Aircraft that carried Ajit Pawar holds ₹210 crore in liability insurance

Aircraft that carried Ajit Pawar holds ₹210 crore in liability insurance


Baramati, Maharasthra, 28 Jan 2026: Remains of the Learjet 45 (private jet) carrying Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar crashed near the Baramati Airport runway, at Baramati, Maharasthra, on 28 January 2026.
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI

The aircraft in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was travelling held ₹210 crore in liability insurance.

The aircraft of VSR aviation, solely insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance, was valued at ₹50 crore. The private sector general insurer’s exposure under the policy is supported through adequate reinsurance arrangements.

Pawar and four other persons on board the aircraft VT-SSK were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in his home district of Pune on Wednesday morning. Of the total five persons on board there were two crew members.

Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield and traffic information is provided by the instructors/pilot from the flying training organisations.

VSR Ventures is a Non-Scheduled Operator (NSOP). The Initial AOP was issued on April 21, 2014. The AOP was last renewed on April 3, 2023, and is valid till April 20, 2028. The organisation currently has 17 aircraft in the fleet.

The aircraft VT-SSK was manufactured in 2010. “This aircraft has a liability limit of ₹210 crore in insurance,” sources told businessline.

ICICI Lombard expressed its deepest condolences to the families affected by the unfortunate aircraft incident.

“The aircraft was insured under an aviation insurance policy issued by ICICI Lombard. Consistent with our prudent risk management and retention framework, the exposure under the policy is appropriately supported through adequate reinsurance arrangements,” it said.

“We remain committed to the highest standards of regulatory compliance and corporate governance. Our teams are closely coordinating with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to facilitate the claims process in accordance with policy terms and applicable regulatory requirements,” the insurance company added.

Published on January 28, 2026



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India’s pulses imports likely to drop by 30% during FY26 to 5 million tonnes

India’s pulses imports likely to drop by 30% during FY26 to 5 million tonnes


India’s pulses will likely decline by about a third to around 5 million tonnes during the current financial year against 7.3 million tonnes the previous fiscal year on higher carried forward stocks, weakening rupee against the dollar and levy of duty on yellow peas.

“India imported 7.3 million tonnes last year. I think this year we will end up with around 5 million tonnes. The imported quantity has come down significantly. A lot of quantity got carried over the last year and I think that is also a reason for decline in imports,” said Bimal Kothari, Chairman, India Pulses & Grains Association (IPGA), the apex trade body for the sector.

The quick estimates released by the Commerce Ministry recently point to a similar trend for the current financial year. Pulses imports in value terms were down by 33.33 per cent at $2.525 billion during April-December period of current financial year over corresponding previous year’s $3.788 billion, as per the quick estimates.

Yellow peas imports plunge

Kothari said the imports till December were down at around 4 million tonnes and another one million tonnes is expected by March end. Further, Kothari said the weakening rupee is making the imports expensive. The rupee has declined by about 7-8 per cent in the past four months, he said.

The imports of yellow peas has come down significantly following the imposition of the 30 per cent duty during the year. Though prices of some varieties have firmed up a bit, I don’t think it will have any impact on the consumer, he said.

“Consumers are getting everything below minimum support price. Stocks are good, prices are more or less stable despite the rupee weakening and the crops are good. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about the availability of pulses during the current year. We will have a better update by the first week of March,” Kothari added.

As per IPGA, the overall imports of pulses for the Jan-November period of calendar 2025, were down by around 8 per cent at 56.65 lakh tonnes (61.56 lakh tonnes in same period last year). Imports of masur were up 1.2 per cent during Jan-Nov at 9.35 lakh tonnes (9.19 lakh tonnes), whereas tur imports were down 7.71 per cent during the period at 10.54 lakh tonnes (11.43 lakh tonnes). Urad imports during Jan-Nov were up 42 per cent at 9.86 lakh tonnes (6.94 lakh tonnes), while yellow peas were down 58 per cent at 11.41 lakh tonnes (27.33 lakh tonnes) and chana imports were up 472 per cent during the period at 13.25 lakh tonnes (2.31 lakh tonnes)

As per the first advance estimates, India’s pulses production during kharif 2025 season is estimated a tad lower at 74.13 lakh tonnes against 77.33 lakh tonnes a year ago. The pulses acreages during the ongoing rabi planting season are up 3 per cent till Jan 23, 2026, at 137.55 lakh hectares (lh) (133.94 lh a year ago). Acreage of the main rabi pulses crop — chana is up 5.11 per cent at 95.88 lh (91.22 lh), raising prospects for a good harvest. Masur (lentils area is up 2.6 per cent at 18.12 lh over (17.66 lh).

Published on January 28, 2026



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India’s urea imports top 8 million tonnes as domestic sales rise 4% in April-December ‘25

India’s urea imports top 8 million tonnes as domestic sales rise 4% in April-December ‘25


Urea sales during April–December 2025 increased 3.8 per cent to 31.16 million tonnes (mt), compared with 30.02 mt in the corresponding period last year, the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) on Wednesday said in a statement. With the domestic urea production during the period sliding 3 per cent to 22.44 mt, imports rose 85.3 per cent to 8 mt.

Urea is the key fertiliser for the small and marginal farmers since it is heavily subsidised and sold at Rs 267/bag (of 45 kg), compared with di ammonium phosphate (DAP) at Rs 1,350/bag (of 50 kg), and both complex (in combination of N, P, K nutrients) and muriate of potash (MOP) at over Rs 1,500/bag (of 50 kg).

Import of complex fertilisers rose 121.8 per cent to 3.29 mt despite its production increasing 13.1 per cent to 9.27 mt and sales largely stable at 11.74 mt, the data showed.

More balanced fertilisation

“The April-December 2025 data show how the fertiliser sector has worked to keep nutrients available through a balance of domestic production and calibrated imports,” FAI Chairman S Sankarasubramanian said.

According to Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General of FAI, the evolving nutrient mix reflected in the data underscores a gradual shift towards more balanced fertilisation practices. As fertiliser planning continues through the remainder of the Rabi season, sustained focus on aligning nitrogen, phosphatic and potassic nutrients with crop and soil needs will remain central to ensuring efficient fertiliser use, he added.

The much sought after DAP’s domestic production during the first three quarters of current fiscal recorded at 3.03 mt, down by 3.9 per cent, compared with the year-ago period, while imports increased 45.7 per cent to 5.95 mt. On the other hand, sales of DAP reported to be 8 mt, compared with 8.33 mt, down by 4.1 per cent.

Curbs on DAP exports

Industry sources said that since the supplying countries are increasingly restricting sales of DAP’s key raw material rock phosphates and insisting on selling finished products, it is a challenge to run the production facilities.

On the other hand, sales of MOP, which are 100 per cent import dependent, increased 5.3 per cent to 1.77 mt, even as imports declined 22.4 per cent to 2.14 mt. Single Super Phosphate (SSP) production increased 10.3 per cent to 4.43 mt, its sales rose 13.1 per cent to 4.71 mt .

The association has said that coordinated production planning, calibrated imports and the strengthening of indigenous nutrient options together support the objective of balanced fertilisation.

Published on January 28, 2026



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Dollar slump lifts precious metals complex to fresh high

Dollar slump lifts precious metals complex to fresh high


The dollar’s slide to a four-year low lent fresh momentum to the precious metals complex on Wednesday, pushing prices further , even as geopolitical tensions continued to support it. 

Reactions to the latest rally were mixed with some analysts forecasting further surge in the precious metals, but some cautioned saying they are in the over-bought category. 

At 1915 hours IST, gold zoomed to $5,295 an ounce. Gold April futures soared to $5,344 an ounce before easing. In India, the yellow precious ended at a fresh high of ₹1,64,635 per 10 gm. On MCX, its April futures quoted at ₹1,73,799 after hitting ₹1,73,900.

Silver, which ruled over $115 an ounce, eased to $113.93 an ounce. March futures of the white precious metal quoted at $114.20 an ounce. In the Mumbai spot market, it ended at ₹3,58,627 per kg after soaring to ₹3,61,821 at the opening. On MCX, February futures were ₹3,81,160, easing from ₹3,83,100. 

Platinum, which plunged by over 10 per cent on Tuesday, recovered to rule at $2,655.50 an ounce. Palladium, which lost 12 per cent, topped $2,000 an ounce again at $2,015.50.

Research agency BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said precious metals continued to rally as a myriad of geopolitical tensions supported their rise. “We have raised our gold price forecast for 2026 to an annual average of $4,600/oz, and expect it to remain elevated between $4,500 and $5,500/oz in the coming weeks,” it said.

Aamir Makda, Commodity & Currency Analyst at Choice Broking, said while the momentum (in precious metals) was “undeniably” strong, there was a technical warning sign. “The RSI (Relative Strength Index) is currently in overbought territory across all timeframes. More importantly, a Daily RSI divergence has appeared—a classic “red flag” suggesting that long positions should proceed with caution despite the bullishness,” he said.

In a separate note, Goldman Sachs flagged a “meaningful upside risk” to its gold forecast of $5,400 an ounce by December 2026. Deutsche Bank said, based on gold’s performance over the past two years, prices closer to $6,900 an ounce would be more consistent.

Société Générale expects gold to reach $6,000 an ounce by end-2026 but said the forecast could prove conservative. Morgan Stanley sees gold potentially topping $5,700.

BMI said uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump’s shifting policy stance on Greenland and other geopolitical issues was likely to remain bullish for gold in 2026.

On silver, BMI noted that the market remained fundamentally tight, with implied lease rates — the cost of borrowing physical silver — still elevated near 3 per cent. “In a balanced market, these rates would typically be near zero,” it said, adding that the Shanghai premium was at an all-time high of about 10 per cent, indicating stronger prices in China than in London or New York.

Domestic market

Prices are even higher in India, where retail demand for silver continues to climb. “From a technical perspective, however, silver now appears expensive relative to gold, with the gold-to-silver ratio currently at a four-year low. We believe most of the rise in silver over the past week has been due to the same reasons as gold, with speculative buying leading the latest rally,” said BMI. 

It said it expects silver prices to ease in the coming months as supply tightness eases and industrial demand for silver starts to peak with a slowing Chinese economy. “Indeed, we believe demand for silver from China’s solar industry has likely already peaked in 2025,” said the research agency.

Some analysts, including Marko Kolanovic, former chief strategist and co-head of Global Research at JP Morgan, see silver prices halving latter in 2026. 

US-based financial services firm Citigroup Inc said spot silver could surge to as high as $150 an ounce over the next three months. It said in a note that Chinese buying is providing the momentum for silver.

“Silver is behaving like ‘gold squared’ or ‘gold on steroids’ . We think this will likely continue until silver looks expensive by historical standards, relative to gold,” it said. Earlier this week, silver touched a record $117.7 an ounce, fuelled by physical demand, speculative interest and Chinese purchases.

 Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank said the platinum group of metals has been supported by demand from China with fundamentals favouring platinum over palladium.

So fat this year, gold has gained 22 per cent, silver 58 per cent, platinum 28 per cent and palladium 19 per cent.

Published on January 28, 2026



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Attracting funds into distressed assets space: ARCs seek better tax treatment for AIFs

Attracting funds into distressed assets space: ARCs seek better tax treatment for AIFs


According “pass-through” status for AIFs will help its investors earn better return on their investment
| Photo Credit:
M.photostock

In a bid to attract capital into the distressed assets space, asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) have sought a “pass-through” status for income earned by Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) from their investments in such assets.

If accorded a “pass-through” status, AIFs will not have to pay tax at the entity level. However, their investors will pay tax.

An AIF is a privately pooled investment vehicle (a fund established or incorporated in India), which collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for investing it in accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The Association of ARCs in India, in a representation to the Finance Ministry, noted that an AIF pools resources from various investors and any income earned from its investment in security receipts (SRs) should logically be treated as income at the hand of investors. At present, such income is taxed as business income of AIFs, attracting maximum tax level of 42.74 per cent.

According “pass-through” status for AIFs will help its investors earn better return on their investment, aligning risk with reward for putting money in riskier distressed assets. So, more money will flow into distressed debt ensuring liquidity and better chances of revival of sick units.

“The RBI’s Committee on ARC Sector in 2021 had recommended a pass through regime for AIFs’ income from investment in SRs. This measure will boost investor sentiment and attract funding into the distressed debt market through Security Receipts issued by ARCs and provide depth and liquidity,” said Hari Hara Mishra, CEO, Association of ARCs in India.

Role of ARCs

ARCs acquire stressed assets, including bad loans, loans showing signs of incipient stress, and written-off accounts, from banks and financial institutions and implement resolution strategies for maximising recovery and optimizing the value of such assets.

An SR is a receipt issued by an ARC to any qualified buyer evidencing purchase or acquisition of an undivided right, title or interest in the financial asset involved in securitisation.

ARCs have also sought clarity on the tax rate applicable to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) when they invest in SRs issued by ARCs. They noted that under the Income-Tax law, no specific tax rate is mentioned for taxability of FPIs’ interest income or upside received by them from their investment in SRs.

Published on January 28, 2026



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Broker’s call: CAMS (Buy)

Broker’s call: CAMS (Buy)


Target: ₹940

CMP: ₹709.45

Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) reported modest revenue growth of 5.5 per cent y-o-y and 3.6 per cent q-o-q in Q3 FY26, despite strong performance in non-MF segment (up 24 per cent y-o-y and 4 per cent q-o-q), as yield pressures weighed on overall topline largely in line with estimate. The company re-negotiated prices and the impact of telescopic pricing showed in slower y-o-y revenue growth. Further, the AUM saw modest sequential growth. Yields compressed to 2.1 bps from 2.36 bps a year ago.

We expect continued expansion in non-MF segment to enhance revenue diversification and aid margin expansion. We estimate its revenue to clock 11 per cent CAGR over FY25-FY28, with non-MF segment outpacing at 15 per cent CAGR over the same period.

While EBITDA margin fell 89 bps y-o-y, reflecting yield compression led by telescopic pricing structure and renegotiation with select clients, it rose 137 bps q-o-q due to better operating leverage.

As the bulk of yield compression is behind now, the management expects to sustain EBITDA margin 44-45 per cent, aided by improved operating efficiency and growing margin profile in non-MF business. Given steady growth in core MF segment and non-MF revenue emerging as the key growth driver, we maintain Buy rating on the stock with a 12-month TP of ₹940, valuing it at 38x FY28e EPS.

Risks: Macro-economic uncertainty and lower fees to RTAs due to reduction in TERs.

Published on January 28, 2026



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