Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: Markets started the week strong, gaining 0.50%, driven by banking and financial stocks. Pharma, financials, and auto sectors performed well, while realty and FMCG lagged.

TOP STORIES

Allianz Bids Goodbye to Bajaj 👋

What Happened?

German insurance giant Allianz SE is calling it quits on its 24-year partnership with Bajaj Finserv. 

The company has agreed to sell its 26% stake in Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance for a whopping €2.6 billion ($2.84 billion). 

Once the deal is complete, Bajaj Finserv will gain full control of its insurance businesses.

What’s Next?

This transaction is set to happen in tranches, with an initial 6.1% stake being acquired first. As a result, Allianz will be reclassified from a “Promoter” to an “Investor.” 

The deal still needs the green light from the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) and the Competition Commission of India before it’s official.

Why It Matters

This is a major shake-up in India’s insurance sector. With Bajaj Finserv gaining 100% control, decision-making will become faster and more streamlined. No more joint venture complications—just one company calling the shots.

Allianz’s exit isn’t a total goodbye, though. The company has signed agreements to continue reinsurance and other support services even after the transition.

PAISON KA KHEL

SBI Puts $1.7B Fundraising on Hold ⏱️

State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to hit pause on its ₹150 billion ($1.7 billion) bond sale, thanks to stubbornly high yields. The bank initially planned to raise funds by March but will now wait until the next financial year in April. 

Even after the central bank cut rates and injected liquidity, corporate bond yields climbed 15 basis points since February. SBI had planned ₹50 billion in Basel III bonds and ₹100 billion in infra bonds, but for now, it’s all about patience. 

Welspun Corp’s $290M Pipe Dream 💸

Welspun Corp just bagged a massive ₹2,400 crore (~$290 million) order in the US to supply coated pipes for natural gas pipelines. Execution will span FY26-FY27—because good things take time, especially when they’re worth billions.

With this deal, Welspun’s order book now sits at a hefty ₹20,000 crore. The company, fresh off doubling its Q3 profit to ₹672 crore, seems to be piping hot in the market.

GROWTH GULLY

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TOP STORIES

Indian AirPods Heading to the U.S. & Europe 🚢

What Happened?

Apple is dialling up its India play, and this time, it’s not just iPhones but AirPods too.

Starting in April 2025, the company will begin exporting AirPods made in India to the U.S. and Europe. These will be assembled at Foxconn’s Hyderabad facility, which came to life after a $400 million investment in August 2023.

The first batch will be AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 (with Active Noise Cancellation)—though for now, they’re exclusively for export.  

Why It Matters

Apple is diversifying its production away from China, and there’s a very good reason: tariffs! 

The U.S. has imposed a 20% import tax on wearables from China, making manufacturing there expensive. So, Apple is looking for cheaper and more stable alternatives (hello, India).

And it’s not just about saving money. Apple has shipped 81.8 million AirPods in 2024, grabbing an 18% global market share. With demand booming, it needs multiple production hubs to keep up. 

The Secret

Industry insiders claim that Apple wants to shift at least 50% of its exports away from China in the coming years. If that happens, India could be the biggest winner, boosting its status as a global tech manufacturing powerhouse.

GLOBAL NAZARA

Amazon Eyes India Listing 📦

Amazon is thinking about making its India business separate and listing it on the stock market. But there’s a problem—the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is checking if Amazon has been unfairly giving discounts and helping certain sellers.

This could lower its value and add hurdles to its game.

If the plan works, Amazon might get more control under Indian rules. But with Flipkart ahead and fast-delivery apps like Zepto and Blinkit growing, it won’t be easy. 

Statkraft’s $2 Billion Indian Farewell 👋

Norwegian renewable energy giant Statkraft is pulling the plug on its Indian adventure, aiming to sell its hydropower and solar assets valued at around $2 billion.

This move is part of Statkraft’s strategy to focus investments on fewer countries, enhancing competitiveness and value creation.

The assets on the auction block include 1 gigawatt (GW) of power projects spread across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

TOP STORIES

A New Challenger in Food Delivery? 🍅

What Happened?

Rapido, the ride-hailing startup known for zipping bikes through traffic, is setting its sights on food delivery.

The company is in talks with restaurants and industry groups across four metro cities to challenge Swiggy and Zomato, who together dominate 95% of the market.

The Big Plan

To shake things up, Rapido is exploring two models. 

The first is a lower-commission structure—offering restaurants a better deal than the 25-35% cut charged by Swiggy and Zomato. 

The second is a bold commission-free SaaS model, where restaurants pay a fixed monthly fee instead of a percentage per order. 

If successful, this could make dining out (or rather, dining in) cheaper for customers while boosting restaurant profits.

Why It Matters?

The food delivery market has been a tough nut to crack. Previous challengers, like Thrive—backed by Jubilant FoodWorks and Coca-Cola—failed despite millions in funding. 

Rapido, however, brings a unique advantage: an existing delivery fleet of bike riders clocking 3 million daily rides. By leveraging this, it could undercut the giants without burning cash on building logistics from scratch.

MIRCH MASALA

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