💸 January 2nd update: 98% of ₹2,000 notes are back

Welcome to your daily dose of hot and fresh updates for January 2nd! Whether you're back to the grind or enjoying a cozy start to the year, we've got your morning chai of headlines brewed to perfection. Let’s get started! ☕✨

Chai Shots ☕✨

• 🎭 Kunal Kamra vs Blinkit CEO: Comedian Kunal Kamra took to social media to question Blinkit's CEO Albinder Dhindsa on delivery partners' wages, bringing attention to the treatment of gig workers in the quick commerce industry. Kamra’s post on X came after Dhindsa shared celebratory data about Blinkit’s New Year’s Eve sales.

  Kamra accused Blinkit and similar platforms of exploiting workers by offering ‘freedom they can’t afford’ and paying wages that fail to meet aspirations. This follows Kamra’s recent spat with Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal over similar issues, as he continues to highlight concerns about gig worker welfare.

• 📱WhatsApp Pay expands nationwide: NPCI removed the cap on WhatsApp Pay’s UPI user base, allowing it to serve all users in India.

  What does this mean for me? With over 400 million WhatsApp users in the country, this move could challenge giants like PhonePe and Google Pay, increasing competition and possibly leading to better features and services for users.

• 💸 Rs 2000 notes update: RBI announced that 98% of withdrawn Rs 2000 notes have been deposited back into banks, leaving just Rs 6,691 crore with the public.