Foreign investors have pulled out Rs 88,180 crore (about USD 9.6 billion) from Indian equities so far this month, weighed down by escalating tensions in West Asia, a weakening rupee and concerns over the impact of elevated crude oil prices on India’s growth and corporate earnings.

The sharp sell-off follows a strong rebound in February, when foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) pumped in Rs 22,615 crore, the highest monthly inflow in 17 months, according to NSDL data.

With the latest withdrawals, total FPI outflows have crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore-mark so far in 2026.

In March (till March 20), FPIs have remained net sellers on every trading day, offloading equities worth Rs 88,180 crore in the cash market. However, the outflow is still lower than the record monthly exodus of Rs 94,017 crore seen in October 2024.

Market participants attributed the sustained selling pressure to global macroeconomic headwinds and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

Vaqarjaved Khan, Senior Fundamental Analyst at Angel One, said the primary trigger has been the sharp escalation in Middle East tensions, with fears of prolonged conflict and potential disruption to the Strait of Hormuz pushing Brent crude above USD 100, fuelling a classic risk-off move.
He added that the trend has been exacerbated by the rupee hovering near Rs 92 against the US dollar, elevated US bond yields, profit-booking after the February inflows, and mixed Q4 earnings outlook indicating margin pressures in key sectors.Himanshu Srivastava, Principal Manager Research at Morningstar Investment Research India, said the rising US Treasury yields as another key driver.

Higher yields have improved the relative attractiveness of dollar-denominated assets, prompting capital to move away from emerging markets like India. This shift is typically accompanied by a stronger dollar and tighter global liquidity, further dampening sentiment towards emerging market equities.

Echoing similar concerns, V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said the conflict in West Asia has intensified FPI selling.

He noted that weakness in global equity markets, continued rupee depreciation and worries over the impact of high crude prices on India’s growth and earnings have all weighed on investor sentiment.

Sectorally, financial services bore the brunt of the selling, with FPIs offloading shares worth Rs 31,831 crore during the fortnight ended March 15.

Looking ahead, analysts expect the near-term outlook to remain cautious.

Khan said continued volatility in oil prices or further escalation in geopolitical tensions could sustain outflows. However, any signs of de-escalation, strong support from domestic institutional investors (DIIs), or positive earnings surprises may help stabilise markets and trigger selective buying.

According to Vijayakumar, a reversal in FPI flows is likely only once geopolitical tensions ease and broader market stability returns.

Markets regulator Sebi board is set to meet on Monday to deliberate on a wide-ranging agenda, including a proposal to ease fund settlement norms for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), and changes to regulatory frameworks for market intermediaries, people familiar with the matter said.

A key item on the agenda is a proposal to allow Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to net funds for same-day cash market trades, instead of settling each trade individually.

Under the existing framework, an FPI needs to settle equity cash market trades on a gross basis, funding each purchase transaction independently of any sale transactions, even on the same day.

Sebi has proposed permitting “netting of funds”, which would allow FPIs to use proceeds from same-day sales to offset purchase obligations, thereby requiring them to meet only the net payable amount.

The move is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the cost of funding for them, especially on index rebalancing days. Also, it is expected to minimise forex-related costs arising from timing mismatches between inflows and outflows.

The proposal follows concerns that the current gross settlement system imposes additional funding requirements on FPIs for at least one extra day, increasing transaction costs.
This will be the fifth board meeting chaired by Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey since he assumed office on March 1, 2025.Apart from FPI-related reforms, the board will review a series of governance and regulatory proposals. These include a comprehensive overhaul of the “fit and proper person” criteria for market intermediaries, to enhance procedural clarity and fairness, the people familiar with the matter said.

Under this, Sebi is considering a proposal to abolish the reference to initiation of winding-up proceedings as a disqualification in a bid to ensure that only a final winding-up order, and not mere initiation of proceedings, is considered while assessing whether a person is fit and proper.

Also, the regulator is looking to explicitly include the right to a hearing in the rules. Although the practice of giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard already exists, it has been proposed to be clearly stated in the rules to remove any procedural ambiguity.

The board will also take up ease-of-doing business proposals related to real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).

Another significant agenda item is the consideration of a report submitted by a high-level panel on conflict of interest and transparency, they added.

The regulator will discuss the panel’s report, which proposes comprehensive reforms to bring in transparency by way of greater disclosure and a “zero-tolerance” culture to address conflict of interest of top officials of Sebi.

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For millions of Americans, higher electricity bills are becoming a monthly frustration and a growing force in the midterm elections.

Unlike more volatile costs such as gasoline, electricity is a steady, unavoidable expense tied directly to basic needs — keeping the lights on, heating and cooling homes and powering everyday life. That makes it especially politically sensitive at a time when many households are still feeling squeezed by broader inflation and high housing costs.

AMERICANS HIT WITH SOARING ELECTRICITY BILLS AS PRICE HIKES OUTPACE INFLATION NATIONWIDE

The issue is giving both parties fresh campaign ammunition, with Republicans casting higher bills as evidence of failed energy policies, regulatory overreach and a shift away from fossil fuels, while Democrats point to bill assistance programs, grid investments and clean energy incentives aimed at easing pressure on household budgets over time.

The fight is unfolding amid sharp regional divides in electricity prices. Federal energy data shows residential power costs vary widely across the country, illustrating how affordability pressures differ not just by income, but by geography, infrastructure and energy mix.

The latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national average at 17.24 cents per kilowatt-hour, up 6% from a year earlier — a jump that outpaces wage growth for many households and adds to cumulative cost pressures from rent, insurance and groceries.

North Dakota has the lowest average residential electricity rate in the country at 11.02 cents per kilowatt-hour, while Hawaii — an outlier shaped in part by geographic isolation and reliance on imported fuel — has the highest, at 41.62 cents per kWh.

Nebraska, Idaho, Oklahoma and Arkansas also rank among the cheapest states, while California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York join Hawaii among the most expensive. Many of the higher-cost states are also pursuing aggressive clean energy transitions or maintaining older, more complex grid systems — factors that can raise near-term costs even as they aim to stabilize prices in the long run.

Several of the cheapest states are deep-red, a pattern Republicans are likely to seize on to reinforce broader arguments about energy policy and cost of living — even though power prices are shaped as much by geography, fuel availability, regulatory structures and long-term infrastructure investments as by partisan control.

THE STATES WHERE AMERICANS PAY THE MOST — AND LEAST — FOR ELECTRICITY

Cheap electricity, however, does not always mean affordable energy. Weather extremes, household consumption patterns, housing efficiency, aging infrastructure and state-level utility decisions all affect what families ultimately pay. In hotter or colder regions, for instance, even low rates can translate into high monthly bills due to heavy air conditioning or heating use.

Utilities are also seeking rate increases in many states to cover grid modernization, wildfire mitigation, storm hardening and the expansion of renewable energy — costs that are often passed on to consumers gradually but steadily.

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Even so, the partisan pattern may prove politically useful in a campaign season shaped by anxiety over household expenses and economic uncertainty.

Gas prices may grab more headlines, but electricity bills can be more politically durable: they arrive every month, are harder to cut quickly and are often tied to local utilities and regulators. That gives candidates a direct way to connect national energy debates to a tangible, recurring household cost and to voter frustration that is felt not at the pump, but at the kitchen table.

The Powerball lottery drawing on Saturday, March 21, 2026, produced no grand prize winner, allowing the jackpot to roll over once again as players across the United States chased an estimated $123 million prize with a cash value of $55.8 million.

The official winning numbers, drawn at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery studios in Tallahassee, were **12-28-36-41-59**, with the red Powerball **2**. The Power Play multiplier was **2x**, boosting non-jackpot prizes for players who opted in.

According to the Multi-State Lottery Association and official Powerball results posted on powerball.com, no ticket matched all five white balls plus the Powerball to claim the top prize. The jackpot had climbed from an estimated $120 million ahead of the draw after no winner in the previous Wednesday, March 18, drawing (numbers 14-18-19-21-69, Powerball 1, Power Play 3x).

Lower-tier prizes saw solid action. While no tickets matched five white balls plus the Power Play for the $2 million second prize, reports indicate zero $1 million Match 5 winners nationwide in the main draw. Prize breakdowns from usamega.com and powerball.com detail:

– Match 5 + Powerball: 0 winners ($123,100,000 jackpot rollover)
– Match 5: 0 winners ($1,000,000 each)
– Match 4 + Powerball: Limited winners at $50,000 (with Power Play boosting to $100,000 in some cases)
– Match 4: Hundreds of tickets at $100 base
– Lower matches distributed thousands in $4 to $50 prizes, with Power Play doubling many.

The Double Play add-on drawing — available in select jurisdictions — featured numbers **9-29-34-48-58** with Powerball **4**, offering additional chances for prizes up to $10 million, though no top-tier Double Play jackpot was reported.

The March 21 drawing followed a pattern of rollovers that has kept the jackpot building steadily in early 2026. No jackpot winner had emerged in several consecutive draws, fueling excitement and ticket sales nationwide. The absence of a winner means the next drawing — Wednesday, March 25 — will feature an even larger estimated jackpot, likely pushing past $150 million depending on final sales figures.

Powerball operates in 45 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with drawings held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets cost $2 per play, with the optional Power Play for an extra $1 multiplying non-jackpot wins up to 10x (though capped at 2x or 3x when the jackpot is below certain thresholds). Double Play, where available, adds another $1 for a second chance at prizes.

Players are reminded to check tickets carefully, as smaller prizes often go unclaimed. Winners of prizes up to $600 typically redeem at retailers, while larger amounts require claims through state lottery offices. Jackpot winners can choose annuity payments over 30 years or a lump-sum cash option, which for this draw would have been approximately $55.8 million before taxes.

The lottery has long captured public imagination, with massive jackpots sparking “Powerball fever” and stories of life-changing wins. Past record holders include the $2.04 billion prize won in California in November 2022 and others exceeding $1 billion. No such mega-winner emerged Saturday, but the rollover ensures continued buzz.

As always, officials urge responsible play: buy only from authorized retailers, keep tickets safe and sign the back immediately upon purchase. Odds of winning the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million, though overall odds of any prize are about 1 in 24.9.

For those who purchased tickets, results are available on powerball.com, state lottery sites, apps and trusted news outlets. The next chance to win arrives Wednesday — with the jackpot poised to grow further if no one claims it.

The government may consider selling a stake in IDBI Bank through the Offer-for-Sale (OFS) route to increase public shareholding, after the unsuccessful attempt to divest stake in the LIC-controlled lender, sources said.

Currently, the public float in IDBI Bank is only 5.29 per cent, limiting the scope of fair valuation.

The remaining shares are with insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), with a controlling stake at 49.24 per cent, while the Government of India (GoI) holding stood at 45.48 per cent.

Earlier this month, the proposed sale of a 60.72 per cent majority stake, held jointly by the government and the LIC, was scrapped after financial bids from two potential buyers reportedly fell short of the reserve price.

Low free float restricts the scope for fair markvaluation, and expanding this by 10 per cent or 15 per cent would make price discovery more reliable, sources said.

It can provide a reliable benchmark for valuation and further make the price discovery process transparent, they said, adding, strategic sale can be pursued even after one or two tranches of OFS.
As per the failed plan, both the government and LIC were to offload 30.48 per cent and 30.24 per cent stake, respectively.This is the second time that the government has wanted to privatise IDBI Bank since the first announcement made in 2016. The idea was first officially flagged in the Union Budget speech by then-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in February 2016.

The first attempt to privatise the then state-owned IDBI Bank failed due to valuation concerns.

However, the government later sold the controlling stake to LIC, which had been eyeing acquiring a stake in a bank to expand its bancassurance business model.

Subsequently, in January 2019, LIC acquired a 51 per cent controlling stake in IDBI Bank for approximately Rs 21,624 crore to rescue the lender from heavy bad loans as part of the disinvestment process.

As a result, the bank was categorised as a private-sector bank by the Reserve Bank of India.

In December 2020, the lender was reclassified as an associate company following the reduction of LIC’s stake in the bank to 49.24 per cent.

The process for privatisation gained formal momentum when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval in May 2021 for strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control in IDBI Bank.

In October 2022, KPMG India was appointed as Transaction Advisor and the intent to sell 60.72 per cent stake in the bank was announced.

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) in October 2022, and market regulator Sebi approved the reclassification of GOI as a public shareholder upon completion of the sale in January 2023.

Later in August 2025, the regulator gave its nod for reclassification of LIC as a public shareholder upon completion of the sale and after a long due diligence period, financial bids from two Emirates NBD Bank and Prem Vatsa-promoted Fairfax India were finally received in February 2026.