🛫 DGCA vs Airlines: The airfare showdown begins (Mar 24)

Gooood morning Chai Fam!

We know, Mondays are like the coriander in your breakfast poha—controversial, sometimes unwanted, but necessary. So grab your chai, scroll on, and let’s make your start-of-week scroll worth it 👇

🫖 Chai Shots

• ✈️ Aviation Hits Air Pockets: The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and airlines are clashing over ticket price transparency. The regulator asked for two years of fare data, but carriers like IndiGo and Air India say that’s “too sensitive.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg — we’re diving into the full-blown drama in today’s Big Brew.

• ✈️ Air India Wants Lighter Landings: Tata-owned Air India wants the Delhi airport to lower landing charges by 30% for long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights. They’re also asking for incentives to boost international-to-international (I2I) traffic to turn Delhi into a global aviation hub. Big vision, smaller bills?

• 📢 Global Giants Eye Madison Ad Biz: French ad networks Publicis Groupe and Havas are reportedly in talks to buy a majority stake in Madison World, founded by industry veteran Sam Balsara. Madison is one of India’s last major independent ad firms, and this potential deal signals a shift toward global consolidation—especially after Omnicom scooped up Interpublic. Looks like the Mad Men of India are going global.

• 📦 India Hits Pause on Cheap Chinese Imports: India has imposed anti-dumping duties on four Chinese imports — soft ferrite cores, vacuum flasks, aluminium foil, and Trichloro Isocyanuric Acid — after finding they were being sold at unfairly low prices. The new duties (except aluminium foil) will stay in place for five years to protect local manufacturers and level the playing field. Think of it as a much-needed price correction.

📈 Market Masala

• 📊 Indices Closed Strong Last Week: On Friday, the Sensex jumped 557 points to close at 76,905.51, while the Nifty climbed 159 points, ending the day at 23,350.40. Solid finish to the week—but what’s brewing ahead?

• 💼 Big Market Events This Week: Keep your eyes peeled for the IREDA board meeting (March 25) to discuss fundraising and ICICI Securities trading suspension (March 24). Also, TVS Motor and REC shares will go ex-dividend on March 25—last chance to grab those dividends!

• 🧾 Nifty Expiry Incoming: March 27 marks the weekly and monthly Nifty expiry, which could bring some volatility into the market as traders square off positions.

• 🔋 Ola Electric Zooms Ahead: Ola Electric began deliveries of its S1 Gen 3 scooters. With 20% more power, 20% longer range, and an 11% lower cost than Gen 2, it’s a serious upgrade. Prices range from ₹79,999 to ₹1,69,999. Investors approved: the stock jumped 8.43%!

• 🛍️ V2 Retail’s Expansion Spree: The value fashion brand is planning to open 100 stores every year for the next 3 years. Most will pop up in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and they’re chasing a revenue growth of 40-50%. They’ve already hit ₹1 crore monthly per store—talk about making every square foot count!

• 🏦 SEBI May Make It Easier to Set Up in GIFT City: SEBI wants to scrap the approval process for stock brokers setting up shop in Gujarat’s GIFT City. Currently, brokers need a no-objection certificate (NOC) to operate there, but SEBI is proposing a rule change to let them start a separate unit more easily. The move is aimed at making GIFT City a global financial hub—think fewer hoops, more hustle.

🌍 Global Masala

• 🧱 James Hardie’s $8.8B Deal to Build an Outdoor Empire: Australian building materials giant James Hardie is acquiring US-based AZEK, a leader in eco-friendly outdoor living products, in a massive $8.75 billion cash-and-stock deal—one of the biggest Aussie-led takeovers of 2025. The merger will create a home exteriors powerhouse, combining James Hardie’s siding and trim with AZEK’s decking, railings, and pergolas.

• 🇺🇸 Tariffs Stir the Pot Again: Trump’s tariff threats are still making Wall Street nervous. Fed Chair Jerome Powell called the potential inflation impact “transitory,” but admitted there's no way to know for sure. For now, the Fed is holding rates steady and watching how things play out.

• 🚗 Aston Martin Keeps Revving: The luxury automaker is slowing down its electric transition, pushing full EV plans to 2030. Turns out, customers—including Indians—still crave the roar of a 12-cylinder engine over EV silence. The ICE age isn’t over just yet.

• 🏦 All Eyes on the Fed’s Favorite Price Tag: This week, markets will get a close look at the Fed’s preferred inflation measure — the PCE index. Economists expect core PCE (excluding food and energy) to tick up to 2.7% YoY for February. If inflation doesn’t cool, those long-awaited rate cuts may stay on ice a little longer.

☕ Big Brew: Will Flying Soon Be Fairer? ✈️

If you've ever felt flight fares were all over the place... you're not imagining it.

India's aviation regulator DGCA is trying to bring more transparency to airfare pricing by asking airlines like IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet to share two years of historical fare data. But the airlines have refused, saying it risks leaking sensitive info and could hurt their competitive edge. 🚫📊 Instead, they’ve offered to share limited, case-specific data — not exactly what the DGCA was hoping for.

At the same time, the DGCA is going full throttle on safety enforcement. Penalties have rained down on airlines for violations like:

• 🧑‍✈️ Trainee pilots flying without proper supervision,

• 🧯 Long-haul flights without enough oxygen,

• 🌫️ Mishandled diversions during fog,

• 📉 Gaps in pilot training and simulator use.

Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara, Akasa, and even Blue Dart have all faced fines or warnings in the past year.

🧐 What does this mean for you? With over 90% of the domestic market controlled by just two airline groups, the government wants better visibility to prevent fare spikes and raise safety standards. While fares won’t be capped, stronger oversight could mean more consistent pricing, fewer last-minute shocks, and safer skies. 🌤️💼

So next time you're booking a flight, just know—someone’s finally keeping watch. 👀

🚀 Startup Scoop

• 🎮 Krafton, the maker of Battlegrounds Mobile India, is ready to drop serious cash on India’s gaming scene — beyond the $200M it’s already invested! With a mobile-first gamer base, rising smartphone use, and a young, game-hungry population, India’s become one of Krafton’s top 5 global markets. The South Korean giant is now eyeing fresh investments and even acquisitions, calling on passionate game devs and more institutional support to turn India into a global gaming powerhouse. Game. On. 🕹️🔥

🔮 What’s Brewing Next?

• 🇺🇸 All eyes on April 2 as Trump prepares to announce tariffs. India’s trade and tech sectors may need to buckle up.

• 🏭 PMI Data Watch: On March 24, HSBC’s Manufacturing & Services PMI for India drops—giving a health check of the economy’s engine room.

That’s a wrap on today’s masaledaar headlines! Let us know which story brewed your interest the most—and don’t forget to forward this chai to a friend who needs some Monday motivation 😎

Ready to roll into the week? Let’s go! 💼✨