Good morning. Earlybird here, back from foraging for berries and business news, so you don’t have to.

In this edition:

• 🎮️ Tamil Nadu’s total ban on online gaming

• 🥕 AI-powered restaurants

• 🍏 Apple’s major slump in PC shipments

MARKETS

*Stock data as of market close. Source.

• Markets: The Indian stock market had a roller coaster of a day, with the Nifty index ending flat despite volatility. Analysts are eyeing immediate resistance at 17,525-17,550 levels, with hopes that the index will break through and climb higher.

GAMING

Tamil Nadu calls for total ban on online gaming

🎮️ [Sudden record scratch] Tamil Nadu has announced its plan to totally ban online gaming, stating that regulations are not enough to curb the negative impact of these games on society. Here’s the 411:

Why the Ban?

• The government has expressed concerns over the addictive nature of online games and how they are causing a rise in gambling and other illegal activities.

• The state claims that the ban is in the interest of public order and morals, and will help protect young people from the negative effects of gaming addiction.

Butting heads

• Tamil Nadu has already decided to enact the ban and may now face legal conflict with the Central Government.

• The Central government recently released new regulations for online gaming that prohibited any games involving betting (like online poker and rummy as well as fantasy games like Dream 11 and MPL).

• Pro-ban committee member Justice K Chandru countered that regulation was a fruitless endeavor because it wouldn't stop people from playing video games with money traps.

What lies ahead. The Tamil Nadu government's decision to ban online gaming has stirred up a heated debate on whether the ban is necessary or whether regulations are sufficient. It remains to be seen how this move will affect the gaming industry in the short and long term.

FOOD

Specialty Restaurants plans better food with AI

🥕 Specialty Restaurants, known for its popular restaurant chains like Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta, is betting big on artificial intelligence (AI) to boost revenue growth. Here’s how:

AI in the kitchen. Although the bot won’t be doing the cooking, Specialty Restaurants is already in talks with tech partners to help extend product shelf lives and manage supply chains more efficiently with AI.

Refreshments

• In line with this new direction, the company's main brand Mainland China is also set to undergo a redesign, including a new appearance and menu selection.

• The company also intends to utilize its brand equity to transition into FMCG ready-to-eat formats, as well as improve delivery using cloud kitchens and "kitchen within kitchen" setups.

Expanding horizons. Specialty Restaurants is also looking to expand its footprint, while targeting a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore ($134M) It’s current focus is to diversify its offerings and bring new concepts to the table.

INDIA EDITION: WHAT ELSE IS ON THE BIRDWATCH

• 🚗 Tata Motors jumps 8% amid no-chill development plans. Shares of Tata Motors are up over 8% and even hit a 7-month high as the Indian auto giant's EV strategy gained traction. There’s a whole lot going on — the company plans to introduce more than 10 new EV models in the next few years, and also launch its own charging infrastructure.

• 🏢 Godrej reaches sales booking high score. Godrej Properties, the Mumbai-based real estate developer, had a blockbuster year in FY23, posting record sales of Rs. 12,232 crore, up 56% annually.

• 🏍️ 2-wheeler EVs are all the rage. The Indian market for electric 2-wheelers has surged over two and a half times in the past year, with sales reaching 8.46 lakh units in FY23. The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) cited increased awareness and government incentives for the growth.

FUNDING DEALS

Catch up on the Indian funding flows from the past 24hrs:

• JSW One Platforms, a venture arm of JSW Group, has raised $240M in a funding round led by CDPQ and Advent International. The funding will be used to support JSW One's growth plans, which include expanding its digital offerings, investing in technology and talent, and exploring new business models.

• Stylework, a coworking plan management platform, has secured $2M in pre-Series A funding via a round led by Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from other investors. The new $$$ is earmarked to help Stylework expand its operations and reach more customers in the country.

• Celcius, a cold supply chain marketplace, has raised Rs. 100 crore ($13M) in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed India. The company is now more equipped to expand both its team and operations.

WORLD

Headline Explorer

🐦️ Twitter brands the BBC as ‘government-funded’. The BBC is in a Twitter tussle after the social media platform branded it as "government funded media". Needless to say BBC did not care much for that. The public broadcaster, which is primarily funded by UK households via a license fee, has disputed the label, saying that it has always been independent.

🍏 Apple takes majority ouch in global PC slump. Global PC shipments have taken a hit in Q1 2023, according to data from IDC, with Apple bearing the brunt of the decline. The tech giant saw a 40.5% drop in shipments in Q1, the largest of any major PC vendor.

🚘️ Uber-owned Careem now backed for a spinout. Dubai-based ride-hailing company Careem, owned by Uber, is revving up for a spinout after securing a hefty $400 million investment from the UAE's sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala.

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