Nomura Holdings Inc. and Morgan Stanley are set to launch currency market-making services in India, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be the first foreign presence in the industry. Nomura Fixed Income Securities Ltd. recently approved the initiative for its Indian primary dealership and to roll out the service in the next few weeks, according to the people.

Mumbai-based ASK Hedge Solutions, a subsidiary of the Blackstone-backed ASK Asset & Wealth Management Group, on Thursday said it has launched its second Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), the ASK Index Plus Fund, which requires a minimum investment of Rs 1 crore. The fund is ASK Hedge Solutions' second offering under the Category III Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) structure.

📌FirstClub, a member-only retail platform, has closed a $8 mn (nearly Rs 50 cr) seed round led by global VC firm Accel and early-stage backer RTP Global. 📌FinX, which provides an upskilling platform in India’s BFSI sector, has raised $6 mn in seed funding from VC firm Elevar Equity. 📌VergeCloud, a cloud tech startup, raised $3 mn in funding to support its sales and marketing initiatives.

Commercial real estate is more than just properties and transactions — it’s a dynamic ecosystem powered by companies that handle everything from property management to operational support. ResearchAndMarkets.com valued the global real estate market at $3.89 trn last year, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 9.3% through 2030. Stocks to watch- 📌Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), 📌CBRE Group.

📌Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd showed strong price movement, trading at Rs 86, up 6.38 per cent from its previous close of Rs 80.84. 📌MTNL is currently trading at Rs 58.28, marking a 7.13 per cent increase from its previous close of Rs 54.4. 📌Star Cement Ltd is trading at Rs 217.6, rising 8.19 per cent from its previous close of Rs 201.12. The trading volume reached 1.97 crore shares.

Lead and aluminium recycling company Gravita India plans to launch its proposed share placement possibly as early as on December 16, in an effort to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore, pricing the QIP at Rs 2,100 per share.The company already has the board approval for the fund raise that may lead to an equity dilution of 7%, as per CNBC-TV18.

Blackstone said on Thursday that it will acquire a high-end office building in central Tokyo for $2.6 billion, a deal it says is the biggest real estate investment by a foreign investor in Japan. The firm will acquire the 36-storey Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho office and hotel complex from Japan's Seibu Holdings in an effort to free up the railway and property firm's balance sheet.

The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Manish Jain as executive director of YES Bank for a three-year term, effective December 11, 2024, to December 10, 2027, subject to shareholder approval. Jain has been with YES Bank since September 2023, heading its corporate and wholesale banking business.

India's vegetable oil imports reached a record high of 1.63 million tonnes in November, up 40% year-on-year, driven by a surge in crude soybean and sunflower oil imports, according to Solvent Extractors' Association of India data. India's edible oil imports stood at 1.6 million tonnes, with crude soybean oil imports up 172% and sunflower oil up 164.7%.

Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle, which is backed by Accel, Peak XV Partners, and Sunil Kant Munjal, has filed draft papers for an IPO with the capital markets regulator, comprising a fresh equity issue of Rs 1,000 crore and an offer-for-sale of 2.39 crore shares by investors, with Axis Capital, IIFL Capital, and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company as merchant bankers.

Diversified firm NESCO Ltd has been declared the highest bidder for developing, operating, and maintaining wayside amenities along the Hyderabad-Vishakhapatnam Expressway in the Khammam-Devarapalle section, with a total investment of ₹200 crore and expected annualised revenue of ₹300 crore from the fourth year.

Brazilian ports have been clogged this year with upwards of 70,000 unsold Chinese EVs, in a sign of how hard it’s becoming for China’s automakers to keep up their robust growth. Companies such as BYD Co. and Great Wall Motor Co. have global ambitions, and Brazil has become a crucial proving ground with many other large economies turning toward protectionism.

Over 30 Chinese solar power producers have signed an OPEC-style agreement to control production and stabilize prices, which have fallen below costs due to excess capacity, pushing major manufacturers to expect $1.06 billion in losses this year. Moreover, Solar power, which is going through its own growing pains this year, is looking to imitate the strategy.

India's industrial growth rose to a three-month high of 3.5% in October, driven by the festive season, with manufacturing expanding 4.1% and mining rising 0.9%. The core sector output also improved, with four of eight sectors recording faster growth. This marks the second consecutive month of industrial output rise, after a slight contraction in August.

India managed to attract $42.1 billion in foreign direct investment during the first half of the fiscal, a Commerce Ministry statement said on December 12, adding that the cumulative FDI inflow into India since April 2000 has reached the $1 trillion mark. The growth in FDI during H1FY25 has been 26% higher on year. The Ministry said this reflects India’s growing appeal as a investment destination.