🇮🇳 India's global role

Good morning. Some history facts to kickstart this Monday Morning - December 16th, known as Vijay Diwas, commemorates India's decisive victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, leading to the creation of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🏬 The role of data in achieving Net-Zero goals

• 🇮🇳 India's global role

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • 🚰 Fixing water shortages

  • 🏨 Oyo on the road to recovery

  • 📜 India needs to change

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Stock markets made a strong recovery. This sharp upturn followed a decline on the previous day. Top gainers included Bharti Airtel, ITC, and Kotak Bank, while Shriram Finance, Tata Steel, and IndusInd Bank were among the top decliners.

🌍️ International

• U.S. stock markets closed mixed. The S&P 500 ended nearly unchanged, while the Dow fell 86.06 points (0.2%), marking its seventh consecutive loss. Broadcom surged 15% on strong forecasts, while unemployment claims rose to a two-month high, keeping investors focused on the upcoming Federal Reserve policy meeting.

DATA

🏬 The role of data in achieving Net-Zero goals

Lisa Wee, Global Head of Sustainability at Aveva, is clear: the road to net-zero emissions starts with effective data management. Yet, scaling digitalisation remains a challenge—70% of industries have yet to fully implement these transformative technologies, despite their immense potential.

Here’s an interesting fact - over half of all operational data in industries was generated in just the past two years. The opportunity is vast, but the foundation is critical, where standardised, high-quality data is crucial. Companies like Toyota have already proven the impact, slashing emissions by 30% through energy consumption monitoring tools. Michelin echoes this success, cutting energy and water use by 10% across 65 factories with a centralised system.

The story doesn’t end in factories. Cities like Dubai and Pimpri-Chinchwad are redefining sustainability through integrated platforms. Dubai recycles water to save $2 million daily, while Pimpri-Chinchwad leverages real-time monitoring across 4,600 systems to cut water loss by 25% and energy use by 15%.

Companies like Aveva are at the forefront of this revolution. Its open, hardware-agnostic software bridges siloed systems to generate actionable insights. As Ajit Kulkarni, VP for India at Aveva, highlights, ongoing smart city projects in smaller Indian cities focus on integration and training to maximise impact.

With sustainability now a competitive differentiator, businesses are stepping up. They're shifting from mere compliance to active advocacy, driving the renewables transition and shaping supportive policies at global climate events.

Overall: Data holds the key to accelerating the net-zero journey—but only if organisations lay the groundwork with robust, integrated, and high-quality systems. The future is digital, and it’s here to drive change.

Read more: Economic Times

GLOBAL IMPACT

🇮🇳 India's global role

India is increasingly recognized as a global first responder, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at an event in Delhi. He emphasized the country’s evolving foreign policy, which balances lessons from the past with aspirations for future generations. "The era of a defensive crouch is decisively behind us," he remarked, signalling India's shift toward a proactive global stance.

Jaishankar acknowledged historical challenges, including disrupted connectivity stemming from colonial times, but expressed optimism about India’s ability to overcome these hurdles. He stressed that improving connectivity is vital, as it directly influences global relations and economic growth.

Highlighting India's expanding global footprint, the EAM noted that the 17-18 million Indians working abroad today symbolize the country’s growing influence. He predicted a continued rise in this number, further strengthening India's role in international affairs.

On supply chains, Jaishankar outlined their dual significance: advancing India’s national interests and fostering technological innovation. He underscored the unique foreign policy needs of the digital era, distinct from those of the manufacturing age.

Jaishankar's remarks paint a picture of a confident, forward-looking India, embracing its role as a trusted partner on the global stage while addressing past shortcomings.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

🚰 Fixing water shortages - Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a ₹40,000 crore project linking 11 rivers to address water shortages in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The initiative integrates the Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, benefiting 21 districts in Rajasthan and several in Madhya Pradesh by ensuring drinking water, irrigation, and industrial supply. Key rivers like Chambal and its tributaries will be connected. Signed in January 2024, the project is expected to transform Rajasthan into a water-surplus state, helping regions like Jhalawar, Kota, Guna, and Gwalior. Union Minister C.R. Patil urged corporate involvement in water conservation efforts during the announcement.

🏨 Oyo on the road to recovery - Oyo's valuation has reached $4.6 billion following Nuvama Wealth’s acquisition of shares worth ₹100 crore at ₹53 per share. Founder Ritesh Agarwal also repurchased shares worth ₹550 crore. The company has seen significant financial improvements, reporting its first-ever profit of ₹229 crore in FY2024 and achieving ₹290 crore in net profit for H1 FY2025. Revenues grew from ₹1,413 crore in Q1 FY2025 to ₹1,578 crore in Q2. Oyo projects a threefold surge in FY2025 profit to ₹700 crore, boosted by its $525 million acquisition of G6 Hospitality, owner of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands.

📜 India needs to change - External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the need for a "foreign policy for Viksit Bharat" to align with India's aspiration of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at the launch of India's World magazine, he argued for a shift from the "Nehruvian model," not as a political critique but as a pragmatic adaptation to evolving domestic, global, and technological landscapes. Highlighting the interconnectedness of diplomacy, he advocated realism, ambition, and integration in foreign policy. He underscored India's need to position itself as a leading power with strong global relationships and minimal baggage, reflecting a modernized approach to international engagement.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

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

• Investors bracing for 24 hours of big decisions from US to Asia and beyond.

• Biden commutes the sentences of 1,500 Americans, a record for one day.

• Ev Williams, known for co-founding Twitter and creating Medium, is back with Mozi—a fresh app crafted to make planning face-to-face hangouts with friends effortless.

• India seeks strong WTO subsidy rules for high seas fishing.

• India's import of Russian oil drops in November on shrinking discounts.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Pushpa 2 becomes the fastest Indian movie to cross Rs 1,000 Cr. globally.

• Keerthy Suresh and Antony Thattil tie the knot 👰 🤵 

• Zero Se Restart review: A wonderfully lucid work of cinema that every film lover must watch.

• Kraven the Hunter bombs with $11M opening, Moana 2 crosses $700M globally.