WEEK AHEAD · INDIA

Policy, Earnings, IPOs & Commodities

A single page to brief your team for Monday—what can move markets, ops, and budgets this week.
By bataSutra Editorial · October 19, 2025
In this piece:
  • The short — five-line brief
  • Calendar: policy, auctions, data prints
  • Earnings clusters (sector view)
  • IPO lane: filings, bands, listings
  • Commodities & FX guardrails
  • Team playbooks (Ops, Finance, IR)

The short

  • Earnings: Banks/capital goods lead with visibility; watch deposit beta and execution cadence.
  • Primary: Select mainboard names prep bands; SME remains active—size by free float.
  • Policy/data: Routine regulator updates and state notifications—treat checklists as live.
  • Energy/FX: Retail fuel bands steady; INR moves track broad dollar tone more than local prints.
  • Risk: Lumpy small/midcap liquidity—use ADTV-based sizing; avoid crowded events.

Calendar — policy, auctions, data (indicative for the week)

WhenItemWatch forWhat it can move
Mon–TueKey earnings (banks, engineering)NIM path; order-to-revenue conversionBanks, capital goods
WedMid-week state notifications (periodic)Fuel/VAT, local levies, mobility rulesCity prices, logistics
ThuFX & rates positioningImporter hedges, month-to-date dollar demandUSD/INR, bank treasuries
FriGovernment securities auctionCut-offs vs WI; demand from insurers/EPFOCurve, rate sensitives

Heads-up If your inputs are import-heavy, set staggered hedges—avoid single-day fixes around data prints.

Earnings clusters — signals to extract

Banks & Financials

  • NIM & deposit beta; wholesale funding share movement.
  • Credit cost stability; retail vs corporate mix.
  • OCF/EBITDA proxy and fee-income durability.

Capital Goods/Industrials

  • Order backlog, executable pipeline, margin bridge.
  • Input costs; contract escalation clauses usage.
  • Exports and tender conversion rates.

Autos & Components

  • Festive sell-through vs dealer weeks (≤5 ideal).
  • Discounting intensity and mix shifts (CNG/EV).
  • RM pass-through and FX sensitivity.

IT/Pharma

  • TCV build and ramp timing; onsite mix.
  • US pricing pressure; remediation updates.
  • Cash conversion and capital returns.

IPO lane — filings, bands, listings (illustrative)

StageMainboardSMENotes
Fresh DRHPs1–36–10Infra/logistics, healthcare, digital infra in mix
Observations1–2Prepped metric glossaries move faster
Price bands2–34–6Anchors prefer longer lock-ins
Listings0–24–6Day-2 liquidity hinges on float + MM design

Investor tip Treat GMP as sentiment only; focus on free float, anchor quality, and cash conversion.

Commodities & FX guardrails

  • Crude: Diesel cracks can swing margins even if Brent is steady—watch 2–3 week drift, not ticks.
  • Metals: Reprice bids with two-column spreadsheets (old vs new FX/duty); fix escalation language.
  • USD/INR: Importers: stagger hedges; exporters: define floors with rolling collars.

Team playbooks

Ops

  • Lock logistics slots for peak days; define alternates for state-rule surprises.
  • Vendor continuity tests—keep a “B supplier” warm for two inputs.

Finance

  • Pre-validate invoice data; align GRNs and acceptance SLAs before quarter-close.
  • Refresh hedging ladders and covenant dashboards.

IR

  • Publish a metric glossary (unchanged across decks); reconcile to audited notes.
  • Draft two “what changed” paragraphs per segment to accelerate Q&A.