Business

Marketing spends around the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India may fall by half as brands stay away over poor match timings and a late broadcast rights deal. Broadcasters and sports marketers face thinner revenue with little time left for a mid-tournament recovery.

Zee Entertainment has approved a fundraise of at least Rs 2,300 crore for business initiatives, shortly after signing more than a dozen advertisers for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage. The capital raise could help Zee rebuild its balance sheet and fund content investment following the collapse of its Sony merger.

Zee Entertainment plans to raise 23 billion rupees ($241 million) to fund strategic initiatives, following its acquisition of broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India. The capital raise signals Zee's push to rebuild after the collapse of its Sony merger and compete in live sports content.

Indian startup funding fell 27% month-on-month to $630 million in May 2026, the lowest monthly total in six years, with Rapido's $240 million Series F accounting for nearly 38% of all capital raised.

Xiaomi is replacing India head Alvin Tse with Alexander Tang, who previously oversaw parts of Southeast Asia. The move comes as the company works to reverse falling market share in one of its most important international markets.

Toyota plans to build a new car factory in India capable of producing 100,000 units per year. The greenfield plant signals a major long-term bet on Indian demand and positions Toyota to expand its export capacity from the country.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw warned that India's bullet train network will dominate short-haul routes like Mumbai-Pune and Hyderabad-Bengaluru, making air travel on those corridors uncompetitive.

NTPC is submitting its first nuclear feasibility study to the Department of Atomic Energy to secure approval for standalone nuclear projects. The company targets 2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032 and is evaluating sites in Bihar and other states.

Toyota's fourth-quarter net profit fell 49% year on year in the quarter ended March, badly missing analyst expectations, even as revenue rose 1.89%. U.S. tariffs drove the gap, compressing margins sharply despite steady sales volumes.

Indian banks have activated contingency plans and moved some staff and wholesale operations back to India amid the Iran-US conflict. The shift raises near-term concerns for trade finance and remittance flows through a region critical to India's foreign exchange earnings.

Noel Tata is opposing a public listing of Tata Sons despite two trustees set to formally propose an IPO at an upcoming board meeting. The move is driven partly by RBI regulations and would benefit minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji Group by giving its stake a tradeable market value.

Boeing is set to face a civil trial connected to its 737 MAX crashes, which killed 346 people across two accidents in 2018 and 2019. The trial keeps legal and financial pressure on the company as it already wrestles with production issues and regulatory scrutiny.

Toyota plans to build three new manufacturing plants in India, which would triple its current production capacity in the country. The move signals a major long-term bet on India's auto market and could intensify competition across the passenger vehicle segment.

GameStop has made an unsolicited $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, according to the Wall Street Journal. The bid raises immediate questions about financing and whether eBay's board will engage, given GameStop's far smaller market cap.

Indian Railways crossed Rs 6,000 crore in scrap sales while non-revenue fare income jumped 168% over five years, reaching Rs 777.76 crore in FY 2025-26. Both streams help Railways fund capital spending without raising passenger fares or increasing borrowing.

Groww reported a 122% jump in net profit to Rs 686 crore for Q4, with revenue from operations rising 87% year-on-year to Rs 1,505 crore. The numbers show India's large retail investment platforms converting rapid user growth into strong earnings, raising the prospect of a future public listing.

A State Bank of India-led consortium is in talks to extend ₹25,000 crore in debt to Vodafone Idea following government relief on AGR dues. The telco is also seeking ₹10,000 crore in working capital to fund a three-year network and 5G turnaround plan.

A group led by Lakshmi Mittal and the Poonawalla family is buying an IPL franchise for $1.65 billion, one of the largest sports deals in Indian history. The price underscores how sharply IPL valuations have risen since two new franchises sold for a combined $1.69 billion in 2022.

The Mittal family has bought a 75% controlling stake in IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals for around ₹15,600 crore, implying a total team valuation of roughly ₹20,800 crore. The deal ends an earlier agreement with the Somani family and places Lakshmi N.

The Mittal family and Adar Poonawalla have acquired Rajasthan Royals for Rs 15,660 crore, with the Mittals holding ~75% and Poonawalla ~18%. The deal sets a new valuation benchmark for IPL franchises and signals continued strong investor appetite for T20 cricket assets.