RCB Wins, Maggi Rises, and Markets Dip 🍜📉

☀️ Good Morning, Masala Crew!

RCB finally did it—and somewhere, Virat Kohli just dropped the mic 🎤🔥

It’s Wednesday, June 4, and if you’re still recovering from the cricket chaos, breathe in, sip your chai, and keep calm —because today’s brew is stacked with bold moves, billion-rupee bets, and a Maggi moment that changed Indian business forever.

Let’s stir things up 👇

☕ Chai Shots

• 🛫 Tourism Boom Incoming: India’s travel and tourism sector is on track to soar past ₹42 trillion by 2035, thanks mostly to domestic jet-setters. That’s more than double today’s size, says the World Travel & Tourism Council.

• 🏨 Leela Luxe Lands In BKC: Schloss Bangalore is rolling out a swanky 250-room Leela hotel in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex. The ₹1,302 crore project also includes a massive office tower and luxe club space. It’s part of a broader plan to add seven Leela hotels across spiritual hubs and nature destinations.

• 🌏 Paytm Sets Sail For Singapore: After touching down in the UAE, Paytm is now setting up shop in Singapore. The new arm will expand its fintech footprint across Southeast Asia—with Saudi Arabia next on the radar.

• 🍜 Nestlé’s CMD Bids Adieu With Maggi Memories: Suresh Narayanan’s decade-long run at Nestlé India is coming to an end—and it began with one of the biggest brand crises in India. The 2015 Maggi ban nearly broke the company, but it bounced back stronger than ever. More in The Big Brew 👇

• ⚡ Hyundai & Kia Say Goodbye To Ola Electric: Hyundai and Kia have sold ₹689 crore worth of Ola Electric shares. Citi swooped in to buy a big chunk, but Ola’s stock took a hit post-sale. Tough times after a bumpy Q4.

📈 Market Masala

• 📉 Markets Slip As Global Jitters Ripple In: The Sensex stumbled 636 points to close at 80,738 while the Nifty lost 174 points, finishing at 24,543. The Bank Nifty touched a new high in early trade but ended down 303 points at 55,600. Large caps took the brunt, while midcaps also slid. Analysts still expect Nifty to hit 27,000–28,000 by year-end, riding on strong earnings growth.

• 💼 Warburg Pincus Gets IDFC First Go-Ahead: Competition Commission of India has okayed Warburg’s plan to pick up nearly 10% of IDFC First Bank through Currant Sea Investments. The deal is part of a ₹7,500 crore capital boost alongside the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

• 📶 Vodafone Idea Revival Talks Heat Up: With 49% government ownership, officials are treading cautiously but optimistically. Relief measures like moratoriums on dues and new bank credit are being considered to help Vodafone Idea bounce back.

• 🔨 India & US Lock Horns Over Steel Tariffs: New Delhi is considering hitting back with tariffs on American imports in retaliation for U.S. duties on steel and aluminium. The WTO is watching, and both countries are trying to settle things bilaterally with a June trade deal in sight.

• 🚗 MRF Back On Top: MRF is again India’s most expensive stock, now trading at ₹1,38,539. The tyre giant saw net profit jump 31% in Q4 and continues to leave BSE curiosity Elcid Investments in the dust.

🌍 Global Masala

• 📈 Wall Street Gets Nvidia Boost AGAIN: U.S. markets ticked up with Nvidia jumping over 3%, once again leapfrogging Microsoft in market cap. But don’t pop the bubbly just yet—OECD cut the U.S. growth forecast citing tariff headwinds.

• 📉 Eurozone Inflation Slips Below ECB Target: May inflation in the eurozone eased to 1.9%, finally dipping under the ECB’s 2% target. With rate cuts likely around the corner, bond yields dipped and the euro lost ground.

• 💳 Klarna Launches Debit Card In US: Klarna has entered neobank territory with its new Visa debit card, letting users switch between debit, credit, and pay-later options. It’s Klarna’s big rebrand play ahead of its U.S. IPO.

• 🧠 Salesforce Scoops Moonhub Talent: Moonhub, the AI-powered hiring startup, is calling it a day. While not a full buyout, Salesforce has absorbed some of the team to fuel its AI hiring playbook. Moonhub had raised over $14 million and served major enterprise clients.

🍵 The Big Brew 🍜 The End of an Era: Maggi’s Crisis, Comeback & Nestlé’s Transformation

Back in 2015, Suresh Narayanan’s first days as Nestlé India’s CMD were nothing short of a baptism by fire—the Maggi ban hit like a thunderbolt. Over ₹1,000 crore was lost, warehouses cleared out, and the brand’s reputation nose-dived.

But Narayanan didn’t flinch. Within months of a bold online-only relaunch, Maggi clawed back 60% of its market share—and India became its biggest market worldwide.

Since then, Nestlé India has gone from a one-brand wonder to a diversified FMCG giant:

• 🏭 Capex shot up from 1.8% to 10% of sales over the decade

• 🛍️ Retail reach expanded to 5.2 million outlets and 200K+ villages

• 🍫 KitKat climbed from India’s #10 to #2 global market spot

• ☕ Nescafé now powers 43M+ homes with coffee

• 🐶 New verticals like pet food, wellness, and premium coffee are booming

With over 150 new product launches contributing 7% of current sales and a decade CAGR of 10.3% in revenue, Narayanan signs off having led one of India’s most epic corporate comebacks.

The torch now passes to Manish Tiwary, Amazon India’s ex-country head, starting August 1. A new chapter brews.

🚀 Startup Scoop

• 👟 Gully Labs Laces Up ₹8.7 Cr Seed Round: Handmade sneaker brand Gully Labs just raised ₹8.7 crore led by Zeropearl VC and Bounce’s co-founder. Known for designs like Phulkari kicks and Onam-themed trainers, the brand is now eyeing new stores and global expansion.

• 🩸 Plush Sees 3X Valuation Spike In Series B: Chennai-based feminine care brand Plush is raising ₹30.56 crore at a valuation of ₹281 crore—triple from its last round. With 500 retail stores and FY25 revenue projection of ₹60 crore, it’s gunning to become a category leader.

• 💰 Stable Money Raises $20M To Simplify FDs: Wealth-tech platform Stable Money just locked in $20 million from Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum and others. The app lets users invest in FDs and bonds without a bank account, and already manages ₹3,000+ crore in assets.

🤯 Chai Break Trivia

🤔 Did you know the very first product ever scanned using a barcode was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum! 🧃🛒
It happened on June 26, 1974, at a Marsh supermarket in Ohio. The gum was picked because it was small, light, and had a flat surface—perfect for testing the future of checkout tech.

That’s your Wednesday dose of chai-fueled headlines ☕. Catch you tomorrow with more spice, stocks, and startup sparkle!