India’s fuel supplies and maritime operations remain stable despite the ongoing tensions in West Asia, with the government asserting that there is no need for panic as domestic LPG deliveries continue normally and Indian vessels are operating safely.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, “domestic LPG cylinder deliveries remain normal,” with “more than 51.5 lakh domestic LPG cylinders” delivered on April 10 alone, even as supply chains face pressure due to developments around the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministry emphasised that the government has taken multiple steps to ensure uninterrupted supply, noting that it has “prioritised domestic LPG and PNG supply, along with high priority for hospitals and educational institutions.” It added that “no dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships,” indicating stable availability across the country.

Highlighting consumer behaviour, the ministry said that “online LPG bookings have increased to about 98 per cent across the industry,” while “Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have increased to around 93 per cent to prevent diversion.” To ease pressure on LPG demand, the government has also pushed alternatives.

“Citizens are encouraged to use alternate fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops,” the ministry said, adding that over “26,000 PNG consumers have surrendered LPG connections via MYPNGD till date.” On the commercial side, the government has increased supply allocations to minimise disruption.

The ministry noted that “total commercial LPG allocation has been increased to about 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels,” and these measures are “expected to prevent supply-chain disruptions, avoid shortages of essential goods and ensure continuity of industrial operations.”

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas further said that enforcement actions are being intensified, with “more than 3400 raids” conducted on April 10 to curb hoarding and black marketing, while penalties have been imposed on erring distributors. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said India’s maritime operations remain secure, with no incidents reported. It stated that “all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours.”

In a key development, the ministry confirmed that the India-flagged LPG vessel Jag Vikram has “safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz” carrying “approximately 20,400 MT of LPG cargo,” and is expected to reach Mumbai on April 15. The ministry also highlighted ongoing evacuation efforts, stating that it has “facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 2,009 Indian seafarers so far, including 81 in the last 24 hours.”

On the safety of Indian nationals in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs said that “the Government continues to closely monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region” and is in “regular contact with State Governments and Union Territories for better sharing of information and coordination.” The ministry added that efforts remain focused on “ensuring the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region,” with “Indian Missions and Posts continue to operate round-the-clock helplines and are proactively assisting Indian nationals.”

It further said that “updated advisories are being issued regularly,” including information on travel, local guidelines and consular services, while missions are “actively engaged with Indian community associations, professional groups, Indian companies and other stakeholders.” Despite disruptions, air connectivity is being maintained in several parts of the region.

The ministry noted that “since 28 February, around 8,71,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India.” Providing country-specific updates, it said that in the UAE, “airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled commercial flights,” with “around 95 flights expected today,” while flights are also operating from Saudi Arabia and Oman.

With Qatar’s airspace partially open, “Qatar Airways is expected to operate around 8-10 flights to India today,” it added. The ministry said that Kuwait’s airspace remains closed, but “travel of Indian nationals from Kuwait continues to be facilitated through Saudi Arabia,” while from Bahrain, movement is also being enabled via Saudi Arabia.

It further stated that the Embassy of India in Tehran has “facilitated movement of 2,225 Indian nationals from Iran to Armenia and Azerbaijan for onward travel to India,” including students and fishermen. Highlighting other routes, the ministry said that as Israeli airspace remains closed, “travel of Indian nationals continue to be facilitated through Jordan and Egypt,” while from Iraq, where airspace is partially open, travel is being routed via Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Reassuring the public, the government has urged citizens to remain calm. “Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of petrol, diesel and LPG and rely only on official sources for information,” the petroleum ministry said. The government added that coordinated efforts with states are underway, with regular monitoring, enforcement drives, and public communication to ensure adequate fuel availability and prevent misinformation.

Published on April 11, 2026

A decade after its launch, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has evolved from a simple money transfer system into the backbone of the country’s digital economy, clocking exponential growth in both scale and scope.

From just 17.86 million transactions worth ₹6,952 crore in FY17, UPI has surged to 218.98 billion transactions totalling nearly ₹285 lakh crore in FY26, according to Tracxn data. Monthly transaction value has jumped from ₹21 lakh crore in FY20 to about ₹30 lakh crore recently, underlining strong post-pandemic adoption.

The platform now serves roughly 400 million active users, with nearly 250 million daily users and about 450 million monthly users, as highlighted by CRED cofounder Kunal Shah. UPI is also seeing rising traction in recurring payments, with close to 100 million autopay mandates set up and around 500 million monthly autopay debits.

Industry executives said the success of UPI lies in its ability to democratise digital payments. “UPI has successfully decoupled digital payments from high-end hardware and high-income brackets to driving genuine financial inclusion across the country,” said Rahul Chari, cofounder and CTO of PhonePe, and chairman of the UPI Committee at the Payments Council of India.

The government’s policy push, regulatory support and interoperability framework have helped UPI emerge as the world’s largest real-time payments system, fundamentally altering how consumers and merchants transact.

Even as subsidies taper, UPI continues to grow at around 30 per cent, with the next milestone being a billion users over the coming decade. “While the growth might feel more organic in percentage terms due to the large base, in absolute terms the expansion will be relentless,” Chari added, noting that UPI is increasingly becoming a financial identity across demographics.

Fintech leaders believe the next phase of UPI will go beyond payments. “If the first decade was about access and adoption, the next will be defined by depth—of usage, engagement and real financial empowerment,” said Prakash Sikaria, CEO and founder of super.money.

He added that UPI is now evolving into a full-stack financial ecosystem, enabling first-time users to access formal credit and build financial confidence. The emergence of credit lines on UPI is expected to unlock significant opportunities, particularly for underserved segments lacking access to affordable formal credit.

As competition intensifies and innovation deepens, UPI’s next chapter is likely to be shaped by personalised financial services, AI-driven experiences and broader inclusion, cementing its role at the centre of India’s digital financial infrastructure.

Published on April 11, 2026

Foreign portfolio investors pulled out a net ₹28,375.86 crore from Indian equities over the five trading sessions ended April 10, 2026, according to data published by the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL). When debt, hybrid and mutual fund instruments are included, total net outflows for the week stood at ₹40,190.54 crore.

The week opened with the steepest single-day outflows. On Monday, April 6, FPIs recorded a net equity outflow of ₹9,469.61 crore and a total net outflow — across all instruments — of ₹14,871.41 crore at a rupee-dollar conversion of ₹93.2088, equivalent to $1,595.50 million. Tuesday, April 7 saw equity outflows ease marginally to ₹8,636.75 crore, with total net outflows at ₹13,361.89 crore, or $1,435.83 million, at ₹93.0591 to the dollar.

Wednesday, April 8 marked a notable shift in pace. Net equity outflows dropped to ₹6,809.74 crore, and total net outflows across all instruments declined sharply to ₹6,973.94 crore — roughly half of Tuesday’s figure — at a conversion rate of ₹92.9625, amounting to $750.18 million. The moderation continued into Thursday, April 9, when equity outflows narrowed further to ₹1,395.55 crore and total net outflows fell to ₹1,666.59 crore, or $180.07 million, at ₹92.5586.

“…the intensity of selling moderated significantly as the week progressed… this moderation in outflows coincided with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East, which helped ease immediate geopolitical concerns and improved global risk sentiment,” said Himanshu Srivastava, Principal, Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India.

Friday, April 10 closed the week with equity net outflows of ₹2,064.21 crore and total net outflows of ₹3,316.71 crore at ₹92.7129, equivalent to $357.74 million. Within Friday’s data, Debt-FAR instruments posted a net inflow of ₹795.21 crore, mutual funds recorded a net inflow of ₹134.71 crore, and the hybrid segment posted a marginal net inflow of ₹5.64 crore — the only instrument categories to record positive flows on the day.

The week’s equity outflows of ₹28,375.86 crore translated to approximately $3.05 billion, based on NSDL’s daily conversion rates. Total outflows across all instruments for the week amounted to roughly $4.32 billion.

“A relatively weaker rupee impacts dollar-adjusted returns for FIIs, which often prompts portfolio rebalancing towards safer and more liquid assets during periods of uncertainty,” explained, Srivastava.

Despite the sustained foreign outflows, Indian benchmark indices ended the week significantly higher, snapping a six-week losing streak. The Nifty 50 surged 5.89 per cent to reclaim the 24,000 mark, while the Bank Nifty gained 8.47 per cent to close at 55,908. The recovery was broad-based, with the banking sector leading gains on the back of early Q4 business updates.

“…DIIs provided a meaningful counterbalance… their participation played a crucial role in absorbing selling pressure and helping stabilise indices near key support levels” said, Dr. Ravi Singh, Chief Research Officer, Master Capital Services Limited.

Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited noted, “Other markets like South Korea and Taiwan are considered more attractive from the FPI perspective since these markets are expected to deliver much superior earnings growth when compared to the modest earnings growth expected in India in FY27. The sharp correction in the market after the war began has made the valuations fair; but not compelling buys, yet.”

On the derivatives front, FPI activity in index futures showed a declining trend in open interest through the week — from 4,04,142 contracts worth ₹60,309 crore on Monday to 3,85,765 contracts worth ₹60,608.50 crore by Friday. Stock futures open interest, however, rose over the same period, moving from 72,90,091 contracts at ₹4,30,409.28 crore on Monday to 73,54,438 contracts at ₹4,59,288.88 crore on Friday, suggesting continued FPI positioning in single-stock futures even as broader index exposure was trimmed.

N. ArunaGiri, CEO, TrustLine Holdings said, “After two consecutive years of outflows, it would not be surprising to see a reversal in trend, with flows turning positive in a meaningful way as the cycle turns.”

The coming week’s FPI flows are expected to be shaped by developments in US-Iran negotiations, the trajectory of crude oil prices, and the broader quarterly earnings season, which will offer fresh signals on corporate health and sectoral momentum.

Published on April 11, 2026