** 📰 India Business Brief: Top Headlines for March 19, 2026

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Business Standard

• US Fed Policy Impact: The US Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady, signaling only one potential cut in 2026 as inflation remains higher than projected, ending the year at an expected 2.7%.
• HDFC Bank Leadership Shift: Atanu Chakraborty has resigned as Chairman of HDFC Bank; the board has named Mistry as the interim chief to lead the private lender.
• Fuel Export Strategy: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced that India will prioritize domestic fuel demand over exports to South Asian neighbors like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, citing "Nation First" amid West Asia supply shocks.
• Industrial Infrastructure: The Union Cabinet has cleared the ₹33,700 crore BHAVYA scheme, aimed at developing 100 new industrial parks across the country to boost manufacturing.
• Corporate Moves: Prudential is reportedly considering an exit from its long-standing life insurance joint venture with ICICI Bank, while Coal India’s subsidiary CMPDIL successfully raised ₹470 crore from anchor investors ahead of its IPO.

Economic Times

• Solar Manufacturing Mandate: The government is set to enforce mandatory local sourcing of solar ingots and wafers for all domestic cell makers starting June 2028 to reduce reliance on Chinese imports.
• Audit Exemptions for MSMEs: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is deliberating a proposal to exempt micro-enterprises with an annual turnover of less than ₹1 crore from mandatory statutory audits to improve the ease of doing business.
• Sustainable Development Progress: New government reports indicate significant advancement in India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in clean energy and waste management, with over 70% of waste in smart cities now scientifically processed.
• Regulatory Tightening: The Cabinet has cleared the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, granting the government power to take control of assets belonging to NGOs whose licenses have been cancelled or suspended.
• Market Spotlight: Coal India shares hit a fresh 52-week high of ₹475, with analysts projecting further gains toward the ₹530 mark following a breakout from consolidation.

Mint

• New Aviation Norms: In a major policy shift, the Centre has issued new air travel guidelines requiring airlines to make 60% of seats on all domestic flights available for free, a move aimed at radicalizing travel accessibility.
• Market Sentiment: GIFT Nifty signals a sharp gap-down opening for Indian indices (Sensex and Nifty) as global sentiment sours due to hawkish Fed signals and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
• Commodity Trends: Gold and silver prices have come under pressure following the US Fed meeting, with gold trading near ₹155,000 per 10 grams on the MCX.
• Agricultural Exports: Farmers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are expected to see a surge in wheat exports as the ongoing conflict in West Asia disrupts traditional global supply chains.
• IPO Debut: Rajputana Stainless is scheduled to make its stock market debut today; however, grey market premiums (GMP) suggest a muted listing for the metal player.

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