🌟 Good morning, Wednesday warriors!

April's ending with more twists than a daily soap finale. From India’s trade talks heating up and gold prices glittering on Akshaya Tritiya to tariff tantrums and CEO shuffles, today’s brew is a full-bodied blend of the bold and the bizarre. Sip up and stay sharp — because this one's loaded! 🚀🥜

☕️ Chai Shots

• 🚨 SEBI Cracks Down on Opinion Trading: SEBI has flagged 'opinion trading platforms'—apps where people bet on yes/no events—as illegal and unregulated. They may look like investment apps, but they’re not securities and come with zero investor protection. SEBI has also nudged NSE and BSE to take strict action.

• 📢 India to Block Proton Mail? A court in Karnataka has ordered Proton Mail to be banned after a firm said it received abusive emails from anonymous users. The encrypted email service refused to share user data, citing privacy laws. More in The Big Brew ☕️

• 📈 Stimuler Snags ₹31.9 Cr to Level Up English Tutoring: AI-based voice tutor app Stimuler raised $3.75M to fuel growth in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Already 4M+ downloads strong, it helps users brush up on vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation.

• 🏦 RBI Approves Executive Panel for IndusInd Bank: After CEO Sumant Kathpalia’s surprise exit amid a derivatives debacle, the RBI has approved an interim Committee of Executives to run IndusInd Bank. Soumitra Sen and Anil Rao will steer the ship while the board searches for new leadership.

🌐 Market Masala

• 📊 Markets Barely Budge as IT Leads, Pharma Lags: Sensex tiptoed 82 points up to end just below 80,300, and Nifty added a mere 7 points. Tech majors like Infosys and Tech Mahindra kept the momentum going, but pharma stocks dragged down the mood.

• 💸 Rupee Wobbles at ₹85.25, But FIIs Stay Confident: Despite Indo-Pak tensions and Trump’s unpredictable tariffs, FIIs pumped in ₹2,474 crore on Monday, bringing some optimism back to Dalal Street.

• 💼 C-Suite Surge! Top Leadership Hiring Jumps 9.5% in FY25: India Inc added 988 top brass leaders in FY25 — the highest in 5 years. CEO hires made up half the total, with HR and marketing heads hot in demand. Established firms dominated, while startup hiring slumped 46%. Fun fact: women now hold 20.6% of all C-level posts!

• 🌟 Reddit Adds Hindi Translation: Reddit now lets users read posts and comments in Hindi, with Bengali support coming soon. Aiming for desi growth, Reddit’s making sure the meme magic translates!

• 📚 India Eyes Trade Deal Sweetener for U.S.: India is reportedly ready to offer a "forward most-favoured-nation" clause to the U.S., guaranteeing Washington gets the best tariff terms India offers anyone. The aim? Lock in access to U.S. markets vacated by China.

🌎 Global Masala

• 🌿 Tariffs Toned Down, Markets Still Nervy: Trump softened his auto tariff stance and hinted at progress with India, but Wall Street isn’t celebrating yet. Consumer confidence hit a five-year low, and all eyes are on today’s GDP and inflation data.

• 📉 Hedge Funds Rotate Into India & Japan: After April’s tariff shock, Asian hedge funds dumped China and poured money into India and Japan. Materials, industrials, and tech are in favour, while Chinese consumer stocks are out.

• 🚀 GoTo Keeps Climbing: The Indonesian tech firm reported its third straight adjusted profit and is exploring a $7B merger with Grab. Cost-cutting, fintech bets, and focus on high-margin segments are driving the turnaround

🗓️ Looking at the Week Ahead:

• Meta and Microsoft earnings today

• U.S. GDP and inflation metrics out

• ECB meeting and China PMI updates

☕️ The Big Brew: India Moves to Block Proton Mail

India's digital privacy debate just got spicier. 📧 The Karnataka High Court has directed the government to block Proton Mail following a complaint about vulgar anonymous emails. The kicker? Proton Mail refused to share sender info, citing its Swiss-based privacy-first policy.

This isn't Proton Mail's first brush with Indian authorities. Last year, Tamil Nadu sought a ban after bomb threat emails surfaced. That request fizzled after Swiss officials pushed back.

Now, as Proton Mail faces another legal flashpoint, the broader issue is clear: India wants compliance from global tech platforms, especially when local laws are at stake. The encrypted email service, on the other hand, says bans hurt everyday users more than actual cybercriminals.

🔍 What does this mean?

• 🔥 Tensions between privacy-first platforms and Indian regulators are bound to intensify.

• 🌐 Other encrypted apps and privacy-centric platforms could find themselves under similar scrutiny.

• 👥 Everyday users may lose access to secure communications if such bans become the norm.

🚀 Startup Scoop

• 🏫 BrowserStack Cofounders Donate ₹100 Cr to IIT Bombay: Alumni Ritesh Arora and Nakul Aggarwal are giving back big to their alma mater to upgrade student housing and boost infrastructure. The contribution is one of IIT-B's largest ever.

• 🧵 KALKI Fashion Raises ₹225 Cr from Lighthouse Funds: The premium ethnic wear brand is scaling its offline stores and targeting global expansion. The fresh funding will also bolster its supply chain and product innovation.

• 💄 Kult Bags ₹170 Cr to Rule Beauty Tech: Backed by M3M Family Office and others, Kult wants to become the go-to AI beauty platform for personalised skincare. No offline play yet — it’s betting fully on ecommerce.

• 🏥 EkinCare Gets Strategic Boost from Merck (MSD): The digital health platform raised an undisclosed round to scale preventive care, chronic disease tracking, and its cashless OPD network across 40,000+ providers in India.

• 🎓 CollegeDekho Raises ₹40 Cr from Recur Club: The higher-ed guidance platform, which helped 2L+ students with admissions last year, is gearing up for the new academic season with funds to scale ops and tech infra.

☕️ Chai Break Trivia

❓ Did you know? Chennai clocked the highest gold rate in India this Akshaya Tritiya, touching ₹95,780 per 10 grams. That’s nearly a ₹30K jump since last year, powered by festive demand and global economic jitters!

That’s a wrap for April, folks! Come May, we’ll be back with hotter takes, deeper dives, and even spicier sips. Until then, stay curious and keep your cup full. ☕️📈