☕ Spice Up Your Monday with Masala Chai's Freshest Scoop!

 🎉 Chai Shots

• 🚀 Unimech Aerospace IPO Takes Off: Bengaluru’s space-tech superstar is hitting the markets with a ₹500 crore IPO (₹745-₹785 per share). ✨ Big plans for aerospace and semiconductors ahead!

• 🚗 Zoomcar’s New Ride: Chauffeur-driven cabs are coming to Bengaluru. Is it a game-changer or just another player in the Ola-Uber battlefield?

• 🌟 GST on Used Cars: Tax hike to 18% for businesses, but don’t worry—regular buyers like us are safe. Phew!

• Remembering Rohan Mirchandani: Epigamia’s founder Rohan Mirchandani passes away at 42. His contributions to India's FMCG sector and the brand he built will continue to inspire.

 📈 Market Masala 

It’s official—Indian markets just wrapped up their worst week of 2024! 😱 The Sensex took a massive nosedive, shedding 1,176 points to settle at 78,041.59 on Friday, while the Nifty50 dropped 364 points to close at 23,587.50. Ouch! 😬

💸 Over the week, investors watched a staggering ₹18.5 lakh crore in wealth disappear into thin air, thanks to hawkish comments from the US Federal Reserve sparking a global sell-off. Talk about a rough ride! 🎢

Looking ahead: Monday’s reopening could be the market’s redemption arc—or not. All eyes are on domestic and global cues to see if they’ll bring a much-needed breather. The Nifty 50 is walking on thin ice, having dipped below its 200-day EMA. Resistance looms at 23,900, with support at 23,263. Stay sharp, and maybe keep that chai extra strong—it’s going to be an interesting week ahead! ☕📉

🌎 Global Flavors

Apple Gets a Nudge from the EU

The EU is taking Apple to task, demanding that features like AirDrop and AirPlay work seamlessly with Android devices. This could mean no more file-sharing woes across platforms by 2025. On the table: AirDrop APIs for third-party use and AirPlay compatibility for non-Apple receivers.

What does it mean for you? If you’ve been caught in the Android-Apple crossfire, this might finally end your tech headaches. Cross-platform harmony is near! 🙌

Google Monopoly Gets Challenged

The US courts are on Google’s case for maintaining a monopoly in search by paying companies like Apple to be the default search engine. Google’s response? Loosen restrictions and open up search competition. Big changes could reshape your online browsing habits.

What does it mean for you? Expect more options and maybe better search experiences. More competition = smarter innovation for users like us! 🔍

US Dodges a Government Shutdown—Barely!

After days of political drama, the US government avoided shutting down, thanks to a last-minute budget deal signed by President Biden. Without it, millions of government employees would have worked unpaid.

WTF—how can a government even shut down? In the US, Congress needs to agree on a budget to fund the government, and when they don’t, everything halts. 🤯

🚀 Startup Stir

VC Activity Takes Off

$16.77 billion across 888 deals in 2024—a 14% boost from last year! 🙌 Notable deals: Zepto’s $1.3 billion funding and a strong push in deep tech, AI, and robotics. 2025 looks like a rocket ship waiting to launch.

IPO Boom: 2024 Raises a Record ₹1.6 Lakh Crore

What a year! ₹1.6 lakh crore raised through IPOs—a massive leap from last year. Hyundai Motor stole the show with a record-breaking ₹27,870 crore IPO (move over, history books 📖). Average issue sizes have doubled, and December alone saw 15 launches! ✨ Analysts say 2025 could be even bigger. Strap in, folks—this ride is far from over!

Accel Nears Close of $650M India Fund

Accel India, the early backer of Flipkart and Swiggy, has closed its eighth fund at $650 million. This brings Accel’s total commitments in India to nearly $3 billion. The global growth fund based in the US has also secured a $1.35 billion corpus, with plans to invest in Indian startups at pre-IPO stages.

• Portfolio wins: Accel’s early stake in Swiggy is now valued at $630 million after selling $50 million worth of shares during the IPO.

• Big exits: Accel recently netted $350-400 million selling its remaining 1% stake in Flipkart to Walmart.

• What’s next: Bluestone, Zetwerk, and Urban Company are among the portfolio firms set to go public in 2025. Non-metro markets will also see increased focus.

 🔄 Policy Corner

HC Extends Deadline for Revised Tax Returns

Taxpayers rejoice! The Bombay HC has extended the deadline for filing revised returns under Section 87A to January 15, 2025. This move comes after taxpayers faced glitches in the I-T department’s filing utility. Eligible taxpayers can now claim their much-deserved rebates.

What does it mean for you? If you missed out on tax rebates earlier, you now have a window to fix it. Don’t snooze on this opportunity! 💰

Masala on the Menu (Upcoming Events)

• 🌐 Unimech Aerospace IPO Launch: December 23. Get those bids ready!

• 🌟 Solar91 Cleantech IPO Opening: December 24. Green energy for the win!

• 📈 RBI’s Monetary Policy Review: February 5-7, 2025. Mark your calendars for potential big moves!

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