Mumbai, Dec 17: Indian equity markets touched fresh all-time highs in November and clearly outperformed global markets, a new report said on Wednesday.

The data compiled by PL Asset Management said India emerged as a bright spot at a time when many global markets struggled due to weak technology stocks, fading enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and soft economic data from China.

The report noted that record-low inflation, steady domestic growth and reasonable valuations improved the overall outlook for investors.

“While global markets remained uneven, India benefited from strong local demand, supportive liquidity and a predictable policy environment,” the report said.

Inflation played a major role in boosting market sentiment during the month. Consumer price inflation fell sharply to just 0.25 per cent, the lowest level on record and far below the Reserve Bank of India’s target of 4 per cent.

This sharp fall strengthened expectations of further interest rate cuts, which supported equity valuations. Reflecting confidence in the economy, the RBI raised its GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 7.3 per cent.

India also recorded strong GDP growth of 8.2 per cent in the second quarter of FY26, reinforcing its position as the fastest-growing major economy in the world, the report said.

Domestic economic indicators remained healthy despite global challenges. Manufacturing activity stayed strong, even though exports were slightly affected by tariffs.

Goods and Services Tax collections remained robust at Rs 1.70 lakh crore, as per the report.

Festive season spending also supported growth. In addition, India’s current account deficit improved to 1.3 per cent of GDP.

Global markets, meanwhile, showed signs of fatigue. US technology stocks faced profit booking, China and Hong Kong markets weakened due to poor economic data, and investors turned to precious metals for safety.

Crude oil prices softened amid expectations of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. Against this global backdrop, India’s stable fundamentals helped it continue to outperform.

Siddharth Vora, Head – Quant Investment Strategies & Fund Manager, PL Asset Management, said, “Indian markets continue to demonstrate relative resilience at a time when global risk assets are undergoing a phase of recalibration.”

Mumbai: began Wednesday on a cool and relatively crisp note, giving residents a fleeting taste of winter comfort. Clear skies and a noticeable drop in humidity offered early morning relief, but the pleasant conditions did not last long. As the day progressed, a thin blanket of smog settled over the city, reducing visibility and once again drawing attention to Mumbai’s deepening air pollution problem.

Despite favourable weather predictions, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s primary concern. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a bright and comfortable day, with temperatures expected to range between 19°C and 34°C. However, people stepping out early, including office-goers, morning walkers and school children, were met with hazy surroundings and a strong, acrid smell in the air, especially in traffic-heavy and low-lying areas.

According to data from the air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 265 in the early hours, placing it in the ‘unhealthy’ category. After a brief improvement in recent weeks, pollution levels have once again deteriorated. Such AQI levels pose risks to everyone, but are particularly dangerous for children, senior citizens and individuals with respiratory or heart conditions.

The construction dust and fine particulate matter as major contributors to the pollution surge. Ongoing government infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and large-scale road-widening works, combined with aggressive private real estate development, are releasing massive amounts of dust into the air. Vehicular emissions during peak traffic hours are further worsening the situation.

Several parts of the city emerged as severe pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal recorded an alarming AQI of 425, categorised as ‘hazardous’, indicating conditions that can seriously affect even healthy individuals. Vashi and Bandra followed with AQI readings of 353 and 318 respectively, both in the ‘severe’ range. Chembur reported an AQI of 313, while Mazgaon, a busy commercial and residential area, registered 311.

While suburban regions showed slightly better readings, pollution remained widespread. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of 170 and Goregaon East stood at 190, both classified as ‘poor’. Areas such as Borivali West (110), Malad West (123) and Parel-Bhoiwada (127) also slipped into the poor category.

For reference, AQI levels between 0–50 are considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and above 200 hazardous. With large parts of Mumbai hovering at or beyond unhealthy levels, concerns are mounting over long-term health impacts as winter advances and pollution episodes become more frequent.

New Delhi, Dec 16: The Opposition on Tuesday staged a protest outside Parliament, holding placards and raising slogans against the Centre over its move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Raising slogans such as “Gandhiji ka ye apman, nahi sahega Hindustan” and “Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe”, Opposition parliamentarians accused the BJP-led Centre of removing the name of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, from the rural employment scheme.

Opposition MPs objected to the renaming of the flagship employment programme and marched within the Parliamentary premises to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, where they continued their protest.

The demonstration followed the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), 2025, a Bill that seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, triggering sharp reactions from Opposition members who questioned the rationale behind removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from a landmark welfare scheme that has been in existence for nearly two decades.

“The truth is that under the pretext of changing the scheme’s name, they want to scrap it. Why do they want to change the name of this scheme? Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation,” Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told reporters during the protest.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, speaking to Media, questioned the logic behind the “renaming” exercise. “How will the change in the name benefit the farmers of the country? This politics of changing the name first started in Uttar Pradesh, and now it has arrived in Delhi also,” he said.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal also strongly criticised the Centre for replacing the scheme.

Speaking to Media, Venugopal said, “This is an insult to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. We are protesting because this is basically the anti-national attitude of the BJP to insult Mahatma Gandhi and kill the MGNREGA scheme.”

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad told Media, “This is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Lord Ram is respected in the entire country and the world. The one who is insulting Lord Ram is these people (ruling party).”

The Opposition maintained that the proposed replacement of MGNREGA and the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name reflected a deeper attempt to dilute a crucial employment guarantee programme.