In this week’s wrapup, we take a look at Trump’s trouble for India — first on pharma exports and then on Coca-Cola’s sweetener strategy, why the EU just blocked India’s $15 billion oil loophole, how Brigade Hotels wants you to check into their IPO, and how Jio is quietly building India’s reinsurance empire.

And in this week’s Finshots Markets edition, we tell you why IEX’s stock crashed this week and what the end of its pricing monopoly could mean for shareholders. Click here to read the full markets story.

With that out of the way, let’s recap what we wrote this week.

How can India’s pharma companies survive under Trump’s uncertainty?

Glenmark just signed a massive $2 billion licensing deal with AbbVie for a next-gen cancer drug. And this deal is one of those that could signal a shift away from generic drugs to cutting-edge research.

But this breakthrough comes at a time when Donald Trump is threatening to slash US drug prices by 30–80%. That’s a problem because nearly a third of Indian pharma exports go to the US. And most of it is low-margin generics. 

So if the price squeeze begins, Indian companies may find themselves in a bind.

Will this force our pharma giants to finally move up the value chain?

We unpack it all in our Monday newsletter.

Coke’s new recipe might stir up America’s economy

On Tuesday, we brought you another Trump story. This time, it was about his crusade against Coca-Cola’s sweetener.

You see, Trump wants Coke to ditch corn syrup and go back to cane sugar in a bid to “Make America Healthy Again.” But beneath the health narrative is a potential economic shock. Because if Coke makes the switch, it could upend the $100 billion US corn industry, trigger price hikes, job cuts and trade imbalances… while doing little for actual health outcomes!

Want to know how a soda recipe change could shake up global agriculture?

Read our Tuesday’s story for the entire scoop.

India's oil trick just hit an EU sanction wall

For two years, India made billions by buying cheap Russian crude, refining it, and exporting diesel to Europe.

But that game may be over.

The EU’s latest sanctions package now bans imports of any fuel made from Russian oil, even if it’s refined outside Russia. That puts a $15 billion trade at risk, especially for players like Reliance and Nayara who had cornered the export market.

And with margins under pressure and fuel bills likely to rise, India may need to rethink its entire oil strategy. We break it down in Wednesday’s newsletter.

The Brigade Hotel Ventures IPO

Brigade Hotel Ventures, the hospitality arm of Brigade Group, is hitting the markets with a ₹759 crore IPO. It plans to repay debt, buy land from its own promoters (yep!), and expand into five new luxury and mid-scale properties across South India.

The company boasts strong occupancy rates and a presence in hot markets like Bengaluru. But high debt, promoter-linked transactions, and a steep valuation (PE ratio of 125x) raise some serious questions.

Should you book a room in this IPO?

Check into our Thursday newsletter for the full review.

Jio wants to become an insurance company

You’ve probably heard of insurance. But what about reinsurance?

On Friday, we explored how Jio Financial Services is teaming up with Allianz to launch a domestic reinsurance company — only the second in India after GIC Re. If approved, this could deepen India’s financial safety net, reduce our reliance on foreign reinsurers, and even make your health policy cheaper.

But it won’t be easy. There are regulatory hurdles, talent gaps, and fierce competition from global giants.

Still, if executed well, Jio’s reinsurance ambition could be the foundation of something much bigger: a vertically integrated insurance empire.

Read the full story in Friday’s edition.

Finshots Weekly Quiz 🧠

It’s time to announce the winner of our previous weekly quiz. And the winner is…🥁

Puneet Kumar! Congratulations. Keep an eye on your inbox and we’ll get in touch with you soon to send over your Finshots merch.

And for the rest of you, here’s your chance to win some exclusive Finshots merch. All you have to do is click on 👉🏽this link, answer all the questions correctly by 12 noon on August 1st (Friday) and tune in to our Sunday newsletter aka Sunny Side Up next week to check if you got lucky.

That’s it from us this week. Have a great weekend!

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