The Reading List: March 20, 2026
Our research and opinion teams have curated a selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance for your weekend read.
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Wars: Battlefields to boardrooms
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: Gulf conflict tests India’s macro and bond stability; war impacts MSMEs, banks must monitor loans closely; deeper correction ahead for markets, and more
Telangana, Uttarakhand, J&K among most exposed to Hormuz disruption as export risks widen
Over $34 billion of exports, including industrial goods, farm produce and meat products, linked to Gulf-bound categories at risk. Smaller states stare at a bigger blow
Four decades on, India’s consumer justice delivery system lies in a shambles
Consumer protection infrastructure suffers from scarcity of manpower, funds, intent and most of all, political will
Chart of the Day: As war pricks MSMEs, banks must sharpen attention on their loans
Small firms that feel the pressure of the war on earnings must be assessed for defaults by banks
Global trade to slow to 1.9% in 2026, may drop to 1.4% if West Asia crisis persists, says WTO
Under a high energy price scenario, energy-importing regions such as Asia and Europe would face the sharpest reductions in trade growth, while fuel-exporting economies could see some offsetting gains
Dhurandhar 2 opens strong but sequel success remains a gamble for Bollywood
In the post-pandemic period, sequels have, on average, earned about 43% more than their predecessors in real terms
Iran strike on QatarEnergy’s LNG facility may deepen India's gas crisis
Qatar accounts for 19% of the global LNG supply and 45% of India’s supply. Analysts note that it could take months to bring the full capacity back online even if the war ends and facility is restored
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | A warning message from the US Fed
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: Iran and Israel prolong war while US remains constrained, rupee weak due to balance of payments stress, rising loan sizes may increase microfinance risks, and more
OPINION | India’s $10 trillion ambition needs foundations that must be built today
India will not reach $10 trillion on a policy framework designed for $2 trillion. What separates aspiration from deterministic achievement is structural reform engineered to last
As microfinance lenders target higher ticket size, leverage could become a risk
Microfinance portfolio would continue to shrink and by doing so it would get better.
Climate justice runs into an accounting wall
Climate finance remains a knotty affair. Rich countries want developing ones to work towards climate goals, but they need money to do that. Worse, rich ones stand accused of creative accounting on their own financing targets
OPINION | The Silent Inflation Driver: How extreme weather is transforming India’s food economy
Extreme weather is raising food inflation in India. It disrupts farming and supply chains. At the same time, it is pushing investment in better storage, technology, and stronger systems
OPINION | Ironically, Iran and Israel have the same aims, prolong the war. US is stuck
Ali Larijani’s assassination makes it harder for Iranian leadership to seek negotiations. That’s what Israel wants. Iran too will prefer to prolong the conflict as escalating global economic cost gives them leverage. Where does that leave the US
Deepening oil supply shock could push economies toward stagflation, worry policymakers
If oil prices remain elevated for an extended period, inflation expectations become a focal point. This makes a difficult environment for central bank policymakers even trickier, at a time when many are still attempting to bring inflation under control following the post-pandemic surge in prices.
Net direct tax collections till March 17 at Rs 22.80 lakh crore, up 7.2% YoY
As compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year, the net direct tax collections were up 7.19 percent on year.
India's privatisation drive derails because of weak investor interest
PM Modi's ambitious privatisation plan was aimed at having the state exit most sectors while remaining only in sensitive ones such as telecom and banking
OPINION | Rupee’s weakness is because of challenges on the balance of payments front
Capital flows are in the midst of a tough phase, which has had a knock-on effect on the composition of foreign exchange reserves. RBI may increase interest rates sooner than later to offset narrow interest rate differentials
Beyond oil, West Asia crisis could push up housing, plastics and food costs
Among the most exposed are petrochemical inputs, which form the backbone of plastics and packaging
Fertiliser imports decline but reliance on key nutrients remains high
Imports are diversified but still skewed towards a few major suppliers.Russia and Saudi Arabia are the top sources, followed by Morocco, Oman and China
Cabinet approves Rs 2,585 crore for small hydropower development scheme
This is likely to bring in Rs 15,000 crore of investment in the small hydro sector giving a boost to the clean energy initiative, investment in remote and rural areas and creating significant employment opportunities, says govt
India looks to settle trade with Gulf countries in local currencies amid global uncertainties
Officials said enabling trade in domestic currencies would help avoid routing transactions through the US dollar, thereby lowering conversion costs and limiting the impact of currency volatility
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | LPG shock could harm India’s informal economy
In March 18 edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: The LPG shortage for commercial use is rippling through India’s food economy, posing a threat to incomes and jobs for informal workers
Iran conflict leaves travellers exposed, war-risk exclusions limit insurance cover, says Generali Central CEO Anup Rau
Generali Central Insurance is targeting a gross written premium of around Rs 10,000 crore by FY30, roughly double of current levels, Rau tells Moneycontrol in an interview
OPINION | India’s states hold the key to Viksit Bharat
India is often described as one economy, yet its growth is driven by unequal regional capabilities.The next phase of development will depend on how intelligently the Union and the states convert this diversity into a coordinated national advantage
