The Indian rupee hit a record low on Thursday, pressured by rising crude oil prices that have climbed back to 2022 highs. The move has put the Reserve Bank of India back on the defensive as it tries to manage currency stability while guarding against inflation and slowing growth. India imports the bulk of its energy needs, so a sustained rise in crude prices directly widens the trade deficit and stokes consumer inflation, squeezing the economy from two sides at once. Higher oil prices also tend to pull capital out of emerging markets like India, as investors seek safer returns elsewhere, adding further pressure on the rupee. The central bank will face a difficult choice: intervene in currency markets to slow the rupee's fall, which draws down foreign exchange reserves, or allow depreciation that feeds inflation. Investors will be watching RBI's next moves closely, along with any further shift in global crude prices, for signs of how much room Indian policymakers have to maneuver.
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.
