Newsletter
Nazara's bet on AI-powered gaming, HDFC Bank top man steps down, and India's PNG push
🗓️ Morning, folks and Happy Fridayyyy! ☀️
Markets just had one of their worst days in months.
About ₹12 lakh crore in investor wealth vanished in a single session as the Sensex crashed nearly 2,500 points and the Nifty slipped close to the 23,000 mark.
The trigger? A sharp spike in global oil prices after fresh attacks in the Middle East rattled energy markets and raised fears of supply disruptions.
Both benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, ended 3.26% lower. Every sector closed in the red, with the biggest hits seen in private banks, Auto, IT, FMCG, and PSU banks.
💡 Spotlight: OMCs and paint stocks take a hit 🔻
Rising oil prices are rattling the markets. After an initial dip on Wednesday, Brent crude rebounded to close near $110 per barrel and climbed further to around $112.
As crude spikes amid tensions in Middle East, shares of refiners like HPCL, BPCL, and Indian Oil have fallen sharply. The pressure is spilling over to paint companies too. Asian Paints and firms with exposure to the region, including L&T and DEE Development Engineers slipped.
But, why paint stocks? Because they are made using crude-based chemicals. When oil gets expensive, input costs rise, squeezing margins and hurting profitability.
Why this matters: higher crude prices eventually hit your wallet. Costlier oil can lead to higher fuel prices, more expensive transport, and even pricier everyday goods over time.
Let’s hit it! 💪🏻
1 Big Thing: India moves to shield exporters amid war 🛡️
India is stepping in to support exporters caught in the crossfire of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
What’s happening: the government is working on a relief package for businesses that rely heavily on the region, as the war between Iran, the US, and Israel begins to disrupt trade flows.
What’s the problem? Costs are shooting up and operations are getting messy. Logistics expenses have surged, shipments are getting delayed, and many MSMEs are struggling with payment delays and tighter cash flow.
To ease the pressure, India is coordinating with Gulf port authorities to smoothen operations. It’s also looking to support exporters with shipment insurance, as war-risk premiums and emergency charges have spiked.
Why it matters: the Middle East is a key trade corridor for India, and prolonged instability could hit exporters hard, especially smaller businesses with limited buffers.
We also broke down the fuel supply tensions in this video.
2. India’s shipping sector eyes cleaner fuels ✅
India is taking a greener turn at sea, and it starts with a new kind of ship.
Breaking it down: the Shipping Corporation of India has signed a deal with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders to build a 3,000 DWT methanol dual-fuel Platform Supply Vessel (PSV).
Sounds technical, but it’s basically a medium-sized support ship that carries supplies to offshore oil rigs, and it can run on both regular fuel and methanol.
This makes it a first for SCI. It’ll be the company’s first vessel designed to use an alternative fuel, tying in with the government’s broader push for greener shipping under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Quick fact: data from DNV shows that orders for ships running on cleaner fuels have jumped sharply in 2025, up nearly 78% compared to last year.
So, shipowners are now thinking long term and focusing on cleaner, future-ready vessels as regulations tighten and the push to cut emissions gets stronger.
3. Why is Nazara spending $100 million? 🧐
Nazara Technologies’ UK arm is acquiring a 50% stake in Spain-based Bluetile Games and BestPlay Systems for $100.3 million).
Bluetile builds and publishes digital games, while BestPlay provides the tech and platforms that help games reach and engage users, including real-money and reward-based formats.
What’s going on: Nazara wants to create a full-stack, AI-powered gaming engine. Bluetile brings rapid game development, having launched five games in just six months using reusable AI templates.
Together, this combo could help Nazara churn out next-gen casual and social games much faster than before and scale them globally.
Nazara, over the past couple of years, it has been on an acquisition spree to strengthen its core gaming business.
It bought UK-based Fusebox Games in 2024 for ₹228 crore, followed by Curve Games in 2025 for ₹247 crore. Nazara had also picked up a 47.7% stake in PokerBaazi’s parent company, Moonshine Technology, in 2024. But after India banned real-money gaming, the company had to book a huge loss of ₹914.7 crore in 2025.
4. Is social media the new marketplace?
Social media has become the biggest discovery engine for small businesses today.
Instagram and Facebook ads top the list, with influencers also playing a major role in shaping buying decisions. Traditional channels like Google search and word of mouth are still relevant, but no longer lead.
For small brands, this means one thing: if you’re not active and visible on social media, you’re likely missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers who are scrolling, discovering, and deciding what to buy online.
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5. Stocks that kept us interested 🚀
What went up ⬆️
Balrampur Chini Mills shares rose 1.6% after the government allowed more sugar exports, giving mills some short-term relief despite ongoing challenges.
Adani Total Gas jumped nearly 8% as rising crude oil prices boosted natural gas demand expectations across industrial and transport sectors.
What went down ⬇️
HDFC Bank shares plunged nearly 6% after non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned over ethical concerns, wiping out ₹1 lakh crore in investor wealth.
HCC shares slipped 3% despite securing a ₹1,662 crore order from BMC to build a section of Mumbai’s Goregaon-Mulund Link Road.
Mankind Pharma bought Roche’s Rivotril brand in India, got full rights to sell it, strengthening its brain-related medicines business, but the stock fell nearly 5%.
What else are we snackin’ 🍿
✈️ Airline AI: TCS has partnered with Amadeus to modernise airline retailing using AI, developing key interfaces for the Amadeus Nevio platform.
🔥 PNG push: India added 1.25 lakh new PNG connections in just two weeks as the government accelerates the shift amid LPG supply concerns.
💥 LNG hit: Iranian missile strikes caused extensive damage at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility, though all personnel were reported safe.
🏭 BHAVYA boost: the Cabinet approved the ₹33,660 crore BHAVYA scheme to drive manufacturing via plug-and-play industrial parks, faster approvals, and job creation.
And that’s a wrap. Pour yourself an extra one this weekend. 🥂
We’ll be back like clockwork on Monday!
Hit that 💚 if you liked this issue.
