In a move that has sparked renewed debate over the affordability of food delivery, Zomato has reportedly increased its platform fee to ₹14.90 (inclusive of GST) in several key markets. Spotted by users on March 19–20, 2026, the new charge represents a significant jump from the ₹12 base fee seen during the 2025 festive season, marking a nearly 650% increase since the fee was first introduced at ₹2 in August 2023.

The Math Behind the Hike

While a few rupees may seem marginal to the individual consumer, the collective impact on Zomato’s revenue is immense.

• Incremental Revenue: With Zomato processing roughly 2.3 to 2.5 million orders per day, a ₹2.90 increase per order translates to nearly ₹7 crore in additional daily revenue.
• Annual Impact: If sustained across all major cities, this single line-item adjustment could add over ₹2,500 crore to Zomato’s annual adjusted EBITDA.
• The GST Factor: Unlike previous hikes that were often quoted “exclusive of GST,” the current ₹14.90 appears to be a consolidated “all-in” price, aimed at simplifying the checkout screen while still nudging the total higher.

Comparison: The Delivery Duopoly

Zomato’s move keeps it in lockstep with its primary rival, Swiggy, as both companies pivot from aggressive user acquisition to “unit-level profitability.”

Why the Fee Keeps Rising

Industry analysts point to a “triple squeeze” forcing the hands of food-tech giants:

1. Quick Commerce Losses: While Zomato’s core food delivery is profitable, its quick-commerce arm (Blinkit) and Swiggy’s Instamart continue to require heavy subsidies to maintain 10-minute delivery promises.
2. Operational Costs: Rising fuel prices—exacerbated by the Strait of Hormuz blockade—have increased the “delivery partner payout” expectations, forcing platforms to find revenue elsewhere.
3. The “Boiling Frog” Strategy: By raising fees in small, ₹2–₹3 increments every few months, platforms are testing the “price elasticity” of Indian consumers. So far, order volumes have remained largely resilient despite the higher costs.

Consumer Backlash & “Gold” Fatigue

The hike has drawn sharp criticism on social media, particularly from Zomato Gold subscribers. Many users argue that the value of the “Free Delivery” benefit is being eroded by the rising “Platform Fee,” which remains mandatory regardless of membership status.

“I pay for Gold to save on delivery, but now the platform fee plus GST is almost the same as the old delivery charge,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). “It feels like a subscription to pay more.”

In a major digital overhaul aimed at passenger safety and food hygiene, Indian Railways has officially introduced QR code-enabled verification for all onboard catering staff and food packets. Announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha on March 19, 2026, the new system makes it mandatory for every vendor, helper, and supervisor to carry a scannable identity card to prove their authenticity.

The “Double Verification” System

The initiative targets two of the biggest pain points for rail travelers: unauthorized “illegal” hawkers and concerns over the source and freshness of served meals.

1. QR-Enabled Staff IDs

Every authorized vendor now carries a unique QR code on their chest. When scanned by passengers or RPF (Railway Protection Force) officials, the code reveals:

• Identity: Full name and Aadhaar-linked verification.
• Safety Records: Police verification status and medical fitness certification.
• Accountability: Details of the specific catering licensee they represent.

2. Digitally Traceable Food Packets

Gone are the days of “mystery” meals. All food packets served in trains now come with a Traceability QR Code printed on the packaging.

• Origin Tracking: Scannable details show the exact Base Kitchen where the meal was prepared.
• Freshness Check: Displays the Date and Time of Manufacturing to ensure no expired food is served.
• Transparency: Directly links to the kitchen’s FSSAI certification and CCTV monitoring status.

A Crackdown on “Illegal Vending”

Unauthorized vending in passenger areas is a punishable offense under Section 144 of the Railways Act, 1989. Minister Vaishnaw noted that the new digital IDs will make it significantly easier for the RPF to conduct special drives and “weed out” illegal hawkers who often compromise train security and hygiene.

Modernizing the “Rail Kitchen”

The QR rollout is part of a broader Catering Reform 2.0 strategy:

• CCTV in Kitchens: Modern base kitchens are now equipped with cameras to monitor food preparation in real-time.
• Branded Raw Materials: Only shortlisted, branded ingredients (oil, flour, dairy, etc.) are permitted for use.
• Third-Party Audits: Regular sampling and independent hygiene audits are now mandatory for all pantry cars.
• Staff Training: IRCTC has launched specialized training programs focusing on soft skills, personal grooming, and hygienic service standards.

How Passengers Can Use It

Passengers are encouraged to be proactive. If you are unsure about a vendor’s legitimacy or the freshness of your meal, you can use any standard QR scanner (including UPI apps or the dedicated RailConnect app) to verify the details on the spot.

To mitigate the severe economic fallout from the escalating US-Iran conflict, the Government of India officially launched the RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme on March 19, 2026. With an outlay of ₹497 crore, the time-bound intervention aims to provide a financial safety net for exporters struggling with skyrocketing freight costs, insurance premiums, and stranded shipments in the Persian Gulf.

The Triple-Tier Support Structure

The scheme, implemented by the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC), is divided into three strategic components to cover both past disruptions and future risks.

Strategic Interventions & Logistics

Beyond direct financial aid, the Ministry of Commerce has introduced several operational “relaxations” to prevent a total trade collapse:

• Automatic Extensions: Export obligations for Advance Authorisations and EPCG schemes due by May 31, 2026, are automatically extended to August 31, 2026, without any penalty.
• Geographic Focus: The relief specifically covers 17–18 high-risk geographies, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, and Yemen.
• Inter-Ministerial Monitoring: A daily Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has been established, involving the RBI, Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Petroleum, to track cargo movement and resolve “back to town” (returned) shipment issues in real-time.

Why the RELIEF Scheme was Triggered

The move follows a “dual shock” to Indian trade routes after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively militarized:

1. Insurance Withdrawal: Global reinsurers have largely pulled back from the Persian Gulf, forcing Indian exporters to seek state-backed cover.
2. Freight Surcharges: Emergency “War Risk” surcharges have seen freight rates jump by 100% on some routes, hitting MSMEs with limited working capital.
3. Stranded Cargo: Hundreds of containers, particularly perishable goods like bananas and grapes, are currently rotting at ports like Kandla and Mundra due to vessel diversions.

“Domestic Needs First”

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal clarified that while the government is fighting to keep exports flowing, the domestic energy and food supply remains the priority. “If certain businesses are getting limited due to energy needs, our first preference is domestic needs; exports can wait,” he noted during the briefing.

In a significant move to ease the travel experience for millions of subscribers, Reliance Jio has officially enabled free incoming SMS over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) for users traveling internationally. As of March 18, 2026, Jio customers can receive essential text messages, including bank OTPs and login verifications, without needing to purchase an expensive International Roaming (IR) pack.

The “OTP Barrier” Broken

For years, Indian travelers faced a major hurdle: being unable to access UPI, banking apps, or secure logins while abroad without paying for a daily or monthly roaming plan. This update effectively removes that barrier by routing messages over the internet.

• No IR Pack Required: You no longer need to pay the typical ₹499/day or ₹1,499/month packs just to receive a simple 6-digit code.
• Domestic Plan Dependency: The only requirement is that you must have an active domestic base plan (prepaid or postpaid) on your Jio number.
• Network Independence: Since the messages travel over Wi-Fi, the service works even in areas with zero cellular reception, such as basements, remote hotels, or high-altitude cafes.

How to Enable “International Wi-Fi SMS”

The setup is entirely client-side and does not require any manual activation from Jio’s end.

1. Active Plan: Ensure your Jio SIM has a valid domestic recharge.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi: Connect your smartphone to any stable Wi-Fi network (Hotel, Airport, etc.) while abroad.
3. Toggle Settings: Go to your phone’s Settings > Mobile Network > Jio SIM > Wi-Fi Calling and toggle it ON.
4. Prefer Wi-Fi: If your phone allows, set “Wi-Fi Calling Preference” to “Prefer Wi-Fi” to ensure the phone doesn’t try to hunt for expensive local cellular networks.

Critical Use Cases for Travelers

Device Compatibility

Most modern smartphones support VoWiFi. This includes:

• iPhones: All models from the iPhone XS series and later.
• Android: Most mid-range and flagship devices from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Vivo launched after 2022.

Important Limitations

While incoming SMS is now free, it is vital to remember what is not included:

• Outgoing SMS: Sending a text message will still require a valid International Roaming pack or top-up balance.
• Voice Calls: While you can receive calls over Wi-Fi, they are generally charged at ₹1/minute (for calls back to India) depending on your specific plan or IR pack.
• Cellular Data: This feature does not provide free data; you must be connected to an external Wi-Fi source to avoid standard data roaming charges.

As the five-year Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale electronics nears its conclusion on March 31, 2026, Apple Inc. has emerged as the undisputed champion of the initiative. According to government data and industry reports finalized on March 19–20, 2026, Apple’s contract manufacturers have exceeded their cumulative production targets by a staggering 80%, assembling iPhones worth over ₹6.02 lakh crore ($72 billion) since FY22.

The “Staggering” Numbers

The initial target set by the Indian government for Apple’s vendors (Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics) was a cumulative production value of ₹3.35 lakh crore. By crushing this goal, Apple has cemented India’s role as its secondary global manufacturing hub.

• FY26 Peak: In this final financial year alone, production is estimated at ₹2.27 lakh crore, a 24% year-on-year increase from FY25.
• Global Share: India now accounts for 25% (one in every four) of all iPhones produced globally, up from just 10% when the scheme began.
• Export Dominance: Roughly 70% of the iPhones made in India are exported to global markets, with a massive 138% surge in exports to the U.S. this year following new tariffs on Chinese-made electronics.

The “Tata-Foxconn” Engine

The manufacturing surge is powered by five massive facilities—three operated by Tata Electronics (following its acquisitions of Wistron and Pegatron’s operations) and two by Foxconn.

Socio-Economic Impact: “Women Power”

One of the most significant outcomes of the Apple-India pivot has been the large-scale entry of women into the manufacturing workforce.

• 100,000 Women: Nearly 100,000 young women (mostly aged 19–24) are now employed across the five iPhone factories.
• Infrastructure: To support this workforce, the government and private firms have developed nearly 100,000 hostel beds in industrial corridors like Sriperumbudur and Hosur.
• Skilling: Each worker undergoes a specialized six-week training program before joining the high-precision assembly lines.

What Lies Ahead: PLI 2.0

While the original PLI scheme ends this month, the Indian government is already preparing a “revamped” version scheduled to launch on April 1, 2026.

1. Value Addition Focus: The new scheme will shift away from “screwdriver assembly” toward deep component manufacturing, targeting a 35–40% local value addition (up from the current 15–20%).
2. Export Incentives: Higher subsidies will be offered to companies that meet aggressive export and localization tiers.
3. iPhone 17 & Beyond: With the entire iPhone 17 lineup (including Pro models) already successfully manufactured in India, Apple is reportedly testing the waters for MacBook and iPad production in the next phase.

“Apple’s performance reinforces confidence in India as a reliable production base,” noted a Ministry of Electronics (MeitY) official. “The development signals a broader shift, positioning India as a key player in the evolving global supply chain.”

In a high-stakes standoff against global market volatility, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ramped up its currency defense to near-unprecedented levels. As of March 20, 2026, reports indicate the central bank’s net-short dollar position—a key measure of its intervention using forward contracts—is nearing $100 billion. The surge in intervention comes as the Indian Rupee (INR) breached the psychologically critical 93-per-dollar mark for the first time in history today.

The “Black Friday” Breach

The rupee opened at a record low of 92.89 this morning before quickly sliding past 93.00, hitting an intra-day low of 93.16. The decline is being driven by a “perfect storm” of external pressures:

• Energy Shock: Brent crude prices, though cooling slightly to $107/bbl today, had spiked to $119 earlier this week due to attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure.
• Equity Exodus: Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have pulled over $11 billion (₹80,000 crore) from Indian markets in March 2026 alone—the largest monthly outflow since the 2020 pandemic.
• Safe-Haven Demand: The escalating U.S.-Iran conflict has sent investors fleeing to the U.S. Dollar, putting all emerging market currencies on the “slippery slope.”

The RBI’s “Invisible Hand”

The central bank has shifted its strategy, moving beyond simple spot market interventions to a massive deployment of derivatives and offshore NDF (Non-Deliverable Forward) markets.

A Policy Dilemma: To Burn or to Bend?

The RBI’s massive forward book—nearly six times its usual size—is designed to stabilize the rupee without immediately depleting physical forex reserves. However, this “synthetic defense” carries risks:

1. The Maturity Cliff: As these $100 billion in contracts mature, they create a recurring demand for dollars that could keep the rupee under sustained pressure for months.
2. Liquidity Squeeze: Aggressive dollar sales often suck rupee liquidity out of the domestic system, potentially pushing up short-term interest rates.
3. The “92 Pivot”: Analysts note that while the RBI successfully defended the 92-level for weeks, the sheer force of the Hormuz blockade and oil prices has forced a “controlled retreat” to the 93–94 range.

What Experts Are Saying

“Letting the rupee freely absorb shocks is not an option in times of stress when speculative dominance can quickly put the currency on a slippery slope,” Madhavi Arora, Lead Economist at Emkay Global, told Bloomberg.

Market participants are now eyeing the March 31 fiscal year-end, a date when the RBI traditionally intensifies intervention to help corporate balance sheets that are sensitive to dollar-denominated debt.