😴 Monday Blues? Not Here! ☕🎢

Welcome to another manic Monday, where startups are buying back their brands, markets are panicking, and AI is learning to ‘speak freely’!

Whether you’re sipping on your first chai or doomscrolling before work, we’ve got all the spicy updates you need. Let’s dive in! 🚀

☕ Chai Shots

• Infosys Layoffs Under Probe 🏢💼 The Centre has asked the Karnataka labour commissioner to look into Infosys' termination of 350 freshers who failed internal assessments. These freshers were hired in 2022 but onboarded in 2024, only to be dismissed after three failed attempts at clearing tests.

• EPFO Wants to Smooth Out Interest Rates 📈💰 The government is exploring an interest stabilization reserve fund for 65 million EPFO subscribers, ensuring steady interest rates regardless of market fluctuations. The initiative is still in early discussions, but could roll out by 2026-27.

• Standard Chartered’s New India CEO 🏦👨‍💼 PD Singh, former JP Morgan India CEO, has been approved by RBI as the new India CEO for Standard Chartered. He will replace Zarin Daruwala in April 2025, taking over as the bank pivots toward wealth management.

• 🔄 Sirona’s ₹150 Cr Buyback – Founders Take Back Control 🔥
  Sirona’s founders, Deep Bajaj & Mohit Bajaj, are in the final stages of buying back their brand from Good Glamm Group, which is struggling under heavy debt. The deal, expected at ₹150 Cr, is one-third of what Good Glamm paid just months ago. With sales plummeting and investors backing out, this is a dramatic D2C shake-up!

📈 Market Masala

D-Street Outlook: Where’s the Market Headed? 📉📊

• Nifty & Sensex Losing Streak Hits 8 Days 🚨

  • Sensex: Down 1,920 points (-2.46%) last week, closing at 75,939

  • Nifty: Dropped 630 points (-2.67%), settling at 22,929

  • Key Reason: US tariff concerns, foreign fund outflows, weak corporate earnings

• Technical Levels to Watch

  • Nifty Resistance: 23,000 & 23,300

  • Nifty Support: 22,800, 22,500 (Below this, market panic may intensify)

  • Bank Nifty Resistance: 49,650 | Support: 48,700, 48,000

💡 What’s Next?

• Bearish Sentiment Continues: If Nifty breaks below 22,800, expect further drops toward 22,500-22,000.

• Relief Rally Possible? A strong close above 23,300 could signal a short-term bounce.

• Market Caution Ahead: High volatility expected due to Trump’s tariff stance & Q4 earnings.

🌍 Global Masala

• 🇺🇸 US: S&P 500 near record highs as inflation softens, with Fed rate cut expectations driving optimism. Investors will closely watch the Fed minutes and earnings from Walmart & Alibaba this week.

• 📈 US Inflation Rises, Fed Rate Cuts on Hold – Inflation in the US jumped by the most since August 2023, driven by higher grocery, gas, and housing costs. This has diminished hopes of Fed interest rate cuts, while Trump is pushing for new tariffs, adding uncertainty to global trade. 💰🔥

• 🚀 China’s $1.3 Trillion AI Stock Rally – China’s DeepSeek-driven AI boom has added $1.3 trillion in market value, while India’s market shrank by $720 billion as hedge funds rotate investments back to China. The MSCI China Index is now outperforming India for the third straight month, as Beijing embraces AI and hints at further economic stimulus. 📊🤖

☕ The Big Brew – Sirona’s ₹150 Cr Brand Buyback

💰 From Buyout to Buyback: The ₹150 Cr Plot Twist at Sirona! 🩸🚀

Imagine selling your company for ₹450 Cr, only to buy it back for ₹150 Cr a few months later. Sounds like a Bollywood heist plot, right? 🎬💸 Well, that's exactly what’s happening with Sirona, a feminine hygiene brand known for its menstrual cups, herbal pain patches, and even the legendary PeeBuddy (because squatting in public loos is a nightmare).

Wait, what happened? 🤔

• Sirona was acquired by Good Glamm Group in October 2024 for ₹450 Cr.

• Under Good Glamm, sales collapsed from ₹12 Cr a month to just one-eighth of that.

• Suppliers weren’t getting paid, employees were stuck in limbo, and investors were fleeing faster than SRK fans at a flop premiere.

• Now, Sirona’s founders, Deep Bajaj & Mohit Bajaj, are buying back their baby for ₹150 Cr!

Why is Good Glamm selling? 🏚️🔥

• The company is drowning in debt, and Sirona was one of the few assets they could still offload.

• Big-name investors (Accel, Prosus, Bessemer) recently quit Good Glamm’s board, signaling red flags everywhere. 🚩🚩🚩

• Lawsuits & legal notices are piling up—even baby care brand The Moms Co is chasing them for unpaid dues.

💡 Fun Fact: This isn’t the first time a brand has done a "reverse acquisition"—US e-commerce giant Thrasio’s India exit led to Lifelong's founders buying back their brand too!

🚀 Startup Scoop

• JioHotstar Bets Big on IPL Ads 🏏📊 JioHotstar expects to rake in ₹3,000 crore in IPL ad revenue and is partnering with Nielsen for third-party measurement.

• Rebel Foods Enters 15-Minute Food Delivery 🍔⚡ Cloud kitchen giant Rebel Foods has launched QuickiES, a 15-minute food delivery service to compete with Zomato & Swiggy.

• Zepto Expands Into Pharma & Wellness 💊🚀 Now delivering prescription & OTC medicines in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, competing with Tata 1mg & PharmEasy.

• Bira’s Name Change Disaster 🍺📉 Bira lost ₹748 Cr in FY24 after regulatory hurdles forced a 4-6 month sales freeze. The brand is now raising funds to recover.

🤔 Chai Break Trivia

💡 Did you know? India is the world’s largest producer of milk, contributing nearly 22% of global milk production! 🐄🥛

🔮 What’s Brewing Next?

🔥 Fed Meeting Minutes Release – Key insights into future rate cuts.
🔥 RBI Policy Moves – Will SBI’s rate cuts push other banks to follow?
🔥 Startup IPOs – Zepto & Rebel Foods eyeing stock market debuts.

🎢 That’s a Wrap – Monday Edition!

Another wild Monday, but at least you now know:

📩 Forward this to your chai-loving friends! See you tomorrow! ☕🔥