Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has shifted his political stance from Marathi identity politics to Hindutva rhetoric, unveiling a new saffron flag and addressing Hindu supporters. This move mirrors the historical shift of his uncle, Bal Thackeray, founder of the Shiv Sena, who transitioned from regional chauvinism to Hindutva in the 1980s. Raj Thackeray's strategy aims to fill the political void left by the Shiv Sena's alliance with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. However, this rebranding faces challenges, including alienation of his previous voter base and opposition from the Maratha community. The article questions the viability of this new political direction for the MNS.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd, emphasized the importance of data localisation and ownership by Indian people, likening 'data colonisation' to historical colonisation. Speaking at the Republic Summit in Mumbai, he supported Indian authorities' efforts to mandate local data storage, citing the Supreme Court's stance on data privacy. Ambani argued for a decentralised data model, contrasting it with the aggregator model, and stressed that data should belong to individuals, not corporations. The Reserve Bank of India and the government are pushing for regulations to ensure data is stored within India, despite opposition from companies like Google.

The BSE Sensex closed slightly lower by 10 points in a volatile session, with IT and pharma stocks being the top losers due to foreign fund outflows. Despite opening higher and gains in capital goods, banking, and auto sectors, profit-booking led to a reversal of early gains. Infosys, Wipro, and TCS were among the major losers, while Yes Bank and Larsen & Toubro saw significant gains. The broader markets, including small-cap and mid-cap indices, performed better, and sectoral indices showed mixed results with capital goods and realty gaining, while IT and healthcare declined.

The central government has extended the deadline for submitting 'Expression of Interest' bids for Air India's divestment to 31 May 2018. The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a corrigendum and clarified several aspects of the divestment process, including the government's plan to retain a 24 percent stake and the provision of ESOPs from the government's shareholding. The government aims to divest 76 percent of its stake in Air India, 100 percent in Air India Express, and 50 percent in AISATS. The strategic disinvestment includes the transfer of management control and sale of 76 percent equity share capital of Air India.

SEBI is investigating a significant drop in InterGlobe Aviation's stock, the parent company of IndiGo, which occurred hours before the resignation of its president, Aditya Ghosh. The probe focuses on potential delays in disclosure and possible insider trading violations. InterGlobe Aviation maintains compliance with all listing requirements. The investigation will involve further clarifications from the airline, its promoters, directors, and the outgoing CEO. IndiGo, India's largest airline, is set to announce its financial results shortly.

Amazon.com Inc is considering a rival offer to purchase Indian e-commerce company Flipkart, which is currently in discussions with Walmart Inc for a potential acquisition. Walmart aims to acquire over 40 percent of Flipkart in a deal that could value the Indian company at $21 billion. Flipkart, established by former Amazon employees Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, leads India's online retail market. The deal with Walmart would challenge Amazon's expansion in India, where it has pledged to invest $5 billion. Flipkart has attracted various investors, including Tiger Global Management, eBay, Microsoft, Tencent Holdings, and SoftBank Group's Vision Fund.

TRAI Chairman RS Sharma criticized incumbent telecom operators for alleging bias in the regulator's rules, particularly on predatory pricing. Vodafone and Bharti Airtel have expressed strong opposition, with Airtel and Idea Cellular challenging the norms in court. The Cellular Operators Association of India also criticized the new rules, claiming they disadvantage all operators except Reliance Jio. Sharma defended TRAI's decisions, emphasizing fairness and transparency, and urged operators to challenge regulations legally rather than through public accusations.

The Bombay High Court nullified two Maharashtra government resolutions favoring TJSB Sahakari Bank and Maharashtra District Cooperative Bank, raising concerns about political favoritism and corruption. The court criticized the arbitrary nature of these decisions, which were seen as benefiting banks with connections to the RSS and BJP. Key figures like Devendra Fadnavis and Vinod Tawde faced scrutiny, with allegations that these moves could damage their reputations. The controversy highlights the influence of political affiliations on government actions and the judiciary's role in addressing potential corruption.

BJP President Amit Shah contacted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu after the TDP, a partner in the BJP-led NDA government, decided to intensify their fight over the Centre's failure to honor commitments made to the state during its bifurcation in 2014. Naidu will send a delegation led by Sujana Chowdary for talks, insisting on no compromise over the commitments. The TDP has been demanding financial allocations to support the state until it reaches parity with other southern states, and is prepared to continue protests in Parliament and possibly take legal action.

The Shiv Sena, in alliance with the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), will contest both Lok Sabha seats in Goa for the upcoming general elections. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has approved the alliance, and the party aims to strengthen its base in the state. The North Goa and South Goa seats are currently held by the BJP. Sanjay Raut, a Sena spokesman, expressed well wishes for Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is recovering from a health issue.

Transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar warned striking tourist taxi operators in Goa to call off their protest or face the introduction of taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola. The strike, organized by tourist taxi associations in North and South Goa, protests against speed governors and alleged harassment by transport and police officials. The government has taken a strong stance, threatening termination and suspension of permits for non-compliant operators.

Pakistan announced that the visa applications for Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother are being processed on humanitarian grounds. This follows Pakistan's rejection of India's plea for consular access to Jadhav, who is on death row for espionage and terrorism. Pakistan maintains that Jadhav was involved in spying and sabotage, while India claims he was kidnapped from Iran. The International Court of Justice has halted Jadhav's execution pending a final verdict. Pakistan has agreed to facilitate a meeting between Jadhav and his family in Islamabad, with an Indian High Commission official present.