NSE IPO caps market trioka as HUL, Dabur cut staff

Jefferies says an NSE listing would be the final piece of India’s market‑infrastructure trioka, delivering tighter governance, clearer price discovery and paving the way for MSCI and FTSE inclusion. The proceeds could fund tech upgrades and international expansion, while the IPO would set a valuation benchmark for other exchanges and infrastructure players.

Hindustan Unilever and Dabur each slashed permanent headcount in FY26, HUL by over 700, Dabur by about 570, while peers such as Nestle, Marico and Tata Consumer added staff. Median pay rose 6‑12% across the sector, reflecting automation gains that let firms do more with fewer workers.

Airtel’s annual report says the carrier will drive growth through financial services, data centres and cloud after spending over ₹3.3 lakh crore on digital infrastructure. It also stresses that rationalising mobile tariffs remains vital for long term industry health, urging continued policy support. The plan aims to boost profits and cement Airtel’s right to win in new adjacencies.

Revenue climbed 14.9% YoY to ₹18,794.5 cr, but net profit rose only 11.3% to ₹860.4 cr as employee, finance and other operating costs surged. Growth in mature metro stores flatlined, pushing the chain to rely on tier‑II/III expansion to sustain momentum.

The Ministry of Power’s Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 aims for per‑capita electricity use of 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047, roughly tripling current consumption. It proposes index‑linked tariffs, demand‑charge cost recovery, exemptions for large users, and opens distribution to competition, measures that could lower industrial power costs and attract fresh investment.

The RBI now requires banks to collect and forward KYC data on Indian firms’ foreign partners and ODI transactions. The move targets opaque capital flows, potential money‑laundering and dividend tax leakage, as overseas investments have jumped to $34 bn. Regulators hope tighter reporting will stop round‑trip scams and protect forex.

India’s central wheat and rice stockpiles have risen to 81.75 million tonnes, the strongest in five years. The buffer, almost twice the mandated level, lets the government curb food inflation, meet welfare needs and offset potential kharif shortfalls if El Niño weakens monsoon rains.

After a fresh US strike on Iran, CENTCOM announced the Strait of Hormuz remains open and traffic is flowing, countering Tehran’s claim it had closed the waterway. The statement underscores that the strategic route, carrying about 20% of global oil, remains an international passage, limiting immediate supply shocks.