🌍 Myntra’s Global Debut, Meta’s AI Ambitions

Author

Masala Chai
June 09, 2025

Good morning, Masala Crew! 🌞

Welcome to your Monday pour of Masala Chai — the only brew that’s as sharp as a repo rate cut and as smooth as iOS 26. Whether you’re sipping masala chai or smashing through Slack pings, we’ve got the latest buzz in tech, trade, tariffs, and takeovers to kick off your week with a grin.

Monday Morning Cat GIF by GrowthX

Let’s dive in ☕👇

☕ Chai Shots

  • 🌍 Myntra takes its swag overseas: Myntra has made its international debut in Singapore, going after the 6.5 lakh-strong Indian diaspora there. It’s the first step in what could become a global fashion play.

  • 🧨 HDFC Bank in legal showdown: India’s largest private lender is pushing back hard against fraud claims tied to a long-standing dispute. The bank alleges it’s being targeted to derail its recovery actions and is ready to fight it out in court.

  • 🌾 India plays it cool in US trade talks: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan is putting farmers first, promising that any trade deal with the US will weigh gains against grassroots impact.

  • 🧠 Meta lines up mega AI bet: Meta is reportedly planning a $10 billion+ investment in Scale AI. The goal? Position its Llama model as the industry standard while doubling down on defense tech collaborations. More in the Big Brew!

📈 Market Masala

  • 📊 RBI surprise sparks rally: After a 50 bps repo cut and 100 bps CRR slash, the market rebounded with Nifty jumping 252 pts and Bank Nifty hitting record highs. Liquidity boost fuels rate-sensitive stocks and investor optimism.

  • 🔮 Macro data on watchlist: Inflation and industrial output numbers will guide market sentiment. Analysts expect the figures to remain supportive of further easing.

  • 🧪 India draws a red line on dumping: Anti-dumping taxes have been slapped on certain imports from China, Japan, and the EU — including rubber chemicals and food-grade additives — to give local players a fair fight.

  • 💸 Loan EMIs soften after RBI moves: Following the RBI’s surprise double rate cut, HDFC has trimmed its MCLR across all tenures by 10 bps. Home and auto loans just got slightly cheaper.

  • 🌎 Maruti & Hyundai gear up for global push: Maruti is eyeing a 20% jump in exports this year, while Hyundai wants to make India its largest export base outside South Korea. New models and global demand are revving things up.

🌍 Global Masala

  • 🔎 Wall Street braces for inflation print: With the S&P 500 hovering near record highs, this week’s CPI and PPI readings could steer market momentum. Traders are watching the Fed’s next move closely.

  • 💥 Trump vs Musk: Twitter beef meets stock slide: After Elon Musk trashed Trump’s tax policies, the former US President clapped back — triggering a 14% weekly dip in Tesla stock and shaking the broader tech sector.

  • 🚨 JPMorgan issues hiring ultimatum: CEO Jamie Dimon has told junior bankers: stay loyal for 18 months or lose your job. The message? Don’t treat the gig like a launchpad to private equity.

🍵 The Big Brew ☕ Meta eyes $10B AI play with Scale

Meta is reportedly in talks to invest over $10 billion in Scale AI — a data-labeling startup that trains some of the world’s most advanced AI models. If sealed, it would be Meta’s largest external AI bet yet, and one of the biggest private tech investments ever.

  • 🔍 Why Scale? The startup powers AI systems at OpenAI, Microsoft, and the U.S. military by cleaning and tagging massive datasets — essential fuel for generative AI.

  • 🧠 Meta’s shift: Known for building in-house (like the Llama models), Meta is now turning to Scale for stronger AI infrastructure and defense collaborations like “Defense Llama.”

  • 💸 Follow the money: Scale raked in $870M revenue last year and could hit $2B in 2025. Its valuation may soon jump to $25 billion.

  • 🌍 Bigger picture: With no cloud biz like Amazon or Microsoft, Meta is partnering up to stay relevant in the AI arms race.

🧠 What does this mean?
Meta’s going beyond building models — it wants to control the AI pipeline from training data to battlefield bots.

🚀 Startup Scoop

🤔 Chai Break Trivia

🧐 Did you know? India has over 24 crore feature phone users — and a new wave of UPI innovation is aiming straight at them. With players like PhonePe bringing smart payments to simple phones, digital inclusion is finally reaching the unplugged masses.

🔮 What’s Brewing Next?

  • 🎤 Apple’s WWDC in full swing: Expect major reveals from Cupertino today. iOS 26, a gaming hub, and Solarium UI all on deck.

  • 📈 IPO watch: Oswal Pumps and three SME listings hit the primary market. Will investors bite?

That’s a wrap on today’s Masala Chai! 🫖 If you learned something new, chuckled once, or simply enjoyed the ride — we consider our job done. Now go forth and conquer your Monday (bonus points if you do it in your pajamas).

Coffee Day GIF by ViralHog

Until tomorrow, stay curious and stay caffeinated ☕🚀

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