Namaste! Aaj ka news roundup, Newswala style!

MARKETS

Markets: Sensex and Nifty have recorded their longest losing streak in 29 years, declining for five consecutive F&O series. During this period, Nifty has fallen over 14%, including a 4% drop in the February series and nearly 20 stocks hitting 52-week lows.

TOP STORIES

A New Era for DTH? 📡

What Happened?

Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group are in discussions to merge Tata Play with Airtel’s Bharti Telemedia, creating a heavyweight in India’s direct-to-home (DTH) market. 

While talks are still at the negotiation stage, reports suggest a share swap deal, with Airtel holding 52-55% of the combined entity and Tata Play shareholders, including Walt Disney, keeping the rest. 

Why It Matters?

The deal could be worth ₹6,000-7,000 crore, giving Airtel access to Tata Play’s 19 million subscribers. Airtel’s stock rose 2.55% to ₹1,641.60 following the news.

The merger would help Airtel expand beyond mobile services by bundling DTH, broadband, and telecom—a strategy that’s crucial as more viewers shift to OTT and streaming platforms. 

The Bigger Picture

It also marks a major consolidation in the DTH sector, following the Dish TV-Videocon d2H merger in 2016. 

Meanwhile, Reliance and Disney’s new JioStar is already shaking up India’s media market with ₹26,000 crore in revenue. Clearly, the DTH industry isn’t dead—it’s just evolving into a battle of the titans. 

PAISON KA KHEL

Wipro Goes on a $200M Shopping Spree 🛒

Wipro is opening its wallet again, this time pouring $200 million into Wipro Ventures to fuel early-to-mid-stage startups.

The IT giant announced the fresh funds in an exchange filing on February 26, signalling its intent to stay ahead in the innovation race.

Oh! Wipro wants a front-row seat to the next big thing—before it becomes the next big thing.

Building Warehouses & Stacking Cash 📦

Welspun One is dropping Rs 1,000 crore into a co-investment program to expand its warehousing empire.

The fresh funds will back its second Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), Fund 2, boosting a 5 million sq ft pipeline that’s nearing closure.

Once the dust settles, Welspun One’s total portfolio will hit 22 million sq ft, expected to rake in Rs 1,100 crore (USD 130 million) in net operating income.

TOP STORIES

The Next Big Bet in the Data World 🏬

What Happened?

Hyderabad-based CtrlS Datacenters just pulled off a power move, launching a ₹4,000-crore data centre park in Chennai. 

This mega project adds 72 MW of capacity across two facilities (DC 1 & DC 2) and is set to create 500 direct and 9,000 indirect jobs—because, apparently, storing the internet takes a village!

Why It Matters?

With AI and cloud computing hungry for data storage, demand for hyperscale data centres is skyrocketing.

CtrlS is betting big, committing $2 billion to expansion—₹2,500 crore has already been spent, largely funded through internal accruals, debt, and customer advances.

Analysts are bullish on CtrlS’ growth. ICRA projects a ₹3,000-3,500 crore capex for FY25-FY27, covering new data centres, solar power projects, and maintenance. 

The Numbers Game

The company has also been on a 24.4% CAGR revenue growth spree from FY19 to FY24, hitting ₹1,339 crore in FY24.

With plans to double its 90 MW capacity to 180 MW by March 2026, revenues could climb 25-30% annually in the coming years.

But that’s not all.

CtrlS is now considering an IPO to fund its massive expansion. Chairman Sridhar Pinnapureddy confirmed that discussions are ongoing, though no timeline has been set.

GLOBAL NAZARA

From ‘Net Zero’ to ‘Net More Oil’ 🛢️

Looks like BP decided that saving the planet is just too expensive.

The oil giant has slashed its green energy budget by $5 billion a year, cutting it down to $2 billion. Meanwhile, oil and gas investments are getting a 20% boost, now totalling $10 billion annually.

CEO Murray Auchincloss admitted BP went “too far, too fast” on renewables. So, fossil fuels are still making big bucks.

Shareholders are happy, but climate activists? Not so much. 

Russia Wants $1.3 Billion for a 1 Ruble Exit 🚗

Clicking the undo button in Russia comes with a jaw-dropping price tag!

After selling its assets for just 1 ruble ($0.01) in 2022, Renault, the French automaker, is now looking at a $1.3 billion bill to make a comeback. 

Russia isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet—it’s making foreign companies repurchase their assets at a steep premium. 

A decade ago, Renault was  Russia’s biggest carmaker, but now, it’s stuck in reverse.

TOP STORIES

Nike, Tommy, and Others Get a Green Light 👟

What Happened?

After an 18-month roadblock, global brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Superdry are set to resume premium footwear imports to India as the government begins certifying overseas factories under BIS regulations.

This comes after two major pressures—first, US President Trump nudged India about import restrictions, and second, premium shoe sales nosedived due to supply shortages.  

Why It Matters?

Footwear imports to India fell from $920 million in 2022 to just $300 million in 2023, creating a serious supply crunch. 

Industry leaders argued that India lacks the high-end machinery and expertise to produce premium shoes at scale, forcing the government to reconsider its stance.

For brands like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger, this delay meant months of lost revenue. Even local retailers, like Arvind Fashions (which sells US Polo and Tommy Hilfiger), took a hit.  

What’s Next?

Now, with the certification process in motion, things are looking up—but slowly. Each factory approval takes 2-3 months, meaning it’ll take time before premium sneakers flood the market again.

Zoom Out

The worst might be over for premium shoe lovers in India, but the recovery won’t be instant. While BIS is opening doors for factories in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Chinese suppliers remain locked out. 

Brands still have a few months of supply gaps to fill, but at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel (or should we say, the shoebox?).

MIRCH MASALA

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📉 The money habit that’s keeping you broke (fix it today!)

And that’s a wrap. Have an amazing weekend.

We’ll see you again on Monday! 😄