Newsletter
India's economy resilient, Infosys goes on acquisition spree, and RCB sold.
🗓️ Morning folks, and Happy Fridayyy! ☀️
Some good news for India’s economy.
S&P Global has increased India’s growth forecast for FY27 to 7.1%, and also slightly raised its estimate for FY28 to 7.2%.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. Inflation is expected to rise too, with CPI likely touching 4.3% in FY27, up from 2.5% earlier. For context, retail inflation in February already hit a 10-month high at 3.21%. It also flagged risks from rising fuel and crude oil prices, which could push inflation higher.
Why this matters: stronger growth is good for jobs and business, but rising inflation could make everyday expenses a bit heavier.
Let’s hit it! 💪🏻
1 Big thing: Infosys goes shopping 💰
Infosys is acquiring two US-based companies in a $560 million deal to strengthen its healthcare and insurance capabilities.
What’s the deal: the company will acquire Optimum Healthcare IT for up to $465 million and Stratus for up to $95 million.
Optimum is a Florida-based healthcare consulting firm with 1,600+ employees and FY25 revenue of $275.9 million, while Stratus is a New Jersey-based firm with 450+ employees, focused on tech services for insurance companies.
What this brings to Infosys: these companies bring in deeper expertise in healthcare systems, electronic health records, and insurance tech platforms like Guidewire.
Big theme: India’s healthcare market is already worth over $370 billion and is expected to cross $600 billion by 2030, while the financial services ecosystem is expanding rapidly with rising insurance penetration and digital adoption.
2. NSE to take on MCX in gas trading ⚡
NSE is gearing up to launch natural gas futures contracts next quarter after getting a green light from SEBI.
It’s a contract where you agree today on the price of natural gas that will be bought or sold at a future date.
Breaking it down: this marks NSE’s entry into energy commodities, a space currently dominated by MCX, which holds over 95% share in non-agri commodities and around 85-90% overall market share.
NSE is also trying to grow its presence in crude oil trading, aiming to increase its share from 16% to over 30%.
Why this matters: energy contracts are the real money-makers. They contribute nearly 70% of MCX’s options volumes, so if NSE manages to grab even a slice, it could shake up the entire commodity trading landscape.
Zoom out: India is slowly moving towards market-based pricing for natural gas, and exchanges want a bigger piece of that action. More competition could mean better liquidity, tighter pricing, and more options for traders.
3. Mega deal for RCB 🏏
Diageo-owned United Spirits is selling Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for a massive ₹16,660 crore in an all-cash deal.
What’s buzzin’: the buyers are a power-packed group, including Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone.
RCB is owned via Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, which also runs the women’s team in the WPL. Once the deal goes through, this consortium will take full control of both teams.
For United Spirits, the company wants to double down on its core alcohol business and focus on long-term growth and value.
But this isn’t just cricket hype. It signals a bigger shift. IPL teams are now being seen as powerful media and consumer brands, not just sports teams.
Big picture: RCB is now valued at about $1.78 billion (₹16,700 crore), that’s nearly a 15x jump from what it was worth in 2008. Separately, a lot of people believe IPL teams could eventually rival leagues like the NFL, EPL, F1, or NBA.
But here’s the interesting bit, even though IPL teams are still smaller in size, they’re already being valued very aggressively, thanks to huge growth expectations.
Sticking with the IPL buzz,
Rajasthan Royals have just been sold for a whopping $1.63 billion (around ₹16,290 crore). The winning bid came from Kal Somani, an existing shareholder in the team.
What makes this even more interesting is where it all started. Back in 2008, Rajasthan Royals were the cheapest team in the league, bought for just $67 million by a group led by Manoj Badale.
4. The battle behind your shoes 👞
Ever thought about the brands behind the shoes you wear?
India’s footwear market is largely dominated by a few big players, with Metro Brands leading the pack. But Bata, Relaxo, and Campus are not far behind, each building a strong presence in different segments.
It’s an interesting mix of old, trusted names and newer players, all quietly competing to be part of your everyday choices.
5. Why is your beer suddenly getting expensive? 🍺
Beer prices in India might go up 12-15% soon. But it’s not because people are suddenly drinking more. Glass bottle costs are already up ~20%. Carton prices have nearly doubled. And some glass manufacturers have cut production by up to 40%.
All of this traces back to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
India imports about 40% of its natural gas from Qatar. When supply gets disrupted, it hits energy-heavy industries first.
Glass is one of them. Then comes aluminium, packaging, logistics, everything starts getting expensive at the same time.
6. Stocks that kept us interested 🚀
What went up ⬆️
🚧 Infrastructure company Ceigall India’s shares rose nearly 4% after it secured two engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work orders worth about ₹298 crore from Purvah Green Power for projects in Andhra Pradesh.
🟢 NTPC Green Energy shares gained after it partnered with data centre company Nxtra Data to build renewable energy projects.
📡 Avantel shares jumped 7% after it won a ₹460 crore deal from Zetwerk to supply and maintain satellite communication equipment.
What else are we snackin’ 🍿
💊 Funding boost: Fullife Healthcare raised ₹300 crore in a Series D round led by Elev8 to expand its D2C wellness brands and enter new segments like sleep, digestion, and protein nutrition.
🎬 Sora shutdown: OpenAI shut down its viral short-form video app Sora as it cuts costs ahead of a potential IPO.
🌕 Moon base: NASA plans to invest $20 billion over seven years to build a base on the Moon under its Artemis program to enable long-term human presence.
⚠️ Rising tensions: Iran war talks stall as Trump issues fresh threat, calling negotiators “strange” and warning Iran to act quickly before it’s too late.
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.
