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India set to hike biogas prices, subsidies: Sources

Venezuela, a big energy source, comes calling

India is bolstering its energy security by deepening ties with Venezuela, a top crude oil supplier. Discussions between PM Modi and Venezuela's acting President focused on long-term energy contracts and cooperation in critical minerals, tech, and agriculture. This move diversifies India's oil sources amidst global supply chain challenges.

Chief Minister Vijay reviews functioning of Natural Resources Department

DMK To Get Separate Seating Block In Lok Sabha Amid Growing Rift With Congress

The final decision now rests with the Lok Sabha Speaker, though sources said the broad contours of the reshuffle have already been worked out.

From Haj Pilgrims To Waqf Properties: How AI Is Reshaping Minority Welfare

Officials believe AI tools can eventually improve utilisation of public resources.

Union govt. to train over 2,000 BDOs

The officials will be familiarised with the Geographic information system and Management information system to help them mobilise revenue using resources available within a gram panchayat

Annamalai to disclose his future course in a social media interaction on Friday

Annamalai has been camping in Delhi since Monday, where he met Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and national organizational general secretary B L Santhosh to convey his decision to quit the party. Sources said he has extended his stay in the national capital to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rajeev Thakkar on when to hold, when to exit, and why most get it wrong

For most investors, the focus is often on finding the right stock, entering at the right valuation, and identifying the next multibagger. Far fewer spend time understanding what may be the more difficult aspect of investing—knowing when to sell.Speaking at the ET Alpha Wealth Summit on Thursday on "The Art of the Exit," Rajiv Thakkar, CIO and Director at PPFAS Asset Management said that successful investing is not just about buying well but also about staying invested long enough for compounding to work. In fact, before discussing reasons to sell, he spent considerable time explaining why investors should avoid selling in the first place.According to Thakkar, one of the biggest mistakes investors make is selling because a stock has not moved for a few months.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: Future alpha may emerge from neglected markets and asset classes, says Kalpen Parekh Investors often spend significant effort researching a company, understanding management quality, assessing industry prospects and evaluating valuations. Yet after purchasing the stock, many lose patience if prices remain stagnant for six months or a year.https://youtube.com/shorts/RiLj-X02NNE?feature=share"Investments are meant for wealth creation, not entertainment," he said, cautioning against treating investing like a source of excitement or constant action.Another common trigger for unnecessary selling is reacting to news flow. Markets are constantly bombarded with information—wars, elections, crude oil fluctuations, interest-rate decisions, capital flows and economic data. Investors who react to every headline often end up making poor decisions.To illustrate this, Thakkar recounted the story of an investor who received advance information about the severity of the Covid outbreak in early 2020. Acting on that information, the investor sold his technology stocks before the market crash. While the prediction turned out to be accurate, fear prevented him from re-entering the market, and he ultimately missed one of the strongest rallies in technology stocks.The lesson, according to Thakkar, is that even correct information does not necessarily translate into successful investment outcomes. Thakkar was particularly critical of the concept of "profit booking."Investors often feel compelled to sell simply because a stock has appreciated significantly. However, he argued that wealth is created by allowing successful investments to compound rather than by repeatedly locking in gains.Frequent buying and selling may benefit brokers, exchanges and tax authorities, but it often works against long-term investors. Hyperactivity in portfolios can destroy wealth by interrupting compounding and increasing costs.Similarly, investors should avoid selling because another stock appears more attractive. This "buyer's remorse" mindset frequently causes investors to abandon good businesses prematurely in pursuit of seemingly better opportunities."If you manage to find a genuinely good business with strong management, a large opportunity set and reasonable valuations, the best course of action is often to simply stay invested," he said.Thakkar emphasised that investors in taxable jurisdictions such as India should maintain low portfolio turnover whenever possible. Unlike institutional structures such as mutual funds or investors in tax-free jurisdictions, individual investors face taxes and transaction costs every time they trade. Excessive churn can significantly reduce long-term returns.For wealthy investors, family offices and HNIs, the ability to remain invested and minimise unnecessary transactions often becomes a major source of compounding advantage.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: India could unlock a $5 trillion export opportunity through FTAs, says Saurabh Mukherjea While most reasons for selling are flawed, Thakkar identified several situations where exiting an investment becomes necessary. The most obvious reason is the need for capital. If an investor requires money for a business opportunity, acquisition or personal objective, selling investments may be entirely justified. More importantly, investors must be willing to acknowledge mistakes.If an investment thesis turns out to be wrong because of flawed analysis, poor due diligence or changing circumstances, the best course is often to exit quickly rather than averaging down endlessly.According to Thakkar, investors who recognise mistakes early frequently outperform those who identify good opportunities but refuse to sell losing positions. Capital trapped in poor investments cannot be deployed into better opportunities. Fraud, naturally, represents an immediate reason to exit.One of the more challenging selling decisions arises when industries face structural disruption. Questions such as whether newspapers can survive the internet, whether thermal power can coexist with renewable energy or whether traditional automobile manufacturers can adapt to electric vehicles rarely have straightforward answers.Thakkar suggested that investors should not react impulsively but should continuously evaluate incoming evidence. Investment decisions should be driven by facts rather than sentiment. If the underlying business continues to deteriorate because of technological or structural change, investors must eventually acknowledge reality and exit.At the same time, distinguishing genuine disruption from temporary noise remains critical. Exceptional businesses are not immune to becoming overvalued. Thakkar pointed to situations where valuations become so excessive that future growth is already fully reflected in stock prices. In such cases, taking profits, paying taxes and reallocating capital may be sensible.He also noted that investors may sell a reasonably valued investment if a significantly superior opportunity emerges elsewhere.During the question-and-answer session, investors raised concerns about stocks that stop performing despite sound fundamentals. Examples such as Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel and even silver investments highlighted a common dilemma: should investors exit after years of gains and subsequent consolidation?Also Read | MF Tracker: Can ICICI Prudential Multicap Fund sustain its strong track record in a volatile market? Thakkar's response was that even excellent businesses can spend years moving sideways. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Infosys and Bharat Electronics have all gone through extended periods of stagnant share-price performance despite remaining fundamentally strong businesses.Investors should therefore distinguish between stock-price performance and business performance. As long as the underlying business continues to execute well, temporary market stagnation alone is not a sufficient reason to sell.For investors worried about selling too early, Thakkar recommended a phased approach. Instead of attempting to identify exact market tops, investors can gradually reduce exposure over time. For instance, if a stock appears significantly overvalued, an investor might sell a portion every month rather than exiting entirely in one transaction.This systematic approach helps manage the emotional difficulty of selling while reducing the risk of poor timing. Another important consideration is position sizing. Addressing a question about highly successful investments such as Nvidia, Thakkar noted that even outstanding businesses can become disproportionately large components of a portfolio.When a single stock grows from a small allocation into a dominant position, investors face a different risk—wealth preservation rather than wealth creation. His solution is gradual trimming. Investors can periodically reduce oversized positions to maintain comfortable portfolio weightings while still participating in future upside.This approach may not maximise returns, but it significantly reduces the risk of catastrophic losses and helps investors sleep better during periods of volatility.Thakkar concluded by stressing the importance of diversification and long-term investing. Most individuals create wealth through a single business, profession or sector. Their financial portfolios should therefore diversify away from that concentration rather than amplify it.Whether through mutual funds, retirement vehicles such as NPS, EPF and PPF, or diversified portfolios, investors should focus on owning inflation-protected assets for long periods. "The lower the churn in a portfolio, the greater the opportunity for compounding," he said.Ultimately, successful investing is not about perfectly timing every entry and exit. It is about avoiding unnecessary activity, admitting mistakes quickly, remaining patient with good businesses and ensuring that no single investment becomes large enough to threaten long-term financial stability.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)If you have any mutual fund queries, message on ET Mutual Funds on Facebook/Twitter. We will get it answered by our panel of experts. Do share your questions on ETMFqueries@timesinternet.in alongwith your age, risk profile, and Twitter handle.

Fitness certificate delay leaves 61 schools in Kottayam in limbo

School managements attribute delay to uncertainty over the agency conducting fitness inspections. Official sources say inspections have been completed in 57 schools and issuance of certificates is largely a matter of procedural formalities

Amid Annamalai In-Or-Out Buzz, BJP's 'No Resignation' Clarification

K Annamalai is all set to chart a political course away from the BJP, sources said.

One Jump Saved His Life: Ludhiana Man's Fight For Survival After Delhi Fire

The firewas likely caused due to a short circuit, sources told NDTV on Thursday.

Market wrap: Sensex closes flat, Nifty holds 23,400; Titan, Eternal lead gains

The Indian stock market closed nearly flat, with Sensex and Nifty ending the session in the green with marginal gains after seeing sharp upswings and downswings during the day.Sensex rose nearly 14 points to close at 74,360, while Nifty 50 rose around 11 points to end the session at 23,417, nearly unchanged from the previous session. This came as India VIX, which measures volatility in markets, fell over 3% to 15.77.Titan shares jumped 4% to lead gains on Sensex, while Zomato-parent Eternal jumped 3% to follow. ITC, Tech Mahindra, SBI, Bharat Electronics and ICICI Bank shares meanwhile gained around 1% each. On the other hand, Infosys, Bajaj Finserv, UltraTech Cement, Adani Ports and Tata Steel shares dropped around 15 each.Broader markets closed with higher gains, with Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 indices gaining around 0.5% each. Sectorally, Nifty Consumer Durables rallied more than 2%, while Nifty Metal declined 0.7%. Around 1,817 stocks advanced on NSE, while 1,474 declined and 105 remained unchanged.Rupee watchNotably, investors now await the outcome of the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) meeting tomorrow. Meanwhile, rupee closed at 95.7850 per U.S. dollar, from 95.7050 on Wednesday.FIIs net sold Indian shares worth Rs 5,617 crore on Wednesday, according to data on NSE. They have net sold Indian equities worth more than Rs 39,625 crore in just four consecutive sessions.India may scrap capital gains tax on FPI investments in govt securitiesThe Indian government is planning to scrap capital gains tax on investments in government securities by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), a move which will likely shore up overseas capital inflows into the country, The Economic Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Income Tax Act to pave the way for this exemption, sources further told The Economic Times, adding that a notification is expected soon after the President gives her assent to the ordinance.What lies ahead?On Thursday, the benchmark index Nifty opened with a gap-down. However, the index staged a recovery from lower levels and eventually closed on a flat note. Notably, this marked the third consecutive session where Nifty found support near its prior swing low and rebounded thereafter, said Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities. He however added that a sustained follow-up move on the upside is still required to confirm a potential reversal.“At present, the index continues to trade below its key moving averages, while momentum indicators suggest a sideways trend. The daily RSI has been oscillating within a narrow range for the last 40 trading sessions, in line with the RSI range shift rules, indicating lack of directional strength,” he said.Going ahead, Shah expects the 23,550–23,580 zone to act as an important hurdle for Nifty 50.. A sustained move above the 23,580 level could trigger an extension of the ongoing pullback rally, potentially paving the way towards the 23,700 mark, he said. On the downside, he sees 23,330–23,320 zone as likely to serve as a crucial support area.(With inputs from agencies)(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

From bombers to oil terminals: How Zelensky brought the war to Putin's backyard

Ukraine is stepping up its game by launching strikes deep into Russian territory, aiming at vital oil and military assets to neutralize Moscow's combat advantages. The recent operations against air bases and munitions depots are meticulously planned to disrupt the flow of resources to Russian troops.

K Annamalai signals exit plans to BJP high command, decision expected soon

Sources added Annamalai is clear about his thoughts, and the party has assured him it will revert soon after discussing the issue.

BREAKING: Annamalai Considering Exit From BJP Amid Internal Tensions in Tamil Nadu

Tensions rise in Tamil Nadu's BJP as Annamalai considers leaving the party on his birthday. Despite efforts from the BJP leadership to retain him, sources indicate he may pursue a solo political path, citing dissatisfaction with alliances and party direction. -newsn18oc_indiaNews18 Mobile App - https://onelink.to/desc-youtube

Delhi Hotel Fire Likely Caused By Short Circuit: Sources

The fire started around 8:30 am and quickly spread through the five-floor building

West Bengal signs MoU with Adani Ports

Kolkata: West Bengal government has signed an MoU on Thursday with Adani Ports in the presence of Adani Ports & SEZ MD Karan Adani, people in the know told ET.West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday held meeting with Managing Director of Adani Ports & SEZ Karan Adani on Power, Logistics and infrastructure at Nabanna state secretariat, sources said.Also Read: West Bengal government holds pre-budget talks with industry bodies'The Chief Minister has reportedly assured that all support will be provided to the Adanis if they invest in West Bengal and they can choose the project site, people in the know told ET.Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, at the BGBS summit 2022, had promised an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in the state in sectors of port infrastructure, data centres and undersea cables, warehouses and logistics parks. Adani Ports and SEZ was in the fray for Tajpur port for more than a year.Group ran into rough weather following the January 24 report of the US short-seller Hindenberg Research flagged high debt levels at the port-to-energy conglomerate. The state government was silent on the Tajpur port project all through.

'He is a leader': Pandya reveals Virat Kohli's impact on dressing room

Virat Kohli's unwavering intensity and work ethic were instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's second consecutive IPL title in 2026. Finishing as the franchise's top scorer, Kohli's leadership and champion mindset, even after facing early setbacks, inspired teammates like Krunal Pandya. Pandya highlighted Kohli's consistent hunger to perform and win as a personal source of motivation.

The ₹ warning: Six actions for biz leaders

The Indian rupee is trading around Rs. 95-96 to the dollar in late May 2026, setting fresh record lows. Markets are openly discussing the Rs. 100 threshold. The rupee has weakened in almost every year since 2014 and has lost approximately half its value against the dollar over that period. The end of this currency depreciation is not in sight. The factors that would stop it are not yet visible.The government is acting. State run oil companies have implemented four fuel price hikes in ten days as of May 25, taking petrol in Delhi past Rs. 102 per litre. This is the right and necessary response to the energy cost reality created by the Iran war. Crucially, the Modi government has also done its part on the macroeconomic front, consistently and aggressively reducing the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP to maintain structural stability.Yet, the currency pressure persists. The energy price impact has not yet fully reached Indian consumers and supply chains. It is coming.Uday Kotak said it plainly at the CII Annual Business Summit on May 12: "Be ready for tough times rather than waiting for the shock to hit us." He was right.Also read | Manufactured monopoly: How industrial policy is structuring monopolies in IndiaThis is not a time to panic. But it is a time to act. The leaders who move now will have options. Those who wait will not.The Overriding Factor: The Psychology of the PlayersWhy is the currency declining despite strong domestic fiscal discipline? Because exchange rates are not driven by mathematical models alone. The currency decline is highly affected—and accelerated—by the psychology of all players engaged in this endeavor.Currency movements are deeply behavioral. When a currency visualizes a downward trend, psychology shifts from calculation to self-protection and speculation. Every player in the ecosystem operates under this psychological weight:Corporate CFOs and Treasurers: Instead of hedging normally, they rush to cover future dollar liabilities early, hoarding hard currency and inadvertently worsening the scarcity.Foreign Investors: They begin to judge their returns not by the quality of Indian business operations, but by the eroding value of the conversion rate.Importers and Exporters: Importers advance their payments to avoid paying more tomorrow; exporters delay converting their dollar earnings back into rupees, waiting for a "better" rate. This collective psychology creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.Investors, CFOs, and FDI decision makers extrapolate what is happening now into the future. When they see a currency that has lost approximately half its value since 2014 with no clear floor in sight, their psychological pivot alters market realities.Also read | India tightens checks on overseas flows as currency pressure mounts, sources sayThe cascading timeline of Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) equity behavior perfectly mirrors this psychological shift from rational evaluation to systemic risk aversion:2024 (The Calculation Phase): Rupee averages Rs. 83-84. FPI flows remain positive (+$12 billion) as investors trade on strong domestic corporate earnings.2025 (The Self-Protection Phase): Rupee slides past Rs. 89. Collective psychology shifts to risk mitigation. FPIs withdraw a record $18.4 billion from Indian equities—the largest annual equity outflow on record.Early 2026 (The Capitulation Phase): Rupee breaks past Rs. 95. Sentiment turns into an outright exit strategy. In the first four months of 2026 alone, outflows have already reached $19.1 billion, completely bypassing the entire previous year's record loss in a fraction of the time.FDI agreements are being signed, but capital is delayed because players are psychologically hesitant to deploy funds into a depreciating asset.The Trap of Hard Currency Debt: A Broken Business Model There is a highly significant and dangerous phenomenon unfolding in India today that requires immediate exposure. For years, a specific class of Indian corporates adopted a regular strategy of borrowing heavily in hard currency (External Commercial Borrowings, or ECBs). Lured by low nominal global interest rates, several of these companies over borrowed, treating cheap dollar debt as a permanent structural advantage.Today, that strategy has become a trap. The compounding effect of a depreciating rupee, skyrocketing hedging costs, and brutal refinancing realities is fundamentally breaking their business models.Consider the mechanics of this crisis:The Hedging Penalty: Leaving dollar debt unhedged is now corporate roulette. However, buying hedges at current rupee levels has become structurally prohibitive. The cost of protection completely wipes out any interest rate advantage.The Refinancing Wall: Billions in foreign debt are coming due. These over-borrowed companies must now refinance their liabilities at a time when the rupee value has materially deteriorated. They are effectively forced to borrow far more rupees just to pay back the same amount of original dollars.The Crushing Cost of Rupee Capital: As these companies try to pivot back to domestic lenders, they face a severe escalation in their rupee cost of capital.The Growth Verdict: When your cost of capital spikes and your cash flows are consumed by servicing legacy dollar debt, future growth stops. Capital expenditure (CapEx) plans are being frozen. These companies can no longer invest in innovation, capacity, or market expansion. Their business model shifts overnight from aggressive value creation to basic survival. Boards must realize that this is not a temporary treasury headache; it is a structural threat to the company’s future viability.India's forex reserves stand at approximately 10 to 11 months of import cover. Substantial, but being actively deployed to defend the currency. Some imports are non-negotiable: oil, critical inputs, components. These will now cost more. That cost passes through every supply chain.Six Actions for Business Leaders1. Protect your cash and liquidity first. This is the most immediate priority. Map your cash position today. Identify every source of liquidity across the next twelve months. Stress-test it at Rs. 100 and beyond. Which receivables are at risk? Which credit lines are rupee-denominated and which are not? Companies that run into a cash crisis during a currency depreciation cycle lose their options entirely. The CFO must own this analysis and present it to the board within days, not weeks.2. Act now on your foreign currency borrowings, hedging, and refinancing. Do not assume the rupee will recover to Rs. 80. Analyse your full foreign currency exposure across the next three years: every loan, every refinancing date, every hedging contract, every procurement price denominated in foreign currency. Hard currency loans now face refinancing at rupee values that have materially deteriorated. Model every scenario at Rs. 100 and beyond. Your CFO, treasury, and procurement team must be aligned on one instruction: do not run into a liquidity crisis. This analysis must happen now, not at the next quarterly review.3. Build a war room. Most companies have begun thinking about war rooms for supply chain disruptions. Expand the mandate. Currency exposure belongs in the same room. Which of your costs are dollar or euro denominated? Which of your revenues are rupee denominated? Where is the mismatch? What is your break-even exchange rate? If you do not have clear answers today, you are exposed. The war room is not a committee. It is a real-time decision environment with live data, a clear owner, and the authority to act.4. Use the currency depreciation advantage: double your export salesforce. A weaker rupee makes Indian exports more competitive. This window will not stay open indefinitely. Double the salesforce in your export markets now. Use this period to upgrade quality, improve service delivery, and build customer relationships that will last beyond the currency advantage. Indian exporters who invest in capability during this period will emerge stronger regardless of what the rupee does next. Those who simply ride the price advantage without building the underlying business will lose when conditions change.5. Watch your stock and your sector. Banks and financial institutions should already be on high alert. Companies with large foreign currency exposure will see pressure on their financials. Some stock prices are already reflecting this. Go through your sector company by company. Identify who is most exposed. If you are an investor or a lender, this analysis is not optional. The combination of currency depreciation, rising oil prices, and FPI outflows creates a compounding pressure that will surface in earnings before it surfaces in headlines.6. Cut costs aggressively. AI will help. There has never been more urgency to reduce costs than now. And there has never been a better tool to do it. AI can cut most operational costs by as much as 30% across functions: procurement, finance, customer service, logistics, and compliance. McKinsey data confirms companies adopting AI and automation reduce operational costs by 20 to 30 percent. This is not a future opportunity. It is a present imperative. Every rupee of cost removed through AI is a rupee that does not need to be recovered through revenue in a deteriorating currency environment. Start now with your highest-cost functions.The CFO as CaptainCurrency risk is a cash flow risk. Every function that touches foreign currency—procurement, treasury, sales, capex planning— must now report into a single coordinating authority. That authority is the CFO. This is not about hierarchy. It is about clarity. In a currency crisis, fragmented decision-making is as dangerous as wrong decision making. One captain. One consolidated view. Weekly reviews minimum.The Bigger PictureThis currency depreciation is a structural signal, not a cyclical one. India's economy must move from a cheap labour advantage to genuine global value creation.The companies that will survive and thrive are those building products and services that command premium prices in global markets. The rupee's weakness is a reminder that competing on cost alone has limits.The recently concluded trade agreements are a genuine opportunity. Execute them with full force. Build the export pipelines. Add the sales capacity.The businesses that move now, with discipline and clarity, will manage market psychology, navigate the debt trap, and define the next chapter of Indian industry.The shock is coming. Prepare before it arrives.Ram Charan is the author of China’s 90% model. It is restricting India’s industrial progress. Former Director of Hindalco and Muyuan (China).

Vizag set to host A.P.’s first India Semiconductor Mission project

Groundbreaking ceremony for Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test facility proposed at Tarluvada is scheduled for June 8; the facility envisages investment of ₹2,387.81 crore and is expected to generate 1,000 jobs;