Best of the Week: How to win this appraisal season

Dear readers, 

It’s a challenging time for employees. The job market is sluggish, companies are cautious, and global uncertainties—from geopolitical tensions to market volatility—are casting long shadows. But even if you’re not holding a royal flush, there are still high cards you can play. That’s where Mint steps in.

We're launching ‘Mark My Worth’, a special series designed to help you navigate this moment with clarity and confidence. Whether you're gearing up for your first review, managing a team, or leading an entire function, we’ve got timely advice to help you stand out—even when the room feels crowded.

Expect tips on how to highlight your achievements without sounding like you're bragging, insights for managers on retaining top performers without inflating the budget, and strategies for handling the inevitable team shifts post-increment season.

This series is your playbook for turning uncertainty into opportunity. Let’s help you prepare smarter, communicate better, and show up stronger.

Read the stories in our special series here:

Part 1: Appraisal and the art of Atmanirbhar Branding

Part 2: Rulebook on how to choose one high performer over another and retain both

Part 3: How to deal with the dreaded Meets Expectations rating

Part 4: With a productivity uptick, it’s time to ask for that promotion

On to the best of Mint’s work from his week. 

Heatwave hits factory floors

Scorching temperatures are burning a hole in India’s manufacturing output. Experts warn that May could see production loss of up to 15%, especially in heat-intensive sectors such as engineering goods, steel and plastics. The blistering heat is making workers less efficient and disrupting factory operations, and could even delay exports. “Units using furnaces and boilers are facing serious productivity and safety issues,” said EEPC chairman Arun Garodia. With temperatures soaring past 47°C in parts of India, the absence of climate-controlled workspaces is making matters worse. Read more.

Cognizant flags GCCs as rising rival

Cognizant has officially acknowledged what many in the IT world have quietly feared—global captive centres (GCCs) are no longer just support hubs; they’re real competition. In its latest annual report, Cognizant flagged GCCs as a potential risk, citing their ability to offer lower-cost tech services and even lure away talent. With over 1,700 such centres now operating in India—from giants such as Amazon to JP Morgan—GCCs are transforming into strategic innovation engines. Cognizant, which once viewed them as a threat, now calls them a growth priority, and is even partnering with some. Read more.

Centre mulls rebid amid Gensol woes

The Centre is reviewing all green energy contracts awarded to Gensol Engineering following SEBI's allegations of fund diversion and forgery against the Jaggi-led firm. With over ₹7,000 crore in orders—many from PSUs like NTPC and DVC—the government may consider rebidding critical solar and battery storage EPC projects if timely execution appears at risk. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is monitoring the situation, aiming to safeguard ₹1,000 crore-plus exposure from state financiers like IREDA and PFC. Meanwhile, PFC has lodged a police complaint over forged documents and is weighing legal recovery routes. Read more.

Adani’s Navi Mumbai township

Adani Realty is gearing up to launch its largest-ever township project across 1,000 to 1,100 acres in Navi Mumbai’s Panvel—nearly double the size of its Dharavi redevelopment. Anchored by the soon-to-open Navi Mumbai airport, the ₹10,000 crore mixed-use development, dubbed ‘Adani Panvel’, is inspired by its landmark Shantigram project in Ahmedabad. With a decade-long buildout plan, the company is currently finalising the product mix and launch timing, likely after the airport's inauguration. Infrastructure around the site is also being ramped up, including a key exit road. Adani’s real estate footprint has grown rapidly across MMR, Pune, NCR, and Ahmedabad, with over 200 million sq ft under development and strategic acquisitions. Read more.

From stethoscope to STEM

In 2022, a class 9 Gurugram student approached Namrata Pandey of La Mentoraa to pursue medicine in the US. But a doctor-shadowing stint in class 10 changed everything—exposure to real-world clinical work made her rethink life in scrubs. With Pandey’s mentorship, she pivoted towards biomedical research, eventually bagging a spot at Johns Hopkins University for biomedical engineering. Pandey, whose Delhi-based firm has helped 500+ students crack top global universities, is part of a booming industry of profile-building mentors like Athena, Lumiere and Revadmissions. With over 750,000 Indian students studying abroad, profile strategists are becoming essential to ride the FOMO wave of parents and students eyeing elite global campuses. Read more.

Young collectors redraw India’s art market

Indian art is witnessing a historic boom, as blockbuster auctions in New York and Mumbai rake in over ₹220 crore. M.F. Husain’s Gram Yatra shattered records at Christie’s with a ₹118 crore sale, followed by Tyeb Mehta’s Trussed Bull at ₹61.8 crore and Jagdish Swaminathan’s Homage to Solzhenitsyn at ₹39 crore. But beyond the big numbers lies a generational shift—young, digital-savvy collectors are stepping up, treating art as both culture and capital. With names like Jitish Kallat and Bharti Kher rising alongside modern masters, India’s art market has doubled since 2020. Read more.

Apple’s billion-dollar bite

Apple is set to nearly double its India revenue to $15 billion by FY26—up from $7.9 billion in FY24—driven by booming iPhone sales and a broader push into the enterprise and premium consumer segments. Analysts project a steady 30% annual growth over the next five years as Apple inches closer to becoming one of India’s top five smartphone brands. Over 15 million iPhones are expected to be sold in India this year, and the company is also expanding its Mac, iPad, and AirPods footprint. With India’s premium smartphone base projected to surge past 120 million by 2028, Apple’s tightly integrated product ecosystem is turning one-time buyers into lifelong users. Read more.

Trouble in paradise

Following a deadly terror attack in Kashmir that killed at least 26 and injured 12, tourist cancellations have surged, slashing hotel and houseboat occupancy rates from 80% to as low as 10-20%. The fallout has left the region’s tourism-dependent economy reeling, with travel operators, hoteliers, and local businesses facing mass cancellations, drying up fresh bookings, and mounting financial uncertainty. While agencies expect the shock to fade in a few weeks, the timing, just as tourism regained momentum, has left many fearing deeper, longer-term damage to livelihoods. Read more. 

Quick commerce, slow returns

India’s booming quick commerce sector—once the darling of investors—is now facing a reality check. Despite the e-retail market surpassing the US in size, stocks like Zomato (now Eternal) and Swiggy have slumped over 20% and 40% this year amid rising losses, intensifying competition, and slowing food delivery growth. As platforms burn cash to expand dark stores, analysts are tempering their expectations, shifting focus from hype to fundamentals and warning investors against chasing momentum too late. Read more. 

Wipro’s AI push

Wipro is quietly transforming its factories with AI, using smart systems to predict machine failures, cut defects, and boost efficiency without cutting jobs. At its Jaipur plant, AI tools spot defects, prevent tool breakage, and even shut machines if key steps are missed. Engineers now focus on oversight and analysis, taking on roles that didn’t exist five years ago. While Wipro eyes fully automated “dark factories”, it stresses that humans will stay central to decision-making. Read more. 

That’s all for this week!

If you have any feedback, want to talk about food, or have anything else to say about our journalism, write to me at siddharth.sharma1@htdigital.in or reply to this mail. You can also write to feedback@livemint.com.

Best,

Siddharth Sharma