Of taxes, tariffs, and more takeoffs
Hello from Croatia!
Hello DoorDesi,
This week I am on vacation so I am going to keep this short. There are a few big things that happened this week so I am going to cover those and then let you be while I recover from my fabulous girls’ trip in Croatia.
The last couple of days have been a rude reminder of passport priviledge, an acknowledgment of general priviledge, and the insecurity of being an immigrant. US announced its insane fee for the H1-B visa (next week more on this), the Netherlands saw a violent anti-immigration protest and all this was happening while my friends and I were debating passport priviledge of the Global North after one of us found herself without her Dutch ID in Croatia thus keeping us from traveling to Montenegro, our original destination and a non-Schengen country. We also realised what a privilege it is to even have these problems - ‘Oh we can’t vacation at the place we wanted to so we will have a blast in another picturesque place‘. From that perspective, this has been a weird week.
Being an immigrant, you’re always holding two truths at once: the gratitude for opportunities you’ve gained and the unease of knowing how quickly rules, borders, or politics can flip your life upside down. Sometimes it hits you in a government announcement, sometimes in a protest you read about, and sometimes in a random passport check at a holiday border. This week reminded me that no matter how “settled” you think you are, that sense of impermanence never fully leaves.
With that I leave you to it. Have a great week ahead and stay well. :)
Just the gist
🔗 The downward spiral of the Rupee
I have fallen and can’t get up! The poor rupee has slipped to its worst-ever exchange rate: ₹88.44 against the US dollar. The fall comes courtesy Donald Trump’s 50% tariff on Indian imports, meant to punish Delhi’s oil and arms trade. Gems, jewellery, and other labour-heavy industries are staring at job losses. Investors, meanwhile, have packed up and pulled $11.7 billion out of India’s markets this year.
Exports are wobbling, imports are getting pricier, and companies are scrambling to hedge—basically a giant financial game of Twister that no one’s winning. While neighbours like Indonesia and Thailand are chilling thanks to hopes of a Fed rate cut, India’s currency is sulking in the corner.
➡️ The upward trend of the USD to INR trend has stopped with it going down again since mid-week. You could watch it a little longer or transfer your remittances now.
Say goodbye to India’s four-layer tax lasagna. From September 22, GST 2.0 arrives with just two slabs: 5% for essentials, 18% as the new standard, and a 40% “you really don’t need that” rate for luxury and sin goods.
But what took the crown is that health and life premiums are now fully GST-free! That means long-term policies no longer bleed 18% on tax, making them smarter investments. Electronics like air conditioners will slide from 28% to 18% (hello, slightly cooler summers), and renewables score a boost with cheap components.
➡️ Hold off on buying domestic flights tickets and any other major purchases for your family back home until this Monday. Also, make sure to your parents’/family’s health insurance policies.
I had promised you guys that I would keep you updated about how the Vantara case develops, you know the one where Reliance’s mega animal rehab centre was taken to the Supreme Court on charges of animal abuse, smuggling, and shady finances. You know, the regular roster of rich people stuff.
Well, what do you know the Supreme Court has officially given Vantara a clean chit — and then locked the door on any future complaints. A high-powered SIT (two ex-SC judges, a former police chief, and a taxman) did the rounds, checked the paperwork, and came back with: nope, no smuggling, no dodgy imports, no mistreatment. In fact, the place was found to be basically a five-star resort for animals, with standards that often exceeded Indian and global benchmarks. This report is as good as a teacher giving their favourite student 105/100 because… ‘extra marks for good handwriting’.
➡️ Any national park or nature reserve you travel to in India or elsewhere do your due diligence check on the property. The basics - how do they treat their animals? Is the property on protected land? Do they offer activities with the animals that feel exploitative? Super basic stuff.
Back in 2007, when the Sensex first kissed 20,000, Mumbai realised one airport wasn’t going to cut it. Fast forward through years of land wrangling, mangrove drama, and enough government clearances to kill a forest, Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is finally ready to roll. Yaay!
By 2018, the ₹16,700 crore mega-project entered the high-stakes PPP game. In 2021, Adani Group took the wheel, controlling both Mumbai airports because… crony capitalism and monopoly.
Come September 30, 2025, Phase 1 will open with capacity for 20 million passengers a year. Jobs, cargo, and Navi Mumbai bragging rights incoming.
➡️ From now on, when flying to India via Mumbai, make sure to check which airport you are flying to. The IATA codes of the two airports are: BOM for the old airport and NMI for the new one. Don’t end up at the wrong one.
With love on behalf of two women who cringe at the mention of chai tea latte,
Sudeshna
Co-Founder, DoorDesi 💃
Housekeeping
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