In this week’s wrapup, we discuss the Fractal Analytics IPO, the AI Energy Crisis that no one’s talking about, Pax Silica, JLR’s factory in Tamil Nadu, and 100-year bonds.

And in this week’s Markets edition, we talk about something strange in SBI's latest Q3 results. You can read it here.

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

The Fractal Analytics IPO

India’s tech success followed a familiar script. Companies built global businesses by executing exactly what clients asked for — writing code, managing systems, and delivering projects efficiently, but rarely owning the full product or the outcome. But it also meant Indian tech firms stayed behind the scenes, even as global companies captured the real value.

Fractal Analytics tries to break that mould. Instead of just executing tasks, it embeds itself into how enterprises make decisions, using data analytics and AI to influence pricing, marketing, supply chains, and risk management. Its business is built on long-term relationships with large global clients, where spending deepens over time rather than resetting every year — a model that has helped it grow steadily and turn profitable in FY25.

So what makes the first AI company listing in India different from other tech companies? Find out in our Monday story here.

The AI crisis no one’s talking about

When we talk about AI, the focus is usually on chips and algorithms. But the real bottleneck isn’t GPUs.

You see, modern AI data centres now consume power on the scale of small cities, and grids that are decades old were never designed for such demand that shows up this fast in one location. 

Instead of waiting years for transmission upgrades, companies are turning to methane turbines, retired jet engines, and even exploring nuclear reactors just to keep servers running. 

So, as AI scales, is the real constraint no longer computing power, but the grid itself?

Read the full breakdown in our Tuesday story.

An explainer on Pax Silica

China didn’t get to dominate rare earths overnight. For decades, it refined cheaply, scaled relentlessly, undercut competitors, and eventually secured control over global rare earth mineral supply chains. Today, it processes the bulk of the world’s critical minerals that power everything from EVs to AI chips.

Now the US wants to respond with something called Pax Silica — an alliance of “friendly” nations coordinating supply chains, chips, minerals, and energy to reduce dependence on China. India has also been invited to join.

But breaking China’s grip won’t be easy. Mining is dirty, and refining is even harder.

So is Pax Silica a real counterweight or just a late response to a dominance decades in the making? We break this down in our Wednesday story.

Why is JLR building in India now?

For years, buying a foreign-made car in India meant buying two cars — one for yourself and one for the government. With import duties often crossing 100%, global automakers had little choice but to set up factories in India if they wanted to sell at scale. That protectionism helped India build a strong automotive manufacturing base, turning states like Tamil Nadu into production hubs rather than just markets for imported vehicles.

Which is why Tata Motors’ decision to invest ₹9,000 crore in a new Jaguar Land Rover manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu feels counterintuitive at first. After all, India is signing trade agreements that promise lower tariffs and easier imports. This move comes at a time when India is negotiating trade deals that could make imports cheaper and easier. If barriers are coming down, why double down on domestic manufacturing — especially for a global luxury brand that already has factories elsewhere?

In our Thursday story, we break down why this bet makes sense.

Would you put your money in a 100-year bond?

In 1997, Motorola borrowed money it wouldn’t repay for a century. Today, Alphabet has done the same, issuing a 100-year bond that was oversubscribed nearly ten times.

At first glance, it sounds absurd. Why lend money you’ll never see returned? But these bonds aren’t really about waiting 100 years. For companies, it’s about securing capital for decades. For investors, it’s about diversifying income streams and rate bets.

But would you lock in your capital for such a duration? Read yesterday’s story to find out more.

Finshots Weekly Quiz v2.0 🧠

Hey folks! As you probably already know, the Finshots Weekly Quiz has a new avatar. If you missed out on it in the last couple of months, don’t worry. Click here to check out the rules and set a reminder to participate consistently starting next month!

But for now, it’s time to announce the winners. First up, the very first winner of Finshots Weekly Quiz v2.0 for January 2026. Drumroll, please… 🥁 Akash Ranjan Sahu! Congratulations.

Next, let’s move on to the top scorers from our previous weekly quiz. There were a whole bunch of you who participated, and many of you ended up with the same scores. So we’re calling you Bulls, Bears, Unicorns, Blue Chips, and Rising Stars. Here’s how the leaderboard looks right now:

If your name has been featured on the leaderboard, then congratulations! If not, don’t lose hope. If you attempted last week’s quiz, keep at it and answer all the weekly quizzes this month. You never know when the turntables! Click on this link to take this week’s quiz, which is open till 12 noon, Friday, 20th of February, 2026. The more answers you get right, the better your chances of appearing on the Finshots Weekly Quiz leaderboard. We’ll publish it every Saturday in the Weekly Wrapup. And the winner will be announced in the first week of March.

Liked this week’s wrapup?

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One last thing.

If you’re an NRI, you might be paying far more than you need to for life insurance.

Indian term insurance is often dramatically cheaper. But there’s a catch: underwriting rules change by country, medical tests can get tricky, and not all riders are available everywhere.

That’s why our team has reviewed IRDAI guidelines, insurer brochures, and real-world application experiences to break down exactly how Term Insurance for NRIs in India works.

👉 You can read the full guide by clicking here.