Blog

Global energy markets witnessed a sharp spike in prices on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as Iran escalated the ongoing conflict by successfully targeting vital oil and gas production facilities across the Gulf for the first time. International benchmark Brent crude jumped 3% to $103.28 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose over 3.6% to reach $96.85, reversing a brief decline from the previous session. The surge was triggered by reports of a drone strike on the Shah natural gas field in the United Arab Emirates—one of the world's largest—which forced a complete suspension of operations. Additionally, attacks were…

HSBC Mutual Fund has announced the launch of its maiden Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) offerings in India with the introduction of the HSBC Gold ETF and the HSBC Gold ETF Fund of Fund (FoF), marking the company’s entry into the ETF segment in the country. The New Fund Offer (NFO) for the schemes opens this week. The HSBC Gold ETF NFO will remain open for subscription from March 16 to March 18, 2026, while the HSBC Gold ETF Fund of Fund will accept investments from March 19 to March 25, 2026. Both schemes will be managed by Dipan Parikh of…

Axis Bank celebrated International Women’s Day by organising a special event in Kolkata to recognise the achievements of women entrepreneurs and changemakers from across West Bengal. The programme, held at Hotel Hindustan International (HHI), highlighted the bank’s commitment to promoting women empowerment, inclusivity and customer engagement. The event was graced by Bollywood actress Ekavali Khanna as the Chief Guest and attended by senior Axis Bank leaders including Sattar Ali, Regional Branch Banking Head – East 1; Piyali Reddy, Group Head – Corporate Communications; Amit Parekh, Circle Head – West Bengal 1; Sougata Chatterjee, Circle Head – West Bengal 2; and…

Tata Motors on Monday announced a price hike of up to 1.5 per cent across its commercial vehicle range, effective from April 1, 2026, citing rising commodity prices and increasing input costs. The company said the price increase is aimed at partially offsetting the impact of higher raw material costs. The extent of the hike will vary depending on the model and variant of the vehicle. Tata Motors, part of the USD 180 billion Tata Group, is India’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles and a globally recognised producer of utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. With more than eight decades…

Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) has successfully transformed waste management in Palashbari, one of Assam’s oldest towns, through a three-year community-led initiative that diverted more than 3,200 tonnes of waste and significantly improved local sanitation systems. Implemented under GCPL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in partnership with the Palashbari Municipal Board and Feedback Foundation Charitable Trust, the project also remediated 1,550 tonnes of legacy waste and achieved 98.5 per cent source segregation across households, institutions and markets. Earlier, Palashbari generated nearly two tonnes of mixed waste daily, most of which was dumped in open sites, causing environmental damage and health…