying that staff shortages have already had an impact on their payroll activities.

According to the study, 33% of businesses saw AI as a significant factor in payroll changes over the next two to three years, and approximately 49% of respondents were experimenting with AI to enable more efficient operating models.

The firm observed that companies are mostly using AI to automate data entry, speed up report creation, and identify fraudulent transactions.

Data security laws are slowing AI adoption, according to about 79% of businesses, while 51% of survey participants want payroll teams to devote more attention to improving data security procedures via the implementation of new policies, safeguards, and continuity plans.

India’s astounding economic and technological development over the year is highlighted by the Bharat Progress Report 2025-26.

The report highlights the attainment of 101 significant milestones in the fields of renewable energy, space, highways, railways, and digital public infrastructure, bringing the nation closer to its goal of becoming a developed one.

According to the report, India surpassed Japan in 2025 to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, with a nominal GDP of around $4. 18 trillion.

With a strong growth rate of 8. 2%, India remains the fastest-expanding major economy in the world. The nation is currently on track to rank among the top three economies in the world in the near future.

Several high-frequency indicators that reflect the momentum of economic expansion are mentioned in the report. The mutual fund industry in the nation surpassed Rs 80 lakh crore in assets under management in April 2025, and GST receipts hit a record high of Rs 2. 17 lakh crore. With increasing investor confidence, cumulative foreign direct investment has surpassed $1. 15 trillion.

The monthly UPI transactions crossing Rs 21 lakh crore and the Aadhaar authentication reaching one billion demonstrate the growth of India’s digital public infrastructure, which is also being implemented by other nations.

This allowed for the growth of financial inclusion in the nation, with a significant increase in the transparent distribution of government services to the poor directly into the accounts of beneficiaries.

The completion of the Chenab Rail Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world, and the ongoing growth of the Vande Bharat train network, which has improved high-speed rail connectivity, were the major accomplishments in infrastructure and connection. In addition, the nation increased its logistics network and national highways, which helped lower transportation expenses and improve supply chains.

The report also emphasizes the nation’s advancements in science and cutting-edge technology. India made a dramatic entrance into the select group of nations with this advanced technology after the Indian Space Research Organization’s Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) successfully proved in-orbit docking capability.

As the nation establishes itself as a potential rival to China for becoming the world’s manufacturing hub for high-tech electrical goods, a significant move was also made during the year to build domestic capacity in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

Additionally, in the battle against climate change, India has made significant strides in meeting its renewable energy targets. With significant expansion in solar, hydel, and wind energy, the nation’s proportion of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity surpassed the 50% threshold five years before the 2030 objective.

The report emphasizes that the nation’s progress in reaching these milestones demonstrates its transformation into a key engine of global growth in the new world order.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India is still self-sufficient in the manufacture of petrol and diesel. The country’s refineries are all functioning at full capacity and holding sufficient crude oil stocks, therefore there is no need for imports of the fuels to satisfy domestic demand.

The ministry said in a statement that the government continues to give priority to the interests of domestic consumers and guarantee an uninterrupted supply of LPG, especially to households and priority industries like schools and hospitals.

As oil marketing firms (OMCs) such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum continue to keep a steady supply of gasoline and diesel, they have not recorded any instances of fuel dry-outs at retail locations. The statement advised citizens to refrain from engaging in panic purchasing since there are enough supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel around the nation.

Additionally, the ministry statement urged citizens not to worry because the government is still dedicated to ensuring sufficient LPG supply for households and vital industries. There are several digital channels for scheduling LPG cylinders, such as SMS booking, WhatsApp booking, IVRS calls, and mobile apps from OMCs.

To ensure a seamless supply, the OMCs are maintaining LPG distributorships open on Sundays, encouraging digital bookings, and discouraging panic bookings.

It reiterated that customers should avoid panic bookings, utilize digital booking platforms, and refrain from making pointless trips to LPG dealers.

Given the current geopolitical climate, the LPG supply is still being watched. There has been a decrease in LPG bookings, with approximately 77 million bookings recorded on Saturday as opposed to 88. 8 million on Friday. Online LPG cylinder bookings have risen from 84% to over 87%.

Whenever feasible, citizens are urged to choose alternative fuels like PNG. The government and public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) are still raising public knowledge about the continuous supply of LPG and the recent drop in panic bookings.

Priority sectors, such as CNG and PNG, are still guaranteed a 100% gas supply, while gas supplies to industrial and commercial customers are being controlled at about 80%, according to the statement.

Commercial LPG customers in major cities and urban centers are urged to choose PNG connections and can do so by submitting an application through the customer portal of City Gas Distribution (CGD) firms, via email, or through the mail.

The output of domestic LPG from refineries has been maximized, and consumers have been encouraged to schedule refills online. To ensure equitable distribution, scheduling intervals have been rationalized to 25 days in urban regions and up to 45 days in rural areas.

To meet alternative fuel requirements, states and UTs have received an additional 48,000 KL of kerosene.

To reduce strain on LPG supplies, alternative fuels like coal and kerosene have been activated for specific industries, such as hospitality and restaurants.

The US waiver for purchasing Russian seaborne crude has immediately freed up an additional 20 million barrels of oil on ships, which is anticipated to moderate skyrocketing prices that have reached over $100 per barrel in the global market as a result of the conflict in Iran.

Currently, there are about 25 vessels transporting Russian crude at sea, with an additional five vessels carrying petroleum products. These can be directed right away to the places where the demand originates.

For Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil with the goal of increasing the availability of raw materials in the market and lowering prices, the Trump administration had previously issued a 30-day waiver, which is now supplemented by the temporary waiver.

With India and China among the top importers of oil, they have so far been the primary purchasers of Russian crude, which has contributed to managing global prices.

Thursday saw the Trump administration grant a new license enabling nations to purchase specific Russian oil products on a temporary basis.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on social media, “To expand the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is giving a temporary authorization to allow countries to buy Russian oil that is now stranded at sea. ”

“This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction. ”

The license, which is available on the US Treasury website, only covers Russian crude or petroleum products that were transported by sea beginning on March 12. The license allows those shipments until April 11.

The news coincides with the new Iranian leader’s intention to close the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s oil exports.

The Iran war is currently in its second week, with a sustained increase in missile and drawn attacks that have also hit commercial vessels and oil infrastructure in Middle Eastern nations.

Indian banks are benefiting from ongoing credit growth, improved digital public infrastructure, the widespread implementation of AI-driven operating models, and increased regulatory attention on climate risk, cybersecurity resilience, and governance.

KPMG International’s study found that the industry is on par with its global counterparts in terms of scaling from pilots to business AI applications, making investments in workforce reskilling, and improving cybersecurity and ESG frameworks to promote long-term resilience.

According to a poll of 110 CEOs of the world’s banking and capital markets, 83% are optimistic about growth over the next three years, and 65% consider AI to be a key investment priority.

Seventy percent of CEOs intend to invest 10–20% of their budgets for the following 12 months in AI, while 59% anticipate that agentic AI will have a revolutionary effect, and 69% anticipate that it will pay off in one to three years.

Reskilling for AI is a high priority for about 83% of bank and capital market CEOs; 79% claim that AI has changed the definition of entry-level skills, while 78% issue caution. artificial intelligence If ignored, workforce readiness could have a detrimental effect on the organization, according to the study.

According to Sanjay Doshi, Partner and Head of KPMG in India’s Transaction Services and Financial Services Advisory, “the same imperative is increasingly shaping the Indian banking industry as global banking leaders respond to rising operational and regulatory costs by pursuing scale and strategic M&A. ”

For India, scale is more than just size; it’s a catalyst for growing distribution, speeding up digital transformation, and improving cost effectiveness, according to Doshi.

According to him, targeted integration and partnership-led growth can unlock new markets, reinforce value propositions, and establish long-term competitive resilience as banks increase their investments in technology and modernize their operational models.

Data preparedness and regulatory gaps were listed by 55% of CEOs as the biggest obstacles to growth, followed by ethical concerns at 56% and cybersecurity at around 86%.

Nitin Khara, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Confidence Petroleum India Limited (CPIL) stated that, oil marketing firms (OMCs) and businesses engaged in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are making ongoing efforts to keep distribution running smoothly throughout the nation in the face of geopolitical tensions caused by the Iran war.

Despite the obstacles that the changing global market has placed on the supply of LPG, Khara emphasized that the company’s top priority is still maintaining an unbroken supply for Indian consumers and retailers.

He stated that CPIL is monitoring the LPG supply situation on a daily basis.

“We evaluate every morning on how to guarantee the gas supply for that day. We do our best to provide timely delivery, but due to limited availability, certain challenges have arisen, as dealers from all over the nation call throughout the day,” he said.

He said that LPG importers are now experiencing a significant logistical challenge since two LPG ships are stranded close to sea ports and cannot enter or exit. The regular supply chain has been disrupted by this.

Khara told that the company usually imports about 40,000 metric tons of LPG each month, but this cycle has been disrupted by the current circumstances.

The original plan, according to Khara, was to unload 850 metric tons from the shipment, with the balance going to the Malaysian operations of the Norway-based energy corporation Equinor, as per a prior agreement.

The firm typically upholds its commitments, even if there is no formal sale and purchase agreement, he said.

However, some merchants insisted that the gas be delivered to Indian customers instead.

Khara stated, “In light of these requests, we are considering the possibility of using the available LPG in the nation to alleviate the burden on consumers at home. ”

He also mentioned that the state governments have recommended unloading the gas locally in order to increase the supply in the national market.

If the LPG is kept in India, it could help guarantee an extra 12 to 13 days of supply, which might alleviate some of the market’s concerns.

The manufacture and availability of LPG have been impacted by the current global conflict and disturbances, according to Khara.

Even if the situation returns to normal right away, it may take almost four months for the entire supply chain to stabilize because of refinery damage, low output, and a lack of LPG tankers.

To the joy of fans and movie enthusiasts, the makers of the highly anticipated thriller “Patriot,” directed by Mahesh Narayanan and starring Malayalam cinema legends Mammootty and Mohanlal, released the lovely, romantic song “Kaattu Thottappol” from the movie on Thursday.

Sushin Shyam created the romantic song, which has been picturized on Darshana Rajendran and Kunchacko Boban. Kapil Kapilan and iSai have performed the song, which has words by Anwar Ali.

The song’s debut was announced on Instagram by Sushin Shyam, a music composer. He exclaimed, It’s here! Out Now: Patriot’s KaattuThottappol Music Video.

The movie has piqued the curiosity of both film enthusiasts and fans. Mammootty and Mohanlal have already finished dubbing for their roles in ‘Patriot,’ according to the film’s producers.

The creators had just posted a Behind The Scenes (BTS) video a few days earlier, which included footage from the movie set taken during the filming in Sri Lanka.

On his X timeline, the actor Mohanlal wrote, Patriot Behind the Scenes: Sri Lanka. Starting on April 23, 2026, in theaters around the globe.

The BTS footage that was made public was filmed on an airbase and featured fighter jets, planes, and helicopters.

In addition to highlighting the reunion of the two titans of Malayalam film after 18 years, the BTS video also featured snippets of Mohanlal and Mammootty at the airbase.

In one intriguing image, Fahaadh Faasil is seen inside the cockpit of a fighter jet, where a specialist is instructing him on the controls of the plane. The fact that actor Fahadh Faasil just revealed that he portrays the antagonist in the movie may be remembered.

For those who don’t know, Patriot is set to debut in theaters around the world on April 23 of this year.

The movie’s producers said on January 4 of this year that the crew had finished filming the movie. They said in their letter, It’s over. Blood, perspiration, faith. The march of the PATRIOTS continues. Look for me on the Big screen.

In addition, they released a behind-the-scenes video of all the actors on set to mark the event.

In addition to the two Malayalam giants, the movie, which has generated enormous excitement since its announcement, also stars well-known actors Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, and Revathy.

The buzz around the picture was fueled by a teaser released by the producers last year.

The teaser starts with a voiceover that says, I recall when this country was ruled by the two of them. All at once. They gained more than just followers throughout these years. Faith. Trust.

The following is a succession of captivating yet powerful moments, punctuated by Mammootty’s statement that “They are going to bring social score to people. ” Next, Mohanlal, who seems to be portraying an army commander in the movie, says, “There are three of us. ” Do you think you can stop us?

The teaser then hints at the existence of a program called Periscope, in which Kunchacko Boban portrays a character named Daniel.

“This program which is part of the student laptop scheme,” asks Nayanthara. Is that comparable to Periscope? We also hear another voice asking if the software is keeping an eye on them in secret. The teaser concludes with Mammootty asking someone to finish the statement, Great Indian traitor… or Patriot.

In general, the trailer suggests that the movie will center around a bunch of socially conscious people attempting to prevent an unlawful government attempt to keep tabs on its populace.

The US declared a 30-day waiver allowing all countries to buy Russian oil, which caused a slight dip in world oil prices on Friday.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 0. 67% to $95. 09 per barrel, while Brent crude traded at $99. 99 per barrel, a 0. 47% decrease.

“To increase the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is providing a temporary authorization to allow nations to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea,” US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent wrote on X.

“This narrowly targeted, short-term approach only applies to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction,” Bessent stated.

He went on to say that the momentary spike in oil prices is a transient and short-term interruption that will ultimately be hugely beneficial to our country and economy.

The US waiver applies to petroleum goods and crude oil of Russian origin that are loaded onto ships at any time prior to 12:01 a. m. Eastern Daylight Time on March 12.

The United States declared on Wednesday that it would release 172 million barrels from its strategic petroleum reserves.

Conversely, the Indian government has stated that the crude supply situation is stable and that the volumes obtained are higher than those that Hormuz would have provided.

Prior to this crisis, about 45% of India’s crude imports came via the Hormuz route.

India has now acquired crude volumes that are higher than what the disrupted Strait route would have provided over the same time frame. According to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, the percentage of crude imports coming from outside Hormuz has increased from 55% before the war to around 70%.

India imports crude from 40 countries, as opposed to 27 in 2006–2007. This structural diversification, which was developed through consistent policy over a number of years, “has given us options that other nations now find themselves without. ”

Puri claimed that refineries are running at full capacity utilization; in some instances, it’s even over 100 percent.

The first game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will pit reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Mumbai Indians, five-time winners, will begin their season against the Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29 at the legendary Wankhede Stadium.

In the meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings will play Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati to start their season. As two of the league’s most well-liked clubs face off, this game provides an early highlight to the season.

The league’s fixtures for the first 20 games have been announced, according to a story in The Indian Express. Later, the remaining portion of the schedule will probably be made public. Teams compete in a number of thrilling games during the opening phase as they attempt to build early momentum in their pursuit of the playoffs.

The Punjab Kings, last season’s runners-up, will start their season in Mullanpur against the Gujarat Titans. The match between the Delhi Capitals and the Lucknow Super Giants will take place in Lucknow on April 1.

There are a number of significant matchups in the first stage as well, including Mumbai Indians against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Mumbai on April 12 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru on April 5.

The schedule includes double-header days on April 4, April 5, April 11, and April 12, where there are two matches planned for each day, giving fans plenty of games to watch on those days. During the tournament’s initial phase, teams will visit a number of locations, such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Mullanpur.

The schedule also includes a number of notable contests. Mumbai will host Bengaluru on April 12, while Chennai will visit Bengaluru on April 5.

On Wednesday at 7:00 PM IST, Star Sports Network and JioHotstar will reveal the IPL 2026’s first phase schedule.