📰 India Business Brief: Top Headlines for October 29, 2026

Business Standard

• BFSI Insight Summit 2026 Spotlights Asset Management and Domestic AI Models: Industry leaders and mutual fund CEOs highlighted Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) as the sector's benchmark innovation, while SEBI explored domestic AI integration for the Indian securities market. Fund managers also underscored the long-term potential for Indian asset management firms to scale into global players despite recent market volatility.
• Stock Market Cues and Q2 Earnings in Focus: Domestic equity benchmarks opened cautiously against the backdrop of Brent crude prices hovering above $114 per barrel amid West Asian geopolitical tensions. Key corporate earnings slated for the day include Q2 results from Welspun Corp, Brigade Enterprises, Computer Age Management Services (CAMS), and Pine Labs.
• Aviation and Regulatory Action: The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has asked domestic carriers to submit transition and flight relocation plans for the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport by November 3. Meanwhile, the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) halted Eleven Power's parallel distribution license for the Gurugram and Nuh regions.

Mint

• Fed Holds Benchmark Rates Steady; Emerging Markets Watch Future Trajectory: The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged in its October meeting, meeting street expectations. Analysts note that upcoming guidance will dictate foreign institutional investor (FII) flows into emerging markets, especially with US Treasury yields reacting cautiously to the policy tone.
• Macroeconomic Warnings on Crude Dependency: Addressing economic resilience, the Reserve Bank of India raised caution over rising crude import dependency and turbulent external financing conditions. In parallel, a CEEW report outlined that India will require nearly $500 billion by 2030 to finance decarbonization across key industrial sectors.
• Primary Market and Startup Activity: Bombay Coated and Special Steels launched its ₹183 crore mainboard initial public offering today, while Antala Industries opened its SME issue. In startup funding, perpetual futures platform Mochatrade raised $5.5 million led by CoinFund, and everyday performance wear brand ReplyAll closed a ₹9.7 crore institutional round.

The Economic Times

• Cholamandalam Finance Clears ₹5,000 Crore QIP: The board of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company (Chola) approved raising up to ₹5,000 crore through a Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) after delivering a 41% year-on-year surge in net profit to ₹1,630 crore for the second quarter.
• Telecom and Electronics PLI Drive: The central government reiterated the strong impact of the mobile Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, reporting over ₹25,000 crore generated in taxes and the creation of approximately 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs.
• Power Sector Prepares for Peak Winter Demand: Six northern and western states have floated short-term power purchase tenders to offset projected evening peak electricity deficits during the upcoming winter months.