Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: Last Friday, May 9, 2025, the Indian stock market experienced a sharp decline as benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty both dropped by 1.10%. This sell-off was triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, including reports of missile and drone attacks.

WEEKLY QUIZ WINNERS

Big shoutout to our top 3 quiz champs of the week — Divyansh Tiwari, Ayush Kumar, and Piyush Gupta! 🏆

Thanks for staying sharp with the news!

TOP STORIES

Rapido’s Big Four-Wheeler Bet

What Happened

Rapido, the two-wheeler taxi startup that once zoomed through traffic with helmets and hope, is now eyeing the big leagues—four-wheelers. 

Already holding about 20% of the cab market, Rapido wants to steer that number past 30% by the end of 2025. It’s also revving up its city count from 120 to 500. 

Why It Matters

The twist is that, unlike Uber and Ola, Rapido doesn’t take a commission. Instead, it rents out its tech to drivers through a subscription model.  

Rapido’s Saas-style (Software-as-a-Service) model gives drivers more control and more reason to sign up. About 15% of its driver base are total newbies to ride-hailing, thanks to this “pay once, earn more” approach.

• Riders now get around 5 lakh Rapido cab rides daily. 

• Compare this to Uber’s 8.4 lakh and Ola’s 4.6 lakh across all formats.

Zoom Out

But there’s more under the hood. With looming bans on bike taxis in states like Karnataka, four-wheelers are Rapido’s safety net. Also, customers aren’t just looking for speed, they want clean cars, ACs that actually work, and drivers who don’t ask, “Cash hoga?” 

With a unicorn tag, ₹648 crore in revenue last year, and losses cut nearly in half, Rapido seems ready to play with the big boys. 

TOP STORIES

Coal India Pumps ₹25,000 Cr Into Renewables

What Happened

Coal India Ltd is making a bold leap into renewable energy with a record-breaking deal to supply 4,500 MW of clean power to AM Green's green ammonia facilities. 

• The state-run coal giant will invest approximately ₹25,000 crore to build 2,500-3,000MW of solar capacity in sunny Gujarat and Rajasthan, plus 1,500- 2,000mw of wind energy in southern states. 

• The non-binding memorandum of understanding represents one of the world's largest renewable energy contracts.

Why It Matters

While Coal India continues mining its black diamond to meet India's growing energy needs, this massive green investment signals the company's diversification amid the global energy transition. 

AM Green, founded by Greenko's creators, aims to produce 5 million tonnes of green ammonia annually by 2030 - representing about 20% of India's National Green Hydrogen Mission target. 

The partnership demonstrates how traditional fossil fuel companies can transform their business models while supporting emerging green industries.  

Zoom Out

This Coal India-AM Green partnership illustrates how even the most coal-dependent organisations are finding paths toward renewable energy. With AM Green also collaborating with Rio Tinto on a $6 billion renewable-powered aluminum facility, these investments represent more than token green gestures.

TOP STORIES

Swiggy Reports ₹1,081 Cr in Losses

What Happened

Swiggy’s latest results are a bit hard to digest. In just one quarter, their losses nearly doubled to ₹1,081 crore, way above the expected ₹778 crore. 

• Their grocery arm, Instamart, went on a wild expansion spree, opening 316 dark stores in just three months , more than they did in the last two years! 

• Revenue did grow 44.8% to ₹4,410 crore, but expenses grew even faster —up 52.9% to ₹5,609 crore. 

Why It Matters

This aggressive expansion reveals the high-stakes battle raging in India's quick commerce sector. Swiggy now operates 1,021 dark stores covering four million square feet, with their "Megapods" (larger format stores) making up 10% of that space. 

Their gamble is showing some promise. Instamart's gross order value doubled to ₹4,670 crore, and average order values increased 13.3% to ₹527 (though still trailing competitor Blinkit's ₹665). 

Zoom Out

But here's the painful part: Instamart's contribution margin actually worsened to -5.6%. That's right – the more they sell, the more they lose! Also, their rival Zomato reported a reduced profit of ₹39 crore. 

GROWTH GULLY

🧪 Career Chem: Take a look at the periodic table of leadership

👑 True Leadership — Sam Manekshaw’s powerful words on fighting wars and managing power

🌱 Power of Ice Apple — A powerhouse of vitamins and antioxidants for overall health

💡 LinkedIn Secrets — What the influencers won’t tell you about building real influence
📚 Set Boundaries  — 7 powerful books that teach you to protect your peace without guilt

PAISON KA KHEL

Ola’s Valuation Hits Speed Bump 

Ola has taken a big U-turn. Vanguard slashed its valuation to $1.25 billion—an 80% drop from its $7.3 billion high-speed peak in 2021.

Once a leader, Ola’s now trailing behind Rapido and Uber in daily rides, though it still clocks in twice the revenue of Uber and 2.5x of Rapido.

Despite losing steam, Ola turned EBITDA-profitable in FY24 and trimmed its losses to just ₹10 crore (from ₹623 crore!). But revenue slipped 5.5% to ₹2,012 crore. 

Canara Bank’s Secret Weapon? 

Canara Bank had a money problem, so it turned to its 82,000 employees for help. Each staff member was asked to bring in ₹10 lakh in deposits from friends, family, or anyone they could reach. 

And guess what? It worked. In just 10 weeks, the bank collected ₹16,700 crore. This helped lower its credit-deposit ratio from 76% to 73% and reduced the need for costly bulk deposits. The best part? Employees were happy to help, thanks to better promotions and support from the bank. 

DID YOU KNOW

🛒 Walmart’s Foot Traffic: One-third of the U.S. population visits a Walmart each week.

GLOBAL NAZARA

America and China's Relationship Update 

In the latest episode of "Trump Tariffs," President Trump hailed a "total reset" in U.S.-China trade relations. With eye-watering 145% American tariffs matched by China's 125% retaliation, both economic giants are feeling the pinch.

Treasury Secretary Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are waltzing around solutions, with Trump initially suggesting an "80% tariff seems right!" before his press secretary clarified that China needs to dip before America does. 

APAC Markets Smile

Asia-Pacific markets kicked off the week on a high note, all thanks to some rare good vibes from a U.S.-China trade meet in Switzerland. Both nations hinted at a friendly deal, with U.S. officials cheering a reduced trade deficit and China teasing “good news for the world.” 

Hang Seng jumped 1.19%, Shanghai rose 0.65%, and even Australia’s ASX 200 added 0.36%. Japan and South Korea joined the party, too. Meanwhile, Wall Street sulked on Friday, but futures are back in the green. 

MIRCH MASALA

💔 One Last Hug — Delhi man’s goodbye to wife has netizens in tears
📝 Want to Wear Heels? — You’ll need a permit in this surprising U.S. town
⚠️ Stadium Silenced — Preity Zinta hails crowd grace during India-Pak alert
🌿 Back to Roots — Himachal woman’s reel reignites the magic of Stone Mehndi

📉 Salman Khan’s Silence — Actor slammed for deleting India-Pakistan tweet