Business
Sunflower oil prices to burn a hole if Russia-Ukraine crisis blows up
Indian sunflower oil makers are hoping that the war-like situation between Russia and Ukraine resolves smoothly soon so that the edible oil shipments resume soon from the latter, said senior industry officials.
They also said if the shipments do not come from Ukraine, then Russia and Argentina are there as alternate sources and there may not be any major impact on the retail prices of sunflower oil.
But if there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, then the former may block the latter’s shipments. And if there are sanctions against Russia, then it will be a double whammy for India, the industry officials said, expressing hope that the situation doesn’t develop so.
“India imports about two lakh ton per month of sunflower seed oil and at times it goes up to three lakh tons per month. India is dependent on edible oil imports to the tune of about 60 per cent. Any global development will have an impact,” Sudhakar Desai, President, Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA), told IANS.
According to Desai, Indian importers can look at alternate sources like Russia and Argentina.
Like Ukraine, Russia is also a major grower of sun flower and producer of sun seed oil.
“Seventy per cent of India’s sunflower oil imports is from Ukraine, 20 per cent from Russia and 10 per cent from Argentina,” Sandeep Bajoria, CEO, Sunvin Group, a research consultancy in vegetable oils, oilseeds trade and industry, told IANS.
He said Ukraine produces about 170 lakh tons of sunflower seeds, Russia about 155 lakh tons and Argentina about 35 lakh tons.
The oil yield will be about 42 per cent when crushed, Bajoria added.
“The price of oil sold by these two countries – Ukraine and Russia – is almost the same. The global price ranges about $1,500-$1,525 per ton,” Desai, also the CEO of Emami Agrotech Ltd, said.
Noting that there is sufficient stock of sunflower oil in India for the next two months, he said that for the past 20 days shipments from Ukraine were getting delayed and the vessels were getting bunched up.
“If the Russia-Ukraine trouble continues for two/three more weeks, then there will be pressure on the Indian market as the oil stock will not get replenished. We expect 1.5 lakh-2 lakh ton of sunflower seed oil imports between February-March from Ukraine,” Desai said.
According to Bajoria, not a single shipment of sunflower oil has left Ukraine in February.
South India is the major market for sunflower oil.
According to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, India’s bilateral trade turnover was $2.52 billion in 2019-20 (exports were $463.81 million and imports were $2,060.79 million).
Major exports from India are pharmaceutical products, reactors/boiler machinery, mechanical appliances, oil seeds, fruits, coffee, tea, spices, iron, steel and others.
From Ukraine, the major export to India is sunflower oil, followed by inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, plastics, chemicals, and others.
India is Ukraine’s largest export destination in the Asia-Pacific and the fifth largest overall export destination, the Indian Embassy said.
Business
Commercial LPG cylinder prices reduced across metros from November 1

New Delhi, Nov 1: State-run oil marketing companies have reduced commercial LPG cylinder prices across metros, offering a slight relief to businesses, starting from Saturday.
The move will provide marginal relief to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses.
According to the latest revision announced by state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs), the 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 1,590.50 in Delhi, reflecting a Rs 5 cut from the previous rate of Rs 1,595.50.
With the highest drop of Rs 6.50 per cylinder among the metros, the charge in Kolkata will now be Rs 1,694 per cylinder. Chennai will now charge Rs 1,750 (down Rs 4.50), while Mumbai now charges Rs 1,542 (down Rs 5).
For businesses that depend significantly on LPG for their everyday operations, like restaurants, hotels, and catering services, the most recent revision provides a small reprieve following a hike of Rs 15.50 that was put into effect late in September.
However, domestic LPG prices have not changed and are the same in every city.
Earlier in September, OMCs had reduced the price of commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 51.50. Following the revision, a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder in Delhi was available at Rs 1,580.
Earlier, OMCs had reduced the price of a 19 kg commercial LPG gas cylinder by Rs 33.50. Before that, prices had been reduced by Rs 58.50 on July 1.
Earlier in June, oil firms had announced a Rs 24 cut for commercial cylinders, setting the rate at Rs 1,723.50. In April, the price stood at Rs 1,762. February saw a small Rs 7 reduction, but March reversed this slightly with a Rs 6 increase.
Meanwhile, the Centre had announced to provide 2.5 million free LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) during the festival season.
Business
Nifty, Sensex end 4-week winning streak amid profit booking

Mumbai, Nov 1: Indian equity benchmarks ended their four-week winning streak, closing marginally lower this week amid profit-booking and mixed global cues.
Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex dipped 0.65 and 0.55 per cent during the week to close at 25,722 and 83,938, respectively.
Market optimism was bolstered during the first three sessions by positive domestic economic data and China’s approval for few Indian companies to import rare earth magnets.
However, sentiment turned cautious after the US Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to the 3.75 per cent–4 per cent range.
“India’s industrial output rose 4 per cent YoY in September 2025, supported by strong manufacturing activity. The US Federal Reserve hinted that the 25-bps cut might be the final one in 2025, which dampened hopes of further near-term easing,” said Ajit Mishra- SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
Further, steady corporate earnings and continued FII inflows through October helped cushion the downside, he added.
Metals, energy and realty stocks were the major contributors to the rally, while auto, pharma and IT stocks experienced profit-taking.
“While PSU banks surged on reports of a potential hike in foreign investment limits, metal counters gleamed on renewed optimism after China’s pledge to rein in steel overcapacity and signs of progress in US-China trade talks,” added Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited.
Analysts said that capital market stocks lost momentum as SEBI’s proposed overhaul of TER structures weighed on sentiment.
Support for the Nifty is currently located close to the 25,600 zone and the 25,400 zone, while resistance is seen around 26,100, analysts said.
In the upcoming holiday-shortened week, investors are looking for cues from the final readings of the HSBC Manufacturing PMI and HSBC Services and Composite PMI data.
Investors are also keen on the India-US trade deal and trends in developed markets, while on the earnings front, several index heavyweights are set to announce their quarterly results.
Business
India aims 300 million tonnes of crude steel production capacity by 2030

New Delhi, Oct 31: India aims to achieve 300 million tonnes of crude steel production capacity by 2030, Union Minister of State for Steel, Bhupathiraju Srinivas Varma, said on Friday.
In a meeting with Sara Modig, State Secretary to Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Sweden, here, in presence of Swedish Ambassador to India Jan Thesleff and other officials, the minister highlighted India’s growing steel sector, driven by visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Notably, India’s domestic steel demand is growing at an impressive 11-13 per cent, fuelled by large-scale infrastructure projects, while global demand faces a slowdown, according to Steel Ministry.
The discussions were held to explore collaboration opportunities in the field of research and development in Green Steel production and other advanced technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
Varma reaffirmed the invitation extended to Sweden to participate in Bharat Steel 2026, an International Conference-cum-Exhibition dedicated to the steel industry, scheduled to be held on April 16–17, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the growth rate of India’s eight core industries was recorded at 3 per cent in September this year compared to the same month of the previous year, with the steel and cement sectors recording strong growth during the month, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed.
Steel production surged by a robust 14.1 per cent in September compared to the same month of the previous year on the back of increased demand from big-ticket infrastructure projects being carried out by the government. The cumulative growth of steel during April to Sept of 2025-26 increased by 11 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.
The government imposed a 12 per cent temporary safeguard duty on certain steel imports in April 2025 to protect the domestic market. These measures follow previous actions and are part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the industry while promoting self-reliance under initiatives like ‘Make in India’.
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