Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: Indian stock markets surged today, with the Sensex jumping over 1,000 points (1.27%) to close above 80,200 and the Nifty 50 rising 289 points (1.2%) to finish at 24,329, led by strong gains in Reliance Industries after its robust earnings report. 

TOP STORIES

Bullet Train Project Back on Track 

What Happened

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will be operational by 2028.

The massive $15 billion project, being built in partnership with Japan, is now moving at full speed after facing delays during 2020-2022. 

The bullet train is part of a broader infrastructure push, with Maharashtra seeking to raise $50 billion from international financiers in the coming months.

Why It Matters

This high-speed rail project represents a crucial piece of Maharashtra's ambitious goal to achieve a $1 trillion Gross State Domestic Product.

The bullet train will connect with other major infrastructure developments, including the upcoming Vadhavan port, which is expected to be operational within 3-4 years. 

This new port, built on reclaimed land, will feature both an adjoining airport and a bullet train station, potentially transforming logistics costs and efficiency compared to the existing JNPA port nearby.

The Bottom Line

After years of stop-and-go progress, India's first bullet train project finally has a clear timeline. The renewed push reflects Maharashtra's determination to create world-class infrastructure connecting 17 districts to modern transportation networks. 

For everyday Indians, the prospect of zipping between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at over 300 km/h is no longer a distant dream but a concrete plan for 2028. 

TOP STORIES

Markets Cheer RIL’s Blockbuster Quarterly Show

What Happened

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) saw its stock surge nearly 6% on Monday, reaching a six-month high of ₹1,374.90. The impressive rally followed the company's better-than-expected financial results for the quarter ending March 2025. 

This single-day stock jump added about ₹1 trillion to the company's market value, pushing its total market capitalization to ₹18.60 trillion.

Why It Matters

RIL's performance signals robust health in India's largest private sector enterprise, which spans oil, retail, and telecommunications.

The company has become the first Indian corporate to surpass ₹10 trillion in net worth, cementing its position as a heavyweight in the Indian economy.

The company's 5G adoption is progressing nicely, with 191 million subscribers (about 39% of its user base) already migrated to the service.

RIL's JioAirFiber added 1.5 million subscribers in the quarter, bringing its total fixed subscriber base to 18.5 million.

The Bottom Line

While 2025 has been mostly a consolidation year for Reliance with single-digit growth, analysts expect a stronger 2026. The telecom division's possible IPO timing and valuation remain exciting potential triggers for investors.

As the saying goes, "when Reliance sneezes, the Indian market catches a cold" – but right now, Reliance is in perfectly good health!  

TOP STORIES

Adani Energy Plots ₹18,000 Crore Expansion

What Happened

Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) has unveiled ambitious plans to boost its capital expenditure to between ₹16,000-18,000 crore for the 2025-26 financial year, a significant jump from last year's ₹11,444 crore. 

The lion's share of this investment—about ₹12,000-13,000 crore—will flow into transmission projects, while ₹4,000 crore is earmarked for smart meters and ₹1,600 crore for distribution.

Why It Matters

AESL's aggressive investment strategy signals confidence in India's rapidly evolving energy sector. The company has positioned itself as a major player in transmission infrastructure, currently sitting on a hefty ₹60,000 crore orderbook.

Their smart meter business, though relatively new, is gathering momentum with contracts for 22.8 million meters across five states. They're installing a whopping 27,000 smart meters daily and aim to have 10 million meters installed by March 2026.

The Bottom Line

The announcement comes on the heels of impressive financial results. AESL's profits nearly doubled year-on-year, with their March quarter showing an 87% surge to ₹714 crore.

Their total income for the quarter climbed 36% to ₹6,596 crore. Even more striking, their full-year profits for the fiscal year ending March 31 zoomed up 103% to reach ₹2,427 crore.

GROWTH GULLY

🚀 Budget Hustles – Profitable businesses you can launch for less than ₹10,000
🧠 Hidden Wounds – 9 daily habits rooted in deep insecurity, says psychology
🤝 Habit Hack — The secret sauce to habits that actually stick
💬 Power Phrases — 16 key expressions every leader needs in their toolkit
⚡ Daily Boost — These 7 Perplexity prompts are my must-haves

PAISON KA KHEL

Central Bank of India Banks Bigger Profits 💰

Central Bank of India pulled off a 28% jump in Q4 net profit, hitting ₹1,034 crore, up from ₹807 crore last year. But it wasn’t all sunshine net interest income slipped 4% to ₹3,399 crore, and the net interest margin also took a tiny tumble to 3.17% from 3.6%. 

Good news? Bad loans behaved! Gross NPAs dropped to 3.2% and net NPAs to just 0.5%. For the full year, the bank smiled even wider, with net profit soaring 48.5% to ₹3,785 crore. 

Indian Developers Are Apple’s New MVPs 

In 2024, Apple’s App Store in India clocked a massive ₹44,447 crore in billings, and guess what? A whopping 94% went straight to developers—no Apple tax here! 

Around 80% of Indian developers’ earnings came from global users, proving our apps have serious power. Physical goods led the way with ₹38,906 crore, while in-app ads and digital goodies chipped in ₹3,014 crore and ₹2,527 crore. 

Indian apps were downloaded 755 million times, flexing across 175 countries! 

GLOBAL NAZARA

China Gets an Invite to India’s Electronics Party 🎉

India is letting Chinese companies join its ₹22,919 crore Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme but only if they bring an Indian buddy!

CNBC-TV18 reports Chinese firms must form a joint venture, hand over tech secrets, and stay under 49% ownership. 

The big plan is to pull in ₹59,000 crore of investment and create 91,000 jobs. Tata’s already eyeing a ₹2,000 crore investment, and Dixon Technologies is ready to roll. 

Switzerland Joins Trump’s Tariff Talks 🤝

Switzerland made a smart move by agreeing to tariff talks with Trump, earning “somewhat preferential treatment.” Tariffs will stay at 10% during the talks, even if Trump’s 90-day pause drags on.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was in Washington, trying to fix a messy 31% tariff (while Europe only faced 20% — ouch!). 

Pharma exports are safe for now, but Swiss machine makers are feeling the pinch. Big players like Roche and Novartis are playing it safe too, planning to invest $50 billion and $23 billion in the US.

MIRCH MASALA

🌍 Wonder No More – The harsh truth behind the Pyramid of Giza revealed
❤️ Accidental Confession — Employee says ‘I Love You’ to client; what happened next is priceless

🎥 Reality Check — Kim Kardashian’s 2016 Paris horror retold as trial grabs headlines
🎥 Khan Sir’s Blast — Old clip linking Pakistan to COVID nanochip theory resurfaces
💡Teaching Revolution — Meet the ₹4.5 lakh robot that’s changing education