A dani Enterprises Ltd, the flagship company of Gautam Adani's business empire, is on course to end 2026 as the top-performing stock on the NSE Nifty 50 Index - a position it last held just before the Hindenburg Research short-seller report rocked the conglomerate in January 2023. The company's shares have climbed 34% so far this year, putting it back at the summit of the Nifty 50 gainers' list after more than three years of turbulence that had, at one point, wiped over $150 billion off the group's market value. The turnaround comes amid renewed buying interest from major global and domestic investors, including The Capital Group, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and SBI Funds Management Ltd, as the conglomerate works to rebuild investor confidence following the short-seller attack, bribery allegations against Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani by US authorities, and continued scrutiny from India's market regulator. Adding further momentum, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Adani Enterprises in June with an "overweight" rating. Legal Relief and Index Boost Two key developments last week gave the stock an additional push. A US District Judge permanently dismissed the securities fraud charges against the Adanis, closing out a case that had weighed on the group since 2024. Separately, global index provider MSCI Inc. raised the free-float factors for several Adani group companies in its latest review, a move expected to increase their weightage in key benchmark indices and draw fresh buying from passive fund managers tracking these indices. Infrastructure Bet Draws Investors Analysts say the rally reflects growing investor confidence in Adani as a proxy for India's broader infrastructure growth story, with capital flowing into the group's ports, airports, and power businesses. Overseas lenders too are showing greater willingness to extend exposure - AdaniConneX Pvt, the group's data-center joint venture with EdgeConneX, recently secured a loan of roughly $800 million to fund its expansion plans. Vinit Bolinjkar, Head of Research at Ventura Securities, who has maintained a "buy" rating on the stock since 2022, noted that few businesses can match the 20-to-30-year visibility offered by Adani's infrastructure portfolio. A Look at the Numbers According to Bloomberg data, Adani Enterprises was the best-performing Nifty stock in 2022 with 126% returns. Trent Ltd took the top spot in both 2023 and 2024, followed by Shriram Finance in 2025. In 2026, Adani Enterprises has reclaimed the lead with a 34% gain (as of August 17). The group's overall market capitalisation has swelled by more than 4 trillion rupees this year, a rally that has also helped propel Gautam Adani back toward the top of Asia's richest list. Caution Still Warranted, Say Analysts Despite the recovery, challenges remain. Adani Enterprises currently has research coverage from just four brokerages - the lowest among Indian companies valued above 4 trillion rupees, Bloomberg-compiled data shows. Foreign institutional holdings in the company also fell to a record low in June, according to Prime Infobase, a decline partly linked to a broader pullback by global funds from Indian equities earlier this year. Morgan Stanley, in its June note, flagged long-term risks tied to the capital-intensive nature of infrastructure projects, including refinancing risk and exposure to regulatory changes. Maxence Visseau, Chief Investment Officer at Arkevium Capital, Dubai, said investors returning to Adani are making more than just a growth bet. "India's infrastructure cycle provides the earnings runway, but investors returning to Adani are making an active bet on legal normalisation, funding access and execution," he said, adding that recent large block-trade investments by Capital Group, Qatar Holding, and other institutions serve as early validation of that confidence. Staff Oneindia

W hy does a party that has relied so successfully on Narendra Modi's electoral appeal for more than a decade suddenly need such a significant organisational restructuring? Perhaps the answer lies in a realisation that the BJP may not say publicly, but its latest appointments seem to acknowledge. Narendra Modi is still a popular leader. There is little doubt about that. But his popularity is not what it was in 2014. The 2024 Lok Sabha election was the first major warning. The BJP remained the largest party, but its tally fell from 303 seats to 240, forcing it to depend on allies to form the government. Yet the BJP appeared to regain its confidence after its subsequent electoral successes. Especially in West Bengal. The Modi Shah formula was back. Once again, the party seemed to believe that its Supreme Leader could carry the political narrative. Then came Gen Z. The youth protests of 2026 changed something beyond the immediate issue that triggered them. A digitally native generation demonstrated that it could create a political narrative outside the BJP's traditional communication ecosystem and sustain it nationally. The movement eventually forced the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and, more importantly, dented the perception that the Modi government was politically untouchable. Perhaps that is when the BJP realised that 2029 cannot be fought on the Modi Shah formula alone. It needs the Sangathan again. And suddenly, the new appointments begin to make sense. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, who was seen as an adversary of the Modi Shah duo, had been politically sidelined despite remaining one of the BJP's strongest mass leaders in Rajasthan. Now, she is back in the national structure. The message is clear. Regional heavyweights and their personal political networks may once again matter. Smriti Irani's return to a major organisational role, with responsibility for Uttar Pradesh, brings back a leader with considerable political visibility and public connect. In a state as electorally crucial as UP, the BJP clearly needs recognisable faces who can connect with voters beyond the central leadership. Then there is Ram Madhav. Once one of the most important political bridges between the RSS and the BJP, and widely seen as an RSS favourite, his return signals something equally important: the BJP may once again need the full strength and undeterred support of the Sangh organisation. And Sandeep Pathak is perhaps the most revealing appointment of all. A former AAP strategist who helped build the party's formidable organisational and electoral machinery, Pathak brings an understanding of the BJP's competition from the inside. His appointment suggests that the BJP wants to understand not merely how its opponents campaign, but how they organise, mobilise and build political networks. Put all of this together and the picture becomes much clearer. This is not simply a reshuffle. It is a recalibration. The BJP may have realised that Modi remains its biggest electoral asset, but he can no longer be its only electoral strategy. Modi and Shah may still be the BJP's most powerful leaders. But they may no longer be the be all and end all of the BJP. Looking towards 2029, the party appears to be rediscovering an old lesson from its own history. A powerful leader can win an election. But only a powerful Sangathan can keep winning elections. And perhaps the most significant message from this restructuring is that the BJP has finally realised that the political India of 2029 will not be the India of 2014. The voters have changed. The political conversation has changed. Gen Z has arrived. And the BJP appears to be preparing for it.

M anila [Philippines], August 18 (ANI): Four people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in southern Philippines on Tuesday, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the region, the Manila Times reported. As per the news report, the victims included two security guards and two high school students, including the suspected shooter, whose identities have been withheld. The shooter was identified as a male fourth-year high school student whose father reportedly worked at the Zamboanga City Customs Office. He was armed with a Glock 9-millimetre assault rifle (M16). The Department of Education said it was “gravely concerned" over the shooting and stood with the Ateneo de Zamboanga community during the difficult time, according to the Manila Times. It said it was “ready to extend whatever support and assistance we can to the affected learners, families, school personnel, and concerned authorities." “We are also coordinating with mental health partners to provide Psychological First Aid and psychosocial support to those affected," the department said. According to the news report, the department urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information and sharing sensitive photos, videos or details about the incident, particularly as minors were involved. Meanwhile, Ateneo de Zamboanga University said in a Facebook post that its Grade School students were with their class moderators and were safe and accounted for. The school suspended classes for its Senior High School, while the situation in its Junior High School Department was under control. The Philippine National Police (PNP), in an initial report, said it was investigating the background of the Grade 9 shooter and how he managed to bring a pistol and rifle inside the campus. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr ordered police to coordinate with school authorities and other concerned agencies to ensure the safety and orderly movement of students, faculty and school personnel. “The situation is now under control. The PNP likewise encourages parents and guardians to remain calm and follow the school’s advisory, particularly on the designated time and arrangements for picking up their children," Nartatez said in a statement. “This will help ensure an orderly process and allow responding personnel to carry out their responsibilities without unnecessary congestion. Authorities are currently establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident," he added, as per the Manila Times. (ANI) (This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)