The Duffer Brothers officially began their exclusive four-year deal with Paramount this April, ending a decade-long relationship with Netflix. The Stranger Things creators appear in a high-profile promotional mini-movie celebrating Paramount's studio history, alongside Tom Cruise and Timothée Chalamet, signaling the studio's intent to position the duo as marquee creative talent from day one. The deal covers feature films, television, and streaming projects, giving Paramount a broad claim on the brothers' output across formats. The move is a notable talent acquisition for Paramount at a moment when streaming platforms are competing aggressively for proven IP creators. The Duffers' track record with Stranger Things, one of Netflix's most-watched franchises, makes them a credible draw for future tentpole development. Watching how quickly Paramount activates them on greenlit projects will indicate whether this is a prestige signing or a commercially productive partnership.
HDFC Bank's board has approved Rajiv Kumar, former Chief Election Commissioner and financial services secretary, as its Part-time Non-Executive Chairman from June 30, 2026. His chairmanship still requires RBI approval, but the move ends the bank's prolonged search for a permanent board leader.
Indian startups raised $1.1 billion across 16 deals in the week of June 21-26, 2026, up 2.5 times from the prior week, with CRED's $900 million Series H led by Meta accounting for most of the total. Square Yards became India's 131st unicorn after closing a $95 million round.
Jet fuel costs dropped sharply after a US-Iran interim peace deal, but airlines are expected to use the savings to rebuild margins rather than cut fares. Tight capacity, aircraft delivery delays, and weak budget carriers give major carriers unusual pricing power heading into the second half of 2026.
Meta is investing $900 million in CRED at a $4.5 billion valuation, the largest Indian startup round of 2026, as founder Kunal Shah moves to a global leadership role at WhatsApp. Miten Sampat takes over as interim CEO, and a major employee stock buyback is expected within weeks.
