News Headlines 1 December 2025: Read Today’s Banking, Finance, Economy, Business News

News Headlines 1 December 2025

Ola Electric Falls to 5th Place in EV Market as Rival Brands Surge Ahead

Ola Electric, once India’s leading electric scooter brand, has dropped to the fifth spot in November sales, capturing only 7.4% market share with 8,254 units sold. Strong competition from Hero MotoCorp, TVS, Bajaj, and Ather has pushed Ola down the rankings. While legacy manufacturers gained momentum with wider distribution and stronger product reliability, Ola is facing regulatory issues, operational challenges, and declining revenues. Meanwhile, Ather Energy has expanded rapidly, improved its financial performance, and now holds a higher market valuation than Ola.

RBI Likely to Pause Rate Cut in December, Says SBI Research

A new SBI Research report suggests that expectations of a 25 bps rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India have faded, with strong Q2 growth data and global trends pointing toward a policy pause in December. The report notes that central banks worldwide have entered a “pause phase” in their monetary cycles, even as equity markets show signs of irrational behaviour.

SBI highlights a major disconnect in India’s bond market — the gap between the repo rate and the 10-year G-Sec yield has widened sharply to 100–110 bps, hurting monetary policy transmission. To address this without cutting rates, SBI recommends a shift to a “neutral regime” with calibrated easing, involving targeted liquidity actions and clearer communication from the RBI.

MTNL Fined ₹5.42 Lakh by NSE & BSE for Not Meeting Board Composition Rules

State-owned telecom operator MTNL has been penalised ₹5.42 lakh by the NSE and BSE for failing to meet SEBI’s rules on board composition. The exchanges said MTNL has not complied with Regulation 17(1) of SEBI’s LODR norms, which require companies to have a sufficient number of independent directors on their board.

MTNL clarified in its filing that it still needs to appoint four more independent directors to meet the requirement. However, since it is a PSU, all board appointments must be made by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which has delayed the process.

The total fine includes a basic penalty of ₹4.6 lakh plus 18% GST. MTNL noted that the DoT appointed two independent directors — including one woman director — in April 2025, and the company has already requested the government to fill the remaining vacancies. MTNL has also asked NSE and BSE to waive the fines.

Seven of India’s Top Companies Add ₹96,200 Crore in Market Value as Sensex Hits New High

Seven of India’s ten most valuable companies saw a combined rise of ₹96,200.95 crore in market capitalisation last week, supported by a bullish trend in the equity markets. The BSE Sensex climbed 474.75 points (0.55%) and touched a fresh all-time high of 86,055.86 on Thursday, boosting investor sentiment.

Bajaj Finance led the gains, adding ₹20,347.52 crore to reach a valuation of ₹6.45 lakh crore. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank also recorded strong increases of ₹13,611.11 crore and ₹13,599.62 crore, taking their market values to ₹15.48 lakh crore and ₹9.92 lakh crore respectively. Hindustan Unilever, SBI, and Infosys were also among the gainers, each adding between ₹6,200 crore and ₹7,600 crore.

Dalmia Cement Gets ₹266 Crore GST Show-Cause Notices in Tamil Nadu

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited (DCBL), a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, has received two GST show-cause notices from the Tamil Nadu Sales Tax Department totaling ₹266.3 crore for the assessment years 2019–20 and 2022–23. According to the company’s exchange filing, the notices were issued under Section 74 of the Central GST and Tamil Nadu GST Acts, alleging discrepancies in taxable turnover and input tax credit (ITC) claims.

For 2019–20, authorities have demanded ₹128.39 crore in tax and a ₹19.25 crore penalty.
For 2022–23, the notice seeks ₹59.32 crore in tax along with an equal penalty amount. The orders were received on November 28, 2025. Dalmia Bharat, founded in 1939, is India’s fourth-largest cement manufacturer with an installed capacity of 49.5 million tonnes per annum and operates 15 plants across 10 states.

Mumbai Real Estate Hits Highest November Sales in 12 Years: Registrations Up 20%

Mumbai’s property market delivered its best November performance since 2013, driven by strong homebuyer demand and rising confidence, according to Knight Frank India. The city recorded 12,219 property registrations in November 2025 — a 20% jump from last year. Stamp duty collections rose 12% year-on-year to ₹1,038 crore, showing sustained buying momentum. Month-on-month, registrations rose 5%, while revenue remained stable.

From January to November 2025, Mumbai registered 1,35,807 properties, generating ₹12,224 crore in revenue for the state — marking 5% annual growth in registrations and 11% growth in revenue. Knight Frank CMD Shishir Baijal said this surge reflects strong and steady demand, especially for higher-value homes. Properties priced above ₹5 crore now make up 7% of total sales, up from 5% last year.

Meanwhile, the share of homes priced below ₹1 crore has fallen due to affordability challenges. Sales in the ₹1–2 crore segment increased from 31% to 33%, showing strong mid-market demand.

Foreign Investors Pull Out ₹3,765 Crore from Indian Stocks in November Amid Global Uncertainty

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew ₹3,765 crore from Indian equities in November 2025, reversing the brief inflow seen in October. The drop comes as global markets turn risk-averse, tech stocks face volatility, and investors show stronger interest in primary markets rather than secondary ones.

October had seen a net inflow of ₹14,610 crore, breaking a three-month streak of heavy outflows. But uncertainty around US interest rate cuts, a strong dollar, geopolitical tensions, and fluctuating crude oil prices have once again pushed investors away from emerging markets like India.

British Airways Plans Major Expansion in India as Travel Demand Surges

British Airways is preparing to significantly expand its operations in India, driven by rising travel demand and the country’s fast-growing aviation market. A senior airline executive said India offers strong opportunities for growth as well as job creation.

The airline, which has been flying to India for over 100 years, currently operates 56 weekly flights connecting Indian cities to London. These include three daily flights from Mumbai, two from Delhi, and one each from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. British Airways now plans to add a third daily Delhi–London flight in 2026, pending regulatory approval.

US Tariffs Hit Indian Exports Hard, Shipments Fall 28.5% in Five Months

India’s exports to the United States fell sharply by 28.5% between May and October 2025, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). Shipments dropped from $8.83 billion to $6.31 billion, mainly due to steep tariff hikes imposed by the US — rising from 10% in April to 50% by late August.

The report highlights that Indian goods have now become some of the most heavily taxed in the US market. For comparison, China currently faces tariffs of around 30%, while Japan faces about 15%.

Crisil Raises India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 7% for FY26

Crisil has upgraded India’s GDP growth forecast from 6.5% to 7% for the current financial year, citing strong performance in the first half, where real GDP grew 8%. The second quarter alone recorded 8.2% real GDP growth, supported by robust private consumption, improved manufacturing and services activity, and easing inflation.