Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: The market surged after Trump decided to pause the tariffs, with the Nifty crossing the 23,700 mark. Meanwhile, the Sensex experienced a massive jump, gaining 1,397 points, bringing an air of optimism to the trading floor.

TOP STORIES

Walnut Industry Wants Duty Change  

What Happened:

The walnut industry in India is crunching the numbers and hoping for a duty change before PM Modi heads to the US.

Right now, walnuts come with a 100% import duty—double the trouble for walnut lovers.

The industry is requesting a more reasonable ₹125 per kilogram charge, which would make the nuts a lot easier to crack. 

Why It Matters:

India’s walnut consumption has gone up superfast—five times in the last seven years. But here’s the twist: India now imports more than 70% of its walnuts. 

The current duty system is causing some shady business, with some traders under-invoicing imports.

Changing to a fixed per-kilogram duty (like on almonds) could stop these shenanigans and make the whole system fairer.

So, less stress for consumers, and less chaos for the farmers.

Zoom out

This shift would benefit both local farmers, especially in Kashmir (who produce 98% of India’s walnuts), and enhance India-US relations.

PAISON KA KHEL

Tata Power Wants to Go Nuclear (But in a Good Way!)

Tata Power is ready to jump into the nuclear game with small modular reactors.

India just opened the sector to private players, and CEO Praveer Sinha is waiting for the fine print on rules, tech, and fuel. 

But patience is key—approvals take 2 years, and building takes another 4-5.

With summer expected to crank power demand past 270 GW, Tata Power is gearing up to keep the lights (and ACs) on! 

Energy Future Is No Shot in the Dark

Welspun New Energy is making Odisha the new hot hub for clean energy with a ₹13,500 crore investment. 

They’re setting up a 1,200 MW pumped hydro project and a 1,000 MW floating solar plant—because why build solar farms on land when water works just fine?

This project will amp up energy storage and help India reach its 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030.

TOP STORIES

Is it a Swipe Right for Russia?

What happened

India might soon allow transactions through Russia’s Mir banking cards, sparing visitors from carrying stacks of cash like a 90s Bollywood villain. 

According to India’s ambassador to Russia, talks are in progress to allow Mir cards to work alongside India’s RuPay system.

If approved, Russian tourists can finally stop carrying suitcases of cash for their India trips (unless they still prefer the old-school mafia look).

Why it matters

Since the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian banks have been booted out of SWIFT- the VIP club of international finance.

India and Russia are now finding ways to trade without relying on Western networks. 

The Mir-RuPay partnership could boost cross-border transactions, support trade in local currencies, and make payments as smooth as butter chicken.

The future

Beyond banking, this could open doors for Indian businesses looking to fill the void left by Western brands in Russia.

Who knows? Maybe soon, Russians will be riding in Indian cars, popping Indian pills, and calling customer support only to hear, “Sir, have you tried turning it off and on again?”

GLOBAL NAZARA

Airtel Africa’s Billion-Dollar Lease 

Airtel Africa just signed a 12-year lease extension with American Tower Corp, adding a hefty $1.2 billion to its liabilities.

That’s like taking a mortgage on 7,100 cell towers! Analysts say this could dent profits in the short term, with a $120-130 million impact in Year 1.

But here’s the twist—despite this juggling, Airtel Africa is thriving. 163 million subscribers, 11x jump in net profit, and a 20.6% growth forecast for 2025.

Oyo Invests £50 Million in Premium Hotels Across the UK

Oyo’s rolling out the big bucks—£50 million, to be exact—over the next three years to revamp its hotel game in the UK.

They want to upgrade from budget stays to premium digs, all while creating 1000 jobs. 

Oyo’s planning to snag long-term leases and management deals to add some high-end sparkle to its portfolio.

With 200 hotels already in 65 cities, including hotspots like London and Manchester, Oyo’s about to make your UK vacation even fancier.

TOP STORIES

BSNL’s Budget Gets a Big Cut

What Happened

BSNL has got a major budget trim—down to ₹33,575.58 crore for FY26 from ₹72,027.65 crore in FY25. That’s like going from a luxury buffet to a budget thali! 

The government, it seems, is done spoon-feeding the state-run telco and wants it to start making money on its own.

To add to the drama, last year’s massive ₹82,916.2 crore allocation wasn’t even fully used.

Now, any future funding will come on a strict “only-if-you-really-need-it” basis.

Why It Matters

BSNL finally launched 4G in December 2024—about ten years after Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone were already playing in the fast lane.

Hmm! showing up to a party when the DJ is packing up!

While late to the game, BSNL has government support, but the real question is—can it survive without unlimited pocket money?

Private telcos have already set up camp in rural areas, a space BSNL could have dominated.

Plus, getting people to switch to BSNL’s 4G means they need the right devices and, well… patience.  

Zoom out

With its budget slashed and the pressure to perform, BSNL is at a crossroads.

Either it makes a solid comeback or risks becoming the landline of the mobile world—nostalgic, but not really useful.

MIRCH MASALA

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