Bullets

Reliance Brands is merging into Reliance Retail as part of a major clean-up before the retail giant's public listing.

• The luxury arm will now be a division under Reliance Retail, not a separate unit.

• It works with 85+ global labels, including Burberry, Tiffany & Co., and Pret A Manger.

• FY24 sales hit ₹2,684 Cr., up 12%, though losses also grew.

• 2,155 stores were shut in FY25 to cut costs and boost margins.

• Retail now brings in 15% of Reliance Industries' EBITDA.

Can one strategy really serve both luxury and mass retail?

After the deadly Air India crash on 12 June that killed 274 people, Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran has stepped in to run daily operations.

• The crash killed 241 on board, including 12 crew, and 33 on the ground.

• Chandrasekaran is leading safety checks, government talks, and morale efforts.

• He's based at Air India HQ and setting up a trust for victims' families.

• CEO Campbell Wilson, who rushed back from Paris, is handling regulators and safety plans.

Families will receive ₹1 Cr. in compensation each. 

In hindsight, was Tata’s bid for Air India a good call?

• Apple is shifting manufacturing to India, backed by the government's PLI scheme.

• Foxconn leads iPhone and AirPods assembly in Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

• Tata Electronics acquired Pegatron & Wistron units, boosting local output

• Target: 2.5–3 Cr. iPhones by year-end, more than 2x last year

• Tata’s Hosur plant to double its 50,000 iPhone body capacity

However, India only has 14 Apple suppliers, while China has 157. Will Apple's India push ever match China's scale?

• Vodafone Idea owes ₹83,400 Cr. in AGR dues to the government, with ₹18,064 Cr. due every year till FY31.

• With just ₹9,930 Cr.  in cash, the telco risks default by FY27

• The government, owning 49.99% after converting dues into shares, fears this would hurt its finances.

• To ease pressure, it may stretch payments to 20 years and replace 30% compound interest with 8–10% simple interest, saving Vi over ₹16,000 Cr.

Should Vi get another bailout?

After stepping back from daily operations at PharmEasy, Dharmil Sheth, Dhaval Shah, and Hardik Dedhia are building again.

• Their new venture, All Home, enters the fragmented ~₹5.16 L Cr. architecture and design sector.

• Backed by Bessemer and angel investors, the startup is valued at over ₹1,000 Cr. after raising ~₹172 Cr.

• It's already partnered with 3 brands (Colour Coats, House of W, and Fiamarc), and plans 3 more.

• The team offers tech, manufacturing, and market support to streamline a chaotic supply chain.

With angel funds pouring in, will the introduction of angel tax decide the fate of Indian startups?

India's top ride-hailing apps are in a standoff with tax authorities over how much GST they owe under a growing new model.

• Ola, Uber, and Rapido now charge drivers a fixed fee, instead of taking a commission.

• This move aims to bypass the 5% GST under Section 9(5) of the Central GST Act.

• But rulings vary: Karnataka AAR exempted Namma Yatri (Sept 2023), but taxed Rapido (July 2024) and Uber (Nov 2024).

• Firms argue the inconsistency distorts prices and undermines fair competition.

When the same service is taxed differently, can a level playing field survive?

Myntra rolled out 30-minute delivery service, M-Now, in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai after a successful pilot in Bengaluru.

• Launched with 10,000 SKUs, M-Now features 600 brands like Prada, Levi's, and YSL.

• Myntra clocked ₹30.9 Cr. profit in FY24 on ₹5,173.7 Cr. revenue.

• In May, it raised ₹1,062.5 Cr. from FK Myntra Holdings and is now expanding to Singapore.

• Rivals like Slikk raised ₹85 Cr. for 60-minute fashion; Snitch raised ₹334 Cr. to expand to 100 stores by 2025.

Can speed and style really go hand in hand in fast fashion?

Anil Agarwal, Vedanta's gritty founder from Patna, has outperformed Warren Buffett (the world's most famous investor) with a bold 22-year bet on Hindustan Zinc.

• Vedanta earned a 24% annual return vs Buffett's 20%, and Nifty’s 15%

• ₹1,000 Cr. investment turned into ₹71,000 Cr. (dividends + stake sale)

• Sold 667 lakh shares for ₹3,000 Cr. at ₹449/share this month

• Stake bought at ₹3/share; now valued at ₹11,600 Cr.

But with ₹75,000 Cr. in debt, can Agarwal's high-return empire stay strong without cracking?

Foxconn, Apple's top supplier, is stepping beyond assembly and will soon make iPhone bodies in India, marking a big shift in local manufacturing.

• A new unit is coming up at ESR Industrial Park in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu.
   
• This move supports Apple's plan to make India a key hub, with 250–300 lakh iPhones to be produced here this year.
   
• Foxconn is also assembling AirPods in Hyderabad and expanding in Bengaluru.

As Apple bets big on India, can rising US-China tensions shape where your iPhone is made?

India's quick commerce boom now faces an unexpected hurdle: a delivery partner shortage.

• Platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto, and Flipkart Minutes are seeing record demand. 
   
• Orders hit 23 Cr. in Q4 FY25, but rider retention is stuck at 44%.
   
• Monthly earnings rose from ₹21,000 in 2021 to ₹28,000 now, but per-order payouts dropped to as low as ₹15 from ₹40. 
   
• Riders report unpaid referral bonuses, fewer incentives, and extreme heat impacting work.

With Reliance alone losing ₹1,979 crore, what makes quick commerce worth the risk?

Most Indian private banks are yet to switch to SWIFT's new ISO 20022 messaging system, raising concerns of major payment disruptions.

• Only SBI has fully adopted the system; 4 have made partial progress.

• India's adoption rate is far below the global average of 43%.

• The new format allows faster, safer, and more detailed international transactions.

• Despite multiple extensions, Indian banks lag behind.

• Officials believe no further extensions will be given beyond November 2025.

• Delays are linked to complex tech upgrades in core banking systems.
   

Will missing the upgrade deadline isolate Indian banks from global payments?

Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL) to spend ~₹8,000 Cr. in the next 12–15 months to grow its drinks business, including Campa Cola.

• RCPL is setting up 10–12 new plants, including one already running in Guwahati and another in Bihar.

• The goal: to beat Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and even smaller local brands.

• Its Spinner sports drink, co-created with cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, sells for just ₹10 (half the price of Gatorade).

• RCPL earned ₹11,500 Cr. in FY25, with Campa crossing ₹1,000 Cr. in sales

Can affordable drinks help Reliance rule the ₹67,000 Cr. market?

The home services startup we call for beauty and repair needs, just gave its business a glow-up.

• In FY25, revenue jumped 38% to ₹1,144 Cr., and it posted a net profit of ₹240 Cr. after a ₹93 Cr. loss last year
• A tax credit of ₹211 Cr. helped, but even before that, profits stood at ₹28 Cr.
• Used by 68 lakh people, with nearly 48,000 service providers active monthly
• IPO trimmed to ₹1,900 Cr. including ₹429 Cr. fresh issue

Will this profit makeover help Urban Company shine on the stock market?

Stay updated on IPO listings, dates, and news with Finology Ticker.

Homegrown brand BlueStone is all set to shine brighter, joining India's unicorn club just before its IPO.

• The jewellery brand, led by CEO Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, is now valued at ₹10,500 Cr.
• This marks a 30% jump from its ₹8,100 Cr. value in August 2024.
• Wealth firms 360 One and Centrum are selling shares worth ₹300–350 Cr. to clients.
• RB Investments, an early backer, will exit fully with 10–12x returns.
• BlueStone’s IPO includes a ₹1,000 Cr. fresh issue and 2.4 Cr. shares for sale.

As investors rush in, the big question remains: Will the BlueStone IPO be a glittering success?

Quick delivery startup Zepto hit a rough patch after a surprise inspection shut down its Dharavi store over hygiene concerns. 

• CEO Aadit Palicha says it was just 1 store out of 1,000; "a minor blip".

• Zepto still has ₹7,000 Cr. in the bank and has already raised $100 million more in an ongoing funding round.

• Its sales jumped 4x in a year, now at ~₹35 Cr.; IPO plans are on, filing could happen "within weeks".

Will Zepto's speed and ambition be enough to win back trust before it hits the stock market?

A new wave of storytelling is gripping Indian screens, not in theatres, but on phones. 

Micro-dramas, short, quality serials made for mobile, are catching fire, and investors want in.

• In May, ReelSaga secured ₹17.9 Cr.

• In June, Flick TV raised ₹19.8 Cr. in seed funding.

• Chai Shots is now looking to raise $5 million

• ZEE has struck a strategic equity deal with content startup Bullet 

The excitement mirrors China's trend, where the micro-drama market grew 10x between 2021–2023, and is projected to hit $14 billion by 2027.

Will ZEE's micro-drama push succeed, unlike the failed Zee-Sony merger deal?

The Indian government plans tighter rules on e-pharmacies after a surge in complaints about unverified prescriptions and a lack of regulation.

• Platforms like PhonePe’s Pincode, Davaindia, and Zeelab Pharmacy now offer 10-60 minute deliveries in major cities.

• Top players like Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, and Netmeds are rapidly expanding, often using dark stores.

• Currently, no law specifically regulates online pharmacies. A new bill is in the works to fix this.

• Chemists' body AIOCD wants doorstep delivery rolled back, citing outdated Covid-era rules.

Is speed worth the risk when it comes to health?

Online shopping apps like Amazon Now, Flipkart Minutes, Zepto, and Blinkit are fighting for your attention with huge discounts, some as high as 35%!

• Average discounts have jumped to 20–25%, up from just 10% two years ago.

• Companies are losing ₹1,300–1,500 Cr. each month to stay competitive.

• Flipkart plans 800 mini-warehouses for faster delivery; Amazon is expanding too.

• Even top players like Blinkit and Swiggy are losing more money as they grow.

Can these deep discounts win loyal customers, or will they just lead to deeper losses?

Also read: Zomato Hits a Traffic Jam on the Quick Commerce Highway.

• PhonePe topped May’s UPI charts with ₹12.56 L Cr. (50% of all UPI value).

• Google Pay followed with ₹8.85 L Cr., and Paytm was third at ₹1.38 L Cr.

• UPI hit 1,868 Cr. transactions in May, up 4.4% from April

But these apps earn almost nothing per payment. Thanks to the government’s ban on MDR (the small fee that merchants would pay them)

Paytm and Mobikwik shares fell 1.46% and 2.85% after this decision.

Can free payments power billion-dollar businesses forever?

Also read: 5 Best UPI Apps in India

Once called a "rising star", Bengaluru is now officially one of the world’s top startup hubs.

• It jumped 7 spots to rank 14th in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, beating cities like Seattle.

• Swiggy led the way in 2024 with a ~₹1 L Cr. valuation with 3 others.

• Bengaluru now ranks 5th worldwide for AI and Big Data, thanks to strong talent, deep tech growth, and smart government support.

• Karnataka’s ~₹402 Cr. investment and programs like ELEVATE 2024 are helping startups scale faster.

As India rises in global innovation, can Bengaluru become the next Silicon Valley?