Reservations, BluSmart, Vitamin D

Welcome to 1947—your sharp, no-nonsense guide to India’s most important news.

It’s April 15. Today: Telangana reshapes reservations, BluSmart calls it quits, and India faces a vitamin D crisis. Plus, job openings at Trilegal, Paytm, Amagi, and more in Who’s Hiring.

Policy, Governance & Regulation

> Telangana Becomes First State to Implement SC Sub-Categorisation
Telangana has become the first Indian state to implement Scheduled Caste sub-categorisation—dividing SCs into three groups to enable “reservation within reservation.” Under the new policy, Group I will get 1% of the 15% SC quota, Group II gets 9%, and Group III gets 5%. The move follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed further sub-classification of SCs and STs to better target benefits for the most disadvantaged castes. (Indian Express)

> Mehul Choksi Arrested in Belgium on India’s Extradition Request
Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi, wanted for defrauding Punjab National Bank of over ₹13,500 crore, has been arrested by Belgian police. Choksi’s lawyer confirmed the arrest and said they will contest both the detention and India’s extradition request. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are being pursued by Indian authorities for their roles in the 2018 scam. (NDTV)

Health & Environment

> 1 in 5 Indians Faces Vitamin D Deficiency Despite Ample Sunlight
A surprising 20% of Indians suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, according to recent health surveys—even though the country gets plenty of sunshine. Experts blame modern indoor lifestyles, pollution, overuse of sunscreen, and general lack of awareness. The deficiency cuts across age and income groups, affecting everyone from schoolchildren to sportspersons. (Times of India)

> Petrol, CNG Two-Wheelers Face Ban in Delhi’s New EV Push
Delhi’s draft EV Policy 2.0 proposes ending registration of petrol and CNG-powered two- and three-wheelers starting August 15, 2025. It aims for 95% of new vehicles to be electric by 2027. Existing CNG autos may lose permit renewal rights, with only EV conversions allowed. The move comes as the city struggles to meet its current 2025 EV target—just 13–14% adoption so far. (Financial Express)

Business

> Middle Class Faces Debt Crisis as Credit Surge Backfires
A surge in retail lending, rising living costs, and aspirational spending have pushed India’s middle class into a personal debt crisis, the FT reports. Retail loans jumped 30% in 2023, fueled by easy credit and consumerism, with household debt hitting 43% of GDP by mid-2024. The RBI has since cracked down on unsecured lending, triggering a pullback by lenders. Economists warn that unless structural reforms follow, India’s ambition to become a developed nation by 2047 could be derailed. (Financial Times)

> Tata Power Signs PPA With NTPC for 200 MW Renewable Project
Tata Power Renewable Energy has signed a deal with NTPC to develop a 200 MW firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) project using solar, wind, and battery storage. Spread across multiple sites and expected to be completed in two years, the project will generate 1,300 million units annually and offset over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. (Economic Times)

> IPL Betting Boom Strains Banks, Fuels a $100B Shadow Economy
Estimates suggest annual gambling demand exceeds $100 billion during the IPL season, much of it channeled through offshore betting sites using crypto and mule accounts. Legal players rely on India’s UPI network, which is buckling under the pressure of real-time in-match transactions. Banks must invest in fraud checks and service reliability, but earn little from these high-velocity transfers. The government subsidizes UPI to keep it free, but outages and regulatory gaps expose the fragile balance between digitization and systemic risk. (Bloomberg)

Tech, Media & Telecom

> Apple Aims to Make 50 Million iPhones in India as China Risks Grow
Sources say Apple is ramping up production in India and Vietnam to hedge against US tariffs and China’s tightening customs checks. With Indian factories already near full capacity, Apple is helping suppliers buy new equipment to boost output. The company aims to produce at least 50 million iPhones in India this year and wants most of the upcoming iPhone model bound for the US to be made there. (Nikkei Asia)

> BluSmart to Shut Ride-Hailing App, Shift Fleet to Uber
Sources say cash-strapped EV ride-hailing startup BluSmart will wind down its own cab-hailing service and shift its fleet to Uber, returning to the fleet partner model it started with six years ago. The transition will begin with 700–800 cars. High monthly cash burn (₹20+ crore) and funding troubles—amid a debt crisis at promoter-linked Gensol Engineering—have prompted the pivot. A recent $50M fundraise attempt also failed to attract investor interest. (Economic Times)

Quick Hits

> India and China have begun talks on resuming direct flights, but no dates have been set yet, officials said, as ties slowly improve post-border tensions.

> India’s polished diamond exports fell 17% to $13.3 billion in FY25—their lowest in nearly 20 years—amid weak demand from the US and China.

> Accel, Prosus, and other VCs are finalizing deals with at least six Indian AI startups—including a $1.5M round for Vaya (AI astrology) and a $4–5M round for August AI (healthtech).

> Optimized Electrotech, a deep-tech imaging surveillance startup, has raised a $6M Series A co-led by Blume Ventures and Mela Ventures.

> Nandan Nilekani said India’s AI future depends on low-cost operations and digital public infrastructure like UPI, which is already using AI for voice payments

Worth a Look

​Entrepreneur Varun Mayya unveils Project 11A—an ambitious, India-set action game that’s already turning heads. The gameplay teaser looks slick.

Who’s Hiring

> Trilegal is hiring a Disputes Lawyer.

> Amagi, which helps broadcast and cable networks with cloud migration, is hiring a Chief of Staff.

> The 1% Club, which is building a socio-finance community, is hiring a Financial Planner.

> Paytm is hiring a Legal Investments (M&A) - General Manager.

> Astellas Pharma is hiring a Digital and Business Compliance Analyst.

Social Spotlight

> An MBA entrance exam coach launches a ChatgGPT-powered personal finance guide.

> An investor shares his experience of interacting with a founder who returned to India from the US to build an AI tool for speech impaired children.

> A visual from The Ken shows how a “Made in India” car is assembled with parts from across the globe.

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