Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: Nifty moved sideways before the market holiday, while midcaps stayed weak. India VIX fell 5%, autos and FMCG gained, but IT and metals struggled.

TOP STORIES

☕ Starbucks’ Biggest Layoff Ever 

What Happened?

Looks like your barista is safe, but corporate Starbucks employees? Not so much. 
Starbucks has announced its largest layoff in history, cutting 1,100 corporate jobs. 

The Plan

Niccol has big plans—reducing corporate bureaucracy, speeding up decision-making, and making teams “more nimble.” The layoffs impact about 7% of the company’s 16,000 non-store employees.  

But Why?

Starbucks has been struggling to keep customers who aren’t thrilled about $8 lattes and long wait times.

Global same-store sales dropped 2% in 2024, and the U.S. market—its biggest cash cow—is feeling the pressure.

Meanwhile, China, its second-largest market, is dealing with cheaper rivals stealing customers. 

And let’s not forget that Starbucks is still facing a 500-store unionisation wave, with 10,500 workers already organising under Starbucks Workers United.

Is it getting crazier out there?

Layoffs aren’t just a Starbucks thing—nearly 49,800 jobs were cut in the U.S. this January across multiple industries.

Even federal jobs are on the chopping block as Trump and Elon Musk push for government spending cuts. 

Zoom Out

So what’s next for Starbucks? Niccol is cutting menu items, tweaking mobile orders, and hoping that making the company “leaner” will help it bounce back. Good news? No price hikes for 2025.

PAISON KA KHEL

NTPC’s ₹2 Lakh Crore Power Play  💳

NTPC is charging up Madhya Pradesh with a ₹2 lakh crore investment in renewable energy.

Teaming up with its green arm, NTPC Green Energy Ltd, it inked MoUs for solar, wind, and pumped hydro projects at the state’s Global Investors Summit.

The plan includes 20 GW of renewable power and an 800 MW pumped hydro storage unit. ₹1.2 lakh crore goes into green energy, while ₹80,000 crore fuels non-fossil plants.

Vedanta Pumps ₹50,000 Cr Into Assam 👊

Vedanta’s Cairn Oil & Gas is making big moves in Assam, pledging ₹50,000 crore for oil and gas exploration. The goal is to pump out 100,000 barrels per day and turn Assam into an energy hub.

But it’s not just about oil—Vedanta is also investing in digital classrooms, handloom training, and modernised anganwadis.

Plus, the company’s Hazarigaon field is fueling Guwahati’s CNG buses and helping tea estates switch to cleaner gas.

TOP STORIES

UltraTech Cement Expands into Wires and Cables 🔌

What Happened?

UltraTech Cement is breaking out of its cement mould—literally. 

The Aditya Birla Group firm announced its entry into the wires and cables business, committing ₹1,800 crore to set up a plant near Bharuch, Gujarat.

The facility is expected to go live by December 2026.

Why It Matters

Cement and cables might sound like an odd duo, but the numbers tell a different story. India’s wires and cables market is booming, fueled by growing infrastructure, real estate expansion, and electrification. 

UltraTech sees a golden opportunity to use its trusted brand name and construction expertise to enter this high-growth sector.

The Bigger Picture

For shareholders, this means diversification beyond cement, a market where competition is heating up—especially with Adani Group’s Ambuja Cement aggressively expanding its footprint. 

UltraTech, meanwhile, continues to bulk up, recently surpassing 175 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of cement capacity.

GLOBAL NAZARA

Apple Drops $500B, Trump Smiles 💰

Apple is making it rain—$500 billion over four years in the U.S.! The tech giant plans to create 20,000 jobs, build an AI server hub in Texas, and boost U.S. suppliers.

Why now? Trump’s 10% tariff threat on China-made products is looming, but Apple is staying ahead. It’s already working with Corning for iPhone glass and TSMC’s Arizona plant for chip production.

Bitcoin’s Bad Hair Day 😔

Crypto traders woke up to a nightmare—Bitcoin tumbled below $90,000, dragging the entire market into a slump. Ether followed, nosediving after hackers reportedly swiped millions from Bybit, a major crypto platform. 

Market jitters over U.S. economic uncertainty have added to the chaos. But hey, if history has taught us anything, it’s that Bitcoin loves a dramatic comeback—like a soap opera character who just won’t stay dead.

TOP STORIES

$1 Billion Plan to Cut China’s Grip ✂️

What Happened?

India is rolling out a $1 billion subsidy to boost local solar manufacturing, focusing on wafers and ingots—two weak links in its supply chain. 

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is leading the charge, with backing from PM Modi’s office. 

Currently, India has 71 GW of module capacity and 11 GW of cell capacity, but wafer and ingot production is stuck at just 2 GW, mainly from Adani Enterprises. 

Meanwhile, China dominates the market, supplying most of India’s solar needs.

Why It Matters

India wants to cut its solar dependence on China, but that won’t happen without strengthening its own supply chain. 

This subsidy could lower costs, drive local production, and make India a serious player in solar energy.

There’s precedent for this—India’s mobile manufacturing boom.

With government incentives, Apple and Samsung ramped up production here, and now iPhone exports are soaring. The government hopes for a repeat in solar.

But There’s a Hitch

Polysilicon—the key ingredient for wafers and ingots—is still not made in India.

China produces 2.3 million tons annually, dwarfing Germany’s 75,000 tons. So even with more wafers and ingots, India will still need imports.

MIRCH MASALA

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By the way, TheNewswala.Co will be taking a break tomorrow! See you again on Friday! 😁