Bullets

Creators like Kusha Kapila (Underneat), Nitibha Kaul (AltK Beauty), and Sunny Chopra (Ksunch) are launching their own brands.

• They're tapping into tight-knit follower communities of 10 L to 1 Cr., competing with celebrity brands like Kay Beauty and Hyphen.

• Influencer marketing in India is projected to reach ₹3,375 Cr. by 2026 (EY).

• Global social media ad spend hit $247.3 billion in 2024, making it the top advertising channel.

Could creator brands evolve into a new breed of social startups built on trust, not just tech?

• Viral posts have exposed dirty dark stores, confusing bills, and hidden charges on Zepto.

• CEO Aadit Palicha says fixes are coming soon, but store hygiene issues have already led to a brief shutdown in Dharavi.

• App downloads dropped 75% since January, and user numbers are slipping (Sensor Tower).

• Zepto recently added just 22 new stores, far behind rivals Blinkit (98) and Instamart (118).

• It's now chasing $700 million in funding to stay competitive and raise its game.

Can Zepto win trust while juggling growth, profits, and public pressure?

• Meesho has secured shareholder nod to raise ₹4,250 Cr. via an IPO after shifting its base to India.

• The draft will be filed under SEBI's confidential route.

• Founder Vidit Aatrey will now serve as chairman, MD, and CEO.

• Top investors include Peak XV, Elevation Capital, and Prosus (13–15% each); SoftBank holds 10%.

• Meesho handled 180 Cr. orders in FY25, up 37% from FY24.

• Flipkart, meanwhile, is still in the process of shifting base from Singapore ahead of its own listing.

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• After a string of accidents and growing delays, Indian Railways is finally modernising its 100-year-old control systems.

• A new tech-driven command centre will manage train traffic, routes, and emergencies in real time.

• The upgrade takes cues from Japan, Germany, France, and more, but will be custom-built for India's complex network.

• The goal: fewer accidents, faster trains, and less pressure on overworked controllers

Will this overhaul finally put Indian Railways on the right track?

• The company plans to raise ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 Cr., with nearly half as fresh shares to expand its quick commerce services.

• Shadowfax was last valued at around ₹6,000 Cr. after a ₹140 Cr. funding round from Mirae Asset, Nokia Growth Partners and others.

• Quick deliveries already make up 25–30% of its business and may grow to 40% soon.

• Flipkart owns 16%, while Eight Roads Ventures holds the largest stake at 25%.

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• Nykaa aims to 3x its in-house brand sales to ₹6,000 Cr. by FY30, up from ₹2,100 Cr. in FY25.

• Its fashion arm, made ₹3,800 Cr. in FY25, is set to grow 3–4x in the next 5 years.

• Gen Z now makes up 44% of Nykaa's beauty shoppers, pushing trend-first strategies.

• ~40 AI projects are live (from product suggestions to customer support), with half of Nykaa's internal code soon to be AI-generated.

• Its B2B arm, Superstore, now reaches 3.7 lakh retailers in 1,100 cities.

As Nykaa evolves with AI, is it time to revisit the question, "Is it still worth investing in?"

ACME Solar just entered the battery energy storage race by winning NHPC's tender for 2 massive projects in Andhra Pradesh.

• The Ghani project (225 MW / 450 MWh): ₹2.22 lakh/MW/month.

• The Kuppam project (50 MW / 100 MWh): ₹2.1 lakh/MW/month.

The systems must run for 4 hours daily, and ACME will receive viability gap funding of up to ₹27 lakh/MWh.

This is ACME's first battery-only win, adding to its 6,970 MW renewable portfolio.

Can battery storage charge India's clean energy push beyond sunshine and wind?

• Once a major name in real estate and cement, Jaiprakash Associates is now in insolvency over loan defaults worth ₹57,185 Cr.

• In April, 25 firms showed interest, but only received 5 serious bids along with earnest money deposits.

• Likely bidders include:

  • Adani Enterprises

  • Vedanta

  • Jindal Power

  • Dalmia Bharat Cement

  • PNC Infratech

• NCLT Allahabad admitted the company into insolvency on 3 June 2024

Can legacy brands survive when debt outweighs ambition?

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?