Anant V. Goel, Founder, Handpickd

Let's trace what actually happens to a tomato between the farm and your kitchen.

First, a local aggregator picks it up, usually a day late because he's waiting to fill his truck. It travels to the APMC mandi, sits in an open yard, and gets auctioned. The commission agent takes a cut. Wholesaler buys it, shifts it to a regional hub. The sub-distributor picks it up. It moves to a warehouse, then a kirana stockist, and finally hits a retail shelf where it sits for another two to three days before you buy it.

That is six to seven hands, six to seven markups, and six to seven opportunities for a tomato to lose its soul let alone freshness. Every single node in that chain passes its inefficiency straight to your wallet. It's why tomatoes are up 36% year-on-year and cauliflower is up 34%. India wastes Rs 1.52 lakh crore worth of produce inside this broken loop every single year, not on the farms, but just in the middle.

Here is the truth no one talks about: the Indian consumer never stopped wanting fresh. They were just perpetually gaslit by the grocery industry. They'd buy vegetables that looked fine under supermarket lights, only to watch them wilt by the next morning. They accepted it because they had no choice.

At Handpickd, we didn't just see a supply chain disaster, we saw a massive market opportunity, a $100 bn one. The moment we gave people produce that was actually fresh harvested overnight and delivered the next morning. They just came back for the quality agnostic of the price. The Indian consumer was never choosing convenience over quality; they were choosing convenience because real quality wasn't on the menu. The willingness to pay for true freshness was always there; it just needed a robust and efficient delivery mechanism.

This is exactly why I'm not losing sleep over what's coming next.

Yes, fuel costs will rise. Labor will get tighter. Food inflation is a stubborn reality, the RBI is projecting it at 4.6% through FY27, and geopolitical tensions are already bloating logistics costs. These headwinds will hit everyone. But they won't hit Handpickd the way they hit the legacy players.

Why? Because we collapsed those six nodes down to one. We don't have six margins to protect or six cold-breaks to manage. Our supply chain is lean by design, not by accident. When input costs spike, we have the structural room to absorb the shockwaves. We can hold the line on price without sacrificing the one thing we exist for: freshness!"

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Laxmi Dental stock surged nearly 30% in past 1 week, driven by strong investor confidence following its latest quarterly results. The rally comes on the back of a robust Q4 and FY26 performance, with the company reporting its highest-ever quarterly revenue, improved profitability, and healthy margin expansion despite tariff-related pressures and broader macroeconomic headwinds. Strong execution across the dental laboratory business, recovery in the clear aligner segment, and continued traction in digital dentistry further supported sentiment. With broad-based growth across key business segments and improving operational momentum, Laxmi Dental appears well positioned to sustain its growth trajectory.

Headsup B2B, a one-stop pan-India procurement and supply chain platform serving the infrastructure, industrial and renewable energy sectors, is targeting Rs 400 crore in revenue this fiscal year, building on over 2,200 transactions worth Rs 250 crore executed in the previous financial year. While allied infrastructure services accounted for nearly 80% of revenue during that period, renewable energy, industrial automation and road safety solutions have emerged as the fastest-growing categories, driving the company's next phase of expansion. Infrastructure and industrial projects in India typically involve multiple suppliers and service partners across different stages, which can lead to coordination gaps and delays. 

The initiative is aimed at helping customers manage sourcing and on-ground execution through a more integrated operating model, reducing reliance on multiple vendors and service providers across projects. It builds on the company's presence in procurement-led infrastructure categories, where customer requirements often extend beyond sourcing into installation, deployment, and project execution. 

Commenting on the development, Sumit Kumar, Founder & Director, Headsup B2B, said, "Over the past year, we have seen customers seek support not only for procurement, but also for execution-related requirements linked to infrastructure projects. Since we already operate in these categories, this expansion allows us to extend our role in areas where customer requirements continue after sourcing is completed."

The five publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in India collectively distributed over Rs. 2,566 crores to more than 4.25 lakh unitholders during the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2026. For the full financial year 2025-26, the cumulative distribution by these REITs exceeded Rs 8,900 crores. The five listed REITs are Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Knowledge Realty Trust, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, and Nexus Select Trust. 

As of Q4 FY26, the total gross asset value of the Indian REIT market stood at over Rs. 2,72,000 crores. The combined market capitalisation of the REIT sector stood at over Rs 1,70,000 crores as of May 22, 2026.

Together, these five REITs manage a portfolio spanning over 187 million square feet of Grade A office and retail real estate across India. Since inception, they have cumulatively distributed over Rs 31,700 crore to unitholders, underlining their growing significance within India's capital markets ecosystem.

Pramatra Space, a Bengaluru-based quantum security venture, has raised an undisclosed pre-seed funding round led by Seafund Ventures. The round also saw participation from Rebalance, Magnivia Ventures with their partner Peaceful Progress Fund,  and from notable angel investors such as Awais Ahmed, Founder of Pixxel Space. Early investors include Techstars (US), Neel Mehta (Founder of Roh Ventures), Raghunath Das (Co-Founder of Almagest Space), and Bhavya Doshi (Director at KRISS Portfolio), with other angel investors.

Founded in 2023 by Richa Hukumchand and Vinay Hukumchand, Bengaluru-based Pramatra Space is on a mission to make enterprises quantum-resilient before Q-Day.  Pramatra Space is building hybrid satellite & terrestrial systems for global quantum-secure communications. Its technologies use Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to securely generate and distribute encryption keys for data centres and space infrastructure, acting as an additional security layer to prepare enterprises against evolving cyber threats. 

They have achieved a key technical milestone of validation and testing their proprietary photonics integrated circuit (PIC) chip for quantum entanglement-based QKD at IIT Madras. The company has booked an in-orbit demonstration mission for its payload in partnership with a satellite bus manufacturer for 2027. The capital raised will be deployed to advance the PIC chip toward flight qualification and accelerate product development.

Just as India doubles down on manufacturing, China has tightened its grip on the very supply chains that power those factories. Read full report here

NeuroRank, the patent-pending AI visibility intelligence platform from Pulp Strategy Communications, today opens to the public as a SaaS platform, making continuous, governed AI visibility available to brands of every size through its Model Preference Engineering subscription, from $225 a month

Search is no longer the only front door to a brand. AI search engines and AI summaries on results pages are taking a bite out of clickthrough traffic. Gartner predicts traditional search volume will drop 25% by 2026, and Bain's research finds that 80% of consumers rely on these "zero-click" results at least 40% of the time. Brands will need to rethink their marketing strategies to avoid falling behind in this new era of search. Yet most brands cannot see how these models describe them, cannot tell why they are omitted or misrepresented, and have had no system to fix it. NeuroRank exists to close that gap.

Persistent Systems (BSE: 533179 and NSE: PERSISTENT), a global Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization leader and Kong, a leading developer of API and AI connectivity, today announced a strategic partnership to help enterprises implement the control layer required to scale AI securely and reliably. Persistent is uniquely positioned as Kong's global systems integration partner, combining its engineering-led approach with Kong's unified API and AI connectivity platform to simplify integration, strengthen governance and accelerate enterprise AI adoption.

As enterprises move from AI experimentation to production, the challenge is no longer access to models. It is how AI systems are connected, governed and operated at scale. APIs, data pipelines, models and agents are converging into a single operational fabric. Without a unified control layer, this fabric becomes fragmented, difficult to govern and increasingly complex to scale.

This partnership addresses that gap by enabling enterprises to implement Kong's governed, scalable connectivity layer across APIs, data and AI services. Together, Persistent and Kong will enable organizations to modernize legacy API environments, strengthen governance and reduce operational costs, while supporting high-performance workloads seamlessly across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Petrol, Diesel Price Today: States that need more revenue keep fuel taxes higher as fuel remains one of the most reliable source of tax collection. Read full report here

CoinSwitch, India's largest crypto trading and investing platform with over 2.5 crore users, today published the sixth edition of its Proof of Reserves (POR) , reinforcing its long-standing commitment to transparency, liquidity discipline, and customer asset protection. 

The independently reviewed assessment confirms that CoinSwitch's combined VDA (crypto) and INR reserves continue to substantially exceed total customer holdings on the platform every year. As of March 31, 2026, CoinSwitch held total reserves worth Rs 2,360.33 crore against customer holdings of Rs 1,747.25 crore, representing a reserve surplus of Rs 613.08 crore.

The latest disclosure reaffirms that CoinSwitch not only maintains a reserve ratio of 1:1, but higher across customer crypto and INR balances, ensuring users have full access to withdraw their assets at all times.

The report also highlights CoinSwitch's strong liquidity position on fiat balances. User INR holdings of Rs 73.83 crore are backed by Rs 219.75 crore held across designated banking and payment partner accounts, translating to a 2.97X fiat coverage ratio.

"Trust in crypto is not declared, it is demonstrated through consistent transparency and disciplined risk management," said Ashish Singhal, Co-founder, CoinSwitch "As global standards evolve, users are demanding greater clarity on how platforms safeguard assets and manage liquidity, especially during volatile market conditions."

Most conversations in the workplace about women tend to centre around representation. This means creating opportunities to recognise the different roles women carry on a daily basis and to celebrate their achievements. However, when it comes to women in technology, one important conversation is consistently missing: "What happens after motherhood?".

For many women, the technology industry remains one of the most fast-paced, demanding and challenging industries to navigate, and continues to be among the most underrepresented for women across levels. Childbirth and motherhood often become a moment of assessment, of the profession, of the workplace, and of one's own ambitions. Women must navigate career breaks, new responsibilities, and the invisible pressure on their perceived level of commitment.

It is within this context that Flipkart Commerce Cloud's #MoreThanBefore campaign https://youtu.be/HE94WNaEixI?si=Qub32q3Egp7rGEY3 feels timely and necessary. Rather than defaulting to celebratory narratives, it makes space for a more honest and real conversation about motherhood and the professional journey.

#MoreThanBefore moves away from traditional advertising tropes, emotional manipulation, staged moments, polished testimonials, to create a genuine space for women in tech to share the reality of their experiences. The women in the film come together in the workplace to talk about how becoming a mother changed both their personal lives and their professional identities.

The conversation moves away from scripted lines and dramatic frameworks to address something far more fundamental: meaningful and honest conversations at the workplace. Because there is an invisible transformation that every woman undergoes when she becomes a mother. Societal norms and workplace stigma have long suggested that this transformation comes at the cost of ambition, that mothers must sacrifice their career dreams to fulfil their new role. This campaign challenges that assumption directly.

For many women, becoming a mother does not mean becoming less ambitious. Instead, it provides a foundation for personal and professional growth.

TEXMiN Foundation (Technology Translation Research Park, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India), Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad,  and Joint Stock Company "State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry" (GIREDMET, JSC), Moscow, Russia, have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in rare earth permanent magnet technologies, critical minerals, and advanced metallurgical research during the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Related Technologies (RAREMET-2026) being held in Moscow, Russia.

The Statement of Intent marks the next strategic milestone following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between TEXMiN and GIREDMET on February 06, 2026, during the Industry-Institute Interaction 2026 (III-2026) Conclave and Exhibition organised at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The collaboration reflects a growing India-Russia partnership in critical mineral technologies, rare earth value chains, and advanced materials research aligned with long-term industrial and strategic priorities.

RAREMET-2026, organised by GIREDMET under ROSATOM, is regarded as one of the largest international forums in Russia dedicated to rare metals, rare earth materials, advanced technologies, and sustainable industrial development. The congress has brought together nearly 1,000 professionals, including leading scientists, technologists, government representatives, mining and metallurgical experts, and industry stakeholders from across more than 20 countries to deliberate on the future of global rare metal and critical mineral ecosystems.

Under the newly signed Statement of Intent, TEXMiN and GIREDMET will collaborate on joint research, development, pilot validation, and technology translation related to NdFeB rare-earth permanent magnet technologies. The proposed collaboration includes joint R&D on NdFeB alloy preparation, sintering, and high-coercivity magnet processing covering the full rare-earth metallurgy cycle, alongside pilot-scale validation of GIREDMET technologies at TEXMiN's Technology Translation Research Park (TTRP) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

Laxmi Dental reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue of INR 73.95 Cr in Q4FY26, reflecting a strong 21.9% YoY growth, while FY26 revenue grew by 16.2% YoY. The company also reported healthy EBITDA and PAT margins of 18.3% and 13.6%, respectively.

As of 11:00 AM, the Nifty50 was up 258.60 points or 1.09 per cent at 23,974.95, and the Sensex rose 904.13 points or 1.20 per cent to 76,319.48.

RBI has accorded its approval for the appointment of Elias George, Independent Director, as Part-Time Chairman of the Bank for a period of three years with effect from the date of taking charge. Elias George took charge as Part Time Chairman of the Bank with effect from May 23, 2026. Elias George is not related to any other Director or Key Managerial Personnel of the Bank.

The Thesis

InvestorAi enters Monday with a barbell: defensive healthcare and pharma against cyclical metals, PSU commodities, and a high-conviction NBFC bet. With GIFT Nifty pointing to a constructive open near 23,970 and Wall Street setting fresh records into the weekend, the tape is supportive - but the book tilts defensive, positioned for $103 Brent, FII flight (−₹27,788 cr in May), and a Standard Chartered call that RBI may begin hiking as early as June.

Where We're Concentrated

The heaviest cluster is the commodity-inflation complex - PSU energy, fertilizers, base metals - which thrives if crude stays elevated and the rupee weakens. The second cluster is healthcare as geopolitical ballast. The thesis breaks if Iran talks succeed this week, crude drops below $95, and the inflation hedge unwinds into a rate-cut narrative.

Conviction Picks

HIGHEST CONVICTION

Sammaan Capital

Top of the book - an NBFC bet that runs against the macro grain, signaling confidence that credit growth survives any RBI hawkishness.

DEFENSIVE ANCHOR

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals

Currency-tailwind and recession-proof - the cleanest geopolitical hedge in the book amid US-Iran tension.

Hindalco Industries

Aluminum-led commodity proxy - benefits from sticky global metal prices and a softer rupee.

Maruti Suzuki

Pre-festive consumption read - a tactical rate-sensitive that wins if RBI's hawkishness proves measured.

REC Ltd

PSU financier of India's capex cycle - aligns with the domestic growth story even as FIIs continue to exit.

One Thing to Watch

Brent at $108. A break above forces RBI's June move toward a 50 bps trajectory and powers the commodity/PSU complex; a drop below $95 on Iran de-escalation unwinds the inflation trade and rotates leadership into consumption and rate-sensitives.

Electronics Mart India Limited, one of the largest electronics retailer in India has announced its Audited Financial Results for the quarter and year ended 31st March 2026. 

Key Highlights for Q4 FY26

•Revenue from Operation stood at Rs. 1,913 crores, a growth of 15% Y-o-Y

•Gross Profit stood at Rs. 282 crores, a growth of 15% Y-o-Y; with GP Margins at 14.8%

•EBITDA stood at Rs. 129 crores, a growth of 20% Y-o-Y; with EBITDA Margins at 6.7%

•Profit After Tax stood at Rs. 40 crores, a growth of 49% Y-o-Y

•Same Store Sales Growth of 12.1%

•Product Mix: Mobiles 45%; Large Appliances 42%; Small Appliances, IT & Others 13%

Key Highlights for FY26

•Revenue from Operation stood at Rs. 7,183 crores, a growth of 7% Y-o-Y

•Gross Profit stood at Rs. 1,037 crores, a growth of 4% Y-o-Y; with GP Margins at 14.4%

•EBITDA stood at Rs. 438 crores; with EBITDA Margins at 6.1%

•Profit After Tax stood at Rs. 107 crores

•Same Store Sales Growth of 5.3%

•Product Mix: Mobiles 44%; Large Appliances 43%; Small Appliances, IT & Others 13%

•Cash Flow from Operations (Pre IND-AS) stood at Rs. 299 crores

BTC's pullback to nearly $74.5K reflected a mix of geopolitical stress and hawkish Fed concerns. The sentiments improved after reports of progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks, including a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, helping BTC rebound toward $77K. Still, the deal is not finalized, so traders are not fully risk-on yet. Exchange data also remains a watchpoint, with 18,528 BTC moving net into centralized exchanges, suggesting potential sell-side pressure. If geopolitical risk continues to ease, US markets may open stronger today.

Vineet Agrawal, co-founder of Jiraaf

"Indian bond markets remained cautious this week, with the 10-year g-sec yield continuing to trade at elevated levels above 7% amid persistent global inflation concerns and geopolitical uncertainty. Rising crude oil prices following the prolonged Iran-US tensions have kept markets worried about imported inflation risks, limiting the scope for aggressive monetary easing globally. The sharp rise in US Treasury yields, with the US 10-year staying above 4.5%, has also weighed on emerging market debt sentiment, including India. Despite stable domestic liquidity conditions, investors remain cautious as higher global yields and energy prices continue to pressure bond markets. For now, the Indian yield curve suggests that markets expect rates to remain higher for longer, with traders closely watching crude prices, US Federal Reserve commentary, and domestic inflation trends for further direction."

For oil companies to fully recover past losses, petrol, diesel prices in India would theoretically need to rise by another Rs 28 to Rs 33 per litre. Read full report here

Harish Vatnani, Head of Trade, ZebPay

After tumbling nearly 4% late Friday amid heightened geopolitical tensions and heavy liquidations across the crypto market, Bitcoin (BTC) staged a sharp rebound over the weekend after President Trump signaled that a peace agreement involving Iran and several Middle Eastern nations was nearing completion. The easing of tensions lifted global risk sentiment, helping BTC recover above $77K after briefly slipping toward the $74K zone. Traditional markets also reacted positively, with U.S. equity futures turning green and risk assets seeing renewed buying interest. Meanwhile, oil prices retreated as fears of supply disruption in the Middle East eased, reducing pressure on inflation-sensitive markets and further supporting the recovery across crypto and tech stocks.

At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $77,153.

BTC witnessed a decent rally from $65,000 to $82,850 surging almost by 27%. On a weekly time frame, the asset was trading in an uptrend by making a 'Higher High Higher Low' pattern. However, the bulls failed to manage the grip on the asset as it saw some profit booking at higher levels and the price corrected to $74,289. The longer shadow around the $74k indicates buying at these levels. BTC has a strong support zone from $75,000 to $73,000. If it bounces and sustains above the support levels then we can expect the bulls to resume the up move whereas if it breaks the support then the price may further fall and test the $65k levels.

"Bitcoin trades near $77,004, with daily technicals broadly neutral despite moving averages flagging short-term resistance. It moved above the $75,000 level as improving macro sentiment and easing geopolitical concerns supported broader risk appetite across financial markets.

Ethereum is trading near $2,096, with short-term technical indicators showing some pressure. However, stabilizing momentum and continued developments around scaling upgrades, ETF-related interest, and stablecoin adoption keep the focus on Ethereum's broader ecosystem growth.

On the policy front, the proposed CLARITY Act remained in focus as discussions around clearer regulations for digital assets and on-chain financial services continued.

Meanwhile, activity in AI-focused crypto projects remained strong, with growing market attention on ecosystems such as NEAR and Bittensor amid continued development of blockchain-based AI infrastructure."

Stocks in Focus:

TTK Prestige, SKM Egg, Hindalco, NTPC Green, Sun Pharma, Divi's Lab, Torrent Pharma, Minda Corp, JK Cement.

Positive for OMC Stocks:

HPCL, BPCL & IOC may benefit from fuel price hike and falling crude prices.

On Monday, petrol prices were increased by Rs 2.61. Diesel prices were hiked by Rs 2.71. With this, petrol will now cost Rs 102.12 per litre in Delhi. Read full report here

At the close on Friday (May 22), the total market cap of all BSE Sensex companies stood at Rs 4,63,20,108.