🎯 PhysicsWallah Just Declared War on UPSC Prep

🌞 Good morning, weekend warriors! The sun’s out, tariffs are down, and the stock market’s doing bhangra.

While Wall Street had a mood swing or two, Indian markets also chugged masala chai and danced all the way to 75K. From PhysicsWallah’s UPSC ambitions to gold breaking records like it’s Olympic season, we’ve got the perfect weekend blend for you.

So sit back, sip slow, and let the headlines simmer. ☕

☕️ Chai Shots

• 🚀 Sensex rockets past 75K after Trump hits ‘snooze’ on tariffs: Markets turned euphoric after the US announced a 90-day timeout on additional import duties. The Sensex surged over 1,300 points, and the Nifty jumped nearly 430—closing above 22,800. Bulls are back in charge. 📈 (More in Market Masala!)

• 🔋 India won’t buckle to pressure, says Piyush Goyal: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal made it clear that India “won’t negotiate at gunpoint” after Trump’s 90-day tariff pause. Talks are on, but India’s keeping its national interests front and center. 🇮🇳

• 📚 PhysicsWallah preps for UPSC dominance: The edtech juggernaut is on a mission to crack the civil services game. With acquisitions of top IAS prep players like Sarrthi IAS and Drishti in the pipeline, PW is turning into the Baap of Bharat’s test-prep biz. (More in The Big Brew!)

• 🛏️ Zolo checks out of the hostel biz: Zolostays is selling its college housing division to Good Host Spaces for ₹107.8 crore. The move lets Zolo focus on premium properties with better returns and less operational headache. Goodbye dorms, hello designer co-living!

📈 Market Masala

• 💥 Tariff break = Market party: Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs sparked a full-on rally. Sensex soared 1,310 points to 75,157 and Nifty jumped 429 to 22,828. Traders said "thank you, next" to global recession fears (for now).

• 🏗️ Metals melt resistance: Tata Steel surged nearly 5% after announcing a revamp of its Netherlands plant. Hindalco and JSW Steel followed suit as the metals index led sectoral gains.

• 🏦 Banks, oil, and energy stocks shine: HDFC Bank, Reliance, ICICI, and NTPC all saw strong gains. Every single BSE sectoral index closed in the green. Even mid and small caps joined the rally.

• 📉 TCS slips despite order book cheer: The tech giant missed Q4 profit estimates, leading to a modest dip. Analysts are still optimistic about a second-half revival in FY26.

• 🏦 JK Cement plans to raise ₹500 Cr – but not all at once: JK Cement is getting ready to raise ₹500 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs)—a fancy term for loans it’ll repay with interest, but without giving up ownership.

• 💰 RBI set to inject ₹40,000 Cr into the system: To make sure banks have enough cash to lend and keep the economy humming, the Reserve Bank of India will buy government bonds worth ₹40,000 crore on April 17. It’s part of an Open Market Operation (OMO)—basically a tool to manage money supply and reduce borrowing costs.

• 📶 Vodafone Idea gets a rating bump—finally! Struggling telecom player Vodafone Idea just got a much-needed credit rating upgrade from ICRA—from BB+ to BBB-. That’s a big deal because it puts them back in the “investment grade” zone, making it easier to borrow money from banks. They’ve been trying to raise ₹25,000 crore to expand their 4G services and finally launch 5G across key cities.

🌍 Global Masala

• 🇺🇸 Trump’s tariff tango confuses everyone: After slapping a whopping 145% duty on Chinese goods, Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for over 75 countries — including India. China wasn’t feeling diplomatic though — it hit back with 125% tariffs on US imports. Meanwhile, the EU is sending trade reps to Washington hoping to cool the heat and strike a deal before it gets worse.

• 💸 Recession fears return: BlackRock boss Larry Fink says the US economy may already be in recession — or dangerously close. While job numbers and retail data are holding up, business sentiment has nosedived and inflation expectations are rising. With tariffs, geopolitical drama, and a volatile market, Fink says “uncertainty” is all clients are talking about.

• 🛢️ Oil on thin ice: Brent crude prices slipped for the second week in a row, now hovering around $63/barrel. Traders are worried that weaker global demand — especially from China and the US — plus rising inventories, could dampen the summer fuel season. OPEC+ isn’t jumping in to cut supply yet, which is adding to the pressure.

☕ The Big Brew: PhysicsWallah’s UPSC Ambition

PhysicsWallah is done just acing NEET and JEE. Now it’s gunning for the UPSC throne—and it’s not doing it alone. Here's the breakdown:

• 🧠 New focus: Civil Services
  With traction growing in the UPSC and CA segments, the edtech giant is moving beyond just engineering and medical coaching.

• 📦 Shopping spree
  PhysicsWallah is in advanced talks to acquire several UPSC coaching names including:

  • ✅ Sarrthi IAS (₹120–130 Cr deal almost done)

  • 🧾 Drishti IAS (valued at ₹2,500–3,000 Cr)

  • 🏛️ Rau’s IAS Study Circle, Chaitanya Academy, and more

• 💰 War chest ready
  Backed by WestBridge and Lightspeed, it recently raised $210M and is reportedly planning a ₹4,000 crore IPO at a ₹35,000–40,000 Cr valuation.

• 📈 Past buys include
  Xylem Learning, Knowledge Planet (UAE), iNeuron, FreeCo—though most haven’t yet scaled massively.

👨‍🏫 Why it matters
The UPSC coaching market is both massive and fragmented. By consolidating big names, PW wants to create an all-in-one platform and extend its offline dominance (150+ centers already running).

🚀 Startup Scoop

• 💰 Expert Dojo eyes India with $15M fund: The California-based accelerator is setting up shop in Bengaluru and plans to fund 20–25 early-stage Indian startups in FY26. Expect cheques ranging from $50K to $1M, especially in AI, SaaS, and fintech.

• 🎮 Eloelo raises ₹114 Cr: The multilingual live entertainment app added $13.5M in funding, expanding to 8 languages and hitting ₹200 Cr ARR in under a year. 1.5M users already paying. Their goal? Make livestreaming social again.

• 🧠 Tessell scores $60M: AI + multi-cloud DBaaS = Tessell’s pitch. They're tackling enterprise data problems with intuitive, conversational tools. WestBridge and Lightspeed are backing the mission.

• 🎓 Bower raises ₹11.5 Cr: The AI-first entrepreneurship school will build campuses worldwide. From K–12 to execs, they’re offering hands-on learning guided by startup veterans.

🧠 Chai Break Trivia

Did you know that India’s edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah started as a simple YouTube channel back in 2016?
Founder Alakh Pandey was filming from his home with a whiteboard—and now the company is closing in on ₹4,000 crore in annual revenue. Talk about glow-ups!

🔮 What’s Brewing Next?

• 🏛️ Ambedkar Jayanti market holiday: Indian equity markets will be closed Monday, April 14. Expect some position squaring on Tuesday’s open.

• 📉 Corporate earnings season kicks off: Keep your eyes peeled for Q4 results from major banks, IT firms, and FMCG companies starting next week.

• 🗣️ US-China tariff drama continues: With Beijing raising duties and Trump pushing back harder, markets might have a few more mood swings left in April.

That’s a wrap for this Saturday’s Masala Chai!
If you’re heading for your long weekend trip, may your flights be on time and your fares not surge like midcap stocks.

And if you’re staying in, we recommend binge-reading IPO filings with a tall glass of cold coffee—because adulting is fun when it’s profitable.

Until next time—keep sipping, keep scrolling, and never settle for lukewarm news. ☕