🌡️ India’s climate bill

Good morning and Happy Friyay. Have a fabulous weekend when it arrives ⛱️ 🥞 

Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🌡️ India’s climate bill

• 💰️ Byju’s founders threaten $2.5B legal counterstrike

• Bite-sized summaries

  • ☀️ U.S. solar makers push for tariffs on Indian imports

  • 🤳 Zee bets on language packs, short videos to turn ZEE5 profitable

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Stock market declined. IT and banking stocks led the losses, while only select sectors like realty and pharma showed resilience. Weak corporate earnings and foreign fund outflows dampened sentiment, resulting in broad-based weakness across large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks. Overall, investor caution prevailed throughout the session

🌍️ International

• US markets finished higher, led by strong performances in technology and consumer discretionary sectors. Solid quarterly earnings and easing concerns over interest rates drove the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to fresh highs, while the Dow posted modest gains. Investor confidence improved amid upbeat economic data, although some caution remained regarding global trade dynamics.

CLIMATE CHANGE

🌡️ India’s climate bill

India is staring down a climate bill of $1.5 trillion by the end of this decade. A new Deloitte India report lays out what it’ll take to keep the country’s decarbonisation ambitions on track - and it’s a lot.

To meet its 2030 climate goals, India must massively ramp up investments in renewable energy, energy storage, sustainable infrastructure, and clean tech. Think 300 GW of new renewable energy capacity, a giant leap toward its 500 GW target. That alone needs $200–250 billion. But to store all that green energy? Add another $250–300 billion.

This isn’t just about climate change - it’s about job creation, energy security, water safety, and protecting millions from rising climate risks. The investments are also expected to boost innovation and spark sustainable growth in critical sectors like agriculture, transport, waste management, and digital infrastructure.

Currently, India’s climate finance toolkit is still evolving. To unlock capital at scale, tools like green bonds, blended finance, and climate funds will be key. Deloitte’s message is clear: finance isn't just a support act here - it’s the main driver.

The good news? The transition comes with immense economic opportunity. With the right capital flow and policy push, India can become a global climate leader while also making its economy more resilient and future-ready.

Read more: Economic Times

LAWSUITS

💰️ Byju’s founders threaten $2.5B legal counterstrike

The battle between Byju’s and its lenders just took a dramatic turn.

Founders Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath are planning to sue Glas Trust and others for a staggering $2.5 billion in damages, alleging reputational harm. The lawsuits will be filed in both Indian and overseas courts, according to their legal team.

For context, Glas Trust represents the lenders of Byju’s US subsidiary, Alpha, which had borrowed $1.2 billion. These lenders have accused Raveendran, Gokulnath, and former CSO Anita Kishore of orchestrating a scheme to “conceal and steal” $533 million of those funds—allegations now playing out in a US bankruptcy court.

Raveendran has already been held in civil contempt for failing to hand over documents, while Gokulnath is challenging the US court’s jurisdiction and denying all allegations.

Back in India, Byju’s parent entity, Think & Learn, is also embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings. An EY-backed insolvency expert recently filed lawsuits at India’s NCLT claiming fraudulent transfers by the founders, seeking compensation under India’s bankruptcy code.

Byju’s legal team argues that the conduct of Glas Trust and its counsel has been “reprehensible,” and says more claims are being prepared in other jurisdictions.

Overall: What began as a financial crisis is now morphing into a high-stakes, multi-country legal war—potentially reshaping how global lenders deal with Indian tech startups in distress.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

☀️ U.S. solar makers push for tariffs on Indian imports - A group of U.S. solar panel manufacturers, including First Solar, Qcells, Talon PV, and Mission Solar, has petitioned the Commerce Department to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports from India, Indonesia, and Laos. The group accuses companies in these nations—some backed by Chinese interests—of flooding the U.S. with subsidized, underpriced panels, threatening billions in domestic investment. Imports from the three countries surged from $289 million in 2022 to $1.6 billion in 2024. The Commerce Department has 20 days to decide on an investigation, which could lead to tariffs within a year if violations are confirmed.

🤳 Zee bets on language packs, short videos to turn ZEE5 profitable - Zee Entertainment has invested over ₹6,000 crore in its OTT platform ZEE5 since 2018 and now targets breakeven by FY26. After slashing losses in FY25, the company is pivoting from big-budget content to regional language packs to attract subscribers. ZEE5 plans to triple its content volume, focusing on quality, culturally relevant storytelling. Alongside, Zee launched Bullet, a short-form content app offering 161 micro-dramas, already among India’s top 15 entertainment apps in beta. With moderate content spending and multilingual reach, Zee aims not just for breakeven but long-term profitability, positioning ZEE5 as a mass-market OTT platform in India's crowded streaming space.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

• Fentanyl terror: there's a Khalistan-China connection.

• Trump admin gave ICE access to personal data of 79 million medicaid enrollees to track down illegal immigrants.

• ONGC inks pact with BP for drilling stratigraphic wells in India.

• Piyush Goyal urges Indian Missions to help resolve trade barriers faced by exporters.

• Why FMCG giants like HUL may need outsiders to spark real change.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Eagles Super Bowl winner Braman dies aged 38.

• Aap Jaisa Koi review: R Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh's film on female sexual desire drowns in too much talk.