India has issued a safety advisory for nationals in France, Italy and Belgium amid escalating protests over living costs. French authorities are preparing to deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes ahead of further demonstrations, while unrest in Italy and Belgium has led to arrests and transport disruptions.
Brent crude climbed above $115 a barrel on Friday as renewed Middle East tensions raised concerns about global oil supplies. India faces mounting pressure from higher import costs after increasing its reliance on Gulf crude. The Nifty and Sensex ended lower, the rupee weakened to 94.94 per dollar, and government bond yields remained elevated amid inflation concerns.
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal warned that the EU’s carbon border tax and 50% steel tariffs could increase industrial costs and undermine European competitiveness, even as India and the bloc move toward implementing their trade agreement.
