Business
Indian city gas distribution firms’ operating profit to rise 8-12 pc this fiscal
New Delhi, Nov 20: City gas distribution (CGD) companies in India are projected to clock an operating profit of Rs 7.2–7.5 per standard cubic metre (scm) this fiscal — up 8-12 per cent compared with the second half of last fiscal when margins dropped because of a sudden and steep decline in gas allocation under the administered price mechanism (APM) for the compressed natural gas (CNG) segment, a report said on Thursday.
Consequently, distributors had to take recourse to the spot gas market for supply, which exerted upward pressure on cost. The companies have, thereafter, transitioned to contracted supplies, which is expected to burnish margins.
“Healthy earnings will keep leverage in check despite the proposed capital expenditure (capex) by companies. Our assessment of seven CGD companies, with 70 per cent share of total sales volume last fiscal, indicates as much,” Crisil Ratings said in its report.
CGD companies get gas on priority at lower prices under the APM from legacy gas fields to serve the domestic CNG and piped natural gas-domestic (PNG-D) segments.
Beyond APM, they procure high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) gas and imported regasified liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) under contracted and spot purchase mechanisms.
According to the report, in the second half of the last fiscal, APM gas allocated to the CNG segment was reduced to less than 40 per cent of the total CNG requirement, compared with 70 per cent in the first half of the last fiscal.
This led to a substantial increase in gas procurement costs as companies relied on spot purchases, which were 80-100 per cent more expensive than those under APM prices, to protect against supply disruptions.
As a result, spot purchases by volume rose to more than 15 per cent of total supplies from 5 per cent in the first half of the last fiscal.
“Against the 30 per cent reduction in APM allocation for the CNG segment, CGD companies got 15-20 per cent long-term allocations from domestic new well gas, mainly towards the end of last fiscal or early this fiscal. For the balance, they have signed additional medium- and long-term contracts, mainly for HPHT gas and R-LNG,” said Ankit Hakhu, Director, Crisil Ratings.
This will not only improve gas security but also reduce exposure to the spot market, where prices are 25-30 per cent higher on average, he added.
The report noted that realisations are steady this fiscal, following some increase in the second half of last fiscal when companies implemented price hikes to pass on increased costs to consumers, albeit partially and gradually.
However, some of the benefits of reduced gas procurement costs in the current fiscal year will be offset by an increase in other operating costs. These costs will rise as players continue to incur capex to expand gas infrastructure in existing and new geographical areas (GAs) to support volume growth.
Business
Captive coal mines register robust output growth in April-September FY27

India’s captive mines produced 68.98 million tonnes (MT) of coal up to September 10 in the current financial year, up from 65.78 MT in the corresponding period of FY 2025-26, which represents a year-on-year growth of 5 per cent, or an additional 3.2 MT, and this also comes on a base that was itself 10.12 per cent higher than the previous year, the Coal Ministry said on Friday.
The gain has been recorded in the first five months of the current financial year, which include the monsoon, when mining and evacuation are at their most difficult, a ministry statement said.
Dispatch from captive mines has also been better than the previous year. Captive mines dispatched 75.68 MT against 71.43 MT last year, a growth of 5.94 per cent and an increase of 4.25 MT.
Provisional figures indicate the pace is picking up further as the monsoon begins to recede. In the ten days between September 1 and September 10, captive mines produced 4.12 MT and dispatched 4.21 MT.
New capacity is being added steadily to this base. Nine captive and commercial mines are expected to commence production during FY 2026-27, with a combined peak rated capacity of 20.67 MT. Three of these, with a peak capacity of 7.51 MT, have already started production during the current year. The remaining six are expected to commence production soon during the year, according to the statement.
On this footing, production from captive mines is expected to cross 190 MT in FY 2026-27. Together with commercial mines, the two segments are expected to exceed 228 MT during the current financial year, the statement said.
Captive mines have been a mainstay of coal production, and their output has grown steadily, with annual production recording a robust 10.1 per cent rise from 167.44 million tonnes (MT) in FY 2024-25 to 184 MT in FY 2025-26.
Along with commercial mines, which produced around 26 MT, the captive and commercial segment together accounted for 210 MT in FY 2025-26 against 190.95 MT the previous year.
Captive and commercial mines account for about 21 per cent of total domestic coal production, which stood at 1,039 MT in FY 2025-26 and has remained above one billion tonnes for the second year running. This performance has carried into the current financial year, the statement added.
Business
Indian equities expected to see re‑rating as H2 earnings pick up: Report

Indian equities could be set for a re‑rating as second‑half earnings accelerate and domestic institutional capital returns, a report said on Friday.
The report from Omniscience Capital said that the consolidation phase should be treated as an accumulation window rather than as an opportunity to chase recent performance.
The firm said that opportunities lie in businesses benefiting from structural capital expenditure, energy transition and infrastructure development.
The report cautioned that pockets of the mid‑ and small‑cap segments remain richly valued and urged selective deployment into high‑quality growth businesses available at discounted valuations.
Opportunities are concentrated in businesses exposed to sustained growth and operating leverage but available at favourable valuations, the report noted.
Key areas include banking and financial services, infrastructure and power, and business services, supported by resilient credit growth, rising electricity demand and a recovery in corporate capex.
The moderation in Indian equity valuations has led to renewed institutional interest, with foreign investors turning net buyers on multiple occasions after a two-year moderation in valuations.
Domestic fundamentals remain supportive, with FY27 real GDP growth estimated at around 7 per cent even though crude oil prices call for caution.
With direct, retaliatory military actions between the US and Iran, the hope for a diplomatic resolution through a longer-term peace deal has taken a severe blow, the report forecasted.
“Multi-year forward earnings execution is fully priced in, leaving prospective returns barely near the discount rate while exposing investors to severe de-rating risk,” said Ashwin K. Shami, President & Chief Portfolio Manager, OmniScience Capital.
The firm saw a valuation disconnect across market capitalisations, with Nifty Smallcap 250 and Midcap 150 trading at trailing P/E multiples of around 34-fold and 30-fold, respectively, compared with around 20-fold for Nifty 100.
Global equity markets continue to contend with elevated risk-free rates, with US 10-year Treasury yields near one-year highs of 4.6 per cent-4.7 per cent, while geopolitical tensions have added volatility to crude oil and commodities. The US Federal Reserve’s policy decision on September 16 remains a near-term factor for Treasury yields and global risk appetite.
Business
SIP inflows hit record Rs 32,297 crore in August, gold ETF inflows jump 67 pc to Rs 2,596.70 crore: AMFI

New Delhi, Sep 10: Inflows into gold Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) surged nearly 67 per cent in August 2026 as investors increased their exposure to the precious metal amid a sharp rise in domestic gold prices, according to the latest data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Thursday.
Gold ETFs received net inflows of Rs 2,596.70 crore in August, compared with Rs 1,559 crore in July. The category recorded positive inflows for the third consecutive month, reflecting continued investor interest in gold-linked investment products.
The increase in gold ETF investments came as domestic gold prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose 7.7 per cent during August, making the precious metal one of the key investment avenues during the month.
Silver ETFs also continued to attract investors, recording net inflows of Rs 1,270.63 crore in August.
In the equity mutual fund segment, actively managed equity schemes saw net inflows rise to Rs 29,328.62 crore in August from Rs 24,697.39 crore in July, indicating sustained investor participation despite fluctuations in the broader market.
Overall, the mutual fund industry recorded net inflows of Rs 41,353.60 crore in August, significantly lower than the Rs 2.35 lakh crore recorded in July. The sharp month-on-month decline was largely influenced by flows in the debt fund segment.
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions, however, continued to strengthen and reached a record high of Rs 32,297 crore in August, compared with Rs 31,961 crore in July. The steady rise in SIP contributions highlights continued retail investor participation in mutual funds.
Debt funds registered a net outflow of Rs 8,127.32 crore in August, reversing from a net inflow of Rs 1.87 lakh crore in July.
Meanwhile, the mutual fund SIP inflows increased marginally month-on-month to a record high of Rs 32,297 crore in August, compared with Rs 31,961 crore in July. On a year-on-year basis, SIP inflows rose 14 per cent from Rs 28,265 crore recorded in August 2025.
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