Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: The markets saw limited movement today, with the Nifty rising 90 points and the Sensex gaining 157 points. Metal and PSU Bank indices rallied over 3%, while the IT index dropped nearly 2%.

TOP STORIES

Puma Takes a Swing in India with PV Sindhu

What Happened

Puma India has teamed up with none other than badminton legend PV Sindhu in a multi-year partnership that’s set to rock the sports world. This collaboration, which will kick off at the India Open 2025, will make India the first country where Puma will actively promote badminton.

With 57 million badminton fans in India, Puma is ready to smash its way into the market. The goal is to double the growth in performance wear, especially with those awesome high-performance shoes.

Why It Matters

Badminton is no longer just a backyard game. It’s the second-most played sport in urban India, right after cricket. And here’s the kicker: Gen Z is going wild for it, with 27.8 million fans already glued to their racquets. 

Puma’s move to sign Sindhu is a genius. She’s not just India’s pride; she’s the most-followed badminton athlete on Instagram globally. By pairing up with her, Puma is set to connect with the younger crowd and make performance-wear the next big thing. 

• With the sports apparel market projected to reach $399.5 million by 2030, Puma is perfectly positioned to grab a chunk of that pie.
  

The bigger picture

PV Sindhu’s partnership with Puma places her alongside a star-studded roster of global athletes, including cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mohammed Shami, Olympians Sarabjot Singh and MC Mary Kom, and international icons such as Usain Bolt and Neymar Jr. For badminton in India, this marks the beginning of an exciting chapter, while making sure those high-performance shoes are flying off the shelves. 

PAISON KA KHEL

NBCC gags ₹3,500 crore project in Lucknow

NBCC (India) Ltd has scored big with a ₹3,500 crore work order for a mixed-use development in Lucknow. The project, part of the massive 588-acre Poorvi Vihar plan, starts with a 50-acre phase. NBCC will handle everything—from planning to design and execution—under an agreement with Sarkari Awas Nirman Avam Vitt Nigam Ltd.

The work will be done on a ‘deposit basis,’ with NBCC earning a 10% fee plus taxes. This project is another feather in the cap for NBCC, which continues to lead the way in real estate and construction.

JSW Energy powers up with ₹15,985 cr KSK Mahanadi deal

JSW Energy just made a big move, snapping up KSK Mahanadi Power Company for ₹15,985 crore. They beat out Adani Power and NTPC to grab the 3,600 MW thermal plant in Chhattisgarh. 

With this deal, JSW’s total energy capacity jumps to 28.2 GW, helping them reach their 20 GW target before 2030. The plant is almost half done with another 1,800 MW in the works. JSW’s energy mix is now stronger, bringing both conventional and renewable power sources to the table. 

TOP STORIES

The Big Boom in India’s Plastic Pipe Market

What Happened

India’s plastic pipe industry is ready to grow like a plant in the rainy season, and Jefferies just gave it the green light. Despite the impressive growth, India’s per-capita consumption of plastic pipes is still way behind the global average—basically, we’re using fewer pipes than the US, Europe, and China. 

But here’s the kicker: This gap means there’s huge room for growth! 

• The market, growing at 8% annually, is set to hit ₹500 billion by FY25, driven by the boom in housing and infrastructure. 

Why It Matters

India’s plastic pipe consumption is like an untapped treasure chest just waiting to be opened. With housing projects and infrastructure developments booming, plastic pipes are in high demand, making the industry a goldmine. 

But there’s a hiccup—PVC prices are a wild rollercoaster. One day they’re up, the next, they’re crashing down. For instance, PVC jumped from ₹75 per kg to ₹78 in just a couple of months, only to drop by 4% the next month. This unpredictability makes it hard for manufacturers to plan long-term, despite the promising sector-wide outlook.

Zoom out

While challenges like PVC price volatility threaten the short-term stability of India’s plastic pipe sector, the long-term potential remains promising. As capex activity rebounds in FY25 and infrastructure investments grow, the market might pose a solid recovery. 

GLOBAL NAZARA

Seafood giant Captain Fresh makes waves

Captain Fresh, a Tiger Global-backed seafood company, reported a 70% surge in revenue to ₹1,395 crore in FY24. Despite rising expenses (up 44% to ₹1,648 crore), the company trimmed its net loss by 22% to ₹229 crore. Its fiscal goals? A profitable bottom line and revenue of $500-550 million.

Specialising in shrimp and salmon exports to the US and Europe, the company sources from five countries, including India and Indonesia. Recently, Captain Fresh went fishing for acquisitions, reeling in Poland’s Koral and Illinois-based CenSea.

Biden’s student debt relief hits $183 billion

In his final days in office, President Joe Biden announced a major student debt relief package, helping 150,000 borrowers. This includes 85,000 victims of fraudulent schools, 61,000 borrowers with disabilities, and 6,100 public service workers. With over 5 million federal student loans forgiven, Biden’s relief totals a whopping $183.6 billion.

Despite the Supreme Court blocking his wide-scale forgiveness plan in 2023, Biden’s administration used existing programs to wipe out significant debt, including $465 million for public servants and $1.25 billion for defrauded students. 

TOP STORIES

Fast Food Delivery Wars Heat Up

What Happened

The race for ultra-fast food delivery in India has officially begun. After conquering grocery deliveries, platforms like Swiggy and Zomato’s Blinkit have launched standalone apps—Bolt and Bistro, respectively—promising meals in under 20 minutes. Their rival, Zepto, was ahead of the curve with its Zepto Cafe in 2022 and a dedicated app launched late last year.

The competition is growing fiercer, with startups like Bengaluru-based Swish, which raised $2 million in November 2024, entering the game. Swiggy has already partnered with over 40,000 restaurants across 400+ cities, while Blinkit’s Bistro is focusing on canteen-style quick bites.

Why it matters

India’s food delivery market is growing from ₹5.5 trillion to ₹9 trillion by 2030. Quick delivery is shaking up the game, forcing restaurants to cook faster than ever. Domino’s started it all with its 30-minute promise in the ’80s and recently upped the ante with 20-minute deliveries in some cities.

Restaurants are scrambling to adapt. Wow Momo is even working on faster steaming and frying equipment! But while big names like Starbucks and Blue Tokai are thriving in this speed race, smaller eateries may struggle to keep up.

Final take

The battle for faster deliveries is a marathon requiring innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnerships. With platforms emphasising standalone apps, they gain greater control over menus and delivery processes, creating opportunities for growth.

But as the industry speeds ahead, let’s hope the race doesn’t leave customers with stale meals or inflated bills. After all, quick deliveries are exciting—but no one wants their samosas to feel like they’ve been in a marathon of their own!

MIRCH MASALA

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