🏥 Medical Delivery

Good morning. The day after an Indian cricket victory often feels like a holiday, and we accidentally thought it was the real thing 🇮🇳 🥇 

Fear not, we're back to regular programming 💪 

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🏥 India’s quick medicine delivery: Speed vs. Challenges

• 🇪🇺 India's EU trade deal faces regulatory hurdles

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • 🔋 EV’s still a focus

  • 🏠️ Strong housing market

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Stocks declined due to sharp selling in banking stocks, led by IndusInd Bank after the RBI granted its CEO only a one-year extension, raising leadership concerns. Global factors, including fears of U.S. recession, rising tariffs, and weak Chinese inflation data, further dampened investor sentiment, leading to a cautious market outlook.

🌍️ International

• US stocks plummeted. The sell-off was driven by recession fears fueled by Trump's tariff policies, weak tech stock performance, and ongoing global trade tensions.

COMMERCE

🏥 India’s quick medicine delivery: Speed vs. Challenges

The quick commerce revolution in India is now extending to the pharmacy sector, with major players like Tata Digital's 1mg, Apollo 24/7, and new startups vying for dominance.

But while rapid medicine delivery promises convenience, companies face significant challenges that could slow expansion.

Consumer demand for faster medicine delivery has led companies to explore 30-minute or even 19-minute fulfillment models. Established firms are leveraging existing networks, such as BigBasket, while startups are adopting an omnichannel approach, integrating physical pharmacy stores with online platforms.

However, there are some roadblocks to progress:

1. Regulatory Hurdles: Unlike food or grocery deliveries, medicine distribution is heavily regulated. Companies must comply with stringent licensing laws and ensure prescription adherence to avoid legal complications.

2. High Operational Costs: Setting up micro-warehouses or retail pharmacies demands substantial capital. Managing inventory, hiring pharmacists, and ensuring compliance further increase operational expenses.

3. Supply Chain Complexities: Medicines fall under different schedules, requiring specialized handling. Errors in dispensing can have serious consequences, making fast yet accurate delivery a major challenge.

What does this mean for India?

• If successful, Quick medicine delivery could transform healthcare accessibility, particularly in urban centers where demand is high.

• Faster access to essential medicines can improve patient outcomes, reduce dependency on local pharmacies, and provide greater convenience.

• However, balancing speed with compliance and patient safety remains crucial. Companies must build robust infrastructure, invest in regulatory expertise, and prioritize quality control to ensure this service is both scalable and sustainable.

Read more: Economic Times

MARKETS

🇪🇺 India's EU trade deal faces regulatory hurdles

India and the European Union (EU) are deep into negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but stringent European regulations on environment, data privacy, and labor rights pose major challenges.

The 27-nation EU bloc, with its $18.4 trillion economy, is India's third-largest trading partner, making this deal crucial for boosting exports and investment. However, India faces costly trade barriers that could limit its benefits from the agreement.

Key Challenges:

1. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): The EU’s carbon tax could impose tariffs of 20-35% on Indian exports of steel, aluminum, and cement, even if the FTA is signed. This raises concerns about unfair trade terms, as EU goods would enter India duty-free while Indian exports face these indirect tariffs.

2. Data Protection & Digital Trade: The EU insists on stricter data privacy regulations aligned with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Without recognition as a ‘data secure’ country, Indian IT firms handling EU citizen data will face additional compliance costs.

3. Restrictions on Remote Services: EU rules require Indian companies to establish local offices and maintain high salary thresholds for professionals working in Europe, complicating digital trade for Indian IT firms.

4. Market Access & Professional Recognition: India seeks easier visa policies for its professionals and mutual recognition of qualifications in medicine, engineering, and accountancy—areas where the EU remains hesitant.

5. Intellectual Property (IP) Disputes: The EU demands stricter IP laws, including extended patent protection and data exclusivity for pharmaceutical companies, which could make essential drugs more expensive and harm India's generic medicine industry.

6. Government Procurement & Investment Protections: The EU wants access to India’s public sector contracts, but India is reluctant, as it prefers to support domestic small businesses. Disagreements also persist over investment protection clauses.

Despite these hurdles, the India-EU FTA holds immense potential for boosting trade. However, India's concerns about hidden trade barriers, sovereignty over regulations, and economic equity must be addressed for a truly fair agreement.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

🔋 EV’s still a focus - Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw laid the foundation stone for four manufacturing units at Telangana’s Electronics Manufacturing Cluster, reinforcing India's push for electric mobility. Key investments, including Amara Raja’s ₹9,500 crore Giga Factory, aim to boost EV production and create over 19,000 jobs. The initiative, under the EMC 2.0 scheme, supports India's EV ecosystem, battery recycling, and supply chain development. Vaishnaw emphasized the government’s commitment to EV infrastructure and innovation. This project is expected to drive economic growth, positioning India as a key player in global electric mobility and clean energy solutions.

🏠️ Strong housing market - India’s housing finance market is set to rise, doubling to ₹81 lakh crore in the next five years, fueled by strong structural growth and government incentives, according to CareEdge Ratings. Banks lead the sector with a 74.5% share, while HFCs hold steady at 19%. Rising demand for housing loans is driving expansion, with banks growing at 17% CAGR and HFCs at 12%. While HFCs dominate loans under ₹30 lakh, larger loans are shifting to banks. With strong equity inflows and capital reserves, housing finance remains a thriving asset class, poised for continued growth in India’s booming real estate market.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

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

• New drug export rule a bitter pill for sector: Pharma body.

• Sun Pharmaceuticals to acquire Checkpoint Therapeutics for $355M.

• Ukraine replaces India as world’s top arms importer; US remains biggest seller.

• New Zealand PM to visit India from March 16-20.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• IIFA Awards 2025: Laapataa Ladies sweeps 10 awards. Kartik Aaryan named best actor. Full list of winners here.

• Mickey 17 review : two Robert Pattinsons for the price of one in Bong Joon-ho’s acidly funny sci-fi satire.