🇮🇳 India Daybook: Varun Beverages Expands African Footprint, Tata Chemicals Unveils £60M UK Investment

📍 ACQUISITIONS & INVESTMENTS

• Varun Beverages: The key PepsiCo bottler announced major cross-border expansion plans, approving the 100% acquisition of SBC Beverages Tanzania Ltd and SBC Beverages Ghana Ltd. The company also moves to acquire the remaining 39.93% stake in Lunarmech Technologies, a packaging closure manufacturer.
• Tata Chemicals: Subsidiary Tata Chemicals Europe (TCEL) approved an investment of £60 million (approx. ₹655 crore) to establish a 180,000-tonne-per-annum pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate manufacturing facility in Northwich, UK.

📍 PARTNERSHIPS & STRATEGIC TIE-UPS

• JSW Group: The conglomerate partnered with US-based defence tech firm Shield AI to manufacture unmanned aerial systems (UAS), backed by a planned $90 million investment in India's defence ecosystem over the next two years.
• Nazara Technologies: Partnered with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to launch an integrated in-game monetization platform aimed at boosting digital commerce within gaming ecosystems.

📍 QUARTERLY EARNINGS

• BSE: The exchange operator posted a strong 187.8% YoY surge in consolidated net profit to ₹346.8 crore for Q2, backed by a 137.3% YoY revenue jump to ₹746.3 crore.
• Nykaa (FSN E-Commerce Ventures): Reported a 71.6% YoY rise in net profit to ₹10.04 crore for Q2, with operating revenue rising 24.4% YoY to ₹1,874.74 crore.
• NBCC (India): Recorded a 53% YoY jump in second-quarter net profit to ₹125.13 crore, supported by revenue advancing to ₹2,525.95 crore.
• Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC): Consolidated net profit fell 3.5% YoY to ₹298.2 crore for Q2, while revenue declined 15.5% YoY to ₹2,635.2 crore.

📍 FUNDRAISING & DEBT DEVELOPMENTS

• State Bank of India: The state-run banking giant is reportedly planning to raise ₹10,000 crore through long-tenor 15-year infrastructure bonds.
• MTNL: The state-run telecom company disclosed a default on debt obligations totaling ₹5,726.29 crore to various lending banks, comprising principal borrowings of ₹5,492 crore and accrued interest.