Navi Mumbai: In a show of unity and resolve, residents of Kharghar gathered today at Shah Arcade, Sector 6, to participate in a sit-in protest demanding a complete ban on liquor outlets in the area.

Organised under the banner of the Liquor-Free Kharghar movement, the protest began at 11:00 AM and witnessed the participation of local citizens, social activists, and community leaders who voiced their concern over the increasing number of liquor shops and their adverse impact on the peace and safety of the neighborhood.

Protesters emphasised that making Kharghar a liquor-free zone is essential to safeguarding the area’s future and ensuring a safe, healthy environment for families and youth.

“Every responsible citizen must stand united to protect Kharghar from the ill effects of alcohol. This movement is not just for today but for the generations to come,” said one of the organizers during the protest.

The peaceful demonstration reflected the community’s collective demand for the authorities to take immediate action and revoke licenses of existing liquor shops to maintain the area’s sanctity and security.

Organisers have urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting similar initiatives until their demands are met.

New Delhi, June 21: The house price index (HPI) across India increased by 3.1 per cent in the January-March period (Q4 FY25), maintaining the same pace as the previous quarter (Q3).

The Reserve Bank released its quarterly HPI data for Q4, based on transaction-level data received from the registration authorities in 10 major cities.

“All-India HPI increased by 3.1 per cent (YoY) in Q4 2024-25 as compared with 3.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter and 4.1 per cent growth a year ago; annual HPI growth varied widely across the cities – ranging from a high growth of 8.8 per cent (Kolkata) to a contraction of 2.3 per cent (Kochi),” according to a RBI statement.

On a sequential basis, all-India HPI increased by 0.9 per cent in Q4.

Bengaluru, Jaipur, Kolkata and Chennai are the major cities recording a sequential rise in house prices during the latest quarter, the data showed.

Kolkata topped the chart with an 8.8 per cent increase, while Kochi was the only city to witness a contraction, recording a decline of 2.3 per cent. The 10 cities covered in the index include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Mumbai.

“House is not just an asset but also a durable consumption good for households, providing shelter and other services. A change in the house price affects the households’ perceived lifetime wealth and hence influences the spending and borrowing decisions of households,” according to Central Bank.

An increase in the house price raises the value of the housing relative to construction costs; hence a new construction is profitable when house price rises above the construction costs.

Residential investment is, therefore, positively related with house price increase. House prices also affect bank lending and vice versa. Further, house price gains increase housing collateral.

The potential two-way link between bank lending and house prices give rise to mutually reinforcing cycles in credit and real estate markets. These indicate that house prices may affect economic activity through private consumption of households, residential investment and credit allocation of the financial systems. Thus, understanding the price trends of this segment of asset class is important for monetary policy formulation.

Mumbai, June 21: The Indian equity benchmarks wrapped up the session on a robust note last week, decisively breaking through critical resistance level, propelled by sustained institutional accumulation, analysts said on Saturday.

The Nifty 50 convincingly closed above the psychologically significant 25,000 mark on Friday, underscoring bullish momentum. At the closing bell, the Sensex rallied 1,046.30 points, or 1.29 per cent, to settle at a fresh high of 82,408.17, while the Nifty 50 advanced 319.15 points, or 1.29 per cent, to end at 25,112.40.

“Relentless inflows from institutional investors — both Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs)—acted as key tailwinds, offsetting headwinds from prevailing geopolitical uncertainties and reinforcing positive sentiment across the street,” according to a note by Bajaj Broking Research.

Nifty Index formed a sizable bull candle with a higher high and higher low signaling resumption of up move after recent corrective consolidation. The index in the process closed firmly above the 25,000 levels signalling strength.

“Going forward, we anticipate the index to retest the upper boundary of the recent five-week consolidation zone, currently pegged near the 25,200 mark. A decisive breakout above this resistance band could open the door for an upward extension towards the 25,500 zone in the near term,” said the note.

The Indian stock market shrugged off midweek volatility triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East and a sharp spike in crude oil prices.

The Reserve Bank of India’s relaxation of project financing norms provided a boost to financial stocks.

“The RBI’s continued dovish tone — signalling potential rate cuts on validating subdued inflation — further reinforced market confidence, positioning monetary policy as a key stabilizing force amid global uncertainty,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.

Crude prices surged early in the week due to geopolitical unrest, sparking concerns over inflation. However, the pace of growth in oil prices tapered significantly after the initial spike, helping to ease fears of a sustained inflationary rebound.

Investor sentiment toward the pharmaceutical sector has turned cautious following the proposed imposition of new tariffs, said analysts.

With the deadline for a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs approaching, markets are closely tracking trade negotiations and deal-making activity expected to unfold over the next two weeks.

“Meanwhile, geopolitical uncertainty continues to loom, as statements from world leaders regarding possible military involvement in the Middle East keep markets on edge. Investors will also keep a close eye on upcoming U.S. GDP and PCE data, along with India’s PMI figures, for cues on the strength and direction of economic recovery at home and abroad,” Nair noted.