Business
Consumer inflation at 8-year high may ‘trigger’ quicker rate hikes
Sounding a red alert on India’s CPI inflation at an 8-year high print of 7.79% YoY in April, Acuite Ratings has said it may trigger quicker rate hikes.
“If inflation pressures continue to mount there is a likelihood of additional hikes thereby taking the rate to its pre- pandemic level of 5.15 per cent or even higher in FY23. Additionally, we also expect CRR to be hiked by another 50 bps by H1FY23,” Acuite Ratings said.
Given the tone of urgency in RBI’s statement to support the altered inflation-growth dynamics, “we now revise our call and expect the RBI to hike repo rate by an additional 60 bps in the rest of FY23”.
The increasing price pressures was in motion even before the onslaught of the geopolitical conflicts. However, lingering war between Russia and Ukraine, unprecedented level of sanctions, elevated oil and commodity prices along with prolonged supply chain disruptions have escalated the inflationary concerns both in the global as well as domestic economies, it said.
Globally most economies have shifted from an extended disinflationary phase to tackling strong inflationary concerns, causing key central banks monetary policy rhetoric to switch to extreme hawkishness and policy tightening in 2022 from pandemic-era accommodative policies.
“From domestic standpoint, for FY23, inflation drivers are likely to face considerable pressure from persistent hardening of input prices. The heightened pressure from commodity prices is also coinciding with unlocking of the economy post Omicron wave while vaccination coverage continues to gain traction. While we stick to our estimate of 5.9 per cent for FY23 CPI inflation, we now believe that there is a buildup of upside risks,” Acuite Ratings said.
“Going forward, we expect the core inflation to remain sticky at elevated levels given upward revision of petrol and diesel prices by the OMCs in order to reduce the under-recoveries being accumulated by them at the current crude prices of USD 100 plus per barrel.”
Acuite Ratings said the government, however, may also consider a partial absorption of the increased prices through a further excise duty cut on petrol and diesel which could provide marginal comfort from inflation perspective. While the direct pass-through of elevated commodity prices can be seen through increasing prices of petrol and diesel and non-subsidized LPG, indirect pass through of unprecedented input cost pressures by manufacturers is visible through rising prices of certain personal care products within FMCG sector which will get reflected in the core CPI print in the coming months.
After moderating close to RBI’s inflation target rate in September-21, headline CPI inflation has been rising incessantly with the print breaching the upper tolerance threshold in Q4 FY22, averaging at 6.34 per cent. It has started to gather steam in April-22 gaining strength from the geo-political crisis and rising to an eight year high of 7.79 per cent YoY from 6.95 per cent YoY in March-22.
Business
There is no delay in probe into Air India Boeing crash: Govt

New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed Parliament on Monday that there has been no delay in the investigation into the Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport and the inquiry “is progressing as per established procedures.”
The investigations into major aviation accidents depend on several factors and involve multiple variables, making it impossible to specify a fixed timeline for the final report, the ministry said in a written reply to a question in the Upper House.
“The timeline for completing a major air accident investigation cannot be predicted,” the Ministry’s statement said.
It also said that all probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated, indicating that the probe remains comprehensive and no conclusions have been reached so far.
The ministry further informed the Rajya Sabha that the inspection of the complete Thrust Control Module at the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) facility is underway as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier, in a reply, also stated in Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is “transparently” conducting its investigation into the Air India Boeing crash on June 12 last year and “all probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated.”
A preliminary investigation report was published by AAIB on July 12, 2025, and the same is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The investigation is in progress, and the final report will be published after completion of the investigation, the ministry stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
“As per the ICAO Annex 13 requirements, the interim statement has been published by AAIB on June 12, 2026. The final investigation report will be published after completion of the investigation,” the ministry added.
As many as 260 people were killed when the AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner flight from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick on June 12 crashed within 35 seconds of taking off. While 241 people on board the Dreamliner lost their lives, 19 people were killed on the ground. One passenger on the plane had a miraculous escape.
The preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned back to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu earlier said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.
Business
Maharashtra first to qualify for second RKVY instalment after timely fund utilisation

New Delhi, July 27: Maharashtra has become the first state to qualify for the second instalment of the government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana funding after utilising about Rs 260 crore of the Rs 335 crore first instalment, exceeding the 75 per cent utilisation benchmark, an official statement said on Monday.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the virtual review meeting to assess the utilisation of funds released under the scheme and to consider the issuance of the second instalment to Maharashtra, the statement said, adding that the process for release is being taken up.
The minister acknowledged satisfactory progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and urged the state to accelerate expenditure on digital agriculture, agriculture extension, the National Horticulture Mission, seeds, oilseeds and agroforestry components.
He also suggested that pending liabilities under the Seeds component be booked expeditiously to improve fund utilisation.
Chouhan said Maharashtra’s overall utilisation exceeding the required threshold reflected effective implementation of agricultural development programmes.
The minister emphasised that timely expenditure should always be accompanied by continuous monitoring to ensure that public funds are utilised strictly for the objectives for which they have been sanctioned.
He also appreciated Maharashtra’s performance in generating Farmer IDs and recalled the state’s prompt financial assistance to farmers affected by floods, wherein compensation amounting to around Rs 14,000 crore was transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts within five days.
During the meeting, a separate discussion was also held on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The minister stressed the need for accurate disclosure of information by farmers while applying for crop insurance.
He clarified that both Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and non-KCC farmers are eligible to avail crop insurance benefits, but concealment of KCC status by applying through another account should be avoided.
The proposed declaration on the portal is intended solely to ensure transparency and correctness of information, and not to restrict benefits to any eligible farmer.
Business
Zen Technologies shares tumble over 10 pc after weak Q1 earnings

Mumbai, July 27: Shares of Zen Technologies Ltd. fell more than 10 per cent in early trade on Monday after the technology company reported a weak set of earnings for the first quarter of FY27, hurt by lower revenue and a sharp contraction in operating margins.
At around 10:50 am, the stock had plunged as much as 10.39 per cent to an intraday low of Rs 1,585.55 on the BSE. It later pared some losses to trade at Rs 1,688.95, down 4.55 per cent.
The disappointing quarterly performance has shifted investor attention to the company’s order book and management’s outlook for the rest of the financial year.
Revenue from operations declined 10.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 142 crore in the April-June quarter, compared with Rs 158 crore in the same period last year.
The company’s operating performance also weakened, with EBITDA falling 38.8 per cent to Rs 38.7 crore from Rs 63.3 crore a year earlier.
Its EBITDA margin narrowed sharply to 27.3 per cent from 40 per cent in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, indicating increased pressure on profitability despite a relatively modest decline in revenue.
Net profit dropped 27.8 per cent to Rs 34.5 crore from Rs 47.8 crore in the year-ago period. The company said the quarterly performance was also affected by a one-time loss of Rs 3.4 crore.
Meanwhile, the board approved a two-year extension for the utilisation of proceeds raised through its qualified institutional placement (QIP). Zen Technologies had raised the funds in August 2024 and has been regularly updating stock exchanges on their utilisation through monitoring and deviation reports.
On Monday, the stock touched an intraday low of Rs 1,585.55. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between a low of Rs 1,224 and a high of Rs 2,023.40 on the BSE.
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