NDTV Profit Pulse On March 12—Top 8 Stories At 8 P.M. Under 8 Minutes

US stocks surged after lower-than-expected February inflation, while Indian markets fell as IT stocks declined amid US spending concerns.

India’s inflation dropped to a seven-month low of 3.61% in February, while Blackstone committed $11 billion to India’s data centres, and US stocks recovered from recent losses. (Source: Freepik)

India’s retail inflation eased to a seven-month low of 3.61% in February, driven by falling food prices. The Consumer Price Index-based inflation moderated from 4.26% in January, as food and beverage inflation fell to 3.84%. While US stock futures rose after February inflation came in lower than expected, following two days of heavy losses. Indian Indices ended the day lower on Wednesday.

Here's the roundup of news that made headlines today:

Inflation Drops Again

India’s retail inflation eased to a seven-month low of 3.61% in February, driven by falling food prices. The Consumer Price Index-based inflation moderated from 4.26% in January, as food and beverage inflation fell to 3.84%.

Vegetable prices saw a sharp reversal, contracting by 1.07% after an 11.35% rise in January. However, core inflation, which excludes food and fuel, inched up to 4.05% from 3.76%.

See the full breakdown here.

Industrial Growth Picks Up

India’s industrial production rebounded to 5% in January from 3.5% in December, driven by a manufacturing uptick. Manufacturing output rose 5.5% year-on-year, up from 3.4% in the previous month.

Mining and electricity output grew at 4.4% and 2.4%, respectively, though electricity generation slowed from December’s 6.2% growth.

Get the full industry snapshot here.

Blackstone’s $11 Billion India Bet

Blackstone plans to invest $11 billion in India’s data centres to capitalise on the growing demand for AI and cloud computing, CEO Stephen Schwarzman told NDTV Profit.

Schwarzman highlighted AI’s role in sectors like drug development and education, stressing that data centres are essential for AI’s expansion over the next decade.

Find out what this means for India’s AI boom.

Also Read: Stephen Schwarzman On 20 Years Of Blackstone In India And What’s Next — Full Interview Transcript

US Stocks Rebound Strong

US stock rose after February inflation came in lower than expected, following two days of heavy losses.

Tech megacaps led the rebound as the S&P 500 neared a technical correction. However, Treasury yields remained pressured by concerns over tariffs and economic growth.

Click here to know what’s moving the markets and how US inflation fared.

Back home, Indian stocks closed lower as IT shares extended losses on concerns over a slowdown in US client spending. The NSE Nifty 50 fell 0.1% to 22,470.50, while small- and mid-cap indices slipped 0.5% each.

Click for what’s driving the markets.

Also Read: US Inflation Comes In Lower Than Forecast, Offering Some Relief

Trump’s Fed Pick

Donald Trump is set to nominate Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman as vice chair for supervision, Bloomberg News quoted citing a person familiar with the matter.

The role was vacated earlier this year when Michael Barr resigned, citing concerns that a dispute over the position could distract from the Fed’s mission.

What this means for US banking oversight.

Mutual Fund Inflows Drop

Actively managed equity mutual funds saw inflows of Rs 29,303.3 crore in February, down 26.1% from Rs 39,687 crore in January, according to AMFI data.

Total industry net inflows stood at Rs 40,063.3 crore, compared to Rs 1.88 lakh crore the previous month. Net AUM fell to Rs 64.53 lakh crore from Rs 67.3 lakh crore.

More on the February decline.

Jio Follows Airtel's Suit

Jio Platforms has signed a deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s satellite-based internet services to India, following Bharti Airtel’s move.

Jio will offer Starlink equipment in its retail stores and support customer installation and activation. The partnership aims to expand broadband access, including in rural and remote areas.

More on Jio’s Starlink deal.

Tata Motors Plans JLR Optimisation

Tata Motors is exploring ways to optimise the supply chain for JLR cars in India, a company spokesperson said, amid reports that the British marque has shelved plans to make EVs locally.

The upcoming Ranipet facility in Tamil Nadu will produce next-gen cars and SUVs for Tata Motors and JLR, with models and timelines aligned to market strategy.

More on JLR’s India plans.

Here are other top stories that you cannot miss

  • Nuclear, thermal, green corridors on REC radar in bid to double AUM to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2030

  • Tax cuts to help GDP grow past 6.5% in FY26, inflation to decline: Moody's

  • SEBI’s Ananth Narayan says AIF governance issues resolved, urges India Inc. to take big risks

  • IT sector to see low hiring amid higher investment in GenAI, expects moderate revenue growth, Says ICRA

  • India, Mauritius deepen trade, security ties; PM Modi unveils 'Mahasagar Vision'

  • Ola Electric confirms layoffs, cost-reduction initiative leads to Rs 90-crore savings per month

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Shreya Sur
Shreya covers trending stories, business news and political news at NDTV Pr... more
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