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Trump meets Jinping this week
On May 14-15, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping sit down in Beijing for a two-day summit. The stakes are enormous for both of
them, and honestly, for the rest of us too. Trump needs a win badly. His approval ratings are bruised after the Iran
conflict, and a deal securing Chinese purchases of American goods could play well before November's mid-term elections
in the US. China wants predictability – US tariffs swung wildly to 125% last year, hammering its exports by 20%.
Expectations are low. This won't solve everything. But the world, including India, is desperately hoping it eases trade
tensions, stabilises supply chains, and maybe unlocks progress on West Asia's crisis.
Read more
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The Iran crisis hit India's farms hard
When the US and Israel struck Iran in February, India's farmers didn't feel it immediately. But they will. Urea prices
globally have surged 81% in two months. India imports 25% of its urea, 90% of its phosphates, and all of its potash,
much of it from the Gulf. Current kharif season stocks sit at 50% of requirements. The government says that's
comfortable. Maybe. But the uncomfortable truth is, to keep farmer prices stable, subsidies will balloon well beyond the
budgeted ₹1.7 trillion. Someone always pays. This time, it's the taxpayer. India's fertilizer vulnerability isn't new.
Read more
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India's farm derivatives market is broken.
Trading farm commodities in India has long been a messy affair, with futures bans, physical delivery headaches, and thin
volumes. Now, a Sebi's working group wants to shake things up, a little bit. The proposal will allow cash settlement for
narrow agri commodities. Think pepper, turmeric, guar, up to a certain threshold, instead of mandatory physical
delivery. Simple, but potentially transformative. Why does it matter? Because forcing physical delivery on seasonal
crops with limited availability has kept traders away. NCDEX's futures turnover is a mere ₹1.4 trillion, versus MCX's
staggering ₹165 trillion. Cash settlement could finally bring serious participation back to agri derivatives.
Read on
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Your grocery bill just got more expensive
Inflation is creeping back up. India's retail CPI likely hit 3.8% in April, up from 3.4% in March, and economists say it
could touch 4.4% by mid-year. The culprits are edible oils, vegetables, and ready-made food. The West Asia conflict is
disrupting supply chains and pushing freight costs higher globally. The UN's food price index just hit a three-year
high. The uncomfortable part is, petrol and diesel prices have been held artificially steady through election season.
With state polls now over, that buffer may disappear soon. A monsoon shortfall could make things worse.
Read more
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The dispute over the house of Tata
Nineteen months into his chairmanship, Noel Tata has drawn a clear line. He's now voted against the reappointment of
vice-chairmen Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh at Tata Education and Development Trust, a move described as "symbolic,"
since two other trustees had already blocked them. But symbolism matters here. This is Noel's first public break with
the old guard. Srinivasan blocked Noel's son Neville from joining a key trust board. Both vice-chairmen then publicly
backed listing Tata Sons, directly contradicting a unanimous agreement made just last July. With a crucial trustees'
meeting on 16 May, and Srinivasan's seat on the Tata Sons board now under scrutiny, India's most powerful philanthropic
empire is under transition.
Read more.
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$1.32 billion
The amount approved by the International Monetary Fund for Pakistan, bringing payout so far to $4.8 billion, under its
broader $7 billion support programme.
3.5 million
The number of pages of Jeffrey Epstein-related DOJ records which are on display at a temporary public reading room in
New York City.
102
The number of passengers and crew infected by norovirus aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, out of 3,129 people
onboard, per the CDC.
₹
70%
The shortfall in India's auto industry's steel-equivalent vehicle scrapping targets for FY26 set under the environment
ministry's end-of-life vehicle rules.
$15 million
The damages sought by Dua Lipa in her lawsuit against Samsung for allegedly using her likeness on TV packaging since
2025 without consent, despite her requests to stop.
10
The number of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leaders, including chief minister C Joseph Vijay, who were sworn in on Sunday, as
TVK became the first non-Dravidian party to form a government in Tamil Nadu since 1967.
₹235 crore
Urban Company's net loss for FY26, reversing from a ₹240 crore profit in FY25, as heavy investments in its quick
household-help service InstaHelp weighed on profitability.
howindialives.com
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AROUND THE WORLD
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Typing is being replaced by whispering—and it’s way more annoying
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Why do people tip less on the weekends?
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Iran war puts the world’s most used chemical in short supply
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Iran’s supreme leader is MIA, just when negotiators need him most
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China’s cars aren’t in the US, but its auto parts are everywhere
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Written by Shravani Sinha. Edited by Alokesh Bhattacharyya.
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Written by Siddharth Sharma. Edited by Alokesh Bhattacharyya.
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