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Cong flags sharp rupee decline in Rajya Sabha, warns of widespread economic strain

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New Delhi, Dec 4: During Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Congress MP from Madhya Pradesh Vivek Tankha voiced deep concern over what he described as the “freefall of the Indian rupee” and the widening economic distress affecting ordinary citizens across the country.

Calling the issue “extremely topical and urgent”, Tankha said the currency’s sharp decline was inflicting widespread financial strain on households, businesses and key sectors of the economy.

Tankha noted that the rupee had crashed past Rs 90 per US dollar — touching between 90.14 and 90.19 — marking the weakest level in India’s history. Over the past five years, he said, the rupee has lost between 20 per cent and 27 per cent of its value, effectively reducing the purchasing power of people’s income by nearly one fourth. In global terms, the rupee has fallen 5 per cent this year alone, its steepest drop since 2022, making it one of Asia’s worst-performing currencies in 2025.

He further highlighted that India recently recorded a monthly trade deficit exceeding USD 40 billion, underscoring how sharply imports outweigh exports. At the same time, foreign investors have withdrawn more than USD 17 billion from Indian markets this year — the largest outflow in several years — drying up capital and weakening investor sentiment.

“FDI flows are stagnant, external borrowings have slowed, and the world is becoming increasingly wary of India’s external stability,” Tankha warned.

Emphasising the direct impact on citizens, he said that every bout of rupee depreciation makes imports costlier, and India relies heavily on imported fuel, cooking gas, electronic machinery and medicines. A 5 per cent fall in the rupee, he explained, pushes inflation up by 30-35 basis points.

“Every household ends up paying more. Food prices rise, transport costs increase, and a chain reaction follows that hits the poor the hardest,” he said.

The middle class, he added, is also feeling the squeeze as the prices of smartphones, laptops, medical equipment, school supplies, clothing and household appliances rise due to India’s dependence on imported components.

“For the common person, a falling rupee feels like a salary cut without the employer informing you. Your money buys less every day,” he remarked.

Tankha also drew attention to the pressure on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), many of which rely on imported raw materials. These businesses are facing a 20-30 per cent rise in input costs, shrinking already thin margins.

Machinery imports have become more expensive, slowing expansion and putting jobs at risk. Exporters, he said, are not gaining from the weaker rupee because major export sectors — such as textiles, chemicals and engineering goods — depend heavily on imported intermediaries.

“Small manufacturers are caught in a double blow: higher costs and weaker demand,” he said.

Companies with foreign currency loans are also struggling, with repayment costs rising by 15-20 per cent due to the rupee’s depreciation, weakening corporate balance sheets and threatening financial stability.

A falling rupee, Tankha added, discourages overseas investors, creating a “vicious cycle” where declining confidence further accelerates currency pressure. “As the rupee falls, investors pull out, and markets shift,” he cautioned.

Tankha urged the government to recognise the seriousness of the situation and take urgent corrective measures to stabilise the currency and safeguard vulnerable sectors of the economy.

Business

Adani Group’s consolidated portfolio revenue stands at Rs 2.92 lakh crore in FY26: Chairman

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Ahmedabad, June 24: Gautam Adani, the Adani Group Chairman, on Wednesday said that FY2025-26 was another year of disciplined growth and strong execution for the Group, and its consolidated portfolio revenue stood at Rs 2.92 lakh crore, thereby reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.4 per cent.

Addressing shareholders at the Adani Group’s 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026, Gautam Adani said they are now one of the very few global companies that are not reacting to the future but are prepared for it.

“At Adani Energy Solutions, our transmission order book rose to Rs 72,000 crore. We secured several major projects, including the Khavda South Olpad HVDC line, reinforcing our position as India’s only private sector player with proven HVDC capability,” the billionaire industrialist told the gathering.

“At Adani Power, we are implementing India’s largest ever private sector power capex programme of over Rs 2 lakh crore, with a target of reaching 45 GW of capacity over the next five years. We are also honoured to be partnering with the Government of Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation. As part of this partnership, the Adani Group and the DGPC will jointly develop 5,000 megawatts of hydropower projects in Bhutan,” the Adani Group Chairman explained.

The Group’s entry into nuclear energy through Adani Atomic Energy is another confident step towards securing India’s long-term energy future.

“With land identified and a 10 GW targeted capacity by 2035, we are positioning ourselves early to serve the growing national demand for clean, round-the-clock power,” Gautam Adani noted.

“At Adani Total Gas, we accelerated and crossed the significant milestone of over 1.1 million Piped Natural Gas home connections. Given the current geopolitical situation, we are further ramping up our PNG projects to meet India’s rising demand for more accessible gas. Coming to connectivity and logistics, Adani Ports handled over 500 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025-26, setting an unmatched benchmark for the nation and creating a clear pathway to one billion tonnes by 2030,” Gautam Adani highlighted.

The integrated network of ports, SEZs, logistics assets and expanding maritime services “places us in a unique position to keep gaining market share while lowering the cost and complexity of India’s trade”, the Adani Group Chairman noted.

“I am proud to specifically say that Vizhinjam, one of the most strategic ports on the global maritime route, delivered a record first year by crossing one million TEUs. This is the fastest pace ever achieved by any Indian port and a strong signal of India’s arrival on the global transshipment map,” said Gautam Adani during his speech.

In airports, the Group achieved two defining milestones with the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport and the new integrated terminal building at Guwahati Airport, both inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Earlier this year, both these airports made it to the list of the World’s Seven Most Beautiful Airports. The commencement of operations at Navi Mumbai in December 2025 also marked a proud moment in India’s aviation landscape, with a 90-million-passenger-capacity-airport built in a world-record time of just over four years,” said Gautam Adani.

In digital and industrial infrastructure, the Group’s Data Centre business is firmly on the path to building a 3 GW platform by 2030.

“The binding MoU for a gigawatt-scale data centre with Google in Visakhapatnam reflects both the scale of the digital demand ahead, and the confidence that global technology leaders such as Google, Microsoft, Uber and Flipkart are placing on us,” the Adani Group Chairman noted.

“At Adani Cement, we contributed to iconic national projects ranging from the Chenab Railway Bridge to Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Umiya Dham foundation in Ahmedabad. Over the past year, our cement platform expanded significantly, with total capacity increasing to 110 MMTPA,” Gautam Adani added.

The Adani Group Chairman further added that in defence and aerospace, “our ambition became even bolder”.

“Our partnerships with Leonardo and Embraer are helping lay the foundation for integrated helicopter and regional aircraft manufacturing ecosystems in India. We are building a national aerospace platform that spans manufacturing, MRO, services and pilot training,” Gautam Adani said.

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Markets remain range-bound in early trade; IT stocks outperform

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Mumbai, June 24: Indian equity benchmarks traded in a narrow range on Wednesday morning for a second consecutive session amid decline in crude oil prices.

Sensex was trading at 76,348.95, up over 100 points or 0.19 per cent in early deals, while Nifty was at 23,853.75, higher by 30 points or 0.12 per cent.

Sector-wise, Nifty IT led the gains, rising nearly 1 per cent, followed by Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom (0.72 per cent), Nifty Pharma (0.68 per cent), Nifty Healthcare (0.57 per cent) and Nifty Realty (0.3 per cent).

Financial and banking stocks also remained in positive territory, with Nifty Private Bank and Nifty PSU Bank advancing 0.23 per cent and 0.21 per cent, respectively.

On the downside, metal and auto stocks witnessed selling pressure, with Nifty Metal declining 0.23 per cent and Nifty Auto slipping 0.21 per cent.

“The crash in Brent crude has removed the macro headwinds for India. The rupee has stabilised and FII selling appears to have tapered off,” analysts said, adding that these developments are positive for the market.

However, they cautioned that a weak monsoon remains a concern. Rainfall has been deficient by 43 per cent so far, raising fears of a marginal impact on economic growth and corporate earnings.

The analysts advised investors to align their portfolios with the emerging risks, noting that sectors such as FMCG and entry-level two-wheelers could be affected by lower rural incomes. “Pharmaceutical stocks, with their relatively inelastic demand profile, are likely to remain resilient and could even outperform in a monsoon-deficient environment,” they said.

On the commodities front, international benchmark Brent crude fell more than 1 per cent to around $76 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 1.5 per cent to about $72 a barrel.

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Sensex, Nifty open subdued amid easing West Asia tensions

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Mumbai, June 23: Indian equity markets opened on a flat note on Tuesday after a multi-session rally driven by easing tensions in West Asia.

Sensex opened at 77,086.05, down 8 points or 0.01 per cent, while Nifty started the session at 24,071.30, lower by 31.60 points or 0.13 per cent.

Sector-wise, Nifty Pharma was top gainer, rising 0.41 per cent, followed by Nifty MidSmall Healthcare (up 0.40 per cent), Nifty 500 Healthcare and Nifty Media, both gaining 0.29 per cent.

While Nifty Cement and Nifty Oil & Gas also advanced 0.27 per cent and 0.18 per cent, respectively.

In contrast, Nifty Metal was the worst-performing sector, declining 0.8 per cent, followed by Nifty IT, which fell 0.77 per cent.

Among Nifty 50 constituents, Infosys, Hindalco Industries, TCS, HCLTech, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel and Wipro were the top losers in early trade.

The broader market remained resilient, with smallcap and midcap indices outperforming the benchmarks.

Nifty Smallcap 50 rose 0.34 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap 250 and Nifty Smallcap 500 gained 0.33 per cent and 0.28 per cent, respectively.

Meanwhile, India VIX — the market’s fear gauge — declined 0.7 per cent to 12.75.

According to market experts, easing tensions in West Asia and the sharp correction in Brent crude prices below $80 per barrel have improved the outlook for India’s GDP growth and corporate earnings in FY27.

They noted that stability in the rupee and a moderation in foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling remain key positives for equities.

However, they cautioned that the progress of the monsoon will be closely watched, as a prolonged rainfall deficit could weigh on rural demand, inflation and sectors such as FMCG.

In the commodities market, international benchmark Brent crude fell 0.5 per cent to $77.51 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 0.35 per cent to $73.60 per barrel.

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