In this week’s wrapup, we discuss the Union Budget, the latest Economic Survey, Trump’s Canada and Mexico tariff scare, the USAID shutdown, a court case that could shake the auto industry, and finally, the biggest shifts reshaping crypto, despite which, Bitcoin still leads the pack.

In this week’s markets edition, we tell you how WeWork India flipped the script by turning WeWork’s shaky global model into a sustainable one and if its IPO would be worth considering.

Click here to read the full markets story.

Now, let’s recap what we wrote over the week.

The Budget simplified

When the Finance Minister said, “I am now happy to announce that there will be no income tax payable up to income of ₹12 lakh…” most of us jumped for joy. And that’s probably all that mattered, at least at first.

But the Budget had other equally important details that deserved attention too. So, we’ve simplified it for you to make sure that you don’t miss the bigger picture. You can read it here.

The Economic Survey 2025 explained

India’s economy has held steady despite global uncertainty and is expected to grow by 6.3-6.8% in the upcoming financial year. A big reason?

Indian banks.

They’re lending more while keeping bad loans in check. For context, the gross non-performing assets are at a 12-year low. This also means greater financial inclusion. But this growth raises important questions. How is manufacturing faring? What about jobs?

The Economic Survey had answers, and we broke it down for you in Monday’s newsletter.

Why Indian Railways struggles with privatisation

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are everywhere — airports, roads and now the government is looking for private operators to take over some of its waterways too. The idea is to team up with private firms to fund, build and operate infrastructure together for better services. But when it comes to the Indian Railways, private players are just not interested.

So, what’s the problem?

Well, the basics actually. The Indian Railways doesn’t generate enough revenue to sustain its operations and expansion, largely due to its own pricing and subsidy policies. That’s one reason why railway infrastructure has struggled to improve consistently. And if private players suddenly step in, upgrade everything, and hike fares, it could hit consumers hard.

So, how can the railways fix this? Read Tuesday’s newsletter to find out.

Why Trump sent Canada and Mexico into a tariff panic

Last week, US President Donald Trump issued three executive orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. His reasons?

Well, two things. Illegal fentanyl (a pain relief drug) flowing in from Mexico. And illegal immigrants crossing over from Canada. But wait… those are neighbouring countries. So why slap tariffs on China for the same reasons?

Well, there’s more to it than you think. Curious? Read Wednesday’s newsletter to find out.

Understanding the USAID fiasco

US President Donald Trump and his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) buddy, Elon Musk, want to shut down USAID. For the uninitiated, USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is the US government’s arm for foreign assistance, humanitarian aid and development. And the Trump administration has three reasons for wanting to shutter it.

It wastes funds. It’s allegedly a criminal organisation run by a bunch of lunatics. And it operates like a global charity, contradicting American interests. So, we dug into these claims to see if they hold up. And what we found went into our Thursday newsletter. Click here to read it.

Finshots Cracks Crypto #4: Crypto’s big shift - DeFi, altcoins, and the changing economy

If you’ve been following our Finshots Cracks Crypto series over the last few weeks, you’ve probably asked yourself one question. Why Bitcoin? Why not just blockchain? Why not Ethereum? Or any of the thousands of crypto tokens out there? Why not any other digital currency?

Well, we answered that in this edition where we wrote about Bitcoin’s supremacy and how innovations on its network are paving the way for bigger breakthroughs in crypto and the broader economy. You can read it here.

A case that could reshape India’s auto industry

Yup, we know it seems unusual that we have an extra story this week. But then we bumped into a topic that just seemed too urgent and widely discussed for us to sit back.

Indian tax authorities are going after foreign carmakers for exploiting a loophole in customs laws. Something that let them pay lower import taxes for years. Now, it’s turned into a bitter court battle. And we figured you’d rather hear the full story from us.

So in this bonus Finshots edition we wrote about how one court case could change the automotive industry in India forever. Click here to read it.

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