Bullets

Nestle is planning to bring Starbucks' ready-to-drink coffee to India's retail market.

• The initiative is part of their 2018 global partnership with Starbucks. 

• Under this, Nestle holds the rights to market Starbucks' packaged coffee and food service items outside Starbucks cafes.

Despite India being a predominantly tea-drinking nation, this move aims to tap into the country’s rising premium coffee demand.

Moreover, this deal does not affect Starbucks' joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, which continues to operate Starbucks cafes in India.

Will you switch your subah ki chai with this ready-to-drink coffee?

Here are the points:

• Google is testing a new feature in India that lets users chat with businesses directly from Google Search using RCS (Rich Communication Services).

• This could challenge WhatsApp's 'wa.me' links, which businesses use for customer service and sales.

• Union Bank of India is the first to try Google's AI-powered messaging, aiming to reduce long wait times.

With Apple also supporting RCS, could this challenge WhatsApp? Could this be a Warren Buffett-worthy investment?

Colgate-Palmolive CEO Noel Wallace highlighted intense competition in India's urban markets.

• FMCG companies are using big discounts to attract shoppers amid dull demand.

• And local players are aggressively pushing for volume growth, especially in modern trade channels.

Despite the price war, Wallace expects market conditions to stabilise in the coming quarters. FMCGs may soon shift towards more rational pricing strategies.

Colgate, with a 50% share in India’s oral care market, is focused on protecting its brand health during this phase.

Are FMCG brands sacrificing long-term value for short-term gains?

Here are the points:

• Ather, Ola, TVS, and Hero have issued the last notices for customers to claim refunds for chargers sold separately before March 2023.

• If you bought an EV from these brands and paid separately for a charger, you can get a full refund.

• Submit proof of purchase, bank details, and a cancelled cheque via email or at the showroom before April 2025.

• The government mandated refunds because chargers must be included with EVs for safety.

• Companies now include basic chargers with EVs, while faster chargers are optional.

How will these refunds impact the future of EVs in India?

Ola Electric has unveiled its Gen 3 electric scooter lineup with major upgrades.

Its new features, like dual ABS and brake-by-wire technology, will improve energy recovery by 15%.

Its price:

• Starts at ₹79,999 for the S1X and go up to ₹1,69,999 for the S1 Pro+ 

During its Q2 earnings call, Bhavish Aggarwal revealed plans to launch 20 new two-wheeler and three-wheeler products over the next 2 years.

With its latest EV upgrades—should you ride with Ola stock?

Here are the points:

• In 2024, Trent’s stock jumped 133% because of Zudio.

• Zudio reached 577 stores by mid-2025, expanding by 60% each year.

• But in January 2025, Trent’s stock fell 17.02%, becoming the worst Nifty 50 performer. 

• The company’s growth slowed, with only 1% revenue growth and a 2% drop in profits.

• New stores for Zudio may hurt sales at existing ones, and competition is growing from Reliance Retail.

Will Zudio result in more losses for Trent, or is this just a minor hiccup?

• Licious is preparing for its 2026 IPO but faces tough competition.

• It cut losses by 44% in FY24, but revenue dropped 8% due to store closures and fewer delivery locations.

• Zepto and BigBasket offer 10-minute deliveries, while Licious sticks to scheduled orders, which may present a challenge.

• To stay ahead, Licious is expanding offline, acquiring 23 stores and planning 100 more.

As rivals offer faster deliveries and cheaper prices, will Licious be able to prove its quality is worth the wait?

India's annual Budget announcement often triggers significant market volatility. 

This happens due to concentrated policy disclosures in a single event.

• Countries like the US, UK, Germany, France, and Canada spread fiscal announcements throughout the year.

• This approach results in more stable market reactions.

Experts suggest India could benefit from a similar model. It could also reduce sudden market fluctuations.

This shift may lower speculation and excessive anticipation around the single-day Budget event.

Is the annual Budget hype doing more harm than good?

India's consumer market to grow 46%, reaching $4.3 trillion by 2030, as per an Edelweiss Mutual Fund report.

The contributing factors: 

• Urbanisation: A shift to branded goods, organised retail, and digital consumption will generate additional spending of $600 billion.

• A young workforce: With a median age of 28, younger than China (39) and the US (38), India will make up 20% of the global workforce, driving demand for high-paying jobs.

• Rising incomes: Dual-income households rise as women’s workforce participation jumps from 23% (2018) to 42% (2024), thanks to the government's efforts towards women empowerment.

Will India’s middle class become big spenders by 2030?

HUL is bringing Liquid IV, its largest global brand in the health and wellbeing business, to India. 

The product will compete directly with other sports drinks, such as Red Bull and Gatorade.

• Unilever acquired Liquid IV in 2020 and has since quadrupled its growth.

• It’s now the largest powdered hydration brand in the US.

The Indian hydration market, valued at ~₹8,600 crore ($1 billion) annually, is currently concentrated in urban areas. 

This successful hydration drink will target affluent consumers with active lifestyles.

Can Liquid IV replicate its US success in India?

Tata Electronics is recruiting top talent from Intel, with Reda Masarwa joining as Senior VP- Construction and Facility.

CEO Randhir Thakur, an ex-Intel leader, is building a strong leadership team with former Intel leaders like Bhavna Madhwal and Scott Holden to lead hiring efforts.

With $18 billion earmarked for semiconductor expansion, Tata plans to open nine factories in 24 months, including projects in Hosur, Dholera, and Assam.

Can Tata's innovations transform the electronics industry like the others?

Mobile wallets are making a strong comeback in India's digital payments space.

Global fintech firms like Revolut and Tide are applying for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) licences to enter the market.

Revolut India is awaiting RBI approval and plans to launch its own UPI handle.

As per RBI, many Fintech companies received PPI licences in 2024, which include:

• Mswipe

• Jupiter

• EnKash

• Adani Digital Services

• Tata Payments

• Piramal Payment Services

Domestic firms are also stepping in, recovering transaction volumes after Paytm Payments Bank's shutdown.

What would you prefer: E-Wallet or UPI?

Rising input costs and a weaker rupee are forcing companies to hike prices on daily essentials and electronics.

FMCG giants like Hindustan Unilever and Godrej Consumer Products are planning price hikes despite slowing demand to protect their margins.

• The cost of essential groceries is expected to rise for the second time in just three months

• Electronics companies are also increasing prices after seven months 

Is your budget ready to tackle this price hike?

Here are the point:

• Zomato's revenue grew 13% last quarter, but profits dropped 66% due to Blinkit's losses.

• Blinkit, Zomato's quick-delivery arm, plans to expand stores from 526 to 1,000 by March 2025.

• Despite 120% growth in Blinkit's order value, aggressive expansion and competition hurt earnings.

How will Zomato recover? Will it continue to serve discounts, or will the burden fall on consumers?

Here are the points:

• Slice Bank, a fintech small finance bank, is in talks to raise ~₹2,580 Cr. to expand operations.

• After merging with North East Small Finance Bank, it has obtained RBI approval to operate as the Slice Bank.

• It has started offering aggressive savings account rates and plans to expand digitally and physically in 2025.

• Currently it has 1.1 Cr. customers and aims for 7 Cr. by FY30 with plans to launch merchant lending.

Will it be able to compete with platforms like BharatPe (once a Unicorn) now a fintech, struggling following the dramatic exit of its founder, Ashneer Grover?

Here are the points:

• Meesho has raised ₹4,730 Cr. in funding, with new investors like Tiger Global. 

• It plans to merge its Indian unit, Fashnear Technologies, with its US parent, Meesho Inc.

• Meesho plans to file IPO papers in 2025 for a 2026 listing, depending on NCLT approval. 

• In FY24, Meesho grew its revenue by 33% and reduced losses by 97%, aiming for a stronger public debut.

 Additionally, even Flipkart is eyeing an IPO in 2026. 

Will more IPOs hit the market soon? How are the current IPOs performing? Find out on Finology Ticker!

Paytm's stock tanked by 8.84% (Friday) after news broke of an ED investigation into a ₹2,200 Cr. crypto scam. 

10 Chinese nationals allegedly ran the scam through the HPZ Token app, promising crypto mining investments.

Money collected across 20 states was partly sent abroad; ₹500 Cr. was frozen in payment gateways like: 

• PayU: ₹130 Cr.
• Easebuzz: ₹33.4 Cr.
• Razorpay: ₹18 Cr.
• Cashfree: ₹10.6 Cr.
• Paytm: ₹2.8 Cr.

The ED is tracking funds and checking if rules were followed. However, this incident raises the question, “Should cryptocurrency be banned?”

Leading FMCG companies like ITC, Nestle, Amul, Dabur, and Marico are expanding with their own e-commerce platforms across multiple cities.

They are:

• Offering discounts of up to 30% to attract new customers
• Introducing subscription models and full product ranges on their platforms

This D2C approach will help FMCGs save on distributor and retailer margins, enabling them to offer competitive pricing. 

The shift aligns with India's growing preference for online shopping.

What's better: Company → Amazon → You, or Company → You?

Walmart is working with 3 Indian startups to improve its supply chain.

• KBCols Sciences: Testing natural dyes made from agricultural waste to replace harmful synthetic dyes.

• GreenPod Labs: Using plant-based sachets to keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer during transport.

• Cropin: Using AI to predict crop yields and improve the supply of fresh produce.

Walmart aims to reduce waste, improve quality, and create more sustainable solutions. Will this new move be as successful as Walmart’s Flipkart deal?

Delhivery launches "Rapid Commerce", a 2-hour delivery for D2C brands, focusing on:

• Beauty

• Fashion

• Electronics

Already handling 300+ orders daily in Bengaluru, planning to expand to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

The company’s reach is widespread, with 3,645 express centres and 41,656 last-mile partners.

Revenue jumped from ₹4,191 Cr. (FY22) to ₹5,077 Cr. (FY24), with an 11% Y-o-Y growth in shipments.

It's using shared dark stores, allowing multiple companies to use the same space for faster and more cost-effective deliveries. 

Will Delhivery be able to beat Zepto?