India's polished-diamond exports have plummeted to ₹1.10 lakh crore, their lowest level in twenty years. This isn't just a problem for the diamond industry; it threatens India's broader trade balance and the livelihoods of over a million people. 🧵👇 Gems and jewellery contribute about 7% of India's merchandise exports, with diamonds making up roughly half of that. When diamond earnings fall, India's trade balance and a million paychecks fall with them.

The Gensol Engineering fraud case honestly reads like a corporate thriller. It has a bit of everything – falsified documents, money laundering, luxury apartments, and even a golf set.

Here's how a celebrated green energy company with explosive growth became India's latest corporate fraud scandal.🧵👇 First, what is Gensol? It started as a solar consulting and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) company in the renewable energy space. They later expanded into electric vehicle leasing, providing most cars for the cab company BluSmart, with plans to manufacture EVs.

Europe is stuck in what many analysts are calling the most precarious security situation since the Cold War.

The catalyst? A perfect storm of geopolitical developments. 🧵👇 What's driving this? Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, and Trump's administration has essentially pulled back support for Ukraine while questioning NATO's very existence and made it clear that Europe needs to fend for itself.

The US Treasury market—cornerstone of the global financial system—is flashing warning signs.

Why? It all started last week when Trump announced sweeping tariffs, including a 104% hit on China. These moves are shaking global markets, and the ripple effects could hit everyone, not just Wall Street.🧵👇 This was a seismic shock to global trade—Trump effectively threw a grenade into the system. At first, markets did what they always do in times of stress: investors rushed to the safety of US Treasuries, driving bond prices up and yields down. But that was just the beginning.

Markets are crashing and businesses are panicking over Trump's new tariffs. But why are import taxes causing such global hysteria?

The answer lies in something most of us take for granted: the miracle of modern supply chains that make our everyday lives possible.🧵👇 Most of us don't spend our days thinking about supply chains. But they're the reason you have the device you're reading this on. To understand the tariff panic, we need to explore the mundane exchanges at the heart of the global economy.

Delhivery just announced something very interesting: it's acquiring its arch-rival Ecom Express for ₹1,407 crore in cash.

The shocking part? Less than a year ago, Ecom Express was valued at ₹7,300 crore and preparing for an IPO. Now it's being acquired for just 20% of that value. Here's the real story. 🧵👇 This isn't just another acquisition. It's one of India's largest logistics players buying a major competitor for pennies on the dollar. Something dramatic happened in the logistics space over the past year, and the effects are only now becoming visible.

At the StartUp Mahakumbh, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said Indian start-ups need a reality check. Most are consumer-focused — from quick commerce to healthy ice cream — not the kind of deep tech innovation that transforms economies or competes globally.🧵👇 Piyush Goyal’s comments on Indian start-ups sparked backlash, but he wasn’t entirely off the mark. While China pushes deep tech, India’s ecosystem leans heavily on consumer plays.

OPEC+ just shocked the oil market. Prices dropped 10% after they suddenly tripled their planned oil production increase. Oil now sits at $65-67 per barrel as markets try to make sense of this move. Here's what's really happening. 🧵👇 To understand why this matters: OPEC+ has been holding back oil since late 2022 to keep prices high. They cut production by 5.8 million barrels daily—about 6% of all global oil demand. This sudden reversal caught everyone off guard.

Donald Trump just rewrote the rules of global trade overnight.

Starting Saturday, every single product entering the US faces a 10% tariff. By Wednesday, 57 countries including India get hit with additional tariffs. The global economic order has been shattered in one stroke.🧵👇 What's happening exactly?

First, the flat 10% tariff on all imports. Then India faces an additional 27% country-specific tariff on top. Some previously tariffed goods (steel, aluminum, pharmaceuticals) are exempt from this new round, but most aren't.

ITC is making a massive acquisition. It's buying Century Pulp and Paper (CPP) from Aditya Birla Real Estate for ₹3,498 crore. The deal includes a large paper mill in Uttarakhand with a capacity of 4.8 lakh tonnes. But this isn’t just about scale — it’s a strategic move during a tough time for the industry. 🧵👇 Paper actually makes for a decent chunk of ITC’s business. Although it often gets overshadowed by the company’s dominant cigarettes or FMCG portfolio, the paper business is a quiet, cash-generating arm for the company. In fact, its Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD) brought in around Rs. 8000 crore in revenue in FY23 — nearly 10% of the company’s top line.

And if you had any doubts about its importance, this acquisition makes it clear — ITC sees even more potential in this space.

The RBI just dropped major changes to Priority Sector Lending (PSL) rules that control where a large chunk of Indian banks’ loans can go. These quiet updates, effective April 2025, could be one of the most consequential financial tweaks of the year.

Here's why it matters for all of us:🧵👇 First, what is PSL? It's a clever policy tool where the RBI requires banks to direct a significant portion of their loans to underserved sectors - farmers, small businesses, affordable housing, etc. Most banks must allocate 40% of their lending to these sectors.

IRDAI may soon take action against Star Health Insurance over claim settlement practices, with 8-10 other insurers also under scrutiny.

Star Health has dismissed these reports as "speculative and motivated" - but it raises a crucial question: just how difficult is it for Indians to get their insurance claims paid?🧵👇 Insurance ultimately comes down to one thing: settling claims. Life insurance does this well, with 95%+ claims paid out.

India's official data shows 60% of workers are "self-employed" - but this statistic hides a crucial reality. Only 6% of these individuals actually employ others. For most, self-employment isn't entrepreneurship but a last resort when better jobs aren't available. 🧵👇 How do we know this? It starts with understanding India's employment data. The official Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) counts someone as "employed" if they worked just ONE HOUR in a week - lumping together vastly different economic realities.

The prices of rice across the world are falling dramatically. Thai white rice just fell to $405/ton from $669 in January. The reason? India lifted its export restrictions. As the world's largest rice exporter, India's policies directly impact food prices for billions.

Here's what happened:🧵👇 This isn't just about prices - it's about global food security. In many South/Southeast Asian and African countries, rice provides up to two-thirds of daily calories. When India restricts exports, millions face higher costs for their most essential food.

Wind power in India stagnated at 0% growth last year, while solar surged 22%. A random fluctuation? Maybe not. Zooming out, the data tells a deeper story.🧵👇 Solar power in India has been pulling ahead of wind for years. From 2019–2023, solar grew up to 28.2% annually, while wind managed just 2.8%–6.7%. By early 2025, solar capacity surpassed 100 GW—more than double wind’s ~49 GW. The gap keeps widening.

SEBI just wrapped up one of the most bizarre stock fraud cases in years. And at the centre of it? Not a stockbroker or a backroom operator, but Hemant Ghai, a former CNBC Awaaz anchor millions trusted for market advice. 🧵👇 SEBI’s final order in the Hemant Ghai case bans him, his wife, and his mother from the stock market for five years. It also orders them to return ₹6 crore in illegal profits and holds MAS Consultancy & Motilal Oswal responsible for lapses.

India launched Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to become a manufacturing powerhouse. But four years later, a recent report shows they've missed almost two-thirds of their targets, with manufacturing's share in GDP declining instead of growing.

Let’s break it down 🧵👇 Manufacturing has a unique impact on the economy. Research shows that manufacturing jobs create 2.3 times more indirect employment than services. A 10% rise in manufacturing cuts poverty 2.1 times faster than a similar rise in services.

A 1% increase in manufacturing’s GDP share can boost economic growth by 0.5–0.7% in low and middle-income countries.

Weight loss medication Mounjaro has finally launched in India. At Rs. 3,500-4,375 per weekly dose, it's expensive - potentially Rs. 2 lakh annually. But this drug does far more than help with weight loss.

Here's what you need to know.🧵👇 Mounjaro is similar to Ozempic but reportedly even more effective for weight loss. While pricey now, competition will likely increase after 2026 when Novo Nordisk's patent on Semaglutide expires.

Here’s an interesting headline we came across recently: Audi to cut 7,500 jobs in Germany to become more efficient. Now, on the face of it, this might look like a normal restructuring that a company might do to improve their numbers. But it marks a broader trend: Germany’s famous automotive industry — famed for making cars that you dream of owning someday — is in deep trouble.

Let us start by giving you some context.🧵👇 You see, the world’s big three auto manufacturers — Volkswagen (which owns Audi), BMW, and Mercedes — all hail from Germany. This industry is extremely important for Germany’s economy. It accounts for a huge portion of Germany’s GDP — roughly 5% — and more than one-tenth of its exports.

China presents a fascinating economic paradox today: a nation simultaneously experiencing its worst growth slump in decades alongside a booming tech sector. This "tale of two Chinas" has major implications for global markets and geopolitics.🧵👇 On paper, China's economy looks concerning. Official figures show 5% real GDP growth in 2024, but nominal growth was just 4.2% – the lowest in decades outside the pandemic. Independent analysts like Rhodium Group suggest actual growth may be even lower at 2.4-2.8%.

There’s a huge piece of news from the insurance industry. After 24 years together, Bajaj and Allianz are parting ways.

Allianz is selling its 26% stake in Bajaj Allianz Life & General Insurance for ₹24,180 Cr (€2.6B), giving Bajaj full control.

But why now? And what does this mean for the industry?🧵👇 The partnership began in 2001 when India first opened its insurance sector to private players. Back then, India needed two things desperately: insurance know-how and capital. Foreign players like Allianz provided both but were limited to just 26% ownership.