Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Thursday, September 19, 2024. My name is Nelson John. Let's get started.

India’s frontline equity indices traded within a narrow range on Wednesday amid market volatility, as investors remained cautious ahead of a crucial US Federal Reserve meeting. The Nifty ended the session down 0.16 percent, while the Sensex also slipped 0.16 percent from its previous close.

As the festive season approaches, online shoppers might find it harder to return fashion, accessories, home decor, and kidswear. Sowmya Ramasubramanian reports that companies like Flipkart and Amazon are setting tougher return policies to boost profits and cut logistics costs. Typically, returns jump 30% during festival sales, but this year, firms might shorten return periods, charge fees, or offer store credit only, particularly for serial returners. While loyal customers might enjoy some leniency, the aim is to curb the costly trend of impulse buys and returns that surge during sales. This strategy includes not just the major e-commerce players but also direct-to-consumer brands, all navigating the trade-offs between customer service and profitability.

With the festival season in full swing, Indians are shopping in bulk, and metro cities are witnessing a shift in large purchases—more people now prefer home delivery. This spells good business for e-commerce and quick commerce firms. However, as demand surges, these companies will need additional manpower to manage and deliver orders. Sowmya Ramasubramanian, Suneera Tandon, and Devina Sengupta report that these firms are expected to increase their workforce by up to 20 per cent between August and December. To meet the rising demand, logistics firms are offering gig workers both monetary and non-monetary incentives.

Many investors place all their bets on equities, driven by their bullish outlook on the Indian stock market and the hope of reaping windfall gains as their portfolios rise. The broader market supports this optimism, with Nifty and Sensex both up over 20 percent in the past year. Finfluencers often advocate for a strong equity-focused approach as well. However, through a fun narrative, Vivek Kaul explains why it’s still wise to consider less thrilling assets like fixed deposits or PPF to maximize your returns.

Singapore's Temasek Holdings is set to acquire an 18-20 percent stake in Cloudnine Hospitals from Peak XV for approximately $125 million. This move comes as Cloudnine, a specialist in mother and baby care, prepares for a public listing next year, with the deal valuing the company at around $600 million, reports Sneha Shah. Peak XV is making its exit after more than a decade, securing a substantial return on its 2013 investment. The transaction is part of a broader cap table realignment for Cloudnine, which also raised funds earlier this year to support its expansion across India's major cities.

India is reassessing parts of its new criminal laws after feedback and judicial observations flagged the risk of potential misuse. The focus is on Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which address domestic violence against women. These sections mirror the old IPC's Section 498A, which was designed to protect women from dowry-related abuse but faced criticism for being misused against husbands and their families. Concerns raised by the Supreme Court over the lack of safeguards have spurred this reevaluation, reports Manas Pimpalkhare. Simultaneously, the law ministry is advocating for arbitration to help address the massive backlog of over 50 million cases in Indian courts, promoting alternative dispute resolution to expedite justice and reduce the burden on the judiciary.

E-commerce orders may be harder to return this festive season

Consumer firms shower gig workers with festive incentives

Invest 100% in stocks? Be aware of the bull market’s investing myths

Temasek set to buy PeakXV’s 20% stake in Cloudnine

Section 498A: Centre may review the domestic violence law