Rs 50 crore strategic investment reinforces the company's expansion roadmap, strengthens its presence in Gujarat, and reflects its commitment to building world-class leisure destinations across India.
 
India, 06 August 2026: Imagicaaworld Entertainment Limited, India's largest amusement and water park operator, today announced that it has signed an investment agreement to acquire a 50% equity stake in Mehsana Next Parks Private Limited (MNPPL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established to own, operate and expand Shanku's Water Park in Mehsana, Gujarat.

The investment marks another significant milestone in Imagicaaworld's expansion strategy, which is focused on scaling its presence across high-growth markets through strategic partnerships, operational excellence and disciplined capital deployment. By partnering with established regional destinations, the company is building a stronger nationwide network of leisure assets while elevating guest experiences and creating sustainable long-term value.

The Thesis
The decisive catalyst - Brent at $79.3, falling on Iran-Oman Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor agreement - compresses input costs across India's auto and industrial supply chain in a single move. With VIX at 11.68 (a four-month low) and India's tax overhaul clearing the path for offshore funds, the Nifty 500's muted 0.19% close masks a decisive rotation into domestic cyclicals.

Where We're Concentrated
The basket concentrates in auto supply chain, consumer financial services, and premium hospitality - three sectors where lower crude rewrites cost and credit simultaneously. Auto OEMs and components gain from polymer, aluminium, and steel cost compression as Brent retreats; CV-linked NBFCs see NPA trajectories improve; EIH captures falling-crude consumer travel demand. The thesis breaks if the Hormuz deal collapses on IRGC resistance or Brent rebounds above $85.

Conviction Picks
Highest Conviction
Samvardhana Motherson International
Global auto supply chain leader benefiting as Brent's retreat toward $79 compresses polymer and metal input costs.
Bajaj Finserv
Insurance and consumer credit franchise thrives as VIX at 11.68 signals rising risk appetite and household spending.
EIH Ltd
Oberoi's premium hospitality franchise gains as lower crude unlocks consumer travel wallets and VIX stays near 12.
Mahindra & Mahindra
UV cycle leadership and EV expansion accelerate as lower Brent trims steel and battery material costs for India's top OEM.
Shriram Finance
CV-linked NBFC where trucking fleet recovery and Brent sliding toward $79 directly compress gross NPA additions.
One Thing to Watch
Brent holding below $80 is the load-bearing condition - an IRGC veto on the Hormuz corridor or a deal collapse would spike crude above $85 and flip the auto and NBFC tailwind negative across the basket.

CCPA has penalised nine digital platforms for using what are known as "dark patterns" -- website and app designs that can manipulate users. Read full report here

PhonePe today announced the official launch of Fixed Deposit (FD) Distribution on its platform, partnering with prominent Banks and NBFCs. Expanding its comprehensive financial services suite, PhonePe  in  partnership with Shivalik Small Finance Bank has also introduced an innovative, first-of-its-kind digital micro-savings product - the Daily Recurring Deposit (SIP). This offering enables users to build a disciplined savings habit with investments starting at just Rs 100 per day.

The launch enables opening FDs directly within the PhonePe app, designed to act as a stable, low-risk savings option. Users can seamlessly discover, compare, and instantly book FDs from trusted partners. FDs booked with the partner banks are insured up to Rs 5 Lakh by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. Additionally, it enables users to invest across multiple banks and facilitates  seamless management of all their FDs within the PhonePe app. 
 

Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, Mudrex

Crude oil has declined to around $75 a barrel, down nearly 10% this week, as progress toward a temporary shipping agreement between Iran and Oman for the Strait of Hormuz eased concerns over supply disruptions. Meanwhile, gold has climbed to a seven-week high near $4,300 per ounce, and silver has risen above $62, supported by softer US economic data and shifting interest rate expectations. A weak July ADP employment report, showing 44,000 jobs added against expectations of 70,000, has led markets to price in just one Federal Reserve rate hike this year instead of two. Investors should watch $75 as key support for oil and $4,300 as an important level for gold.

The RBI's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged while retaining the neutral stance provides greater certainty for borrowers and lenders at a time when credit growth and funding conditions for the NBFC sector remain healthy. A stable interest rate environment should help sustain credit momentum across the sector.
 
For NBFCs such as Manappuram Finance, the current policy environment allows us to continue expanding access to credit across retail, MSME, and self-employed customer segments. It also enables customers to make informed borrowing decisions with better visibility on their repayment obligations. The policy also comes at a time when the NBFC sector continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by strong capital buffers, improving asset quality and healthy profitability, which should provide a strong foundation for sustainable credit expansion. It is heartening that the Governor himself flagged the sector's strong capital position, better asset quality and improved earnings - a validation that reinforces confidence in the NBFC space.

The RBI's proposal to harmonise and standardise the framework governing interest rates on advances will promote greater transparency and consistency in lending practices, benefiting both borrowers and lenders.

 Manappuram Finance remains committed to supporting inclusive growth through responsible lending, prudent underwriting, and a strong customer-centric standard.

A homegrown AI orchestrator that connects disparate systems into one intelligent, secure, and instantly accessible source of truth.
New Delhi, India, 5 Aug 2026, Aziro, an Al-first product engineering company today announced the launch of CAWi, an AI-native assistant built to solve a problem every large organization quietly lives with, all the information in the world, but none of it talking to each other. CAWi was not built in a lab chasing a trend. It was built inside Aziro, out of necessity, after years of watching teams lose time and momentum simply trying to find the right document, the right approval, or the right answer buried across a dozen different systems.
An orchestrator is what drives CAWi. The platform does not go about centralizing or making copies of sensitive information; instead, it forges a secure link to the internal systems you already have in place. This is done via governed access with the appropriate permissions so as to honour your compliance and data privacy obligations. And yet the end user is presented with one seamless experience. 
What sets CAWi apart from Claude, GPT and other AI assistants is that it does not end with the search. It analyzes natural language, finds the right answer from the database belonging to the organization and performs the next action, sends the reminder, schedules the meeting, initiates the workflow, without the need for a user to switch between five applications. It works natively in the systems used by the company, adheres to the data and access policies of each particular system, does not disclose any sensitive information, which is never accessible to outside models. All of it comes back in one place, one click away.

Vingo, a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned products, has raised Rs 10 crore (approximately $1.2 million) in a seed funding round led by IndiaQuotient. Inuka Capital and angel investor Rishabh Goel, Founder of Credgenics, also participated in the round. The platform is live on the Play Store and App Store and currently operates in Bangalore.

The funds will be used to strengthen Vingo's product, invest in its trust infrastructure, deepen research into user behaviour and support targeted marketing across key user communities.

Founded in March 2026 by engineering undergraduate students Parth Sarthi (BITS Pilani), Saransh Goyal (IIT Delhi) and Krish Vashistha (IIT Delhi), Vingo is built on the premise that in consumer-to-consumer commerce, the person behind a listing is as important as the listing itself. The founders observed that transactions between individuals often fail to conclude because buyers and sellers have limited information about one another. Vingo addresses this through a trust infrastructure that combines identity, community-led discovery, escrow-backed payments and bidding within a single platform.

Rubrik (NYSE: RBRK), the Security and AI Operations Company, announced Rubrik Agent Identity, a powerful new AI-based solution to manage and control AI agents' access and permissions, addressing a key obstacle in enterprise agent deployment.

AI agent deployments are rapidly evolving, with the potential to execute complex, automated workflows across SaaS applications, databases, and APIs at unprecedented speed and scale. Yet most organisations lack the capability to monitor and control agent access and actions at the necessary speed and scale. Rubrik Agent Identity is designed to reduce operational vulnerabilities that stem from agent identities by allowing customers to both monitor every agent and model context protocol (MCP) at runtime using AI, and to deliver just-in-time permissions per tool call.  

"Agents are no longer just synthesising information, they are acting on behalf of employees, and using the access models we built for humans. Static credentials were never designed for autonomous actors," said Dev Rishi, General Manager of AI at Rubrik. "Agent Identity lets enterprises decide who can do what with agents and enforces it at each tool call, at the moment of action, with scoped, short-lived access. With Rubrik Agent Cloud, enterprises can govern agent activity, enforce identity-aware policies, and apply semantic policy evaluation before sensitive actions execute."
 

Arun Poddar, CEO, Choice International Limited: "The RBI's decision to maintain the policy repo rate at 5.25% while retaining a neutral stance reflects its cautious approach amid geopolitical tensions in West Asia and evolving global uncertainties. The upward revision in the FY27 GDP growth forecast to 6.7% from 6.6% signals confidence in India's domestic growth outlook. A stronger growth outlook is constructive for equity markets as it improves corporate earnings visibility and strengthens investor sentiment. However, with inflation risks linked to crude oil prices and global developments still in focus, the RBI is likely to remain data-dependent over the coming months..

The RBI's assessment of a resilient domestic economy, supported by healthy banking and NBFC fundamentals, a sustainable current account deficit and buoyant FDI inflows, provides a positive backdrop for capital markets. These factors are expected to support investor confidence and encourage sustained participation across equity and debt markets despite external volatility.

Beyond the rate decision, the proposed introduction of the Closing Auction Session (CAS) is a progressive reform aimed at strengthening price discovery and bringing Indian markets closer to global best practices. While the initiative has the potential to improve market efficiency and transparency over time, its successful implementation will depend on adequate operational clarity and market-wide preparedness to ensure seamless adoption by all participants. Overall, the policy strikes a prudent balance between preserving macroeconomic stability and advancing structural market reforms, reinforcing confidence in India's long-term capital market and investment outlook."

Goa is working on an AI Centre of Excellence in partnership with institutions including IIT Goa, NIT Goa and BITS Pilani's Goa campus. Read full report here

For a home loan running 20, 25 or even 30 years, the interest can run into several lakhs. It can even exceed the amount originally borrowed. Read full report here

Nischal Shetty, founder, WazirX

"Global markets remained supported by hopes that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen, easing concerns around energy supplies. US equities reached record levels, while lower oil prices and bond yields created a favorable backdrop for the market.

Institutional demand remained visible despite range-bound prices. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $211.5 million in net inflows, while spot Ethereum ETFs attracted $53.8 million. CryptoQuant also reported renewed accumulation among large Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP holders during the broader market slowdown.

Weaker-than-expected US employment data strengthened both the Japanese yen and the Canadian dollar as markets increased expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut. For crypto, a more dovish Fed could improve global liquidity and weaken the dollar, conditions that have historically supported risk assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, upcoming US inflation data remains the key catalyst that could determine the outcome.

Bitcoin traded 0.12% lower at around $64,469, showing limited movement despite ETF demand. Ethereum declined 0.54% to approximately $1,895 but remained above key daily moving averages.

Bitcoin has immediate support around $64,000-$64,400, while $65,000 remains the key resistance needed to extend its recovery. Ethereum could find support around $1,885-$1,890, with resistance at $1,900 and then $1,950-$1,956.

Futures traders could monitor price confirmation alongside open interest and funding rates. BTC traders may wait for a sustained break above $65,000 before considering stronger bullish positioning. For ETH traders, a rise above $1,956 could expose approximately $767 million in short positions to liquidation. Conversely, a fall below $1,780 could place around $786 million in long positions at risk across major centralized exchanges."

Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange

Gold has emerged as the strongest-performing major asset over the past 24 hours, climbing to a seven-week high near $4,286 per ounce after registering its sharpest daily advance in several months. The move has been driven by a combination of lower US Treasury yields, a softer dollar and renewed safe-haven demand amid lingering macro uncertainty. From a technical perspective, the breakout above the $4,160-4,180 resistance zone has reinforced the bullish structure, with momentum indicators remaining positive. The next key resistance is positioned around $4,300-4,340, while the $4,220 region is expected to provide immediate support on any near-term pullback.
In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin is consolidating near $64,500 after its recent recovery, indicating that buyers remain in control despite some profit-taking at higher levels. The broader trend remains constructive while the price holds above $64,000, although a decisive break above the $64,800-65,000 resistance zone will be required to trigger the next leg higher toward $65,500-66,000. Ethereum is displaying a similar pattern, holding above its breakout support near $1,878 after rejecting the $1,920 area. Sustaining above support would keep the bullish structure intact, while a move above $1,925 could pave the way for an advance toward $1,950.
US equities delivered a mixed performance, reflecting a market that continues to balance resilient corporate earnings with uncertainty around the economic outlook. Investors are now closely monitoring upcoming US macroeconomic data, particularly labour-market indicators, as they will be key in shaping expectations for Treasury yields, the US dollar and overall risk sentiment across both traditional and digital asset.
...

Sarika Grover, Co founder of LoansJagat

Today's Monetary Policy Committee review ended with the repo rate held at 5.25%, a unanimous call, and the neutral stance carried forward. SDF sits at 5%, MSF and bank rate at 5.5%.
FY27 growth got a lift too. The forecast now stands at 6.7%, up from 6.6%, as Governor Sanjay Malhotra pointed to steady consumption, manufacturing strength and healthy credit expansion.
Inflation moved the other way. FY27 CPI is now estimated at 5%, 10 bps lower, moving unevenly through the year: 5.3% in Q1, 4.7% in Q2, 5.9% in Q3, easing to 5.5% in Q4. Core inflation is projected at 4.3%, with food and fuel driving most of the headline pressure.
The RBI also issued draft guidelines to resume UCB licensing and proposed standardising interest rate rules across regulated entities. Malhotra flagged the West Asia conflict as the key external risk to watch.
For borrowers, EMIs stay unchanged. FD holders may want to lock in current rates.

Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus.com

Bitcoin traded near $64,490 at 8.25 am IST on August 6, after gaining about 0.2% over 24 hours. Its market capitalisation stood at approximately $1.29 trillion, while daily trading volume remained modest at $22.6 billion. The asset has now spent several weeks inside a $60,000-$67,000 range.

The $63,000 region has become the centre of that range. Glassnode data show that nearly 515,000 BTC last moved around this price. That represents more than 3% of Bitcoin's circulating supply. The same data place another 362,000 BTC around $61,000. Bitcoin's 200-week moving average is also close to $63,657. These cost concentrations give buyers a defensible zone between $61,000 and $63,700.

The first immediate support lies between $63,650 and $63,900. A break below this zone would bring $63,000 back into focus. Failure at $63,000 could expose $62,600 and then the larger cost base near $61,000. The first resistance is at $65,000. Bitcoin approached this level during the latest 24-hour session but stopped near $64,931. A stronger supply zone lies between $66,000 and $67,000. A close above $67,000 would break the multi-week range. A move above $65,000 alone would be an improvement but not confirmation. Bitcoin has already failed to sustain an earlier recovery above $66,000.

ETF flows offer the clearest evidence that institutional demand is trying to return. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $265.4 million on July 31. They reversed with inflows of $170.1 million on August 3 and $211.5 million on August 4. The completed August 3-4 sessions therefore attracted $381.6 million. A provisional $47.6 million followed on August 5. The 3-session inflow could reach $429.2 million once every fund reports its final figure. The rebound is meaningful because June saw ETFs shed an estimated 65,800 BTC. That was their worst monthly withdrawal since the products began trading in 2024. A 3-day reversal cannot by itself repair a withdrawal of that scale.

ETF demand also remains concentrated in 2 products. BlackRock's IBIT has received approximately $60.5 billion since launch. Fidelity's FBTC has attracted about $9.95 billion. 

The on-chain picture is stronger than the price chart initially suggests. Every wallet-size cohort was accumulating near $63,000. Retail wallets and whales holding at least 1,000 BTC showed the strongest demand.

Macro calendar
The macro calendar could supply the trigger that the present range lacks. The US employment report is due on August 7. Market estimates point to 80,000-83,000 new jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.2%. The earlier ADP report showed only 44,000 private-sector jobs in July. Economists had expected approximately 75,000. A similarly weak official report could reduce the probability of another rate increase. Inflation data will follow on August 12 and August 13. July CPI is due on August 12, while July PPI is scheduled for August 13. June producer inflation had reached 5.5% from a year earlier.

The Federal Reserve's preferred PCE inflation measure is due on August 26. Headline PCE was 3.7% in June. That remains well above the Fed's 2% target. The Fed held its policy range at 3.50%-3.75% on July 29. However, 3 policymakers supported an increase. The September 15-16 meeting will therefore depend heavily on the next employment and inflation readings.

Altcoins have yet to confirm a broader recovery. Ethereum gained 1.25% to approximately $1,896. BNB fell 1.50% to about $593. XRP declined 2.59% to nearly $1.05. Solana lost 0.85% to trade around $73.49. TRON gained 0.35% to approximately $0.328. CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index stood at 44 out of 100. That reading continues to classify the market as a Bitcoin-led phase. A sustainable altcoin advance will require stronger participation than the mixed 24-hour performance of the top 5 non-stablecoin assets.

Our advice: For investors, $63,000 is the level that defines near-term risk. The $67,000 ceiling defines whether the recovery has become a breakout. Until one of those 2 boundaries gives way, position size matters more than conviction.

Vaishali Patel, Senior Manager - Research- Technical Department at Jainam

The Nifty 50 opened with a positive note, traded in a range and close at 24,624.65 (0.04%).  Overnight, U.S. markets ended mixed, with the Dow Jones rising to another record close and the Nasdaq declined as weakness in technology stocks offset gains in industrials and healthcare.

Asian markets traded lower this morning, led by a sharp sell-off in technology shares. Crude oil remaining stable as markets monitored ongoing U.S.-Iran talks and balanced geopolitical risks against global demand concerns. GIFT Nifty indicated a muted-to-cautious opening for Indian equities

Technically, The Nifty is currently navigating a critical technical zone after extending its recovery from the recent lows. While the index has reclaimed key short-term moving averages, it is now approaching a formidable resistance band around 24,600-24,700, an area reinforced by the downward-sloping 200-day moving average and historical supply on the daily chart. The inability to sustain above this zone indicates that sellers continue to defend higher levels. A convincing close above 24,700 would mark a significant technical breakout, and potentially drive the index towards 25,000 in the near term. Conversely, failure to clear this hurdle could keep the index range-bound, with immediate support placed at 24,300. Unless these support levels are violated, the trend is expected to remain intact, with any near-term weakness likely to be viewed as a buying opportunity rather than a trend reversal.

Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research, Axis Direct

The Nifty 50 ended Wednesday's session almost unchanged at 24,624.65, gaining 9.75 points or 0.04%, as investors digested the RBI's policy outcome and fluctuating crude oil prices. While the central bank's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% with a neutral stance was largely on expected lines, a sharp intraday rise in Brent crude to around $80.70 per barrel following an attack on a Saudi tanker erased early gains. Sectorally, metals and auto stocks provided support, whereas banking, IT and healthcare stocks witnessed profit booking, with the Bank Nifty ending 0.29% lower. Globally, Wall Street delivered a mixed performance overnight, with the Dow Jones advancing 0.49% on strong earnings from Eli Lilly and Amgen, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% and the Nasdaq declined 0.8% amid weakness in semiconductor stocks.

Asian markets are trading lower this morning, while crude oil remains the key variable for market direction. Brent crude has eased below the $80 mark after reports suggested progress in diplomatic talks involving the US, Iran and Oman aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, offering some relief to concerns over India's import bill. GIFT Nifty is indicating a mildly positive start, trading around 24,640, nearly 49 points above Wednesday's close.

Technically, the Nifty continues to maintain a neutral-to-positive bias. A decisive move above 24,700, , would strengthen bullish momentum and pave the way towards the 25,000 milestone. On the downside, immediate support is placed at 24,500, below which the index could drift towards the 24,350-24,300 zone. Sustained softness in crude prices may improve market sentiment, while any setback in the Hormuz negotiations could quickly revive volatility.

Prateek Gupta, Head of Business, Mudrex

Bitcoin continues to trade between $64,000 and $64,700, remaining within the broad range that has defined price action for the past two months. Notably, the S&P 500 has closed above Bitcoin on a relative-performance basis for the first time since 2012, ending Bitcoin's 14-year streak of outperforming stocks. Despite this, the US spot Bitcoin ETFs still added $381.6 million over the past two sessions, supporting BTC's price. On-chain data, however, points to emerging weakness as long-term holders sold more than 11,500 BTC in the first two days of August. $65,000 continues to act as the resistance zone, while immediate support has moved up to $64,000. 

"BTC remained range-bound near $65K despite a broader risk-on move across global markets. The S&P 500 extended its record rally to 7,793, supported by broad participation across US equities, while gold surged 2.8% to a six-week high of $4,213 per ounce. Gold's rise was driven by 14 consecutive days of inflows into Chinese gold ETFs and continued buying by China's central bank. For BTC, a sustained recovery may require stronger spot ETF inflows, softer US Treasury yields and lower expectations of further Federal Reserve rate hikes over the coming sessions."

At the close on Wednesday, the total market cap of all BSE Sensex companies stood at Rs 4,92,43,975.