Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: On April 15, the Indian stock market surged sharply, with the Sensex rising over 1,550 points and the Nifty gaining 500 points to close at record highs, driven by relief over global trade tensions and strong performances across all sectors.

TOP STORIES

JSW ₹50000 Cr Green Steel 🍏

What Happened

JSW Steel is going big—and clean. The company has announced a massive investment of ₹50,000–60,000 crore to set up a 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) green steel plant at Salav in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. 

This is a brownfield project, meaning they’ll build on an existing site, not start from scratch. The timeline? Three to four years.

Driving The News

The steel giant has been expanding green steel capacity in phases—earlier this year, it aimed for 4 MTPA. Now, it’s gone full throttle, thanks to European customers pushing hard for low-emission products. 

This new plant is expected to emit just 20% of the carbon compared to traditional methods. That’s not just eco-friendly—it’s EU-friendly.

Zoom Out

Let’s face it—climate-conscious consumers are calling the shots now, and Europe isn’t playing around with emissions. If Indian companies want to sell steel abroad, they better show some green credentials. 

On the global front, the steel market is heating up. China exported a jaw-dropping 120 million tonnes of steel last year, and some of it—surprise, surprise—is slipping into India via Vietnam.  

TOP STORIES

Auto Market in the Fast Lane 🏎️

What Happened

India's auto industry celebrated its third straight year of record-breaking sales despite hitting the brakes on growth rates. Passenger vehicle sales ticked up by just 2% to 4.3 million units in FY 2024-25, compared to the speedier 8.4% growth seen the previous year. 

Utility vehicles continued to dominate, accounting for 65% of all cars sold, up from 60% last year.  

Why It Matters

This slowdown-but-still-growing pattern reveals an evolving market. Carmakers needed promotional offers and discounts to keep customers coming through showroom doors.

Rural India is flexing its purchasing power, particularly in the two-wheeler segment, where improved connectivity is driving scooter adoption. 

Electric vehicles are gaining serious momentum, with registrations reaching 1.97 million units(up 16.9% from last year).

Electric cars crossed the 100,000 milestone with an 18.2% jump, while electric two-wheelers surged 21.2% to 1.15 million units.

Looking Forward

The road ahead looks promising with SIAM predicting continued growth across segments in FY 2025-26.

Several economic tailwinds should help power sales: recent income tax reforms, two consecutive interest rate cuts improving vehicle financing access, and forecasts of normal monsoon rains boosting rural purchasing power.  

TOP STORIES

DLF Brings the Mall Next Door 🚪

What Happened

DLF, India’s biggest listed real estate firm, is stepping up its retail game with two shiny new shopping plazas—one in Delhi and one in Gurugram.  

These plazas won’t just be for window shopping. DLF says they’ll blend convenience with community vibes—think hypermarkets, food courts, shops, and even co-working spaces.  

Bonus: DLF also plans to launch two malls—Mall of India in Gurugram and the Promenade in Goa, which is expected to become Goa’s biggest mall with 7 lakh sq ft and over 300 stores.  

Why It Matters

This isn’t just about more places to buy overpriced coffee. DLF is betting big on the post-pandemic retail revival. After years of people shopping in their pyjamas, the organised retail space is once again buzzing with footfalls.

These plazas are also smartly located near high-end residential zones. Plus, with quick commerce exploding, DLF’s model of “walk-to-shop” could be the offline comeback no one saw coming(just maybe).

Zoom Out

With nearly 7 lakh sq ft of new retail space on the horizon, it’s clear the company sees malls not as old-school hangouts but as modern-day town squares.

And if the plan works, don’t be surprised if your next quick commerce delivery involves… a short walk instead of a scooter.  

GROWTH GULLY

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📝 Write Right: Best practices for technical writing that communicates with clarity

PAISON KA KHEL

Tata Power’s Green Deal Worth ₹4,500 Crore! 👏

Tata Power’s renewable energy arm got a big thumbs-up (and a ₹4,500 crore cheque) from NTPC! They’ve signed a deal to build a 200 MW green energy project that can deliver power whenever needed—rain or shine.

The announcement sent Tata Power shares surging 4.3% to ₹380.5 on Tuesday morning, outpacing the Sensex's 2.11% gain. The stock, which has bounced between ₹326.25 and ₹494.85 over the past year, is clearly charging up for more green growth.

Bank of America Fined $540M  💰

After nearly eight years of courtroom ping-pong, a judge has ordered Bank of America to cough up $540.3 million for underpaying the FDIC, basically the government’s deposit insurance squad. The fine covers missed dues from 2013 to 2014, plus interest.

The drama began in 2017, when the FDIC accused BoA of dodging over $500 million in payments, which later ballooned to $1.12 billion. While BoA denies it tried to cheat the system, the judge wasn’t buying it all.

GLOBAL NAZARA

Will Meta lose Insta and WhatsApp?

The FTC has launched a high-stakes antitrust trial against Meta, accusing Zuckerberg of gobbling up Instagram and WhatsApp to squash competition after failing to beat them fair and square. 

If successful, the government could force Meta to split up its social media family—a painful divorce considering Instagram alone generates an estimated $37.13 billion this year (over half of Meta's US ad revenue). 

Wall Street’s Lifting $2.2 Billion in “Hung” Debt 

Wall Street banks just found themselves in a sticky pose—holding $2.2 billion in unsold debt from Apollo-backed ABC Technologies’ buyout of TI Fluid Systems.

The banks, including JPMorgan and Citigroup, had hoped to pass the debt baton to investors. But surprise! The deal closed before they could, and now they’re stuck footing the bill.

In banker lingo, this is called “hung debt”—but no one’s hanging out happily. With $1.3B in bonds and a $900M loan weighing them down, these banks might need a break from risky deals.

MIRCH MASALA

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🚽 Paper Protest: Resignation letter on toilet paper goes viral

🚨 Ivy Burn: Trump declares Harvard no longer neutral but a political entity

🎬 Kesari Warning: Akshay Kumar makes an unusual theatre appeal for Kesari 2