Newsletter
Adani Ports in Netherlands, Airtel’s buzzing quarter, and IPOs overload.
🗓️ Morning, folks and Happy Fridayyyyy! ☀️
Apple is feeling paternal and protective!
It is tightening its App Store rules to make it harder for minors to access dating apps and AI companions that offer romantic or sexual interactions.
From November 16, apps with dating or relationship features will need an 18+ age rating. Developers will also have to clearly flag features such as romantic content and real-time location sharing.
The move is part of Apple’s wider push to strengthen child safety and privacy online. It could particularly affect AI companion apps like Character.AI and Replika, where users can create virtual friends or romantic partners.
With these apps already seeing millions of downloads worldwide, Apple wants to make sure younger users aren’t unknowingly exposed to adult content or risky interactions.
A banger Thursday for Indian markets, which are back in the $5 trillion market capitalisation club.
A strong six-session rally added approximately ₹30 lakh crore to the total market value of BSE-listed companies, helping reclaim the milestone.
A sharp fall in crude oil prices was a key factor supporting the rally.
The Nifty and Sensex surged over 2% each, with the Sensex gaining more than 2,000 points. The Nifty Auto gained more than 4%, followed by Nifty Financial Services which went up nearly 4%.
💡 Spotlight: Midterm cheers extend to Indian autos 🚘
Auto stocks led the market rally on Thursday, with the Nifty Auto index jumping 4.14% to become the top-performing sector.
Ashok Leyland rose 10.5%, while Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Mahindra & Mahindra gained 3-5%.
Two factors supported the rally: falling crude oil prices and hopes of softer US trade policies after the midterm elections.
Cheaper oil can lower fuel and transportation costs, ease inflation and support car demand. It can also reduce costs for automakers. Meanwhile, investors across Asian markets shifted towards traditional industries, including automobiles.
Let’s hit it! 💪🏻
1 Big Thing: Adani Ports goes shopping 🛒
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has agreed to acquire a 100% stake in Netherlands-headquartered Evos B.V., Europe’s second-largest independent liquid storage operator, in an all-cash transaction at an enterprise value of €2.56 billion (around ₹27,217 crore).
What matters: Evos operates eight port-based storage terminals across the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Malta, with a combined capacity of 6.3 million cubic metres.
The acquisition will give Adani Ports a bigger European presence, expand its liquid cargo business and help it tap demand for sustainable aviation fuel and biofuels.
Together, the companies would handle 83 million tonnes of liquid cargo, up from Adani Ports’ 46 million tonnes.
By the numbers: Adani Ports had ₹12,502 crore in cash as of September 30, 2026.
Its international ports business reported record revenue of ₹3,586 crore and EBITDA of ₹1,608 crore in the first half of FY27, with an EBITDA margin of 44.8%.
2. Ringing in a solid quarter 📲
Bharti Airtel rang in a steady second quarter, with revenue and operating earnings beating street expectations.
The key numbers 📊:
- Consolidated net profit: up 8.8% to ₹8,887.5 cr vs ₹8,167.4 cr (QoQ)
- Revenue: up 4.0% to ₹60,877.5 cr vs ₹58,539 cr (QoQ)
- EBITDA: up 4.9% to ₹34,946 cr vs ₹33,303 cr (QoQ)
- EBITDA margin: 57.4% vs 57% (QoQ)
What helped: mobile ARPU, or average revenue per user, rose to ₹271 from ₹256 a year earlier. Higher ARPU and more smartphone data customers helped India mobile revenue grow 10.1% YoY.
Airtel added 2.9 million smartphone data customers during the quarter, taking their share to 81% of its total mobile customer base.
What’s next: Airtel is also looking to build new growth engines beyond its core telecom business.
Gopal Vittal, executive vice chairman of Bharti Airtel, said the company’s investment in a strategic land parcel during the quarter marked another step towards its goal of building 1 GW of data centre capacity.
3. India is escaping poverty. Why is financial security still elusive? 🫤
Nearly 50 crore Indians have escaped poverty in 12 years. Yet millions are still struggling to earn a decent living.
According to the World Bank, nearly 50 crore Indians moved above the lower-middle-income poverty line over 12 years. Separately, extreme poverty fell from 27.1% to 2.6%.
But around 23 crore Indians still live below the lower-middle-income poverty line, while low wages, unemployment and income inequality remain major concerns.
So how did India achieve such a sharp decline in poverty, and why hasn’t it translated into financial security for everyone? We break down the numbers behind India’s poverty story.
4. Why does India struggle to export firecrackers? 🧨
India has a ₹7,000 crore fireworks industry, but exported just $77,820 worth of firecrackers in 2025.
China, meanwhile, exported $1.16 billion in 2024. And while Sivakasi produces nearly 90% of India’s fireworks, most are sold domestically.
So what’s stopping India from selling its crackers to the world?
5. Stocks that kept us interested 🚀
What went up ⬆️
☝️Newly listed Tonbo Imaging jumped 20% after the company reported a profit, reversing a loss in the year-ago period.
📈 The sharp fall in crude oil prices boosted buying in aviation and automobile stocks, with IndiGo gaining nearly 6%.
⚡️Ashok Leyland surged 10%, while Mahindra & Mahindra gained over 5% after reporting in-line Q2 results.
😋 Uno Minda rose over 11% after strong September-quarter results, with net profit and revenue both growing by 38%.
💪🏻 Oil marketing stocks gained on Thursday, with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation leading the rally, rising over 3%.
What went down ⬇️
❌ PI Industries plunged 19% to a six-year low after disappointing Q2 results, despite a strong market.
😐 Cummins India tanked 14% after Q2 results, with both revenue and profitability falling short of analyst estimates.
What else are we snackin’ 🍿
📈 IPO fever: India raised a record ₹2.12 lakh crore through IPOs in Samvat 2082, with mega listings like Jio Platforms and NSE driving nearly 25% of the amount.
🚀 Missile milestone: DRDO successfully tested India’s locally developed Pralay missile off Odisha’s coast on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
👀 Defence deal: India is reportedly finalising a fresh BrahMos supersonic cruise missile deal with the Philippines, estimated to be worth $700-800 million.
🌾 Waste to wealth: Bengaluru-based altM raised $10.3 million to turn farm waste into industrial chemicals and scale up production.
🚑 Emergency move: Blinkit Ambulance will charge ₹2,500 for non-emergency trips to discourage routine use, while emergency transfers will continue free of cost.
😞 Legend signs off: Cristiano Ronaldo retired from international football at 41 after 234 Portugal appearances.
With that, it’s a wrap on this edition of our newsletter. 🪔
Wishing you a very Happy and prosperous Diwali! We’re taking a looooong weekend and will be back in your inbox on November 11. ✨
Fill up on sweets and pour yourself an extra one this long weekend. 🥂
Hit that 💚 if you liked this issue.
Disclaimer: this newsletter is for informational and research purposes only. Nothing here should be considered financial, investment, legal, or professional advice.
