Handpicked updates about India’s business and the business of India
Good morning! Bengaluru Cox Town residents have unlocked a new level of DIY: if the city repeatedly fails to fix your potholes, first perform a puja to the pothole bhagwaan and then just patch it up yourself. We’re just amazed by Indian jugaad combining with the daily irony of Indian life—no faith in the authorities, but an unwavering faith that the gods will keep you safe on your morning commute.
Now, let’s get into the Dispatch! 🚀
Today’s reading time is 6 mins.
HR & Workplace Trends
Work-Life Balance: Corporate Support for Caregivers
Image credits: India Today
Beyond The 9-To-5: For millions of professionals, balancing work with caring for aging parents or young children is a daily struggle. Often called the “sandwich generation,” these employees face challenges that affect both their personal and professional lives. Sensing this growing concern, companies are rolling out innovative policies and programs to ease the caregiver burden, reduce stress, and create a more inclusive work culture—recognizing that real support boosts well-being and retention.
India Inc.’s Response To Caregiving Challenges: In India, nearly 79% of employees juggle professional duties and caregiving, far above the global average of 54%. Companies are increasingly acknowledging the strain. Diageo India, for example, now offers up to five paid carers’ leave days annually. Google India has implemented a comprehensive Elder Care Program addressing emotional, physical, and safety needs for employees with aging parents. Remote work and compressed schedules too are becoming common to accommodate caregiving.
Global Perspective: Internationally, organizations are following suit. AT&T in the U.S., for example, allows management employees up to 15 days of paid caregiver leave each year, with average usage at 4.1 days per employee. These efforts show that supporting caregivers is a global trend, as companies everywhere recognize that empathetic policies drive engagement, reduce burnout, and improve productivity.
Aviation & Business
Star Air, A Small Airline With Big Dreams
Image credits Facebook
From Kolhapur To Clouds: Star Air began as a regional airline based in Kolhapur, aiming to fill gaps in India’s underserved routes. With a modest fleet of 10 aircraft, it built a loyal customer base by focusing on punctuality, safety, and personalized service. While most attention in Indian aviation is on metro-to-metro flights, Star Air carved out a niche by connecting smaller cities—a strategy that helped it survive where others faltered.
Ghodawat’s Vision, Expansion & IPO Dreams: Led by entrepreneur Sanjay Ghodawat, Star Air is now looking beyond regional routes. Plans for fleet upgrades, entry into major metros, and improved passenger services reflect its bold ambitions. An upcoming IPO aims to raise capital and boost the airline’s national profile.
Learning From Past Failures: The collapse of Kingfisher Airlines and GoAir underscores the risks of overexpansion and financial mismanagement in Indian aviation. For Star Air, the lesson is clear: sustainable growth, operational discipline, and regulatory savvy are critical to long-term survival.
Small but Smart: Star Air’s regional focus isn’t just a starting point—it’s a strategic edge. By serving underserved routes, the airline avoids direct competition with giants like IndiGo and SpiceJet. Lean operations and a customer-first approach drive efficiency and loyalty, positioning Star Air well as it scales up.
Business India: Dhanda Hai Yeh!
Image Credits: Al Jazeera
Anthropic’s AI Push In India: AI company Anthropic is expanding its global footprint by hiring a country lead for India, now its second-largest market. This move follows rival OpenAI’s plan to open a New Delhi office by year-end and launch ChatGPT Go at ₹399 per month. India already accounts for 7.2% of Claude's global usage, second only to the US at 21.6%. Anthropic’s expansion is part of a broader global push, including new hubs in Europe and its first Asian office in Tokyo. Meanwhile, India is also backing domestic AI model builders via the India AI Mission.
CMF India Hub: Å joint venture between UK tech company Nothing and Indian electronics manufacturer Optiemus Infracom will create over 1,800 jobs and establish India as the global HQ for Nothing's budget brand, CMF. A new plant in Noida will have an initial capacity of 500,000 phones per month, serving both Nothing/CMF and other brands. This move builds on Nothing's existing $200 million investment in India and comes as its shipments more than doubled year-over-year in Q2.
FDI Eased In India: India is considering a draft proposal to relax foreign investment rules, which would allow e-commerce giants like Amazon to buy directly from Indian sellers for export. This is a significant change from the current marketplace-only model. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade suggests a third-party export entity to handle compliance, noting that less than 10% of small online sellers currently export due to complex paperwork. The move, supported by India-US trade talks and Amazon’s export drive, faces opposition from local retailer groups concerned about competition.
UK Backs JLR: The UK government will provide a loan guarantee of up to £1.5 billion to Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) after a cyberattack halted its production. The five-year loan facility, backed by the Department for Business and Trade and UK Export Finance, aims to shore up JLR’s cash reserves and protect its supply chain, which employs over 120,000 people. JLR, with 34,000 UK employees, has started restoring systems and clearing supplier payments, and plans to restart operations next month.
GE Bengaluru Lab Powers Aviation AI: GE Aerospace is leveraging AI for engine design and "Analytics-Based Maintenance" to predict overhaul intervals. The 25-year-old John F Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) in Bengaluru, one of the company's largest R&D centres outside the US, has secured over 1,000 aviation technology patents and contributed to the design and certification of every GE engine since its inception. The Indian team is also a key contributor to the CFM's RISE program, which targets a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency, as well as to the development of hybrid-electric systems and alternative fuels. India currently hosts over 1,000 GE and CFM engines, highlighting the region's importance to the company.
WeWork India IPO: WeWork India is set to launch a nearly ₹3,000 crore IPO from October 3-7, with a likely listing on October 10. The offer is a pure Offer for Sale (OFS) of up to 4.63 crore shares by existing investors, including promoter Embassy Buildcon (76.21%) and WeWork Global (23.45%). The company itself will not receive any proceeds. WeWork India operates in eight Tier-1 cities, with 70 lakh sq ft of space and 1.03 lakh desks.
Dubai Freezes New Business at HDFC: The Dubai Financial Services Authority has barred HDFC Bank’s Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch from onboarding new clients or business, effective September 26 due to lapses in client onboarding. The branch, with 1,489 customers as of September 23, is not material to HDFC’s overall financials. The bank says it is working with the DFSA to resolve the issues.
World 🌏
Dirty Soda: The Next Big Drink Trend
Image credits: Bon Appétit
The Birth Of A Trend: The "dirty soda" trend began in Utah, where local chains like Swig started mixing fountain sodas with flavored syrups and creamy add-ins, turning a classic drink into a dessert-like treat. The innovation quickly caught on, especially among communities that avoid alcohol and caffeine, offering a sweet alternative without the usual restrictions.
Going Viral: By 2022, TikTok catapulted dirty sodas into national prominence. Viral videos featuring vibrant, custom creations and the hashtag #DirtySoda racked up millions of views, fueling demand among younger consumers seeking novelty and personalization in their beverages. Long before the global trend, India had its own version of the cola-cream fusion—the classic cola float, made by adding vanilla ice cream to a glass of cola.
Expansion & Innovation: Building on the viral success, chains like Swig have expanded rapidly, opening numerous locations across the United States. TGI Fridays introduced dirty sodas as a summer special, with the option to add alcohol. McDonald’s is piloting new flavored sodas. Taco Bell, part of Yum Brands, has also rolled out limited-time offerings like the dirty Mountain Dew Baja Blast. The dirty soda craze has even hit grocery shelves, with PepsiCo set to introduce new ready-to-drink beverages next year.
World 🌏
South Korea’s Unprecedented Demographic Crisis
Image credits: The Guradian
A Declining Fertility Rate: South Korea's fertility rate has dropped to an all-time low of 0.75 children per woman. This is significantly below the replacement level of 2.1 and is among the lowest fertility rates in the world.
Economic Implications: The demographic decline poses serious economic challenges: a declining youth population means a smaller workforce, slower productivity, and increased pressure on social welfare systems as fewer workers are available to support a rapidly aging society.
Government Initiatives: In response, the government has implemented various policies aimed at encouraging higher birth rates. These include financial support for families, better childcare, and efforts to lower housing costs. But experts warn that these measures fall short unless deeper issues—such as work-life balance and gender inequality—are addressed. Without significant societal and structural reforms, South Korea faces long-term demographic and economic challenges that could undermine its future growth.
DuniyaDIARY 🌏📒
Image credits: Barrons
Trump Pressures Microsoft to Fire Top Executive: President Trump has called for Microsoft’s Global Affairs Chief, Lisa Monaco, to be fired over alleged national security concerns tied to her prior government roles. On Truth Social, Trump labeled Monaco a “menace,” citing her access to sensitive federal information. Monaco, who joined Microsoft in July, previously served under Presidents Biden and Obama.
OpenAI Eyes Ads On ChatGPT: OpenAI is seeking a senior leader to shape its advertising and monetization strategy for ChatGPT, as it looks to diversify revenue streams. Fidji Simo, the new CEO of Applications, is leading the effort, tapping talent from her former teams at Facebook and Instacart. While advertising has been discussed, no official plans have been announced.
China-Russia Military Pact: China and Russia have formalized a new military agreement, deepening their strategic partnership with joint exercises and expanded defense cooperation. The alliance aims to counter U.S. influence but raises concerns about regional security and the risk of escalating tensions with the West. Analysts say the pact could reshape power dynamics in Asia and beyond.
UN Reimposes Sanctions On Iran: The United Nations has reinstated comprehensive sanctions on Iran—including an arms embargo, asset freezes, and travel bans—following accusations that Tehran violated the 2015 nuclear agreement. The sanctions were reimposed through the "snapback" mechanism invoked by Britain, France, and Germany, citing Iran's failure to comply with its nuclear-related commitments. Iran condemned the move as “unfair, unjust, and illegal,” recalling its ambassadors to the three European countries for consultations.
Aur Batao 📰
India Takes Home Asia Cup 2025: India clinched their ninth Asia Cup title with a thrilling five-wicket win over Pakistan in the final in Dubai. After bowling out Pakistan for 146, India stumbled early in the chase but recovered thanks to an unbeaten 69 from Tilak Varma. Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket haul was key in dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup, which collapsed from 113/1 to 146 all out. The win marks a major achievement for India in T20 cricket.
Southern Whiskey Boom: South India now dominates the country's whiskey market, accounting for a commanding 58% of sales in FY25. Karnataka leads with a 17% share, followed by Tamil Nadu at 16%. Despite a slight 1% growth in the region, overall Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) whiskey sales declined by 1.4% nationwide, partly due to a sluggish first quarter during general elections.
Marquez’s Comeback: Ducati’s Marc Marquez secured his seventh MotoGP title at the Japanese Grand Prix—his first since 2019. The Ducati rider's second-place finish in the race gave him an unassailable lead, marking an emotional return to the top after a six-year drought.
Crowd Control Flaws In India: A deadly stampede at a political rally for actor-politician Vijay’s TVK party in Karur, Tamil Nadu, left 40 dead and over 50 injured. Police have charged senior TVK leaders with culpable homicide. The tragedy has sparked national debate, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor calling for urgent reforms to crowd management protocols and stricter rules for large gatherings to prevent future disasters.
