Handpicked updates about India’s business and the business of India
An anti-immigration protester in London paused his march to grab an onion bhaji and instantly went viral. Millions online roasted the irony, with social media split between calling it hypocrisy and proof that food crosses borders faster than politics. Borders? Holy. Spicy Indian food? Holier.
Now, let’s get into the Dispatch! 🚀
Today’s reading time is 5 mins.
Climate & Environment
Dual Peril: Himalayan Monsoon & Rising Devastation
Image credits: PBS
Scientists Dire Warning: Amid the havoc caused by torrential rains across the Himalayan belt, scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology have made a startling claim: this year, the monsoon winds may have crossed the Himalayas into Tibet for the first time. Traditionally, the mighty Himalayan wall has acted as a natural barrier, blocking monsoon winds and feeding rivers and glaciers through snow accumulation. If the winds are now spilling into Tibet, experts caution, the implications for glaciers, ecosystems and communities could be severe.
Record Rainfall & Floods: According to the Meteorological Department, rainfall across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and parts of Pakistan was 108–114% above normal. August emerged as the wettest month, bringing floods that killed hundreds and caused damages worth thousands of crores. The fury was most evident in the Central Himalayas, where swollen rivers and repeated landslides disrupted lives. The situation, experts say, mirrors earlier catastrophes such as Uttarakhand’s 2013 deluge and the floods of 2024.
Monsoon Meets Western Disturbance: Scientists attribute the excessive rainfall to a rare collision between the Indian monsoon and Western Disturbances. Traditionally, the South-West monsoon, the North-East monsoon and Western Disturbances followed seasonal patterns. But increasingly erratic overlaps are reshaping rainfall distribution across the Himalayas.
A Fragile System Under Stress: The Himalayas depend on two moisture sources: the monsoon and winter Western Disturbances. The mountains historically blocked monsoon winds, but this balance is now under threat. Where there was only snow, now there is rain, faster glacier melt and collapsing slopes could become the new normal. The result - Himalayan states are reeling from disasters, from the Dharali mudslide in Uttarakhand to a deadly cloudburst in J&K’s Kishtwar district. Rampant road construction, deforestation and urban sprawl are compounding the risks. Experts agree on one point: nature cannot be controlled, but foresight can reduce the damage. Stronger forecasting, planned development, and community preparedness will be critical if the monsoon has indeed breached the Himalayas.
Security & Defence
How Terror Tactics In J&K Are Shifting
Image credits: Greater Kashmir
From Safe Houses To Remote Hideouts: Terror outfits in Jammu & Kashmir are moving away from using homes and villages as safe houses. Instead, they are now constructing elaborate underground bunkers deep in forests and elevated ridges. This change in pattern reflects diminishing support from local communities and increasing operational risk. Recent operations in districts such as Kulgam and Shopian, and areas south of Pir Panjal in Jammu region, revealed trenches stocked with supplies, iron bunkers, and underground rooms disguised with camouflage. These new hideouts are designed to blend with the terrain and avoid detection.
Why the Change? Support from locals has eroded significantly. Villagers are increasingly reluctant to shelter militants, and there is growing suspicion of informers among them. These shifts force terror operatives to rely less on human intelligence networks and more on remote, hardened positions.
Tactical Advantages & Challenges: These hideouts offer multiple advantages for militants: more time to prepare, stockpiles of supplies, safer shelter, and distance from civilian detection. But they also bring challenges for security forces: intelligence becomes harder to develop, surprise operations riskier, and locating bunkers expensive and time-consuming. Still, security agencies are adapting - as they deploy drones capable of accessing rugged terrain, and use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and seismic sensors to detect underground voids or disturbances.
Business India: Dhanda Hai Yeh!
Image credits: Business Line
TATA’s German Tech Acquisition: Tata Technologies has acquired Germany-based ES-Tec Group for €75 million to expand its presence in Europe and strengthen its expertise in next-generation automotive engineering. The deal, which includes performance-based payouts, will be completed over two years. ES-Tec specialises in areas like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and connected driving, with a team of over 300 engineers. This strategic move aims to enhance Tata Technologies' capabilities in the rapidly evolving automotive industry and secure a foothold in Germany's advanced automotive innovation ecosystem.
Mercedes GST boost: Mercedes-Benz India expects its "best-ever" festive season, as new GST rules will cut on-road prices by 6-8%. Effective September 22, 2025, luxury cars will face a flat 40% GST, with the previous 20-22% compensation cess removed. CEO Santosh Iyer welcomed the move but urged for uniform state road taxes, which currently range from 15-22%, to prevent benefits from being offset. He predicts steady double-digit growth for the industry over the next 5-10 years.
Flipkart’s Red Ink: Walmart-owned Flipkart's consolidated loss widened to ₹5,189 crore in FY25 from ₹4,248 crore in FY24. This was despite a 17.3% jump in revenue to ₹82,787 crore.
Modi’s Assam Mission: During a two-day visit to Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for development projects valued at over ₹18,530 crore. The projects include Darrang Medical College, a GNM and B.Sc Nursing College, the Guwahati Ring Road, and the ₹2,230 crore Kuruwa–Narengi bridge over the Brahmaputra River. He also inaugurated the ₹5,000 crore bamboo-based Assam Bioethanol Plant at Numaligarh and laid the foundation for the ₹7,230 crore Polypropylene unit at NRL.
IPO rush hour: Over a dozen companies are planning to launch IPOs in the next 2-3 weeks, aiming to raise nearly ₹10,000 crore. This is driven by positive market factors like GST 2.0 reforms, RBI rate cuts, and strong liquidity from domestic institutional investors (DIIs). So far in 2025, 55 IPOs have raised approximately ₹75,000 crore, following a robust ₹1.6 lakh crore raised in 2024.
World 🌏
China’s Rare Earth Edge Via Myanmar’s Rebel Territories
Image credits: Global Times
Secret Mining Deals & Supply Surge: Since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, over 240 rare earth mining sites (around two-thirds of the country’s total) have been established in rebel-controlled areas in Kachin state. Chinese companies, often making under-the-radar arrangements with militant groups, have leveraged these zones to keep their rare earth supply chains robust and cost-effective. In the four years post-coup, China imported about 170,000 tonnes of rare earths from Myanmar, equivalent in weight to nearly 23 Eiffel Towers.
Power Play With Militants: Militant outfits such as the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) now control many of these mining areas. Even when control shifted- from pro-China militias to the KIO - Chinese firms continued operations by paying levies. One prominent example is the agreement reached in 2024 where Chinese firms agreed to a levy of 35,000 yuan per ton to retain mining rights in newly KIO-controlled zones.
Environmental & Human Cost: While these secret deals aid China’s dominance in rare earth supply, they come at a serious cost. Mining in these zones is largely unregulated, leaving local communities exposed to environmental degradation, pollution of waterways, and disruption to livelihoods.
Strategic Implications: China’s strategy underlines more than just economic gain, it solidifies geopolitical influence and supply chain control in the renewable tech era. As demand for rare earths grows globally, especially for EVs and wind turbines, access to insurgent-controlled minerals gives China a distinct advantage. At the same time, these arrangements expose grey zones of regulation, ethics, and risk that global markets may soon have to reckon with.
DuniyaDIARY 🌏📒
Image credits: Bloomberg
Musk Axes Grok Creators: Elon Musk appears to be firing the team who built his “Grok” AI, despite earlier promises of a “maximum truth-seeking” system. Reports suggest the move is part of a broader shake-up, as performance concerns or disagreements may be driving the decision. The shift shows growing tensions behind the scenes in Musk’s AI vision.
China Ties TikTok To Trade Talks: Beijing has signaled that TikTok’s continued operation in the US will be a key condition in upcoming China-US trade talks in Madrid. A commentary in the People’s Daily urged Washington to ensure “open, fair, non-discriminatory” treatment for Chinese firms, framing TikTok as central to progress in negotiations.
BlackRock To Invest $700 Million In UK Data Centers: BlackRock is set to invest £500 million ($700 million) in British data-center infrastructure through a venture with Digital Gravity Partners, according to Sky News. The announcement is expected during U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming state visit, where BlackRock CEO Larry Fink will join other top tech and investment leaders.
US Financial Giants Pledge £1.25 Billion: The UK government announced over £1.25 billion ($1.69 billion) in investments from US financial firms including PayPal, Bank of America, Citigroup, and S&P Global ahead of President Trump’s state visit. The funding is expected to create around 1,800 jobs across London, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Manchester, strengthening transatlantic financial ties. Officials said the investments reflect the strength of the “golden corridor” with the US and align with £20 billion in bilateral trade, with a tech collaboration agreement also in the works.
AstraZeneca Pauses £200 Million UK Expansion: AstraZeneca has halted a £200 million investment in its Cambridge research facility, which was expected to create 1,000 jobs. The decision follows a similar move in January to cancel a £450 million vaccine plant expansion in northern England due to reduced government support. The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly viewing the UK as a less attractive investment destination, citing challenges such as high taxes and undervaluation of medicines. AstraZeneca's CEO has urged the UK government to improve the business environment to attract investment.
Russian Drone Briefly Enters Romanian Airspace: Romania’s air force detected a Russian drone in its airspace on Saturday, days after similar incursions into Poland raised NATO concerns. Two F-16s monitored the drone for 50 minutes before it left without causing damage. Romanian officials called the intrusion “unacceptable and reckless,” while Ukraine’s President Zelensky warned it signaled an expansion of Russia’s war strategy. Russia has not publicly responded to the Romanian incident.
Nepal’s Interim PM Pledges Six-Month Tenure: Sushila Karki, Nepal’s newly-appointed interim prime minister, said she will serve for no longer than six months, handing over to a new government after elections on 5 March. She accepted the role following mass anti-corruption protests that ousted the previous administration, which left over 70 people dead. Karki took office in agreement with leaders of the youth movement.
Aur Batao 📰
India’s Digital Autonomy: A report from the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) warns that India's heavy reliance on US digital systems creates a strategic vulnerability. It proposes a "Digital Swaraj Mission" by 2030 to achieve self-reliance. The report notes that India's vast user data is a strategic resource and suggests developing its own AI ecosystem to gain leverage in trade and security.
Sunday hotel expansion: OYO's premium brand, Sunday, plans to add 40 new 4-star and 5-star hotels across India in FY 2025-26. The expansion will focus on both metro and non-metro cities, particularly tourism and religious hotspots. Key states for this growth will be Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, which are expected to account for over 40% of the new properties.
