Crude oil prices on India's MCX surged 7.4% on Monday, April 13, after the US military announced preparations to blockade ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil supply moves. The move followed the collapse of US-Iran truce negotiations, removing a diplomatic buffer that had kept supply-disruption risk priced at moderate levels. The Strait of Hormuz blockade threat is a direct supply-shock mechanism: any restriction on tanker traffic forces buyers in Asia and Europe to source alternative crude at premium prices, widening differentials and pressuring refining margins globally. Indian refiners, who depend heavily on Gulf crude imports, face both higher input costs and currency hedging pressure if the disruption extends. The near-term trajectory depends on whether diplomatic back-channels reopen or US enforcement action escalates. Traders should watch official US naval deployment updates, OPEC member responses, and any emergency inventory release signals from the IEA as leading indicators of the next directional move in crude.
Indian startups raised $5.2 billion across 501 deals in H1 2026, down 9% in value but up 7% in deal count year-on-year, per the Inc42 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report. The drop is driven by fewer mega-rounds, while AI funding surged 317% and growth-stage deal activity hit a multi-year high.
The BSE Sensex fell 893 points and the Nifty 50 shed 279 points on June 30, 2026, wiping out roughly Rs 6 lakh crore in investor wealth in a single session. Both indices dropped 1.16%, closing at 76,200.68 and 23,824.10 respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fell nearly 3% to Rs 397.6 after CEO Ashok Vaswani announced plans to exit the bank. Investor concern now centres on succession timing and whether the bank's ongoing digital and deposit-growth strategy will stay on track.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 3% at Monday's open while Japan's Nikkei fell 1%, as escalating US-Iran conflict triggered a broad risk-off move across Asian markets. South Korea's heavy reliance on Middle East oil imports makes it especially vulnerable to geopolitical shocks of this kind.
