💰 Temasek’s billion-dollar bet on India’s snack king! (Mar 13)

Happy Friday Junior aka Thursday (okay but who calls it that?)!

🥳 If your week has felt longer than an Amazon checkout queue during a sale, we’re here to shake things up! From billion-dollar snack deals to spicy market moves, today’s edition is stacked. Grab your chai and let’s sip on the hottest headlines. 🚀🔥

⚡ Chai Shots

• 📉 Sensex, Nifty wobble through a volatile session – Markets saw wild swings before closing nearly flat. IT stocks struggled, but banks and auto stocks kept things afloat.

• 🍿 Temasek bites into Haldiram’s with ₹8,500 Cr investment – The Singaporean investment giant has picked up a 10% stake in Haldiram Snacks at a whopping $10 billion valuation. With an IPO rumored for next year, the deal signals big money in India’s snack industry. More in the Big Brew!

• 🎨 Swiggy Instamart adds a ‘festive handling fee’ for Holi – Swiggy has introduced a special fee for deliveries this week, making sure your festive grocery rush isn’t easy on the wallet. Meanwhile, competitors Blinkit & Zepto haven’t followed suit… yet.

• 🚗 Tata Motors reassures on JLR’s India plans – Despite reports that JLR EVs won’t be made in India, Tata says its Tamil Nadu plant will be a world-class production hub for both JLR & Tata SUVs. Meanwhile, its luxury Avinya EV launch is still on track for FY27.

📊 Market Masala

• 📉 Markets end on a cautious note – The Sensex started strong but lost momentum, dipping 73 points to settle at 74,030. Meanwhile, the Nifty wrapped up at 22,470, dragged down by IT giants like Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and TCS. However, IndusInd Bank (+4.4%), Tata Motors, and Bajaj Finance helped cushion the fall.

• 📉 IndusInd Bank rebounds 4% after Tuesday’s crash – After a 27% nosedive, IndusInd’s shares bounced back as fears over margin calls on pledged shares eased. A statement from the CEO assuring a Q4 net profit also helped calm investors.

• 🏦 Retail inflation hits 7-month low of 3.6% – February’s CPI drop has raised hopes of an RBI rate cut in April. With food prices falling and vegetables seeing negative inflation for the first time in 20 months, the economy is breathing a little easier.

• 🔍 SEBI set to ease short-selling norms – The regulator plans to expand short-selling to more stocks, removing daily reporting requirements for retail investors and shifting enforcement to clearing corporations instead of exchanges.

• ✈️ Riyadh Air lands in India – Saudi Arabia’s new full-service airline is in talks with IndiGo & Air India for possible tie-ups before launching this year. The carrier plans to connect Saudi Arabia to over 100 global destinations by 2030.

• 💾 Blackstone bets ₹91,000 Cr ($11B) on India’s data centers – With AI and cloud computing booming, Blackstone is pouring money into data infrastructure to power India’s digital future.

🌍 Global Masala

• 📈 Tech stocks rally after inflation relief – The Nasdaq jumped 1.2%, powered by Tesla (+7%) and Nvidia (+6%), while the S&P 500 rose 0.5%. However, trade war worries kept the Dow down 0.2%. Investors are cautiously celebrating cooler-than-expected inflation data.

• 🔥 Trade war explodes: Canada & EU hit back at Trump’s tariffs – The US slapped 25% tariffs on all steel & aluminum imports, removing 2018 exemptions. In response, Canada imposed counter-tariffs worth $21B, and the EU is rolling out duties on $28B of US goods.

• 📈 European stocks stage a comeback – After four straight sessions in the red, the Stoxx 600 gained 0.8%, with Germany’s DAX up 1.56%. Optimism over Ukraine peace talks and US rate cut hopes helped push markets higher.

• 💊 Roche’s $5.3B obesity drug deal shakes up pharma – The Swiss giant is teaming up with Zealand Pharma to take on Novo Nordisk & Lilly in the booming weight-loss drug market.

• 📉 Adobe’s AI struggles worry investors – The tech giant’s stock fell 4% after analysts questioned whether Adobe can monetize its AI features fast enough. While Photoshop & Illustrator are going full AI, competitors are snapping at their heels.

📰 The Big Brew: Temasek Takes a ₹8,500 Cr Bite of Haldiram’s 🍿

Haldiram’s just landed a billion-dollar boost! Singapore’s Temasek has acquired a 10% stake in the iconic snack brand for ₹8,500 crore ($1 billion), valuing it at ₹82,500 crore ($10 billion). This deal is one of the largest foreign investments in India’s FMCG sector and signals big money pouring into the snack business.

Why does this matter?

• 🍛 India’s snack brands are red hot – With a 13% market share, Haldiram’s dominates a ₹52,000 crore savory snacks industry and is expanding globally.

• 📈 IPO on the horizon? – Experts say this could be a prelude to an IPO as Haldiram’s positions itself for public listing in the next year.

• 💰 Foreign investors are hungry for India’s food sector – Blackstone also tried to grab a stake, but Temasek won with a higher valuation bid. Expect more global interest in Indian FMCG brands.

With global expansion, a potential IPO, and a booming market, Haldiram’s is setting the stage for India’s snacks to go worldwide! 🌍🔥

🚀 Startup Scoop

• 🧪 Scimplify raises $40M for chemical innovation – The specialty chemicals startup is set to expand beyond 16 countries and ramp up R&D for life sciences, crop sciences, and industrial chemicals.

• 🎓 Weskill secures funding to train 600K students – The AI-powered upskilling platform plans to bridge the education-job gap with career counseling, mock interviews, and partnerships with IITs and MNCs.

• 💰 Bessemer launches a $350M India fund – The VC giant is targeting AI, SaaS, fintech, cybersecurity, and digital health startups—watch out for new unicorns on the horizon!

• 💊 Allo Health bags ₹16 Cr for AI-driven sexual healthcare – The health-tech startup plans to expand its hybrid clinic model, develop AI-powered treatment protocols, and enter the mental health space.

• 💃 Purple Style Labs gets a Bollywood boost – Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop just raised ₹102 crore, with Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, and Shraddha Kapoor joining the investor list! The luxury fashion startup is now valued at ₹3,300 crore ($400M) and gearing up for an IPO.

🧠 Chai Break Trivia

🍛 Did You Know? Haldiram’s got its start in 1937 as a small bhujia shop in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Today, it’s a global powerhouse, exporting to over 100 countries! Inspite of this, the company still uses the original family recipe for its iconic bhujia!!

Some traditions just don’t change, and why should they? 🤤

🔮 What’s Brewing Next?

• 🏦 Will RBI cut rates in April? – With inflation cooling, analysts are betting on a 25 bps repo rate cut.

That’s it for today’s Masala Chai! ☕🔥 If you enjoyed this, share it with a friend who needs their daily dose of business buzz. See you tomorrow! 🚀