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Image for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma Wholesale price inflation rose to a 11-month high of 2.13% in February, driven by an uptick in prices of food and non-food articles, even though vegetable prices eased on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Monday (March 16, 2026).This is the fourth straight month of rise in Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation. It was 1.81% in January and 2.45% in February last year.Economists said the WPI inflation is likely to pick up pace further if the oil price rise persists, and spills over to other goods (fertilisers, aluminium)…

James Foster. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Monday confirmed the appointment of former England international James Foster as its fielding coach for the 2026 IPL season.Foster – who represented England in seven Tests, 12 ODIs, and five T20Is – has extensive coaching experience in both franchise and international cricket. He recently coached Desert Vipers to the title in the ILT20, and is the assistant coach of Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.CSK will be Foster’s second IPL stint, having been with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2020 to 2023, while he has also had stints in…

Super Kings’ latest additions Prashanth and Kartik are eager to learn and improve. | Photo Credit: R. RAGU M.S. Dhoni’s first piece of advice to Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) ₹14.20 crore recruit Prashant Veer was not about field placements or finishing games. It was about money.Prashant revealed that the CSK legend’s early counsel was refreshingly practical. “Right now,We haven’t spoken much about cricket. He told me to save my money and not spend it unnecessarily,” Prashant said with a smile after the inauguration of the 12th Pavit Singh Nayar Memorial All India inter-collegiate T20 tournament at the Guru Nanak College…

Sanju Samson during a media interaction in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. | Photo Credit: A. JAYAMOHAN Sanju Samson is basking in the glory of India’s T20 World Cup triumph and relishing the biggest moment of his cricket career. However, Samson has now shifted his focus to IPL and hopes to carry his superb form into the premier T20 domestic tournament.“Winning the T20 World Cup was the biggest moment of my career but now I am focussed on doing well in the IPL. I am turning out for a new team (Chennai Super Kings) and I would like to give my best…

According to the Punjab’s Economic Survey 2025-26, of the total 1,22,842 applicants registered with the State’s Unemployment Bureau in 2025 (as of 30th September), 58% were unskilled and 42% categorised as skilled. File | Photo Credit: Retuters Even as Punjab’s Economic Survey 2025-26 notes that a combination of “pull” and “push” factors is behind brain drain from the State, experts argue that Punjab is witnessing ‘distress migration’ owing to the continued failure of the political leadership and governments to address the root causes pushing people to leave.According to the survey, a range of “push” and “pull” factors has led many…

India’s exports in March are likely to be impacted by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Commerce Secretary said. | Photo Credit: PTI India’s trade balance stood at a deficit of around $4 billion in February 2026, compared with a surplus of $2.7 billion in February last year, due in large part to Indian merchandise exports remaining flat while imports of both merchandise and services grew significantly during the month.While releasing the data, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India’s exports in March are likely to be impacted by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Read: Iran-Israel war LIVEAccording to data…

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru getting ready for host the first IPL match of 2026, in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K The Karnataka government on Monday (March 16, 2026) officially cleared the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for hosting IPL 2026 matches. The government’s decision follows the multi-department expert committee submitting its assessment report, stating that the stadium has undergone satisfactory upgrades.Now, with all decks cleared, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will witness its first major match after ten months of lull on March 28. The home team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will start their title-defending campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)…

There was a time when retirement in India was largely someone else’s responsibility. A government pension or the comfort of a large joint family often filled the gap. That reality, however, has changed quietly but decisively. Today, the burden of retirement security is shifting squarely onto individuals and households. If we do not plan early and deliberately, the cost of delay can quickly become overwhelming.The uncomfortable truth is simple. In modern India, growing old without being financially prepared is a risk many households can no longer afford.Pension gap is realIndia has made visible progress in financial inclusion. Bank account ownership…

One of the first steps while applying for a personal loan involves reviewing your eligibility and shortlisting lenders whose requirements align with your needs and profile. Choosing the right lender can have a significant impact on both the overall borrowing cost and the borrowing experience. Careful evaluation of key metrics is required to choose the most suitable lender for you.After shortlisting the potential lenders, borrowers should further narrow down available offers to find the best fit. Differences in minimum income thresholds, employment stability requirements and credit score expectations can influence both approval chances and processing timelines. Evaluating these factors in…

Alpha is the excess return a portfolio generates over an “appropriate” benchmark. An “appropriate” benchmark means a fund’s alpha will be useful for evaluation only if it holds stocks from the chosen benchmark. Regulation allows large-cap funds to invest not more than 20% in stocks outside of the benchmark. So, comparison of a large-cap fund’s performance to its benchmark may not be technically meaningful. Previously in this column, we discussed why a blended benchmark (say, 80% large-cap and 20% mid-cap index) may be optimal. Such blended benchmarks are not easy to create for individual investors. In this article, we discuss…