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On Day 25 of the West Asia war, Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Tehran, causing power outages across the Iranian capital.
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00:02Hello and welcome. It's day 25 of the West Asia War. Just yesterday at the same time we were
00:10talking about how there might be a bit of a pause now. There was this sort of very cautious optimism
00:18that had set into the world that something might be de-escalating. But if anybody who thought that's
00:24going to happen well comes in day 25 blowing all of that away. The war has not just deepened it
00:32continues. The only difference is at this point the latest update that we know is that Iran says
00:39that it is indeed in talks. But who exactly are the intermediaries? Is there a specific location
00:46where this talk is happening and importantly the impact of that on the global market? We'll discuss
00:51all of that. The impact it has had in the past 24 hours on your equity, on gold, on silver,
00:58on oil
00:58prices, on inflation on the whole. And then again take a look at how India stands impacted by it all.
01:05I'm Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor. Let's start with all the headlines at this hour.
01:11Just a day after Donald Trump announced a five-day pause in the West Asia War, Israel and America
01:16continue to pound targets inside Iran. Israeli forces have launched fresh airstrikes
01:21in the heart of Tehran, triggering widespread power outages across the capital.
01:28Hours after Donald Trump forced strikes on Iran's energy sites, reports suggest that back-channel
01:34diplomacy led by countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan led to his U-turn.
01:42These nations reportedly held urgent talks in Riyadh to create a diplomatic off-ramp
01:48and prevent further escalation.
01:53New day, a new war story amid shifting narratives on the Iran conflict. Donald Trump has now suggested
01:59that the U.S. war secretary, Pete Hexet, was the first to push for military action,
02:05citing Iran's nuclear threat. The question is, has Trump shifted the onus for initiating the strike
02:11on Hexet? Or does he realize that this might have not been a fair play at all?
02:19Amid the ongoing West Asia war, Prime Minister Rene Modi has called for national unity, urging
02:25states to stand together in these challenging times. Prime Minister also assured that India's
02:31energy supplies remains diversified and emphasized on peace and dialogue. But there's also a lot more
02:37that has to be read between the lines in a statement. We'll decode that on the program today.
02:44In while no end to the word of words, a leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi slammed
02:49Prime Minister Modi, attacked him and the central government over his foreign policy,
02:54reiterated that Prime Minister Modi and his foreign policy have been compromised. Rahul Gandhi also
03:00said that Prime Minister made an irrelevant speech in Parliament today.
03:07In the middle of it all, gold prices have fallen for a fifth straight session,
03:12sort of retreating sharply from record highs, despite the ongoing West Asia tension. What
03:18exactly is happening there? After a strong speculation rally earlier in 2026, the yellow metal has
03:24logged its steepest weekly drop in decades. What's the reason for this entire top-seater-wee gold story?
03:34We'll tell you on the program. Meanwhile, Bek said back for former Railways Minister Ralu Prasad Yadav,
03:40the Delhi High Court has turned down his plea for squashing the CBI-FIR in the lands-for-jobs scam
03:49case.
03:49The High Court, while turning down the plea, said it's devoid of merit.
03:55The central government plans to fast-track amendments to the Women's Reservation Framework,
04:00possibly through a two-day session to pass the changes to the Women's Quota Bill.
04:05The proposal includes increasing Lok Sabha seats by up to 50% alongside the delimitation,
04:11while the Women's Reservation Act 2023, remember, already provides for the 33% reservation for women
04:17in Parliament and the status MPs. In while the Indian drug regulator has stepped up the surveillance
04:24of the GLP-1 weight-loss drugs after reports of unauthorised sales and misuse following coordinated
04:31inspection of 49 locations spanning online pharmacies, wholesalers, retailers and also clinics.
04:41And after extended festive weekend, Dhurandar The Revenge has retained its hold at the box office.
04:49On its first Monday, the film minted 65 crore rupees comfortably, while the movie's worldwide gross
04:55has risen by 829.76 crore rupees. Indeed, the Dhurandar of box office.
05:10All right. Day 25 of the war, and instead of any signs of de-escalation,
05:15the conflict is entering a far more dangerous, unpredictable phase.
05:22What we are seeing now is not just retaliation, but expansion, and I'll tell you why we say that.
05:28Multiple threats, mixed signals, and a widening gap between what leaders are saying
05:34and what's actually happening on the ground. Let's break it down for you point by point.
05:40Number one, while US has taken a pause after attacking an energy infra, Israel has not.
05:47Israel continues strikes on Iranian targets across military and strategic locations,
05:54meaning between Israel and Iran, operations are very much active.
05:59Iranian media also claim that natural gas infrastructure in Ishafah and a gas pipeline
06:05for the Khurram Sheher power plant were targeted, though led to limited damage is what they're claiming.
06:11Now this comes after US President Donald Trump extended the deadline for Iran to stop these attacks.
06:17Number two, Iran is responding with force, fresh missile, sort of barrages on Israel's territory,
06:24and Tehran now claiming it has shot down a US drone.
06:29Number three, on diplomacy front, a complete disconnect.
06:33Donald Trump has spoken of a possible five-day halt and ongoing engagement,
06:38but Iran has flatly rejected that, calling it false and insisting no such proposal exists.
06:48At the same time, Washington appears to be quietly exploring some back channels,
06:53including possible outreach linked to Iran's parliamentary leadership,
06:57indicating that talks may be indirect, may be fragmented, may be far from formal,
07:03but they are indeed happening.
07:05And then, there is the Strait of Hormoz, the world's most critical oil choke point.
07:12Iran is signalling operational control, raising the stakes for global energy markets,
07:17and increasing the risk of a broader economic fallout.
07:22So, where does that leave us?
07:24Is there a pause? Is there not a pause?
07:26Are there conversations happening? Not happening?
07:28Are we looking at a de-escalation or just prepping up for phase three of the war?
07:35The next report takes you through all of that.
07:48Trump announced a five-day pause in the West Asia war.
07:52But this window for the bigger deal is witnessing anything but peace.
07:58Explosions continue to rock Tehran amid fresh strikes launched by Israel.
08:04Tel Aviv is also reporting Iranian attacks in civilian areas.
08:11Trump extended his original deadline on the Strait of Hormuz,
08:15giving Iran five days before any further American action on energy sites.
08:20But Israel shows no signs of slowing down.
08:24I've directed the Department of War to temporarily postpone planned strikes against major energy and electricity targets in Iran.
08:33They have very, very big, new, actually, and very expensive, billions of dollars it cost to build them.
08:39One missile, one of our powerful ones, and it comes down to the ground like it was made out of
08:45dust.
08:45With Iran, we've been negotiating for a long time, and this time they mean business.
08:51And it's only because of the great job that our military did is the reason they mean business.
08:57They want to settle and we're going to get it done.
09:01As speculations for peace talks arrived, Trump indicated that his defense secretary, Pete Hexert, pushed him to launching war at
09:08Iran.
09:10And then, unfortunately, I came, I called Pete, I called General Cain, I called a lot of our great people.
09:17We have great people.
09:17And I said, let's talk.
09:19We've got a problem in the Middle East.
09:21We have a country known as Iran that for 47 years has been just a purveyor of terror.
09:29And they're very close to having a nuclear weapon.
09:32We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60, there's no end.
09:38Or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem.
09:45And, Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up.
09:48And you said, let's do it.
09:51Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arachi, has also been discussing the conflict with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Russia,
10:01South Korea, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
10:05Amid speculations of talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Bagheir Ghalibaf has emerged as
10:13a crucial power broker.
10:17However, Tehran claims no negotiations have taken place and has dismissed Trump's claims as fake news.
10:26Mohsen Rezaei, advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has asserted that the war will continue.
10:35This reflects the decision of Iran's military leadership and people.
10:39Any U.S. strike on Iran's power infrastructure would trigger a far harsher response, saying it would go beyond eye
10:47for an eye.
10:48Such actions would leave the U.S. paralyzed and vulnerable in the Persian Gulf.
10:57Amid the ongoing conflict, Iran claimed that U.S. is cloning a Shahid drone, 136 suicide drones, which are being
11:05intercepted and shot down.
11:08With Iran outrightly rejecting all claims of talks with the United States, who is Trump talking to in Iran?
11:16Bera Report, India Today.
11:26Let's cut across to some more updates coming in.
11:30And this is after Lari Jani's death in Iran.
11:32They have now appointed a new security chief.
11:36So the story continues.
11:38One of continuous leadership.
11:41No matter how many people are laid down in this war, Iran keeps coming up with a new set of
11:47leadership.
11:47And we are told that this is Mohammed Lord Ghader, who has been now replacing, who will now be replacing
11:57Lari Jani's position.
11:59He will be the new security chief.
12:01I am joined by Pranay in Tel Aviv in a moment from now.
12:06But let me also cut across to Gaurav Savant and Sandeep here with us.
12:09Gaurav, tell us more about this gentleman.
12:12So Brigadier Zolgadar is a hardliner.
12:15He has now been appointed as the security chief in place of Ali Lari Jani.
12:20Ali Lari Jani was killed.
12:22And quite like Ali Lari Jani, he too is a hardliner.
12:25He too has been a part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
12:30He studied economics in the University of Tehran, pre-revolution.
12:34Then he became a part of IRGC.
12:36Fought in the 1980 Iran-Iraq war.
12:39Rose through the Ramzan garrison.
12:41In fact, he founded the Ramzan garrison.
12:43Rose through the ranks of the IRGC.
12:46You know, has been really, really close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
12:50And also close to Mujtaba Khamenei, the son.
12:53Because do keep in mind all promotions, all upward movement.
12:57Even when Ali Khamenei was alive, was through Mujtaba Khamenei, the son.
13:03And this is the leadership that's considered very close to him.
13:06And that's the point Iran has been making constantly.
13:09Decapitation will not work.
13:10Because they have a second in command, a third in command.
13:13Who will automatically fill in those boots and carry on the task.
13:16Sadeep, Donald Trump keeps saying we don't know who to talk to.
13:19This could be a possible person they will talk to?
13:23Well, not really.
13:24Because he's a hardliner.
13:25He is their equivalent or our equivalent to the National Security Advisor.
13:29He's of course the most important man in the security apparatus.
13:33But they would most likely talk to a political leadership.
13:38They would talk to the Speaker of the Iranian Assembly.
13:41Who's equally important in Iran.
13:43But, you know, the political side.
13:44The fact is that with Mujtaba Khamenei not on the scene.
13:48He's not being seen.
13:49He's not issued any major statements.
13:52There is a bit of a question mark over who really controls Iran.
13:56The fact is we know, as Gaurav mentioned, that the IRGC is controlling the day-to-day affairs of the
14:01military.
14:02They are handling the retaliation, the responses.
14:04The entire military side of these things are being handled by the IRGC.
14:10Interestingly, and not the Iranian military.
14:12That's the difference as compared to other countries.
14:15That it is the IRGC which is literally the army of the party.
14:19Just like you have the PLA which is the army of the Communist Party of China.
14:25So, the IRGC is similar.
14:27It's very different from the armed forces.
14:29It actually is a rung above the armed forces.
14:32And that is why they are the hardliner.
14:33So, most likely Trump is talking to the moderates.
14:37Who they see as the moderates.
14:38Who they can talk to in the Iranian leadership.
14:41Which is of course the Speaker.
14:42The Prime Minister even.
14:44The moderate factions who they can look for an off-ramp.
14:46And that's clearly happening as we speak.
14:49Alright.
14:50So, the line of succession in Iran pretty much in sync.
14:55That of IRGC internally.
14:57And Mustafa there.
14:59Khamenei also signing off on that appointment.
15:02So, things are underway in Iran as they say.
15:05But let's look at another aspect of the story.
15:09Even as the war intensifies on the ground behind the scenes.
15:13A parallel track is quietly taking shape.
15:16One focus not on escalation.
15:18But on de-escalation.
15:20Let's call it Team Truce.
15:22A loose coalition of regional and global players.
15:26Who are trying to now keep diplomatic channels alive.
15:29Even as missiles continue to fly.
15:31Let's break it down for you.
15:33How exactly the entire process works.
15:35Now, multiple countries are now working the back channels.
15:39This includes Turkey.
15:40This includes Egypt.
15:42This includes Pakistan.
15:43All maintaining lines of communication between Washington and Tehran.
15:49Possible venues are already being discussed.
15:52Islamabad and Istanbul emerging as key locations for a face-to-face engagement over there.
15:57And interestingly, India and Saudi Arabia are also being seen as an influential player.
16:03Quietly felicitating or sort of even, you know, leveraging relationships.
16:09And keeping the possibility of dialogue from collapsing completely.
16:14You know, collapsing there completely.
16:16So, while the battlefield remains, active and diplomatic groundwork is very much underway.
16:22Now, on the negotiating table, the faces that could define the outcome.
16:25These are also interesting ones.
16:27And the team got out this research for you.
16:30Look at them.
16:30From the US side, you've got Vice President J.D. Vance.
16:34You've got Trump's long-time advisor, Gerard Kushner.
16:36You have also the Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff.
16:40All potential points of contact in any structured talks.
16:45And from the Iran side, who are the players?
16:48Let's look at that.
16:48The Foreign Minister there, Abbas Gachi.
16:51The Parliament Speaker there as we were talking about.
16:53Key power centres within Tehran's political system.
16:58Remember, these are individuals who could shape the contours of any deal if talks do materialise.
17:06And even as the war grows, louder diplomacy is playing in whispers.
17:10But the question now is what?
17:13Will these back channels translate into real negotiations?
17:16Or remain just another layer of conflict with no clear pause in sight?
17:25Let me now, on that note, bring in Gaurav and Sandeer back into the programme.
17:30Also with us today is Dr. Weil Awad.
17:33He's a senior journalist and a West Asia expert as well.
17:36Thank you so much for your time, sir.
17:37Dr. Awad, let me begin with you.
17:39As we look at day 25 of this war, the feeling one has is confusion.
17:46We don't know if there is a pause.
17:49We don't know if a conversation is happening.
17:52We don't know if we should see this as a de-escalation.
17:57Because what crude oil tells you is one story.
17:59What gold tells you is a different story altogether.
18:02This is a massive state of confusion.
18:04How are you reading it?
18:06Well, I think war has always been seen as a trick.
18:10So everybody wants to trick the other side.
18:12So if we wanted to see two scenarios here.
18:14One is that we take a face value that the United States president is saying,
18:18yes, there is a discussion.
18:19He is just buying the time, five days, to make more marines reaching the area
18:24so they can do some sort of a ground operation.
18:27And then he says, okay, that discussion has failed and I'm going to attack Iran.
18:31He's justifying, as he did during the nuclear discussion in Geneva,
18:36when they were about to reach a breakthrough,
18:39according to the foreign minister of Oman, the mediator,
18:41then they went for the war.
18:43So this could be one of the issues.
18:45The second issue is that the rising tension in the region,
18:48Sonal, is also causing lots of apprehension among the Arab countries,
18:52where America wants to drag the GCC country into a direct confrontation with Iran.
18:57So if the American and Israeli go by retaliating measures and attacking Iranian nuclear and energy
19:03and water installation, they will retaliate in the same manner.
19:08So there will be most of the countries out of water, out of electricity,
19:11and that will be a catastrophe, plus closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
19:16So I think the situation is very turbulent,
19:18and the United States is trying to fish in a turbulent water.
19:22All right.
19:23Sandeep, let me come to you next.
19:24When we spoke yesterday, you weren't very confident.
19:26And you both and Gaurav said that, you know, we don't see enough positivity coming out of it.
19:31If the market showed any sort of restrained optimism, you had none at all.
19:35You said this is just a buying trick.
19:37And years of history with the U.S. actually tells you that.
19:40Do you stand by those statements today?
19:42Absolutely.
19:42More than yesterday, because today I was just looking at the movements of,
19:47you know, the U.S. cargo aircraft.
19:49There are enormous movements of heavy transport aircraft around the region,
19:55which suggests that the U.S. isn't drawing down in the conflict there.
19:58On the contrary, they're building up.
19:59There's something that's happening there.
20:01We've been talking over the last couple of days, Gaurav and me.
20:04The fact is that the 82nd Airborne is there.
20:07Two marine amphibious ready groups are moving towards the theater as we speak.
20:12One is closer than the other.
20:13The U.S. is putting forces, it is coming towards boots on the ground.
20:18And that's a very worrying scenario indeed.
20:20And it's actually time to ask Sonal that if, is this the United States-Ukraine movement?
20:27Just the way Russia entered Ukraine.
20:30Is the United States now planning to enter Iran with boots on the ground?
20:34And that's going to be catastrophic for not just Iran and the other countries of the region,
20:38but for the world as well.
20:40Yeah.
20:40Gaurav, if we look at Prime Minister's statement that he made in Rajya Sabha today,
20:45it becomes sort of clear, if you read between the lines and you were pointing it out,
20:49that we are in this for the long haul.
20:51He's already talking about a pipeline of six months, if not more.
20:55He almost made a comparison with the COVID-like situation and what we must be prepping for.
21:00If these indications are anything to go by, this war is not ending anytime soon.
21:05It isn't.
21:06Anybody who thinks it's going to end in a couple of days, that person should actually look at history of
21:11warfare and the manner in which this war is being pursued.
21:15And what's the end game?
21:17If the end game of this war is to take control of Khark Island or take control of Iranian oil,
21:23as some analysts seem to argue, clearly, if America went in for Iraq, their oil, if Europe went for Libyan
21:31oil, is Iran next?
21:33Is this for control of oil of this region?
21:35They already have Venezuela oil in their control.
21:39Then they will pursue this.
21:41And world market does not matter to them in the short run.
21:44They're looking at their profits in the long run.
21:46And that is why we'll have to make the best of the worst situation.
21:51And that's exactly what the Prime Minister is cautioning the country about.
21:54So, India is making all arrangements possible to make alternate arrangements, go for a plan B, go for a plan
22:00C.
22:01Look at countries like Japan and South Korea, which are even more dependent on the Strait of Hormuz than India.
22:06While everyone is insisting on dialogue and diplomacy being the way forward,
22:11there are strategic reserves that those countries are already diving into for their people.
22:16What is the Prime Minister saying?
22:18We're in it for the long haul.
22:19Remember what happened during COVID?
22:21Team India came together.
22:22That's exactly what we need to do right now.
22:25There's an inter-ministerial committee that's been set up.
22:28There are seven empowered groups that are coming up.
22:30So, any challenge that the nation faces, they'll immediately come up with solutions to those challenges.
22:35All this does not happen if the war is coming to an end in the next couple of days.
22:38This war is here to stay for some time.
22:41And perhaps, I hate to say this, sounds very likely at the moment because look at the updates that are
22:46coming in.
22:47Let's cut across to more of those at this point.
22:49And Sandeep, come in on this point.
22:50We're now getting reports that Lebanon has now declared Iranian envoy persona non grata
22:55and asked him to leave the country by Sunday.
22:58The Lebanese foreign ministry says that Iran embassy will still have charge.
23:03It prefers to hold, as you know, to head its diplomatic mission.
23:07And the Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses it of elite revolutionary Garaf operating in the Lebanon
23:14alongside the Hezbollah militant group and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
23:20Israel has said that some of its strikes have targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials operating in the country as
23:29well.
23:30This is escalating.
23:32This is very, very clear escalation.
23:35Would you agree, Sati?
23:36Well, you know, the problem between Lebanon and the IRGC and Iran, it's an old problem.
23:43And this has been on for many years, ever since the Hezbollah actually rose there in Lebanon in the early
23:4980s.
23:50Now, that Hezbollah is a front for the IRGC.
23:53It came up shortly after the Iranian revolution of 1979 when Iran declared that it was going to export the
24:00Islamic revolution across the world.
24:01Hezbollah is sprang up there in Lebanon and today it is one of the most capable, most well-resourced guerrilla
24:08organizations anywhere in the world.
24:10In Lebanon, for instance, it is a state within a state.
24:13It has more military, it has more weaponry, hardware, missiles than the Lebanese military itself.
24:19So, the Lebanese military has been a helpless spectator to this.
24:22Because the Israeli military has gone in several waves since the 1980s to try and curtail Hezbollah's powers in southern
24:30Lebanon, which is their stronghold.
24:32So, here in 2026, it is the state of Lebanon which is actually helpless, which is held captive by Hezbollah
24:39in that state.
24:40Because it has no military power to enforce its writ on Hezbollah.
24:45That is being done by the IDF.
24:48So, that is the explanation for what we are seeing now.
24:50The state of Lebanon turning against Iran, warning them against supporting Hezbollah and through the IRGC.
24:58So, this is actually an old, you know, state of play which is periodically resurgent.
25:03Finally, a hard step being taken.
25:06Considering they are saying Hezbollah can exist as a political entity but not as a military entity.
25:11And this latest war that has been waged by Israel on Lebanon is because Hezbollah targeted Israel and northern part
25:18of that country on the 2nd of March.
25:20And subsequently, Israel is hitting back.
25:22And Lebanon says, we don't want this war.
25:24We'd rather prosper.
25:25We'd rather be an economically prosperous area.
25:28Remember, once upon a time, Lebanon and Beirut was known as Paris of the East.
25:31And now, it's just seen as one world-ravaged country.
25:35That's why they're sending Iran's ambassador back.
25:38Right.
25:38And this is clearly escalation, right?
25:39At a time when we see that diplomatic channels are, you know, could be docking.
25:43This doesn't look like de-escalation to me at all.
25:46But I have to thank our guest, Dr. Avad Alsos, for joining us today with his perspective.
25:50And quickly take you through what's actually happening on the ground.
25:53This is my colleague Pranay, who has landed just minutes ago in Tel Aviv, where bombing continues.
26:00He, in fact, brings us this latest report.
26:36And this is a standard protocol in Israel that you have to follow these commands because that is for the
26:44safety of every individual here.
26:46And you know that there are safe shelters here.
26:50But if you are traveling on road, then you are expected to get out of your car.
26:56Then you have to kneel down and wait if there is an incoming projectile.
27:01Because the reports are suggesting that some rockets have been fired from the Lebanon side, from the Hezbollahs.
27:08And also, in the last 24 hours, despite all those talks of back-channel negotiations and some kind of a
27:15ceasefire, some negotiations,
27:17around six to seven missile projectiles, all their deputies have hit different buildings in Israel.
27:23So this remains a situation here.
27:25Lilloo city at once again.
27:27And this is the scene of central Tel Aviv.
27:35So cars are parked here.
27:37So there are hotels, there are offices, people are doing their normal functioning as well.
27:47And this is just a glimpse of the daily routine, daily life in Israel amid all these conflict times.
27:59Alright, so that's a glimpse of what Tel Aviv looks like.
28:03But let's shift our focus to the impact this war has had so far.
28:07Now, renewed hopes of diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States are having a sort of rippling effect across
28:14global markets.
28:14And the reaction so far is far from uniform.
28:18Let's begin with equities.
28:20Now, Indian markets opened on a firm footing, tracking strength across the Asian peers as easing geopolitical tensions also lifted
28:27investor sentiment,
28:29even if it was a tad bit.
28:31Now, the broader Asian pack traded in the green, sort of buoyed by optimism that a potential thaw in relationship
28:37could sort of stabilize the energy flows.
28:41Overnight, Wall Street echoed that sentiment, staging a strong rebound with all three major indices closing higher on relief buying.
28:51But, real action, that's happening in crude, international oil benchmarks Brent and WTI softened on expectations that any breakthrough could
29:03ease supply concerns.
29:04However, now, this is the important story.
29:07Back home, the Indian crude basket tells a very, very different story because it surged to an all-time high
29:15of $157 per barrel on March 23rd,
29:20underscoring the lag effect and India's exposure to elevated import costs.
29:26So, don't be fooled by where Brent prices are at the moment because India's trading at $157 and that's going
29:32to impact you and me.
29:33Now, on the currency front, what's happening?
29:35The rupee showed signs of recovery today after slipping past the 94 mark against dollar on Monday.
29:41A marginal pullback in the greenback and also improved risk sentiment offered some support over there.
29:49And finally then, let's look at the metals.
29:52Precious metals, gold and silver, provided the only clear upside.
29:59After early losses, both saw a sharp rebound in late trade as investors continued to hedge against lingering uncertainty.
30:07Now, while diplomacy offers some hope, markets are clearly still navigating these mixed signals.
30:14And they know that they can only be cautiously optimistic about this entire thing.
30:19Sakshi joins us now.
30:21But Sakshi, this is a really interesting story.
30:24I haven't seen the markets react like this in a while, right?
30:27Where you have the oil prices go up, you have oil sort of still going up to a new high
30:34every day.
30:35But gold prices, that's tipping, not increasing.
30:39Like, overall, if you see the picture, make sense of this.
30:45Well, it's the day 25 of the West Asia war.
30:49And finally, we are seeing some signs of green return to the D street.
30:53Just yesterday, when investors were in a panic mode because 14 lakh crore rupees were wiped off from the BSE
31:00listed stocks market cap.
31:02Today, there's been a sharp rebound.
31:04The Nifty has risen by 2%.
31:05Sensex is up by 2%.
31:07We are seeing 23,000 and thereabouts back onto the Nifty as well.
31:11Broader markets are higher by 2.5%.
31:14All the sectors ended into the green in the session today as well.
31:18And this was fueled by Donald Trump's statements that he's pausing the military action on Iran for the next five
31:25days as well.
31:26Although there have been contradictory statements, Iran has said that there are no ongoing talks right now of any diplomacy
31:33or resolving the current situation as far as the war is concerned with the U.S.
31:38And therefore, there is some cautiousness also into the statements.
31:40But we are definitely seeing that the markets were able to latch on to that some slight optimism that maybe
31:46the talks are progressing to conclude the war, if not immediately, at least in the near term.
31:52So, what did we see?
31:53We saw all the sectors come into the green as well.
31:55In the broader markets, many stocks also inched up higher to double digit returns as well.
32:00We saw a lot of these stocks from the IT pack, from the auto space, from the banking space definitely
32:07moving up higher in trade today.
32:09We also did see that some of those stocks within the PSU basket, the oil and gas basket also moved
32:16up in tandem in trade today.
32:17So, from the broader markets, of course, names like BLS International, Linde, India, Alkyla Mines, Vishal Megamart, these were the
32:24gainers in the trade today.
32:26When we look at the nifty 50 names, I am just going to be pulling that up for all of
32:31you to know.
32:32The top gainers included names like L&T, 5% higher, Interglobe Aviation, 5% higher, Eternal up 5%, Asian
32:39Pains also up near 4.5% higher.
32:42Remember, most of these stocks have been very badly hit during the ongoing war as well.
32:46And they are now finding some way back onto the positive space.
32:50But Coal India declined, Power Grid declined, Adani Enterprises, Sun Pharma, Sipla, these were the top laggards in the trading
32:57session today.
32:59All right, Sakshi, thanks so much for bringing us up to speed with all those updates on how the markets,
33:05the metals and even the rupees absorbing this news and how they are reacting to the whole situation.
33:14But in the middle of this, there is a very fascinating story that is developing.
33:19In global markets, timing is everything.
33:23And on this day, 15 minutes made all the difference.
33:28Now, bear with me and stay with me as I explain the entire process to you.
33:33At exactly 4.25 p.m. New York time, a sudden burst of high-volume trading hit oil futures.
33:40Over 6,000 contracts in just 60 seconds.
33:44A massive $580 million bet that crude oil prices would fall.
33:53At the same time, U.S. equity futures began to rise, signaling a sort of coordinated shift,
34:00as if markets were already sort of pricing in easing of geopolitical tensions, even when nothing was announced.
34:08And here's where it gets really interesting.
34:11Fifteen minutes later, Donald Trump posted that productive talks with Iran have started
34:16and that he will be, you know, sort of de-escalating, five-day pause, all of that.
34:21So, amongst the twist and the turns, how exactly were all these transactions happening,
34:30as if they already knew what Donald Trump was about to say.
34:35Take a look at this report for more.
34:54In global markets where fortunes are created and destroyed,
34:58often, on information, the question is not how much was made, but who knew, what and when.
35:09According to reports, at precisely 4.25 p.m. New York time on Monday,
35:14a burst of activity rippled through oil markets.
35:17It wasn't gradual.
35:19It was not organic.
35:21It was sharp and concentrated with unusually large volumes.
35:27In the next 60 seconds, 6,200 contracts were traded.
35:32In Brenton, West Texas crude futures, that's equal to 6.2 million barrels of oil.
35:39An audacious bet worth a whopping $580 million.
35:45In those 60 seconds, traders placed massive bets,
35:49effectively wagering that oil prices would fall.
35:55At the very same moment, S&P 500 futures began to climb,
36:00hinting at a broader coordinated positioning across markets.
36:04Like chess pieces moving before the opponent has even touched the board,
36:09the trades appeared to anticipate something not yet public.
36:1515 minutes later, at 4.35 p.m., Donald Trump posted this on Truth Social.
36:21An update claiming very good and productive conversations with Iran
36:26and signalling a five-day pause on military strikes.
36:29Moments later, it was withdrawn, leaving the markets confused.
36:3418 minutes later, a new version with a corrected spelling of WHICH followed.
36:39Same message, same signal, de-escalation.
36:45Markets reacted instantly.
36:47Oil prices fell as geopolitical risk appears to ease.
36:52Equities rallied as investors priced instability.
36:55It was the exact outcome those early trades had bet on,
36:59as though the story climax had been read before the first page was published.
37:04But then came a sharp contradiction.
37:08Iran's IRNA news agency denied everything.
37:11No talks, no intermediaries, no back-channel diplomacy.
37:16The Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohamed Bagheer Ghalibaf, went a step further,
37:22calling the claim fake news, directly accusing Trump of using it
37:26as a tool to manipulate financial and oil markets.
37:30The denial fractured the narrative created by Trump administration
37:34because if no talks existed, then what exactly did the markets react to?
37:42First, the sheer size.
37:45A $580 million position executed in seconds in a buffeting market
37:50during a quiet pre-open window raised more than a few eyebrows.
37:55Second, the timing.
37:58The massive order was placed just minutes before a market-moving announcement
38:02with no scheduled data, no policy event, no visible catalyst.
38:09And third, the positioning.
38:11Selling oil, buying equities, a textbook response to easing geopolitical tension
38:15before the news even existed.
38:19There is as of now no proof of insider trading.
38:22Large institutional players often act on models, probabilities or geopolitical expectations.
38:28But trades based on material non-public information would cross into illegal territory.
38:34And that is where the discomfort lies.
38:38Questions are already being asked.
38:41Who plays the trades?
38:42Was it a single entity or multiple players acting in sync?
38:46What did they know?
38:48Was it insight, inference or privileged information?
38:53What triggered the move?
38:55A real signal or a narrative that never existed?
39:00As the dust settles, the 15 minutes reveals a world where the line between a brilliant trade
39:06and an unfair advantage has never been thinner.
39:11For now, the productive talks remain a mystery.
39:14The denial remains absolute.
39:16And the $580 million remains a silent testament to a secret that the market is still trying to decode.
39:35So the question, is somebody really making money off this war at the cost of you and me?
39:40Well, that remains to be seen.
39:42Clearly, the story has got everybody very, very suspicious.
39:45On that, India may have just changed the global weight loss game.
39:50Within hours of a key patent expiring on March 20th,
39:54at least nine copycat versions of the blockbuster drug semaglutide hit the Indian market.
39:59And dozens more are on the way.
40:01Semaglutide is the active ingredient behind some of the world's most talked about medicines
40:05like Ozempic, Vigovi, also Rebelsis.
40:08Now, drugs that lower blood sugar crush appetite, increase insulin resistance
40:13and make you feel full for longer, in turn, cutting down your weight as well.
40:19Over the past few years, now, these medicines have transformed diabetes care
40:22and triggered a global weight loss revolution.
40:24And now, India is entering that revolution in a big way.
40:28Now, consider this.
40:3010.1 crore Indians live with diabetes.
40:3325.4 crore generalised obesity.
40:3735.1 crore have abdominal obesity as well.
40:40All of which is very lethal, by the way.
40:42And there are hundreds of millions of people who could potentially benefit.
40:46And until now, the cost, that was the biggest barrier.
40:51Before patent expiry, the cheapest injection of semaglutide cost about 8,800 rupees per month.
40:57Now, that's the story here.
41:00The lowest price has crashed to about 1290 rupees per month.
41:07That is an 85% reduction.
41:111290 rupees per month.
41:12An oral version is reported to be priced even lower, as low as 900 rupees a month,
41:17potentially making India home to the cheapest semaglutide anywhere in the world.
41:23Multiple pharma giants have jumped in.
41:25Sun Pharma with Novel Treat and Sema Trinity.
41:28Dr. Reddy is with Obeda.
41:30Zidus with Semaglin.
41:32Also, there is Glenmark with Glipig.
41:36Natco with partners with Eris launching Semanat and Semaflu.
41:41Some of the 50 versions that are going to be expected very, very soon in the market.
41:46Now, this could completely reshape India's entire obesity market, currently valued at about 3,000 to 3,500 crore rupees.
41:55Experts say this could grow eight times.
41:59Eight times by just 2030.
42:01And here is the distinction.
42:04Now, drugs like Yorpeak and Manjaro, which have donated sales so far, they are also weight loss injections, remember?
42:10But they are a different ingredient.
42:12That's called Trezapatide.
42:13Trezapatide is more potent.
42:15Some would even say superior for weight loss as they have GLP-1 plus GIP, which leads to more rapid
42:21weight loss compared to semaglutide.
42:23But, having understood that, remember, cheaper semaglutide could change the equation rapidly.
42:30Here, however, is the very, very critical warning.
42:34Just because these injections now cost less than a restaurant meal for you, a single meal, that does not mean
42:40they are for everyone.
42:41These are powerful prescription medicines, not cosmetic quick fixes.
42:45They can have side effects, require dose tituration, and are not suitable for certain medical types and conditions completely.
42:52Only a qualified endocrinologist and internal medicine specialist should evaluate and prescribe and also monitor these drugs with you.
43:01This is not, I repeat, this is not for self-medication and the government is also now getting after it.
43:07The government of India today came out with an advisory saying that they will be carrying out checks on the
43:12ground,
43:12also ensuring that off-patent use is kept to a minimum.
43:16Now, in short, the drug, once seen as elite, exclusive and expensive,
43:22it's become mass market and affordability must not be mistaken for safety.
43:27India has long been called the pharmacy of the world and this moment actually confirms that.
43:33This is what we have been looking at all this while as well.
43:37This is good news only if it does not fall in the wrong hands.
43:47Alright, and as we come towards the end of this bulletin, in the middle of all the doom and gloom,
43:52in the middle of who's an ally, who's an enemy, in the middle of who's winning the war,
43:56let's bring you a story tonight that needs no sides, it needs no strategy, it needs no geopolitics
44:02because sometimes, hope walks on four legs.
44:07Seven pet dogs in northeastern China, allegedly stolen for illegal meat trade, they have escaped.
44:14Listen to me again, not one, not two, but seven, let's throw up those pictures as well for people to
44:19see.
44:19Different homes, different breeds, one destination, home.
44:24They have spotted, they were spotted on the highway in Changchun, moving together, alert, very disciplined,
44:33very determined as well and at the front, you see that tiny corgi constantly turning back
44:39as if counting the others and seeing if they are coming along with him
44:42and beside him, an injured German shepherd, shielded by the pack, understandably.
44:47Not a group of strays, a convoy this is.
44:51They sort of ignored traffic, ignored danger, ignored strangers, they've walked 17 kilometres
44:57through highways, fields, cold, uncertainty as well.
45:01Rescuers later actually tracked them.
45:03Every single dog survived, every single dog returned, reunited with their families,
45:09saved from a fate, many stolen pets never really escaped.
45:13What makes this story really extraordinary for me today is not just survival,
45:16it's loyalty, they did not scatter, they did not abandon the weak, they stayed together,
45:23protected the injured, followed the smallest leader, no maps, no language, no GPS really,
45:27right, just instinct, memory and love.
45:32In a divided world, they showed unity, in a cruel story, they chose courage,
45:37in a brutal trade, they chose life and sometimes the most powerful victories
45:42are not on battlefields, right, or even on a, as you say, sometimes it is on a road back home.
45:49So we leave you with these visuals, a reminder to those watching,
45:53part of those decisions being taken on the war or otherwise,
45:57remember, the story tells you,
46:00love, peace, warmth, above everything else.
46:06Good night, we'll see you tomorrow.
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