Authored By By Amit Modani, Senior Fund Manager, Lead – Fixed Income, Shriram AMC

Given the heightened market volatility and ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, investors are encouraged to prioritize capital protection over a period by shifting surplus liquidity toward the short end of the yield curve.

In an environment where the India VIX has surged and oil prices remain elevated above $100, long-duration products face significant "-to-market" risks and price instability. Consequently, overnight and liquid money market funds currently offer a more compelling risk-adjusted proposition, as their minimal sensitivity to interest rate swings provide a safe harbor from the fluctuations affecting longer-term bonds.

By focusing on these short-term instruments, investors can maintain high liquidity and stable risk adjusted returns while waiting for the "fog of war" to clear.

This defensive stance allows for a tactical transition; once the geopolitical landscape stabilises, investors can gradually redeploy capital into duration schemes or equities to capture long-term growth.

For now, the strategy centers on avoiding duration risk in favor of the stability provided by instruments maturing in the very near term.

Looking ahead, the strategy will be shaped by how the situation develops.

While short-term volatility may create tactical trading opportunities, a prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz would act as a structural external shock to India’s growth trajectory.

In such a scenario, the risk-reward equation clearly shifts away from aggressive duration positioning toward high-quality accrual strategies that prioritise stability amid elevated uncertainty.

A meaningful easing in oil prices and Rupee volatility would be key signals for reassessing duration exposure.

Authored By Mahir Laul, Founder and CEO of Velric

We are now at a point, by 2026, in multiple industries the length of recruitment has reduced considerably, largely driven by the operational deployment of artificial intelligence in the hiring process. From the experimental phases of resume screening and applicant tracking, we are now at a place of automating the entire recruitment lifecycle. Not only has this reduced the hiring lifecycle, but we are now redefining the notion of speed within the hiring lifecycle.

Measurable Reductions in Time-to-Hire Are Being Recorded

Workforce analytics have repeatedly indicated that companies that utilize automated hiring systems across their workforce have seen a reduction in time-to-hire between 25% and over 40%, especially considering the role. For some positions, such as customer operations, logistics, and entry-level positions with a degree of technical skill, time to hire has been cut from several weeks to several days simply because the employer needs to reduce productivity loss, vacancy-related costs, and applicant fall-off.

Automation Is Replacing Low-Signal Tasks, Not Human Judgment

A common misconception is that AI removes humans from hiring decisions. In practice, automation has replaced manual, low-signal tasks rather than decision-making authority. AI systems now handle resume parsing, skill extraction, assessment scheduling, and preliminary ranking based on role-specific criteria. This allows recruiters and hiring managers to focus attention on fewer, higher-quality candidates, accelerating decisions without sacrificing oversight.

Skills Assessment Is Accelerating Hiring Decisions

One of the most potent factors for the acceleration of the hiring process is the move from a reliance on qualification checks to a reliance on skills assessment. An analysis of hiring outcome data demonstrates the success level of candidates passing through the screening process through skills validation. There has been a move from a situation where degrees can speed up or slow down the interview process to one where skills accelerate the process.

Predictive Analytics Are Improving Role Fit and Performance Outcomes

Advances in hiring analytics allow for predictive matching of candidate capabilities with the requirements for performance in a given role. Matching candidates who are more likely to perform well in a given role is evidenced by employers who report positive outcome gains in the success rate during the probationary period. Improved outcome gains from automation adoption serve to reduce the hiring process timeline.

Shorter Hiring Cycles Are Increasing Pressure on Candidates

Although employers reap the benefit of speed, applicants, on the other hand, feel increased pressure. With a shorter hiring cycle, applicants are not afforded enough time to prepare, edit, or conduct a multi-step selection process. The closing of an opportunity is now faster, applications that trigger assessments are immediate, and interview decisions are also prompt. Candidates who fail to be prepared at application time might not pass screening.

Demonstrable Skills Are Now the Primary Acceleration Factor

Automation favors candidates who can demonstrate capability quickly. Skill portfolios, work samples, certifications, and assessment performance now carry more weight than intent statements or academic summaries. Data coming out of the automated hiring pipelines indicates that candidates presenting validated skills progress faster through selection stages. Preparation in 2026 is less about signaling ambition and more about evidencing readiness.

Candidate Responsiveness Has Become a Core Hiring Signal

As hiring cycles shorten, so too have employer demands on candidate responsiveness, adaptability, and clarity of role. Candidates are under increased pressure to understand the roles to which they apply, undertake assessments in good time, and exhibit early signs of applied competence. The notion that longer interview processes allow for gradual evaluation has given way to faster, signal-rich models of selection.

As a matter of fact, preparation for candidates starts long before they send in their applications. This includes the development of their respective skills, evidence-based profiles, and awareness of assessment-driven hiring. The more a candidate understands how evaluation through automation works and is involved in their preparation, the higher the chances they succeed in the long run.

In conclusion, we have seen how AI-driven automation is not just speeding up recruitment, but indeed changing the traditional hiring process. For employers, speed brings about increased efficiency and effectiveness. For employment seekers, it is about being prepared, demonstrating competence, and being flexible. Hiring trends in 2026: a hiring process that is no longer a lengthy process of elimination, but a swift process of alignment.

Authored By Mr Anil Kapasi, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Arihant Academy

As exam season approaches, a familiar panic sets in: “I’m not ready.” For many students this leads to last-minute cramming, all-nighters and multitasking. Yet the short-term gain of extra hours often produces long-term losses like dizziness, blanking out during tests, poor retention and, in many cases, burnout. Understanding the science behind sleep, stress and study and adopting simple routines can protect both marks and mental health.

Why last-minute cramming backfires

A student wellbeing survey in India found nearly three-quarters of Grade 12 students sleep fewer than seven hours, often because of late-night studying and screen use. These figures explain why so many students feel exhausted yet anxious to “get more study time” the strategy simply erodes the cognitive machinery needed for success.

Students frequently believe that extending wakeful hours before an exam buys them learning time. In reality, sleep plays a critical role in stabilizing and consolidating new memories. Research summarized by sleep and health experts shows that inadequate sleep impairs attention, working memory and the brain’s ability to store factual information exactly the functions exams require.

Beyond cognition, chronic academic pressure pushes many students toward burnout. Recent reviews find burnout is widespread across student groups and driven by heavy workloads, poor time management and persistent high-stakes pressure.

What an all-nighter actually does

Pulling an all-nighter may feel heroic, but it’s counterproductive. Acute sleep deprivation reduces vigilance and decision-making, increases reaction time and makes it harder to form new memories. The result? You may “know” material while awake, but you’re less able to retrieve it reliably under exam stress.

Practical ways to avoid burnout (and still cover the syllabus)

Here are evidence-backed, actionable steps students can adopt in the weeks and days before exams.

1. Plan backward from exam day. Break topics into small daily goals. Even 25–50 minutes of focused study followed by 5–10 minute breaks beats eight hours of distracted, last-minute reading.

2. Prioritize sleep as study time. Schedule 7–9 hours nightly where possible. Sleep consolidates learning — think of it as part of your study routine, not optional downtime. Short naps (20–30 minutes) can restore alertness without causing grogginess.

3. Use active recall and spaced repetition. Practice retrieval (flashcards, past papers) rather than passive re-reading. Spacing topics across days improves long-term retention far more than marathon cramming.

4. Keep screens and stimulation in check before bed. Late-night device use is linked with shorter sleep and worse mood which is common in students during exams. Limit screen time an hour before sleep; use the time for light review or relaxation.

5. Build micro-rituals that signal rest. A short wind-down routine (stretching, deep breathing, reading a non-academic book) helps shift the brain from “study” to “sleep” mode, improving sleep quality.

6. Practice stress-reduction techniques. Mindfulness and brief, structured breathing or grounding exercises reduce perceived stress and can lower burnout symptoms. Trials and meta-analyses among student populations show mindfulness-based interventions improve resilience, lower anxiety and reduce learning burnout.

7. Ask for help early. If a topic is fuzzy, seek a teacher, peer or tutor sooner rather than later. Confusion left until the night before increases panic and promotes ineffective studying.

8. Schedule ritual breaks and social time. Short, regular breaks for light exercise, fresh air or a chat with family keep mood and motivation steady. Overworking without breaks accelerates exhaustion.

For parents and teachers

Encourage structured revision schedules, promote sleep hygiene, and normalize short failures and questions not perfection. School systems and families that reduce all-or-nothing high-stakes pressures can lower long-term mental-health risks linked to excessive exam stress.

Exams test knowledge, not stamina for sleep deprivation. Planning, focused study methods, consistent sleep and simple stress-reduction practices make learning stick and protect wellbeing. Swapping one all-nighter for a week of planned, restorative study may not feel dramatic but it’s the smarter route to both good marks and a sound mind.