Mint Mumbai

SCHIAPARELLI’S LASTING FLAIR

Lounge speaks to Sonnet Stanfill, the curator of a sweeping exhibition at London’s V&A that explores Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy, tracing her bold designs and enduring influence on fashion through innovation.

What makes Project Glasswing relevant?

Co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei said Anthropic created the cybersecurity coalition on noting how capable its new ‘frontier’ AI model, Claude Mythos, is. The firm tested it to find thousands of critical software flaws, technically called ‘zero-day...

Why does India’s nuclear reactor milestone matter?

India moved closer to nuclear fuel self-reliance as its prototype fast breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu achieved criticality on 6 April, the stage of sustained nuclear reaction. This could help India achieve its target of 100GW nuclear capacity by 2047....

Now, a new covid strain. Should that worry us?

The covid-19 virus continues to mutate. A new strain, BA.3.2, has now surfaced in many countries. Early reports show high spike-protein mutations that could help it enter human cells. Global experts urge for caution but no panic. Should you be...

Oppo to Samsung raise prices by up to 40% on chip deficit

The West Asia war and a memory chip scarcity have finally spilled over into smartphone prices, with leading smartphone makers raising prices by as much as 40%. India’s top three smartphone brands Vivo, Oppo and Samsung, and their smaller rivals...

JAMES BOND GOES BROWN

The search for the next Bond is good fodder for comedy and in Bait, Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning for the role. Highlighting biases, the show asks if 007 is even relevant in a post-Cold War world.

Push for oil storage, piped gas transition

Sivasubramanian Ramann Chairperson PFRDA Pradeep Kumar Kheruka Executive Chairman Borosil Renewables Ltd Laxit Awla ED & CEO SAEL Neelkanth Mishra Chief Economist, Axis Bank and Head of Global Research Axis Capital Gopal Agarwal CEO Anupam...

What are the new rules?

Sebi has introduced a tighter disclosure and recusal framework. The chairman, whole-time members and employees must make initial, annual and event-based disclosures of assets, liabilities, trading activity and relationships, and disclose any...

Why India stares at an LNG squeeze, and what it can do

India imports 50% of its liquefied natural gas needs from West Asia, mostly from Qatar. With the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Ras Laffan industrial city, much of India’s imports are halted. Mint takes a look at the impact on the...

Vedanta moves NCLAT over Jaiprakash takeover

Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Ltd has moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the approval of Adani Enterprises Ltd’s ₹14,543 crore bid for bankrupt Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL). Vedanta has appealed against the Allahabad bench...

WAR THROUGH WOMEN’S EYES

Nalini Malani’s transforms a warehouse in Venice into an immersive animation chamber, layering myth, memory, and feminist critique through drawings, soundscapes and shifting projections on violence and history.

How long can India hold off a fuel price hike?

Crude oil prices have surged well past $100 a barrel, increasing by about $45 per barrel after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February. While several countries have increased prices, India has not. How long can the government avoid an increase?...

Meteoric surge

Ever since generative AI took over the world, Nvidia has seen its fortunes surge exponentially—and it's far from stopping now. 215.9 On Wednesday, AMD signed a pact with Samsung to jointly develop AI-ready chips similar to Nvidia’s Groq 3. AMD and...

Why Instagram’s end to encryption raises concerns

Meta will discontinue end-to-end encrypted direct messages on Instagram from 8 May, less than three years after its launch. The rollback comes at a time when encrypted messaging is facing growing scrutiny from governments concerned about crime and...

Why did the top court agree to review the definition?

In 1978, a seven-judge bench gave a broad interpretation to the term “industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Over the years, employers and institutions have argued this created uncertainty over whether organisations such as government...

India hunts for fertilizers, from Morocco to Belarus

New Delhi is doubling down on fertilizer imports from nonWest Asia countries to shield its sprawling farming sector, as regional conflict and a maritime blockade loom over its traditional supply routes. The world’s largest importer of urea and...

THE ACADEMIC’S OBSESSION

Rachel Weisz brings candour and comic heat to ‘Vladimir’, playing a desire-addled professor taken with a younger colleague. Despite her magnetic performance, this academia satire feels more fleeting fling than lasting affair.

Corp bond market sees March chill as oil drives up yields

Corporate bond markets are navigating an unusual March this year, as borrowing plans stall in a month that typically sees a rash of bond sales. The surge in bond yields triggered by rising crude oil prices has prompted several borrowers to either defer...

Street sinks as swift revival hopes fade

Indian equity markets started Wednesday on a cautious footing, but the mood quickly turned sour as a broad-based sell-off gathered pace. Benchmark indices fell nearly 2%, closing at a 10-month low, quickly erasing the optimism seen in the previous...

India relaxes curbs on FDI from China

India has lowered a policy barrier that held back Chinese capital for four years, signalling a cautious yet pragmatic shift as New Delhi seeks to integrate into global supply chains and revive a cooling investment landscape. The Union cabinet on...

LPG curbs kick in as oil roars past $100

India has tightened access to domestic cooking gas, as the escalating conflict in West Asia threatens fuel supplies and drives volatility in global energy markets. The Centre has prioritized household LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption, and...

Bulls not buying the dip as caution rules

When stock markets tank, intrepid investors troop in to buy the dip. This time, though, the signs are missing. With the Iran attack widening into a regional conflict, investor sentiment remains significantly subdued, raising the possibility of further...

GORILLAZ’S INDIAN ODYSSEY

Born from personal loss and an immersive journey across India, The Mountain is Gorillaz’s new album. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett discuss blending electro-hop with Indian sounds to explore memory and rebirth.

How has the market behaved since the war started?

Since the Iran-US war began on 28 February, equity markets worldwide have fallen. The Nifty declined 2.1% between 28 February and 4 March, while Japan’s Nikkei fell 5.5%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 4.2%, and the South Korea’s Kospi 8.9%. In the US, the Dow...

Focus on energy stockpile as OMCs eye new sources

New Delhi is keeping a close eye on its fuel and oil stocks, as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz throws global oil supply chains into disarray. According to two top officials aware of the matter, state-run refiners have crude oil stocks which will...

Oil lines blocked, India eyes options

India's crude oil refiners are scouting for new supply sources after Iran's historic announcement of the closure of Strait of Hormuz, three people aware of the development said. The Union petroleum ministry is consulting with the refiners, taking stock...

A DECADE OF RELAXED LUXURY

Celebrating a decade of casual elegance, Nicobar founders Simran Lal and Raul Rai discuss their ₹200crore journey, the shift toward comfortable silhouettes, and their bold new venture into minimalist wedding wear.

Tata Sons board defers call on Chandra’s 3rd term

The board of Tata Sons on Tuesday deferred a decision on reappointing N. Chandrasekaran as chairman for five more years after objections from Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, two executives aware of the matter said. The development signals continuing...

India draws up Plan B for oil as Gulf tensions spike

India is exploring contingency plans for crude oil imports as rising tensions in West Asia push global oil prices higher and raise fears of supply disruptions. Oil prices have surged about 7% in the past three sessions following a large US military...

STITCHING TALES OF PROTEST

Disobedient Objects at Delhi’s STIR Art Gallery reimagines fashion as sociopolitical art, spotlighting invisibilised labour, upcycling, and material protest through evocative, research-led textile installations and sculptural garments.

War clouds slam stocks, Nifty dips most since budget

The military build-up in the Persian Gulf and a muddied US interest rate outlook dealt the biggest blow to Indian markets since the Union budget, with investors losing nearly ₹6.8 trillion on Thursday. The benchmark Nifty plunged 1.4% to close at...

How India’s EV adoption is a tale of multiple hues

Solar cell firms eye 50GW capacity at ₹30,000 crore

India’s solar manufacturers are preparing to invest about ₹30,000 crore to build about 50GW of solar cell capacity in fiscal year FY27, racing to comply with new local-sourcing rules that take effect in June. The expansion, led by companies including...

Banks’ insurance boost faces RBI reality check

The regulator’s proposed rules to curb mis-selling of third-party products by banks will likely dent their earnings from insurance policy sales, a ₹22,000-25,000 crorea-year business for lenders. On 11 February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)...

What’s fuelling the hype around India AI summit?

India’s push for global prominence in artificial intelligence begins today. The AI Impact Summit has driven hotel prices higher in New Delhi, and attendance rates for global heads of state match those seen during the 2023 G20 summit. Why such hype?...

A FAMILIAR, FORMULAIC FOG

From cow dung-stained crime scenes to the mandatory 5-minute murder, the new season of ‘Kohrra’ feels a little too familiar. It’s a smart series with fine actors, but this time, writes Raja Sen, the “slow-burn” might just be a slow crawl.

India’s AI rules and the elusive quest for online safety

India notified its artificial intelligence (AI) rules this week, cutting the deadline for taking down sexual content to within two hours of reporting. For other content, the time given is three hours. Can these moves make social media safer for us?...

Will the latest round of US-Iran talks succeed?

Iran and the US are sitting down to talk again over Tehran’s nuclear programme. What makes these talks different? Iran is on a much weaker footing than in the past. US President Donald Trump, in contrast, is riding high after the successful Venezuela...

In vroom mode

Vehicle sales in January should put smiles on many faces. Overall retail sales, according to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations on Tuesday, grew about 18% from a year earlier to 2.72 million. Not only is the number...

What’s DDGS and what does the deal say?

DDGS is a protein-rich byproduct of ethanol manufacturing using grains like corn and rice. The US mostly uses GM corn for producing ethanol. Therefore, DDGS is a GM-based animal feed used for cattle, poultry, and fisheries. In India, ethanol...

US tariff cuts set to double exports in 4–5 years

With US tariffs sharply reduced and policy uncertainty easing, Indian exporters are gearing up to resume exports at the revised duty rates. Industry executives say the move could double India’s exports to the US over the next four to five...

DRESS UP FOR THE GALLERY

When the art fair comes to the Capital, so does fashion. Lounge puts together a guide for those who want to wear their art on their sleeve with prints, colour, scarves, jewellery stacks, statement pieces, and more.

What’s Claude Cowork and its 11 plugins?

Claude Cowork is a software using which you can automate nontechnical parts of your work. This includes sorting invoices, handling inventories and even maintaining a flow of orders from customers. Adding to Cowork are a set of 11 sector-specific...

Chinese shipments

For all the talk about either restraining or rebalancing trade with China, India’s dealings with it are rising. In 2025, trade reached a record $155.6 billion, up 12%, according to Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong. Within it, Indian exports rose 9.7%, he...

Market upshift?

97,770 1,51,858 After nearly one-and-a-half years of broad weakness, India’s stock market began to flash signs of a revival on Tuesday. The BSE Sensex jumped more than 4% in early trade before closing 2.5% higher at 83,739, while the rupee...

What did the Budget say about artificial intelligence?

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned artificial intelligence in her Budget speech 11 times in total, which was decidedly more than before. Artificial intelligence again was mentioned in connection with the offering of public services,...

Continued focus

Budget 2026—finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s ninth—doesn’t hold big-bang announcements, but promises to provide the boost the Indian economy needs to sustain its high growth. Here are nine focus areas that the budget touched upon. Over to the...

KUTCH BUILDS ON THE ‘BUNGA’

Twenty-five years after the 2001 earthquake, Kutch has transformed tragedy into a blueprint for resilience, blending the knowledge of ‘bhunga’ mud huts with modern engineering to redefine community led rehabilitation.

What is the key challenge for farmers?

Ample rains last year boosted food production during the kharif crop season by 2.3% to 173 million tonnes in 2025-26. But crop prices have been on a decline. In fact, food prices saw deflationary trend from June to December when retail prices were 2.7%...

Will yields soften?

Combined population Share of global GDP (%) Bilateral trade ($ billion) India-EU FTA EU-Mercosur deal It’s not typical of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to abruptly change its schedule of open market operations. So when it did so this week, it...

What is Trump’s board of peace?

The BoP was part of Trump’s vision for post-war Gaza. Outlined in his initial peace plan for the Middle East, it was made public in September. It was then called the “new international transitional body.” In November, the UNSC formally backed the BoP,...

MUSICIANS AMP UP THEIR STYLE

From stage to street, Indian musicians are turning up the volume on style. As concert culture booms, fashion is no longer an afterthought—it is a crucial part of an artist’s identity, persona and performance.

What led to the creation of Nato?

US President Trump (R) with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Davos. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) was created in 1949 as a bulwark against Soviet expansion and communism. It had 12 founding members: the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium,...

What do the Q3 results of IT majors indicate?

The Q3 earnings indicate that pain points persist for IT services companies, which are now staring at a third straight year of glacial growth. Revenue growth has slowed amid macroeconomic headwinds, cautious client spending, and prolonged...

What is the crux of the issue?

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) found that several walkie-talkie listings on platforms such as Meesho and Amazon failed to disclose the frequency band used, whether a government licence was required, and if the product had obtained the...

What is the current condition of discoms?

After over 10 years of losses, discoms reported a cumulative net profit of ₹2,701 crore for FY25 compared with losses of ₹25,553 crore in FY24, shows power ministry data. The sector, however, continues to be been under stress with a cumulative debt of...

Slippery tax slope

Last week’s Supreme Court judgement holding Tiger Global liable for paying tax on capital gains made on its 2018 sale to Walmart of its stake in Flipkart held through entities in Mauritius might have opened a Pandora’s box. It denies Tiger Global...

SNEH RANA’S COMEBACK

Sneh Rana is basking in cricketing glory like never before in her long career. She was part of the squad that won the World Cup and has landed a ₹50-lakh contract with Delhi Capitals. Rana tells Lounge why she’s called a “rebel”.

Why smartphone firms want to guard their source codes

As India moves to tighten mobile phone security, reports that it may seek forcible access to smartphone makers’ source code for official scrutiny have stirred unease, even as the government has denied proposing any such mandate. Mint decodifies the...

Infosys joinspeers as IT sector sees revival

Infosys Ltd reported betterthan-expected results for the December quarter, adding to early signs of a demand recovery in India’s $283-billion information technology (IT) services industry, even as margin pressures persist. After posting modest...

Budget to lay down India’s blueprint for AI, deeptech

Artificial intelligence (AI) may get the pride of place in the upcoming Union budget, with the Centre crafting a long-term blueprint to support the emerging sector against the backdrop of China’s technology ascent. The finance ministry is steering the...

THE POWER OF STORIES

As attention spans shrink and oral traditions fade, festivals like Udaipur Tales are reviving the ancient ways of live storytelling, bringing together folk performers, contemporary voices, children and first-time narrators.

Why crude oil is ignoring the Venezuela shock

Despite regime change in Venezuela, oil prices are range-bound. While lifting sanctions unlocks the world’s largest reserves, traders are wary of Venezuela’s poor infrastructure and supply glut. Mint explains why the market is ignoring the headlines...