📰 India Business Brief: Top Headlines for September 18, 2026

Mint

• Fed Rate Hike and US Tariff Pressure: An overnight 25-basis-point rate hike by the US Federal Reserve—its first increase since 2023—has kept US Treasury yields near 5%, challenging the relative appeal of Indian assets and sparking fresh debates over Reserve Bank of India policy responses. Concurrently, looming threats of elevated US import tariffs and over $3.3 billion in foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows have heightened market sensitivity.
• Markets End Flat Amid Rate Jitters: Domestic benchmark indices settled mixed to flat, with the Nifty 50 edging up 0.23% to 23,270.60 and the BSE Sensex closing slightly down at 74,314.59. Sectoral performance was buoyed by healthcare, capital goods, and auto stocks, while banking heavyweights including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI saw pullbacks.
• Sustained IPO Momentum: Despite secondary market consolidation and heightened global trade friction, primary market enthusiasm persists, with more than 40 IPO issuances active or lined up across exchanges.

Business Standard

• Government and UPI MDR Deliberations: The central government is reviewing mechanisms to prevent the pass-through of Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) to end consumers, while political leaders refuted claims regarding support for transaction charges on high-value digital payments.
• Cash Circulation Expands Alongside UPI: Despite exponential growth in digital payment volumes, currency in circulation continues to demonstrate steady growth across retail transactions.
• Shapoorji Pallonji Relaxes Bond Entry Thresholds: The Shapoorji Pallonji Group has lowered the investment threshold on its high-yield bonds (offering yields up to 17.80%) from the previous ₹10 crore ticket size, aiming to attract a wider pool of high-net-worth investors.
• Corporate & Logistics Watch: IT services major Coforge reported an all-time high deal pipeline and a strong revenue trajectory according to brokerage assessments, while Oman's Sohar Port terminals launched outreach programs to partner with Indian logistics providers. In media, Zee reiterated its operational focus on digital profitability and premium content monetisation under Punit Goenka.

The Economic Times

• Federal Reserve Defies Political Pressure: Analysis underlines the Fed's unanimous decision to raise its policy rates despite vocal resistance from the White House, with global analysts warning that elevated interest rates may persist longer than anticipated due to persistent inflation and geopolitical instability.
• Global Currency and Central Bank Divergence: The Japanese yen softened toward 156 per dollar as market participants braced for an anticipated Bank of Japan rate tightening, while the Bank of England held rates steady.
• Crude Oil Settles Near $104: Brent crude futures hovered around $103.70 per barrel, easing slightly as energy markets looked past fresh military exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces in the Middle East.
• Trade Alliances and Tariffs: Washington's tariffs posture continues to create friction across key trading partners, drawing collective responses from allied leaders while regional supply chains prepare for revised tariff schedules.

Tags: Headlines Business News Economic Times Business Standard Mint Top News