ET NEWS

The combined market valuation of five of the top-10 most valued firms increased by Rs 60,675.94 crore last week, with State Bank of India and HDFC Bank emerging as the lead gainers in line with a positive trend in equities.In a holiday-shortened last week, Sensex climbed 739.87 points or 0.92 per cent, and the Nifty edged higher by 268 points or 1.10 per cent.From the top-10 pack, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India and Infosys saw an addition in their valuation, while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and Bajaj Finance faced erosion from their market capitalisation (mcap).The valuation of State Bank of India jumped Rs 20,445.82 crore to Rs 7,63,095.16 crore, the most among the top-10 firms.The mcap of HDFC Bank surged Rs 14,083.51 crore to Rs 15,28,387.09 crore.Infosys added Rs 9,887.17 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 6,01,310.19 crore. The mcap of Bharti Airtel surged Rs 8,410.6 crore to Rs 10,68,260.92 crore.Reliance Industries' valuation went up by Rs 7,848.84 crore to Rs 18,59,023.43 crore.However, the mcap of LIC tumbled Rs 15,306.5 crore to Rs 5,61,881.17 crore.Bajaj Finance faced an erosion of Rs 9,601.08 crore to Rs 5,35,547.44 crore, while ICICI Bank's valuation declined by Rs 6,513.34 crore to Rs 10,18,982.35 crore.The mcap of TCS fell by Rs 4,558.79 crore to Rs 10,93,349.87 crore, and that of Hindustan Unilever dipped by Rs 3,630.12 crore to Rs 5,83,391.76 crore.Reliance Industries retained the title of the most valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, TCS, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, LIC and Bajaj Finance.

Foreign investors offloaded Indian equities worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore in the first half of August, pressured by US-India trade tensions, lacklustre first-quarter corporate earnings, and a weakening rupee.With this, the total outflow by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in equities reached the Rs 1.16 lakh crore mark so far in 2025, according to data with the depositories.The FPI activity will be influenced by the action on the tariff front ahead.The recent easing of tensions between the US and Russia, coupled with the absence of fresh sanctions, suggests that the proposed 25 per cent secondary tariff on India is unlikely to take effect after August 27, a clear positive for the market, Vaqarjaved Khan, CFA - Senior Fundamental Analyst, Angel One, said.Also, S&P has upgraded India's credit rating from BBB- to BBB, a move that could further boost FPIs' sentiment, he added.According to the depositories data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew a net sum of Rs 29,975 crore from equities this month (till August 14).This came after a net withdrawal of Rs 17,741 crore in July. Before that, FPIs invested Rs 38,673 crore in the preceding three months from March to June."The sustained outflows are being driven primarily by a confluence of global uncertainties. Heightened geopolitical tensions and ambiguity surrounding the interest rate trajectory in developed economies, particularly the United States, have contributed to a risk-averse sentiment," Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director - Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, said.Adding to this caution is the recent strengthening of the US dollar, which tends to reduce the relative attractiveness of emerging market assets like India's, he noted.Additionally, tepid earnings growth and elevated valuations have contributed to the outflow, VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments, said.On the sectoral front, sustained selling in IT stocks has pulled the IT index down. However, banking and financials continue to be relatively resilient due to fair valuations and institutional buying.On the other hand, FPIs invested Rs 4,469 crore in the debt general limit, and pumped Rs 232 crore into the debt voluntary retention route during the period under review.

In a July 2025 article in The Financial Times , Frank Everett, Sotheby’s vice chair of jewellery, proclaimed that the brooch is back. Everett has been talking about the return of the brooch for a decade now but this time round, he says, it is legit. Even as you remain skeptical, there’s one area that the brooch seems to have pinned its hopes on: the men’s suits. The Met Gala 2025 was a parade of brooches as attendees pinned the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” with a brooch. Punctuating most of the slick lapels, stylists called it the breakout trend of the night. At the Oscars again, brooches were front and centre.Stylist and image consultant Rishi Raj—a self-confessed brooch addict— says that brooches are having a moment because people are craving individuality, especially men, who are finally embracing adornment in a big way. He says, “For men, a brooch is the perfect gateway into jewellery. It’s less intimidating than wearing a necklace or earrings.” The red carpet visibility has also created acceptability.123341582International jewellery houses are keen to bring men into the jewellery fold, a reason why we see brooches on the red carpet. But brooches have been around since the Bronze Age when men used pins of flint or metal to fasten cloaks and tunics. By the 19th century, they were worn purely for ornamentation.Fashion historians note that brooches went out of style in the 1960s. Of late, though, editorials are full of ‘ten ways to wear a brooch’ hacks.Jewellery designer Roma Narsinghani, who founded her eponymous label in 2018, says brooches today are more than just a fashion trend, they’re a cultural mood. People want pieces that tell a story and connects them to something bigger, she notes. “Brooches have been part of so many traditions: royal regalia in Europe, ceremonial pins in Asia, talismans in different cultures. They’ve always carried meaning, and I think right now, that’s what people are craving—objects that feel personal and storied.” Narsinghani also attributes the rise to men wanting to experiment with personal style.To tackle damaging a garment, she reintroduced button covers, something you used to see back in the 50s. This can also help you double your brooches as buttons. “If I look back from 2019 to now, there’s def i nitely more openness to wearing brooches, and across genders.”123341598TACKING ONKolkata-based jewellery designer Eina Ahluwalia has noticed an uptick in demand for her monogram brooches. “Jewellery is experiencing a vintage mood revival. Brooches are feeling fresh again, and they are the perfect gender-neutral accessory.” Ahluwalia says they get requests for customised brooches. “I see a lot of people adding brooches to their bags, and I find that much more interesting than hanging a Labubu!” Even Tribe Amrapali, a brand known for traditional jewellery, has noticed a steady growth in this category. CEO Akanksha Arora says many factors are at play: first, the way we look at jewellery is changing—it’s now about self-expression; second, vintage culture is having a strong moment; people want pieces with history, or at least something that feels like it could be passed down.Delhi-based accessories designer Paulami Saha works with fabrics but started making brooches to repurpose textile waste. “I hadn’t imagined that there existed an audience who might shy away from traditional jewellery, yet embrace brooches as their signature statement. This was a revelation.” The dog and cat designs are their current bestsellers.Saha says brooches are a playful accessory that can turn any outfit into a conversation starter. Kanika Suri, director of Noida-based premium accessories label Tossido, says 2025 has seen a significant revival in brooches. “For us, the shift started post-Covid,” she says. It’s not about only the big pieces but there’s a lot of creativity around placement and layering. Their bestsellers are the animal brooches, enamel and studded florals, and pins with bugs.Tossido’s brooches range from Rs 699 to Rs 2,259. The choice of brooch depends on what you are wearing. Co-director Raghav Suri says, “A bandhgala often calls for more classic, vintage-style brooches, while you can wear quirky ones over a casual blazer.”123341593BE A LITTLE ‘EXTRA’Vandana M Jagwani, founder, Vandals and creative director of Mahesh Notandass, says the brooch revival is rooted in history and puts men front and centre of wearing jewellery—something they did quite regularly traditionally. She adds, “At the moment, men seem to be embracing brooches more than women. However, wearing a brooch every day still feels a bit ‘extra’ for most.”But that “extra” is what Raj says will make a powerful style statement as he calls them “little personality injections”. Brooches are surprisingly versatile. His advice? For work, pick sleek, small, geometric shapes or initials and place on your blazer lapel, shirt placket, or the base of a tie knot. For evenings, go for oversized florals, gem-encrusted pieces, or sculptural designs or layer two smaller ones together. For daily wear, go for quirky or personalised pins on denim jackets, sweaters, or tote straps. He says: “Always pin through a reinforced area like a lapel, seam, or double layer of fabric to prevent sagging or damage. For heavy brooches, add a backing disc or hidden safety pin inside the garment for support.”123341605The modern brooch is a free spirit: you can wear it on your shirts, waistbands, cinch or gather fabric on dresses or tunics, on any headgear and even clipped to chains, Raj says. Vinayak Modani, founder of Jaipurbased contemporary accessories brand Milk & Whisky, says people seek quirky picks with something unique like their stock market pin with a bull fighting a bear. He says, “One should invest in a brooch box with a mix of brooches in various sizes and finishes.”What excites Arora is the trend of layering multiple brooches together like curating your own mini gallery on your outfit. Her tip: “Start your collection with versatile, mediumsized pieces that work with multiple outfits. A classic floral, a geometric form, and something with a pop of colour make a great starter set.” Raj calls them wearable art—they don’t need sizing and transcend trends. His starter pack would include something classic (gold, silver, gemstone); something statement (oversized, sculptural) and something quirky/ personal. Looks for quality clasps and solid construction, he says.Narsinghani says that people are getting much more experimental with how they wear brooches—on shirt collars, sari pleats, belts, hats, handbags, even on the back of a dress.As Raj says, “The brooch was always underrated.” It’s time to pin it up.