It's Wednesday, March 12th, 2025. This is Nelson John, let's get started. 

Govt Plans LIC Stake Sale

The Indian government may sell a 2-3% stake in LIC in FY26, subject to market conditions, as part of SEBI’s mandate to reduce its stake to 90% by 2027. Instead of a single offering, the sale might be in tranches to maximize value. With a 96.5% holding, the Centre’s stake sale could fetch ₹9,500-14,500 crore at current prices. However, with weak market sentiment, analysts believe the government will wait for a recovery.

Temasek’s ₹8,500 Crore Bet on Haldiram’s

Singapore’s Temasek has acquired a 10% stake in Haldiram Snacks Food Pvt. Ltd. for ₹8,500 crore, valuing the snack giant at ₹85,000 crore ($10 billion). The deal follows a restructuring merging Haldiram’s Delhi and Nagpur operations under one entity. The family may sell another 5% stake to Blackstone or Alphawave Global. With ₹14,000 crore revenue in FY24 and a 40% market share, Haldiram’s is eyeing an IPO in 24-36 months, signaling strong investor interest in India’s growing food sector.

Zydus Expands into Medical Devices with €256.8M French Acquisition

Zydus Lifesciences is set to acquire an 85.6% stake in French firm Amplitude Surgical for €256.8 million, with plans for a full €300 million buyout. This move marks Zydus’ entry into global medtech, focusing on orthopaedics, cardiology, and nephrology. “We aim to build a sizable medtech business in 5-7 years,” said MD Sharvil Patel. With India still importing 80-85% of medical devices, Zydus sees a major opportunity in local manufacturing and global expansion.

Fewer Promotions, Modest Salary Hikes in 2025

Employees may see career growth slow in 2025, with promotions projected to drop 25%, per Deloitte. Economic uncertainty, slower revenue growth (4.4% in Q3FY25 vs. 9.1% two quarters ago), and cost-cutting measures are driving this trend. US President Trump’s proposed tariffs could further impact key Indian industries. Companies are tightening performance evaluations, and salary hikes are expected to average 9.2% in 2025, slightly lower than last year. Some IT firms may offer promotions without pay raises to retain staff, while Vedanta Group remains an outlier, maintaining promotion levels.

IndusInd Bank’s ₹19,000 Crore Stock Meltdown

IndusInd Bank’s stock crashed over 25% after revealing discrepancies in its derivatives portfolio spanning 5-7 years, impacting net worth by 2.35% (~₹1,600 crore). An external audit is underway, but the disclosure has raised concerns over internal controls. The RBI recently granted CEO Sumant Kathpalia just a one-year extension, possibly due to this issue. With a 50% stock decline in six months and stress in its microfinance portfolio, IndusInd faces a tough road ahead to rebuild investor trust.

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