Mutual fund equity inflows rise 8 per cent in February as investors buy more units

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

AMFI CEO Venkat Chalasani expects SIP contributions to rebound in March, indicating sustained investor confidence despite short-term fluctuations.
| Photo Credit:
lakshmiprasad S

Equity inflows into mutual fund schemes increased 8 per cent last month to ₹25,978 crore, up from ₹24,029 crore in January, as investors used the market fall to accumulate more units.

Flexi and mid-cap funds continued to attract the highest inflow of ₹6,925 crore (₹7,672 crore) and ₹4,003 crore (₹3,185 crore), according to the Association of Mutual Funds of India data released on Tuesday.

However, SIP inflows dropped sharply to ₹29,845 crore from ₹31,002 crore in January, as MFs lost four days of debit mandate in February.

Venkat Chalasani, Chief Executive, AMFI said besides having less number of days, February 28 was bank holiday and the instalments slated for last 4 days of last month will now be accounted in March.

“The trend in February was similar in last two-three years and we expect SIP to bounce back in March despite the prevailing market conditions,” he added.

On Sebi decision to discontinue Children and Retirement funds, Chalasani said that AMFI has made a representation with Sebi on difficulty in closing the schemes with ‘immediate effect’ and hence the closure was extended to March-end.

“We will make another representation with Sebi on hardship the investors will face on closure of these two schemes and wait for the regulator to take final decision,” he added.

Both Children Fund and Retirement schemes have folio count of 62.86 lakh and attracted an inflow of Rs 247 crore and AUM was at Rs 57,663 crore as of February-end.

Hybrid schemes attracted lower investment of 31 per cent Rs 11,983 crore (Rs 17,356 crore), largely due to fall in multi-asset schemes inflow at Rs 8,476 crore (Rs 10.485 crore).

Gold ETFs attracted less investment of Rs 5,255 crore (Rs 24,040 crore) while silver ETFs recorded a net outflow of Rs 826 crore (inflow of Rs 9,463 crore).

Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) said investors continued to show tremendous confidence in the markets despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, reflecting a growing maturity in their investment mindset.

Valuations in the broader markets have also moderated somewhat, which appears to be strengthening investor confidence in their long-term prospects, he added.

Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst – Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India said despite the moderation, the inflows into gold ETFs reflect continued investor interest in gold-backed products.

While the fall in inflows was likely due to profit-booking, Meshram said it remained firmly positive, underscoring gold’s enduring appeal amid heightened market volatility and ongoing geopolitical risks.

Published on March 10, 2026

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Broker’s call: Ambuja Cements (Buy)

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

Target: ₹680

CMP: ₹462.30

We interacted with Ambuja Cements’ management during a visit to its Sanghipuram plant arranged by the company. The Management highlighted that overall demand momentum remains healthy which has aided cement price recovery. Opex is also expected to reduce q-o-q driving margin stabilisation. Focus remains on profitable growth over aggressive organic expansion, achieving cost reduction targets and selling more premium cement.

During the Sanghipuram plant visit, management showcased the ongoing plant infrastructure revamp which is reducing the plant opex (more in the offing) and also noted its potential to double the plant capacity in near future. We remain positive on Ambuja, which we expect to deliver about 100-200 bps volume growth ahead of the industry each year over FY26-28E, accompanied by a gradual margin improvement driven by opex reduction.

We trim our EBITDA estimates for FY26/27/28E by 2/5/6 per cent, owing to two factors: about 2 per cnet reduction in our volume CAGR assumption, and lower margin estimates to account for an expected rise in fuel costs. We also trim our capex outgo estimates for FY26-28E to ₹33,200 crore from ₹37,000 crore earlier, as we build in a slower pace of capacity additions given management’s stated focus on margins over aggressive expansion.

We maintain Buy with a revised target price of ₹680/share (16.5x its Mar’28E consolidated EBITDA). Previous target price was ₹700.

Published on March 10, 2026

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Broker’s call: LG Electronics (Accumulate)

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

Target: ₹1,750

CMP: ₹1,573.10

LG Electronics India is the undisputed leader in India’s consumer durable market, with decade-long dominance in the space. LGEIL is re-entering the economy segment via its LG Essential series in tier II-III markets and in the traditional channel, initially in refrigerators and washing machines, followed by room air conditioners and microwaves.

We believe LGEIL would see accelerated revenue growth of 14-16 per cent (upside case) in FY26E-30E over a large base from the current growth of 11 per cent if it were to mirror Haier’s blueprint of aggressive pricing, large capex and surging localisation, while preserving superior return profile.

An earnings CAGR of 18 per cent in FY26E-28E should be underpinned by: rising localisation with backward integration into products such as compressors and PCBs, unlike domestic peers; strong parental support for R&D and technology, enabling bridging product gaps between the parent and India operations ; and premium portfolio with leadership in high-value categories.

LGEIL is incurring a capex of ₹5,000 croreat Sri City, Tamil Nadu in the next four years. This may translate into revenue of ₹20,000-25,000 crore (asset turnover at 4-4.5x) once fully ramped up.

We initiate with Accumulate and a TP of ₹1,750, based on 45x FY28E P/E. Key risks are slowdown in demand in India’s consumer durables industry, intensifying competitive landscape, inability to pass on price rise and contingent liability related to royalty payment to the parent.

Published on March 10, 2026

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Mumbai restaurants look to conserve gas as shutdown fears loom

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

Restaurants in Mumbai are switching to electric induction stoves for staff meals and looking to tweak menus to conserve gas amid a shortage commercial LPG cylinders that threatens to disrupt their business.

While the government on Tuesday issued an order to regulate supply of natural gas to essential sectors, restaurants say there is no clarity on availability of the commercial cylinders.

As a consequence, as many as 50 per cent of eateries in Mumbai may have to temporarily shut shop, say executives of industry associations.

“We have started using electric induction stove to prepare staff meals, tea and rice based dishes. Some restaurants are looking to restrict their menus,” said Pranav Rungta, vice president of National Restaurant Association of India and owner of Nksha restaurant in Mumbai.

Sharda Bhavan restaurant in Matunga area of Mumbai has stopped serving onion uttapam and rava dosas in last few days as these take longer time to cook. “ But now we have almost run out gas and are exploring alternatives like electric induction stoves,” said it’s owner Ganesh Rao.

Over 90 per cent of half million plus restaurants and eateries across the country use LPG on cooking while reliance on piped gas is still limited in a few cities. As such disruption is leading to concerns of temporary shutdowns.

“We are already receiving reports of severe shortages from cities including Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur, while similar disruptions are being reported in States such as Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. If the situation does not improve within the next two days, nearly 50 per cent of hotels and restaurants in Mumbai may be forced to temporarily shut operations depending on the current stock of cylinders,” said Pradeep Shetty, spokesperson, Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India).

Royal Orchid Hotels president and founder of Iconiqa Hotels Arjun Baljee, however, expressed hope that supply situation will stabilise shortly.

“As of now there is no disruption to operations within the Royal Orchid portfolio. Our teams are taking proactive steps to ensure minimal impact on guest experience,” he said.

Published on March 10, 2026

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The Latest Fixed Deposit Interest Rates: Mar 06, 2026

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

A fixed deposit is a trusted way to maintain liquidity and earn an assured rate of return on the capital. Interest rates vary from one bank to another. Let’s take a comprehensive look at the interest rates on offer today.

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Bank	<1 year	1 to 2 years	2 to 3 years	3 to 5 years	w.e.f
FOREIGN BANKS
DBS Bank	6	6.6	6.4	6.4	Nov 14
Deutsche Bank	5	7	6.25	6.25	Jul 25
HSBC	4.1	5.5	5.35	5.5	Jul 17
Standard Chartered	5.75	6.6	6.5	6.5	Aug 29
INDIAN: PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS
Bank of Maharashtra	5.25	6.65	5.25	5.25	Jan 07
Bank of Baroda	6	6.6	6.5	6.4	Jun 12
Bank of India	5.5	6.6	6.3	6.25	Mar 02
Canara Bank	5.5	6.5	6.25	6.25	Jan 05
Central Bank of India	5	6.2	6.25	6	Dec 10
Indian Bank	4.75	6.6	6.15	6.05	Mar 03
Indian Overseas Bank	5.5	6.6	6.4	6.1	Dec 15
Punjab National Bank	5.6	6.6	6.3	6.1	Feb 24
Punjab & Sind Bank	4.85	6.75	6	5.95	Feb 16
State Bank of India	5.9	6.45	6.4	6.3	Dec 15
UCO Bank	6.3	6.45	6.1	6	Dec 11
Union Bank	6.1	6.6	6.25	6	Feb 11
INDIAN: PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS
Axis Bank	5.75	6.45	6.45	6.45	Mar 06
Bandhan Bank	4.20	7.25	7.25	7	Mar 06
CSB Bank	6.75	7	6.5	5.75	Sep 10
City Union Bank	6.25	7	6.5	6.25	Jan 14
DCB Bank	6.5	7	7	7.15	Jan 16
Dhanlaxmi Bank	5.25	6.95	6.25	7	Mar 01
Federal Bank	6	6.5	6.7	6.4	Feb 16
HDFC Bank	5.75	6.45	6.45	6.5	Mar 06
ICICI Bank	5.5	6.3	6.45	6.5	Mar 06
IDBI Bank	5.8	6.45	6.5	6.35	Feb 23
IDFC First Bank	5.5	7.2	7.2	7.2	Mar 04
IndusInd Bank	6.25	7	6.9	6.65	Sep 25
J & K Bank	6	6.75	7.25	6.65	Feb 11
Karnataka Bank	5.75	6.65	6.15	6.15	Aug 01
Kotak Bank	6	6.7	6.7	6.4	Feb 11
Karur Vysya Bank	6.65	6.55	6.55	6.55	Sep 26
RBL Bank	6.05	7.2	7.2	7	Sep 24
South Indian Bank	5.9	6.6	6.2	6.2	Jan 14
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank	6.4	7.1	6.6	6.6	Jan 08
TNSC Bank	6.85	7.6	7.1	6.85	NA
Yes Bank	6.5	7	7	7	Mar 05
SMALL FINANCE BANKS
AU Small Finance Bank	6.35	6.9	7.1	7	Jan 12
Equitas Small Finance Bank	6.35	6.9	7.4	7	Mar 02
ESAF Small Finance Bank	4.75	8	7.25	6	Mar 01
Jana Small Finance Bank	7	7.25	7.5	7.77	Jan 10
Suryoday Small Finance Bank	6.5	7.6	7.25	7.9	6-Mar
Utkarsh Small Finance Bank	6	7.5	7.5	7.25	Dec 01
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank	6	7.45	7.25	7.2	5-Aug

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Compiled by BankBazaar.com from respective bank’s website as on the date mentioned above. Note that fixed interest rates may be subject to a revision after a specified tenure depending on the bank’s T&Cs.

Some banks/FIs allow fixed rate only for a definite period and thereafter prevailing floating rates are made applicable.

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ईरान वॉर से बढ़ा वैश्विक संकट, अब रूस के प्रसिडेंट व्लादमीर पुतिन के इस बयान ने और बढ़ाई टेंशन

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 10, 2026 | Business

Middle East Tensions: ईरान पर United States और Israel के संयुक्त हमलों के बाद मिडिल ईस्ट की स्थिति बेहद तनावपूर्ण हो गई है. ईरान की ओर से जवाबी कार्रवाई करते हुए इजरायल के साथ-साथ अमेरिकी सैन्य ठिकानों को भी निशाना बनाया जा रहा है. इस बढ़ते संघर्ष के बीच वैश्विक ऊर्जा बाजार को लेकर गंभीर चिंता जताई जा रही है. इसी कड़ी में Vladimir Putin ने कहा है कि ईरान पर अमेरिका-इजरायल के हमलों ने वैश्विक ऊर्जा बाजार के सामने बड़ा संकट खड़ा कर दिया है.

पुतिन की चेतावनी

रूसी राष्ट्रपति Vladimir Putin ने सोमवार (स्थानीय समयानुसार) कहा कि आने वाले कुछ हफ्तों में Strait of Hormuz से तेल की आवाजाही पूरी तरह ठप हो सकती है. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि अगर European Union इच्छुक हो तो रूस लंबे समय तक ऊर्जा सहयोग के लिए तैयार है. सीनियर सरकारी अधिकारियों और रूस की प्रमुख तेल कंपनियों के अधिकारियों के साथ टेलीविजन बैठक में पुतिन ने कहा कि मिडिल ईस्ट में बिगड़ती स्थिति के कारण वैश्विक तेल आपूर्ति पर बड़ा दबाव बन गया है. इससे तेल की कीमतों में तेज उछाल आया है, जिसके वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था पर गंभीर परिणाम हो सकते हैं.

तेल की कीमतों में उछाल

इस तनाव के बीच कच्चे तेल की कीमतें बढ़कर करीब 119 डॉलर प्रति बैरल तक पहुंच गईं, जो साल 2022 के बाद पहली बार इतना ऊंचा स्तर है. तेल की कीमतों में यह तेजी मुख्य रूप से Strait of Hormuz से आपूर्ति बाधित होने की आशंका के कारण देखी जा रही है. यह संकरा समुद्री रास्ता वैश्विक तेल और गैस आपूर्ति के लिए बेहद अहम है, जहां से दुनिया के कुल तेल और गैस का लगभग पांचवां हिस्सा गुजरता है.

पुतिन ने यह भी कहा कि Russia दुनिया का दूसरा सबसे बड़ा तेल निर्यातक और सबसे बड़े गैस भंडार वाले देशों में से एक है. ऐसे में मौजूदा हालात से मॉस्को को फायदा मिल सकता है. उन्होंने रूस की ऊर्जा कंपनियों से कहा कि वे बदलती वैश्विक परिस्थितियों का लाभ उठाने के लिए तैयार रहें.

ये भी पढ़ें: वह दौर जब 147 डॉलर प्रति बैरल तक पहुंच गई थी क्रूड ऑयल की कीमत, बिना जंग के माहौल हो गया था गर्म

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