Markets don’t move in isolation, and right now, global events are shaping every major investment decision. From rising crude oil prices driven by Middle East tensions to changes in RBI regulations and shifting investor behaviour in assets like gold ETFs, the signals are everywhere, but not always easy to connect. In this Stock Market News edition, Jarvis Invest breaks down the most important developments shaping India’s economic and market outlook so you can move from simply staying informed to actually staying ahead.
Why India Is Increasing Russian Oil Imports Amid Middle East Crisis
As the crisis in the Middle East deepens, India has been once again padding up its oil imports from Russia. India’s Russian oil imports in March 2026 nearly tripped to €5.30 billion, as the US eased sanctions to maintain the demand-supply balance of oil. In addition, India also bought coal and oil products from Russia. That was also because Russian oil was more easily available in the spot market. In March, China absorbed 51% of Russian crude exports, while India absorbed 38%, and Turkey absorbed 6.1%. Russia depends on China and India for 90% of its oil exports.
Tata Sons Listing Delays: RBI Regulations and CIC Status Explained
With the Tata Sons listing still a bone of contention, the only option for Noel Tata may be to wait for RBI to accept its deregistration as a Core Investment Company (CIC). Several directors of Tata Sons like Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh are in favour of listing Tata Sons. Even Chandrasekaran had refused to commit anything about the listing of Tata Sons, as the RBI will have the last word. Currently, CICs without public loans or deposits can surrender their certificate. However, RBI has been insisting that upper layer NBFCs need closer supervision and more accountability.
How Rising Crude Oil Prices Could Impact India’s Current Account Deficit
With the talks between the US and Iran failing, India’s current account deficit (CAD) for FY27 is expected to cross above 2% of GDP. With Brent Crude staying above $100/bbl on a persistent basis, another oil shock for the Indian economy cannot be ruled out. For India, the outcome of the war is not just a spike in Crude prices; but also related costs like freight and insurance premiums have gone up. India imports nearly 86% of its crude and half of that passes through the Straits of Hormuz. India also depends heavily on the Middle East for gas, and that has also surged.
India Inflation March 2026: Fuel Prices Rise and What It Means for Consumers
Retail consumer inflation for March 2026 came in higher at 3.40%, compared to 3.21% in February. While that may look like a small uptick, fuel inflation has gone up from 0.14% to 1.65% in March. Food inflation stood at 3.87% for March. However, the current fuel inflation is only reflecting part of the story. For now, only LPG and premium fuel prices have been raised. The real impact will be seen when petrol and diesel prices are hiked. Then comes the secondary effects when the higher price of crude starts to reflect in user products like paints, chemicals, pharmaceuticals etc.
Gold ETF Investment Trends in India: Why Inflows Are Slowing in 2026
Gold ETF in India saw net inflows of ₹31,561 crore in the March quarter. The gold ETF flows were predominant in January 2026 at ₹24,040 crore; but tapered to ₹5,255 crore in February, and then to ₹2,266 crore in March. The pace of flows into gold ETFs has moderated from the highs of January after the price of gold and silver peaked in late January. Since then, gold is down more than 15%, while silver is down over 35% from peak levels. In the last 1 year, the AUM of gold ETFs is up from ₹58,888 crore to ₹1,71,000 crore. Gold ETF folios were up 78% to 1.24 crore in FY26.
Banking Sector Outlook 2026: NIM Pressure, Deposit Growth Risks & RBI Impact
Analysts have downgraded the earnings projections of banks and are also betting on compression in net interest margins (NIMs). The analysts are anticipating that while the credit growth will continue to be robust, the deposits will struggle to keep pace. As a result, the banks will have to rely more on short-term CD funding to fill the gap. This will not only raise their costs, but also their asset-liability mismatch risk. In addition, if high Inflation is persistent, then the RBI may be impelled to hike rates, which could again put pressure on the investment holdings of banks.
Air India Challenges: Rising Costs, Leadership Changes and Future Strategy
The pressure on Air India is starting to show, especially after the resignation of the CEO, and even as the company grapples with the outcome of the mishap last year. In a talk to the Air India employees, Tata Sons chairman, N Chandrasekharan, has asked the staff to tighten costs and lift their service standards. With the rise in ATF costs, airline margins have come under added pressure. He also assured the staff that the group will continue to be committed to the airline. The Town Hall was held following the resignation of Air India CEO, Campbell Wilson, in April.
TRAI’s Satellite-to-Mobile Plan: The Future of Connectivity in India
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is weighing direct satellite-to-mobile communication services. The idea is to provide almost seamless connectivity across urban and rural areas. However, TRAI has underlined that the Direct-to-Device (D2D) service should be provided using the spectrum meant for mobile satellite services, or frequencies available to normal mobile service like 4G and 5G. Currently, there are two variants; DTD via satellite using MSS spectrum and DTD via satellite using IMT spectrum. The final decision will be taken after getting comments.