Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: The markets were closed on Friday on account of Holi festival.

TOP STORIES

Carlsberg India’s Frothy Financials 🍺

What Happened?

Carlsberg India has raised a toast to a stellar FY’24, reporting a 60.5% jump in profit to ₹323.1 crore, up from ₹201.3 crore in FY’23. 

Revenue also popped past the ₹8,000 crore milestone, growing 15.2% to reach ₹8,044.9 crore. 

This marks Carlsberg’s highest-ever revenue in India, bringing it close to a billion-dollar business.

Oh No!

Despite this financial high, the company’s market share slipped to 13.3% from 14.9% last year. 

Still, it holds the third spot in India’s beer industry, behind Heineken-owned United Breweries and AB InBev—who, together with Carlsberg, control a staggering 85% of the Indian beer market.

The Number’s Story

The numbers tell an interesting story. Carlsberg India’s cash and bank balances jumped from ₹930.4 crore to ₹1,116.5 crore, thanks to better working capital management and lower capital investment.

This means the company is not just making money but also handling it wisely.

However, brewing success comes with rising costs. The company’s excise duty expense climbed 13.4% to ₹4,877.8 crore, eating into its revenue. 

PAISON KA KHEL

IT Giants Trip as Banks Boogie 📊

Last week, five of India’s top ten companies lost a massive ₹93,357.52 crore in market value. The hardest hit? IT giants Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), proving that even tech wizards have bad days.

Infosys lost ₹44,226.62 crore, while TCS shed ₹35,800.98 crore, slipping to third place in India’s most valuable companies list.

But some firms gained. ICICI Bank added ₹25,459.16 crore, HDFC Bank grew by ₹12,591.60 crore, and ITC puffed up by ₹10,073.34 crore.

DVC’s High Voltage Makeover 💡

DVC is investing ₹1,500 crore to modernize power distribution in West Bengal and Jharkhand. The plan is to introduce smarter substations, automated systems, and 24/7 power for industries(no more sudden blackouts).

The project, set to finish in 18 months, includes 12 new E-houses, 8 indoor substations, and 4 prefab substations. A new mobile app will also make billing and service requests hassle-free.

GROWTH GULLY

🧙 Market Prophet: He predicted the dot-com crash and 2008 meltdown—here’s Robert Shiller’s next big warning! 

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😀 TikTok’s ‘Cozymaxxing’: The trend that’s making people ditch stress for blankets

😈 The 6-6-6 Ritual – A walking challenge… or something darker?

TOP STORIES

Spicing Up India, One Bite at a Time 🍟

What Happened?

PepsiCo is turning up the flavors in India, customising its snack portfolio to match the country’s diverse taste buds. 

To make sure every Indian gets their perfect crunch, PepsiCo has divided the country into nine regional clusters—because let’s be real, a Magic Masala in Punjab won’t taste the same as one in Chennai.

Why It Matters?

India’s snack market is sizzling, and PepsiCo wants the biggest slice. The food segment already makes up 80% of its revenue, but there’s plenty of room for more crunch. 

As cities grow and wallets get heavier, India’s appetite for snacks is set to skyrocket. But PepsiCo isn’t just banking on bold flavors—it’s locking in supply too.

By working with 30,000 farmers, the company secures 400,000 tons of chip-grade potatoes annually. That’s a whole lot of crunch!

Despite being a nation of snack lovers, India still munches less per person than other countries. PepsiCo, the name behind Lay’s and Kurkure, is gearing up to change that—one pack at a time.

The Plan

Manufacturing is scaling up, too. Along with existing plants in Mathura, Punjab, Pune, and Kolkata, a new Assam facility is set to go live this year. Plus, two more greenfield plants—including one dedicated to South India are on the way.

GLOBAL NAZARA

Standard Chartered’s Big Hug for India’s SMEs 🫂

Standard Chartered has raised €1 billion (₹9,400 crore) through its first-ever social bond, with 57% of the funds flowing into India. 

The eight-year bond will fuel small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), create jobs, and empower women-led businesses.

Beyond business, the money will also support healthcare, education, and infrastructure in emerging markets.  

Western Giants Flee Xinjiang 🏃

Western companies are cutting ties with China’s Xinjiang region due to human rights concerns. Volkswagen is selling its underused Xinjiang plant, which hasn’t produced a single car since 2019. 

BASF, the German chemical giant, is pulling out of two joint ventures following allegations of forced labor.

Companies are under global pressure to avoid reputational damage, with many reassessing their presence in the region. The trend reflects rising scrutiny over supply chains linked to human rights violations.

TOP STORIES

India’s Biggest M&A and PE Deals in 3 Years 🤝

What Happened?

February 2025 was a blockbuster month for deals in India! 

A total of 226 mergers, acquisitions, and private equity investments added up to a massive $7.2 billion—the highest in three years. 

That’s a 67% jump in deal numbers and a 5.4x increase in value compared to February 2024.

Driving The News

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) stole the show with 85 deals worth $4.8 billion. Most of these were domestic, making up 68% of the total deals and 78% of the value. 

Big-ticket transactions included ONGC-NTPC Green’s $2.3 billion buyout of Ayana Renewable Power and Praana Group’s $755 million deal for Owens Corning’s glass business.

Private equity (PE) wasn’t far behind, clocking in 141 deals worth $2.4 billion—the highest since May 2022.

Interestingly, early-stage funding (Seed to Series A) made up nearly 50% of PE deals, showing strong investor confidence in startups.

Zoom Out

Despite global uncertainties and declining foreign investments, India’s market is thriving.

The boom is being driven by strong domestic demand, government incentives, and growing investor interest in sectors like renewable energy, IT, and finance.

MIRCH MASALA

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