Business
PM Modi inaugurates J&K’s Sonamarg tunnel, dedicates it to nation
Gagangir (Sonamarg), Jan 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dedicated the Sonamarg tunnel in Kashmir to the nation after inaugurating and inspecting it.
The inauguration event was also attended by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Surface Transport and Highways, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
PM Modi interacted with the engineers and workers, whose hard work made the all-weather connectivity possible. He encouraged and patiently listened to the labourers in addition to gathering technical details about the Rs 2,700 crore tunnel.
The Prime Minister appreciated the hard work put in by everyone engaged in the construction of the tunnel under the most challenging weather and topography of the area.
PM Modi earlier landed in a special aircraft at the technical area of Srinagar International Airport from where he took an Air Force helicopter for Neelgrad in the Sonamarg.
The PM landed at the Neelgrad helipad and drove in a cavalcade to the Gagangir area, where he inaugurated the Sonamarg tunnel.
PM Modi will also address a public rally at the truck yard in Sonamarg. Hundreds of people, braving extreme cold, have already gathered at the Sonamarg public rally venue to listen to the PM. This is PM Modi’s first visit to the union territory after an elected government took office here.
Sonamarg tunnel will bypass the stretch of the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway that is prone to avalanches and heavy snowfall during the winter months.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) oversaw the Z-Morh tunnel constructed by APCO Infratech Private Limited for Rs 2,700 crore. The construction of the tunnel was started in 2018. This tunnel will make Sonamarg an all-weather tourist destination, thereby helping employment for local youth, and boosting trade, tourism, and traffic to the Ladakh region, Amarnath Yatra and businesses.
The tunnel is a 6.5 km long 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangair and Sonamarg in Ganderbal of Jammu and Kashmir. It was earlier called the Z-Morh tunnel because of the Z-shaped stretch of road that the tunnel has replaced (Z-Morh translates to “Z-turn” in English). It takes only 15 minutes to travel the 6.5 km long tunnel compared to hours over the zig-zag road up and down the hills.
The Zojila Tunnel being constructed across the Zojila Pass together with the Z-Morh tunnel will make the journey to the Ladakh region safer and possibly throughout the year.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Gagangir area of Ganderbal district on Saturday. “Visited Sonmarg today to review preparations for PM @narendramodi ji’s visit on Monday. The inauguration of the Z-morh tunnel will open Sonmarg to tourism all year round, Sonmarg will now be developed as a great ski resort. The local population will not have to leave in winter & the travel time to Kargil/Leh from Srinagar will also reduce,” he wrote on X on January 11.
Business
Top 10 firms add nearly Rs 93,000 crore in market value last week

Mumbai, July 12: The combined market valuation of four of India’s 10 most-valued companies increased by Rs 92,995.48 crore during the last week, with HDFC Bank and Bharti Airtel emerging as the biggest gainers, even as the broader equity market ended lower.
During the week, the Sensex declined 194.52 points, or 0.25 per cent, while the Nifty slipped 63.95 points, or 0.26 per cent.
Among the country’s 10 most-valued companies, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) registered gains in their market capitalisation.
In contrast, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Hindustan Unilever together witnessed an erosion of Rs 49,294.13 crore in their market valuation.
HDFC Bank recorded the largest increase in market capitalisation during the week, with its valuation rising by Rs 35,808.09 crore to Rs 12,69,454.42 crore.
Bharti Airtel followed closely, adding Rs 34,896.92 crore to take its market valuation to Rs 11,98,774.22 crore.
LIC’s market capitalisation rose by Rs 16,065.5 crore to Rs 5,60,205.05 crore, while Reliance Industries added Rs 6,224.97 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 17,71,206.33 crore.
On the losing side, Hindustan Unilever registered the steepest decline, with its market capitalisation falling by Rs 12,088.65 crore to Rs 5,04,997.65 crore.
Larsen & Toubro’s valuation declined by Rs 11,040.23 crore to Rs 5,42,938.40 crore, while TCS lost Rs 8,574.87 crore in market value, ending the week at Rs 7,48,600.40 crore.
Bajaj Finance saw its market capitalisation shrink by Rs 7,813.58 crore to Rs 6,35,327.78 crore. ICICI Bank’s valuation slipped by Rs 6,315.32 crore to Rs 10,05,379.71 crore, while SBI’s market value declined by Rs 3,461.48 crore to Rs 9,56,430.44 crore.
Despite the mixed performance, Reliance Industries retained its position as India’s most-valued company by market capitalisation. It was followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, TCS, Bajaj Finance, LIC, Larsen & Toubro and Hindustan Unilever.
Business
Piyush Goyal to lead business delegation to Spain, Belgium and Finland to deepen trade, investment ties

New Delhi, July 12: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a high-level Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to Spain, Belgium and Finland from July 13 to 17, as India seeks to deepen its economic engagement with Europe through enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation and sustainability, it was announced on Sunday.
The delegation will include leading Indian companies from sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, gems and jewellery, food processing, healthcare and design. The visit is aimed at expanding business-to-business partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration with European industries, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.
The visit will begin in Spain on July 13, where Goyal will participate in a business roundtable jointly organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, CEOE and ICEX Spain Trade & Investment. The discussions are expected to focus on sectors including automotive, renewable energy, railways, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, food processing and tourism.
The meeting will bring together industry leaders from both countries at a time when India and Spain are celebrating the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. Several Spanish companies, including Iberdrola, Acciona, CAF, Talgo, Gestamp and Indra, have already established a strong presence in India, while Indian technology and engineering firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro are expanding their operations in Spain to support digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
In Belgium, where the delegation will travel on July 14 and 15, the minister will visit the Port of Antwerp to study Europe’s leading logistics hub and gain insights into multimodal connectivity, green logistics and resilient supply chains.
During the Belgium visit, Goyal will hold CEO-level meetings with senior executives of Thales Group and Silox Group.
The minister will also participate in the India-EU Business Roundtable and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Plenary, where discussions will cover foreign direct investment, trade facilitation, sustainable technologies and resilient supply chains.
The final leg of the tour will take the delegation to Finland on July 16 and 17. Goyal will participate in the India-Finland Business Roundtable, engaging with Finnish companies across digitalisation, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and the circular economy.
Business
Q1 earnings, crude oil trends likely to drive Dalal Street next week

Mumbai, July 12: Investors will closely track the ongoing Q1 FY27 earnings season, movement in crude oil prices, foreign fund flows and developments in West Asia next week after the Indian stock market ended its four-week winning streak amid heightened geopolitical tensions and volatile global cues.
Benchmark indices closed the week with marginal losses as renewed tensions in West Asia and a spike in crude oil prices dented investor sentiment.
However, a strong recovery in the final two trading sessions, supported by easing global concerns and robust earnings from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), helped limit the losses.
The Sensex declined 0.25 per cent during the week to settle at 77,569.39, while the Nifty slipped 0.26 per cent to close at 24,206.90.
In contrast, broader markets remained resilient, with both the midcap and smallcap indices gaining more than one per cent.
Market participants are expected to keep a close watch on the June quarter earnings season, which has begun on a positive note following TCS’ better-than-expected financial performance. The upcoming earnings announcements from several major companies will be crucial in determining the market’s near-term direction.
Geopolitical developments in West Asia will also remain in focus. Investor sentiment turned cautious during the week after fresh US strikes on Iran heightened concerns over regional stability and global energy supplies. Any further escalation or signs of de-escalation are likely to influence risk appetite across global markets.
Crude oil prices will continue to be another key monitorable. Oil prices eased towards the end of the week amid expectations that the US and Iran would continue diplomatic engagement despite renewed hostilities and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The trajectory of crude prices remains critical for India, a major oil importer, as sustained increases could raise inflationary pressures and impact corporate profitability.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net buyers through most of the week, investing around Rs 4,670 crore on a net basis.
The continued foreign inflows, aided by softer crude prices and improving global risk sentiment, provided support to domestic equities despite intermittent volatility.
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