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The Morning Context, 86-90 Paul Street, London (2025)

20/01/2025

Reliance’s takeover of Campa Cola in 2022, with the plan to revive the brand, seems to have paid off. Now, the company plans to expand the brand to the Middle East, directly competing with beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.

The timing appears favorable for this move. The region has been boycotting American products following the US’s support for Israel in the ongoing war.

Will this ambitious plan succeed? Disha Acharya investigates. Read at the link in the bio.

shorturl.at/Z0dY1

19/01/2025

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) appears to be cautioning anyone considering trading in futures and options (F&O). It highlights the high failure rate in the equity F&O segment but stops short of explaining the reasons behind this.

Meanwhile, high-frequency traders maintain a stronghold on the F&O market. In fact, manipulators have adapted their strategies and continue to stay one step ahead of regulations. However, it’s not as if SEBI is unaware of this or unresponsive.

Ujval Nanavati explains why navigating India’s shark-infested F&O market is not for the faint-hearted.

Read at the link in the bio.

19/01/2025

Last week, the United Arab Emirates partially lifted its ban on the use of drones and began gradually easing its once-strict regulations. In just a few days, nearly 24,000 drones have been registered.

This development comes at a pivotal time, as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology continues to gain traction across the region. The drone industry in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE, is projected to become a billion-dollar market this year.

Why did the UAE ban drones in the first place?
Maanav D. J. explores the newly introduced regulations and their implications.Read at the link in the bio.

19/01/2025

The White House on Monday unveiled wide-ranging rules on the sale of advanced AI chips made by companies like Nvidia. If the upcoming Trump administration chooses to implement these rules, they would cap the number of cutting-edge chips that can be sold to several countries, including India.

The restrictions, part of what is known as an "interim final rule," will take effect in a year if upheld. They appear to be driven by concerns over China’s growing technical prowess, particularly in artificial intelligence.

Beyond the economic implications of China narrowing the AI gap with the US, the issue is also being framed as a national security concern.
Sethu Pradeep explores.Read at the link in the bio.

19/01/2025

Exclusive: Mumbai Angels, one of the oldest angel investment platforms in India, is winding up its operations. The platform will no longer make angel or pre-seed investments.

All investments previously made by Mumbai Angels have been subsumed and will now be managed by 360 ONE. Meanwhile, platform members have been given the option to invest in a new fund that will focus on seed and Series A rounds.

At first glance, the closure of Mumbai Angels appears to be a straightforward transition. However, a closer look reveals that there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

Harveen Ahluwalia investigates.

Read at the link in the bio.

19/01/2025

On January 13, the website and app of Bengaluru-based grocery delivery startup Dunzo went dark. Once a poster child of quick-commerce, Dunzo has now become a cautionary tale of rapid scaling gone wrong.
Most key stakeholders — including co-founders and investors — have abandoned ship, leaving behind a trail of unpaid dues. The fallout?

Hundreds of employees and vendors left in the lurch, with the cash-strapped startup reportedly carrying liabilities of Rs 400-500 crore.
Amidst the chaos, Kabir Biswas stepped down as CEO, triggering unrest. Several former employees have since filed a police complaint in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar station. While Biswas was summoned by the police on Tuesday, reports say he didn’t show up.

This brings us to two critical questions:
Who is responsible for this mess? Is there any hope for Dunzo’s employees and vendors to get their dues back?

Hiral Goyal investigates.
Read at the link in the bio.

19/01/2025

Two similar startups, Basis and Salt, both founded by ambitious women with deep knowledge of the financial services sector, had decided to call it quits.

Despite giving their idea of an app that offers financial advice and recommends investment products tailored to women’s financial goals their best shot—and still believing in it—co-founders of Basis just couldn’t convince enough people to back them. If the idea isn’t the problem, then why hasn’t it become a viable startup?

Ashish K Mishra dives in:

18/01/2025

The once-thriving online gaming industry in India is now facing turbulent times. The revision in GST rates and retrospective tax notices have severely impacted the sector, widening losses for domestic companies.

While Indian gaming startups struggle to stay afloat, offshore competitors are gaining ground, capitalizing on the regulatory challenges faced by local players.

With rising compliance costs and mounting tax burdens, is India’s gaming sector at risk of losing its competitive edge?

Disha Acharya reports. Read at the link in the bio.

18/01/2025

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has removed the 100-million-user cap for UPI payments on WhatsApp, opening the door for the messaging giant to onboard more users for digital payments.

Although the company currently has only half the number of users the previous cap allowed, this move is expected to provide it with the kind of opportunity that could help turn things around. WhatsApp is also signaling its intention to seize that opportunity.

Despite the dominance of Google Pay and PhonePe in the UPI market, there is still significant headroom for digital payments to grow.

The road ahead is long, but the opportunity is massive. What strategies could WhatsApp use to close the gap?

Abir Dasgupta investigates. Read at the link in the bio.

18/01/2025

In a sudden and quiet move, hypermarket chain Carrefour ended its three-decade-old partnership with Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) and exited Oman last week.

The French retailer’s decision may have been driven by geopolitics and a shift in customer loyalty.

What led to the breakdown of a partnership that brought prosperity to both firms? Maanav DJ and Harveen Ahluwalia bring you our edition of The Gulf Report.Read at the link in the bio.

18/01/2025

Facebook parent Meta is set to end its third-party fact-checking program and shift to the Community Notes model used by X. However, it may not be an adequate replacement for independent third-party efforts.
Sethu Pradeep explores what this means for some of the world’s biggest social media platforms:

Read at the link in the bio.

18/01/2025

In December, Ola Electric’s market share plummeted to 18.7%, a 24-month low. The Aggarwal-led company has now lost its crown to Bajaj Auto (25%) and TVS Motor (23%), falling to the third position.

For the longest time, market leadership wasn’t just a slide in Ola’s pitch deck—it was the entire pitch. Investors weren’t just buying into another EV startup; they were betting on a dominant market leader that claimed to have cracked the code for India’s EV transition.

Now, that narrative is crumbling. The question is:
What’s next for Ola Electric? Can it reclaim its leadership position?

Pradip K. Saha dives in. Read at the link in the bio.

18/01/2025

ICC Chairman Jay Shah is reportedly in discussions with the cricket boards of England and Australia about a potential two-tier structure for the World Test Championship.

While such conversations might aim to enhance the sport's appeal or streamline competition, they highlight a troubling divide. The exclusion of other Test-playing nations from these talks raises concerns about the inclusivity and fairness of cricket's global governance.

As Prem Panicker insightfully notes, this situation reflects a deeper rift between the economic powerhouses of cricket and the nations striving to sustain the game’s future. It's a stark reminder of the complexities and inherent conflicts within cricket's administrative structures—particularly when financial interests appear to overshadow the spirit of the sport.

How can cricket's global leadership balance economic imperatives with its duty to nurture the game worldwide?

Read at the link in the bio.

17/01/2025

Nate Anderson, known for his campaigns against the Adani Group and others, has announced that he is shutting down his firm, Hindenburg Research.

The activist short seller stated that the firm is disbanding after completing the “pipeline of ideas” it had been working on.

Sethu Pradeep brings you today’s news brief. Read at the link in the bio.

17/01/2025

Last week, the United Arab Emirates partially lifted its ban on the use of drones and began gradually easing its once-strict regulations. In just a few days, nearly 24,000 drones have been registered.

This development comes at a pivotal time, as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology continues to gain traction across the region. The drone industry in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE, is projected to become a billion-dollar market this year.

Why did the UAE ban drones in the first place?

Maanav D J explores the newly introduced regulations and their implications. Read at the link in the bio.

17/01/2025

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) appears to be cautioning anyone considering trading in futures and options (F&O). It highlights the high failure rate in the equity F&O segment but stops short of explaining the reasons behind this.

Meanwhile, high-frequency traders maintain a stronghold on the F&O market. In fact, manipulators have adapted their strategies and continue to stay one step ahead of regulations. However, it’s not as if SEBI is unaware of this or unresponsive.

Ujval Nanavati explains why navigating India’s shark-infested F&O market is not for the faint-hearted.

Read at the link in the bio.

16/01/2025

ShareChat to cut 5% of its workforce.

The social media firm, backed by Google and Temasek, is laying off 25-30 employees across roles to reduce its headcount to 500 by March.

Disha Acharya reports. Read at the link in the bio.

16/01/2025

The White House on Monday unveiled wide-ranging rules on the sale of advanced AI chips made by companies like Nvidia. If the upcoming Trump administration chooses to implement these rules, they would cap the number of cutting-edge chips that can be sold to several countries, including India.

The restrictions, part of what is known as an "interim final rule," will take effect in a year if upheld. They appear to be driven by concerns over China’s growing technical prowess, particularly in artificial intelligence.

Beyond the economic implications of China narrowing the AI gap with the US, the issue is also being framed as a national security concern.

Sethu Pradeep explores. Read at the link in the bio.

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