Micky Das (Baba)

Free Spirit

[Manash Pratim Saikia @manassaikia]

Check out my latest article: The Great Workplace Shift: 2010s vs. 2020s vs. 2030s https://t.co/V7Fmfnn09p via @LinkedIn

[Prithvi @Prithvi10_]

So Stokes wraps up a test win inside 3 days, breaks team protocol, parties all night in the bar, gets into a fight, gets dropped for 1 test, comes back & breaks the opening partnership of 300, bowls 20+ overs, takes 4 wkts with best eco. Sums up his entire career in 5 lines.

[Kunal Shah @kunalb11]

It’s been a minute.

2015–2018
- Exited FreeCharge. Spent time learning and investing.
- Pondered about: Why can't trust be rewarded? Started with $1M of personal capital.
- Launched CRED to reward people for paying credit card bills on time.

2019–2025
- Built a system run by a team that values ownership, judgment, and craft.
- Grew from 0 to 17M members by aligning incentives with behaviour.
- Built several products during COVID lockdowns.
- Raised $900M+ from global investors. Did 4 ESOP buybacks.
- Made Indiranagar and IPL ads slightly more interesting.
- Received a full stack of regulatory licences.
- Lost 35 kilos.
- Scaled from 0 to ~$325M ( ~₹3,200 crore) in annual revenue across payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth, and credit cards.
2026
- First profitable quarter (yet occasionally asked what our business model is)
- Raised another $900M from Meta in primary and secondary capital.
- Announcing our 5th ESOP buyback.

Today

CRED is ready for its next phase. I am stepping back and @miten steps in as interim CEO, partnered with an incredibly talented team. He has been heading strategy and finance and suffering me since 2020. I’m stepping away from the operating role and will continue as a shareholder. My commitment doesn’t change. Just the role.

Extremely grateful to our members, partners, regulators, and investors who made this possible. And to our board, Shailendra, Micky, Saurabh for their extraordinary conviction.

Team CRED, I’ll still expect you to be a 10x version of yourselves.

As for me, I’ll be joining Meta to lead WhatsApp globally.

Meta comes in as a minority investor in CRED. No access to member data.

While it’s come very far, the delta between WhatsApp today and its full potential is massive. I look forward to working with Mark, Chris, and the leadership across Meta for the next step in WhatsApp’s journey. Will, thank you for scaling something the world relies on quietly, and for making this transition smooth.

Onwards.

[Virat Kohli @imVkohli]

From an opponent to a friend over the years. It’s been a pleasure watching you bat and compete against you over so many years but more than that I value our friendship and shared perspectives on the game and beyond. I continue to cherish every time we speak or meet. Wishing you nothing but the best always brother. You’ve done your bit, you deserve to enjoy all of it now and put your feet up. Well done mate, life’s only just begun. ❤️ #KaneWilliamson

[OldMonkofCricket @OldMonkOfCric]

This is what peak sportsmanship looks like 😂

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@manassaikia @instagram You have always been a responsible user
@instagram resolve this asap

[Sreshth Shah @sreshthx]

There is a Manish Pandey story I’ve shared with almost nobody.

In 2018, during India’s T20I series against West Indies, the team had a short mid-series break for Diwali. I happened to be on the same flight back - Lucknow to Bangalore - as Manish Pandey.

He was seated one row ahead of me, alone, headphones on, quiet through the journey. He hadn’t featured in the series at all till then. Beside him sat an elderly lady.

When the flight landed, we all got off and headed towards the baggage carousel. I walked past Manish at one point, wished him luck for the games ahead, and carried on.

A little later, I noticed the elderly lady looking worried. Her phone had switched off and she was trying to contact her daughter, who was waiting outside the airport to pick her up. She tapped Manish on the shoulder, unaware who he was. He immediately took off his headphones, listened carefully, and without a second thought handed over his own phone so she could make the call.

Once the call was done, Manish ensured she had collected her luggage and he walked out of the airport with her, parting ways only after seeing the lady spot her daughter.

I still remember standing there watching it unfold quietly from behind. It’s not some grand story. But this one always stayed with me.

Today feels like a good day to share it.

[Deepak Shenoy @deepakshenoy]

RBI tells banks to reduce net open positions for INR down to $100m.

Banks had perhaps been betting recently on RBI doing dollar swaps to take out their excess dollar positions (RBI buys dollars from them for a three year swap at relatively low interest rates effectively)

RBI has done a few of these swaps recently. RBI sells dollars to meet demand in the market, but banks had possibly been buying for more than their client requirements, in order to eventually push RBI into another swap that would then give them rupees at relatively low interest rates (Even lower than repo, for a long term!)

The last swap in Feb was at Rs. 7.51, which even at Rs. 90 or 92 is less than 2.5% per year. Just saying.

So if banks have a net open dollar position of a huge amount, and RBI does a swap, the bank gets the dollars back in 3 years, and rupees for the exchange that they pay less than 2.5% for the rupees. The bet turns very sour if the USDINR drops in three years, but the RBI in the last five years has fought off every rise in the rupee by buying dollars so it's an easy bet to take.

The downside of a swap is that it introduces more rupee liquidity now at a time when inflation is likely to be higher, and is not useful (a better way to add rupee liquidity is for RBI to buy government bonds)

RBI has recognised this, I think, and told banks to limit net open positions in the USD to $100m. That may not change any thing for FII selling in stocks, but it does curb banks from betting big on an RBI swap since $100m per bank doesn't move the needle too much. (The last swap was for $10bn)

While the rupee may recover on Monday somewhat, I don't think that's going to last too long, unless it causes other NDF positions in the offshore market to unwind and cause a cascade. It's going to be an interesting time, because actual client demand (through FII selling) is also very high and that is unaffected by this RBI notification.

I'm speculating here, because I don't know the bank net open positions (and RBI does). But its a very good way to temporarily soothe trading pressure on the rupee.

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@manassaikia 💯

[Johns. @CricCrazyJohns]

CSK HAS COOKED 😍

- Absolute banger for the Jersey reveal with MS Dhoni.

The Concept of Coolie movie Hostel 😂🔥 https://t.co/44941jamfK

[DP SATISH @dp_satish]

Among all Karnataka Cricketers of the 1990s, Sunil Joshi stands out. His journey was the most difficult. Travelling from Gadag to Hubli everyday to practice Cricket was a huge challenge. Making it to Bengaluru -centric Karnataka team and later to team India was no mean feat. His tears at the naming ceremony of the pavilion block at the KSCA stadium in Hubli after Sunil Joshi reflected his struggle. A fine man, Sunil Joshi has earned it. Congratulations Anna! @SunilJoshi_Spin @JioHotstar

[Nishant Bhardwaj @Nishant_Bliss]

Most of what we call “podcasting” in India is not actually podcasting.

Raj Shamani and Ranveer Allhabadia are not podcasters, they run a promotion, marketing channel.

Bringing a guest on a couch, asking surface-level questions, and nodding in agreement to everything they say is not a podcast.

That is promotional content with good lighting.

A real podcast demands 3 things:

1. Preparation

2. Domain understanding

3. Intellectual pushback

If you look at conversations by people like Joe Rogan or Lex Fridman, you’ll notice something very different. They do homework. They challenge ideas. They ask uncomfortable follow-ups. They disagree respectfully. They explore depth, not just headlines.

A podcast is not supposed to be a PR exercise.

It is supposed to be a battle of ideas.

A cross-examination of thoughts.

A genuine exchange of perspectives.

When the host agrees with every single statement, the conversation dies. There is no friction. And without friction, there is no insight.

India has massive potential for strong, intellectually honest long-form discussions. But we need fewer cheerleaders and more questioners.

Promotion builds visibility.

Interrogation builds credibility.

And credibility is what makes a podcast timeless.

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@ByRakeshSimha She is a champion who has brought laurels for the nation. What have you done till date apart from filling your pockets?

[Mrinal Talukdar @mrinaltalukdar8]

Come to Tinsukia station any evening and watch the Vivek Express—not just departing for Kanyakumari, but quietly telling a larger story: Assam steadily becoming one of the country’s biggest suppliers of migrant labour.

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@cricbuzz Ravi Shastri

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@Longevity_EDU Cookbook

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@rishibagree W.G Grace

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@joinditto @Nithin0dha @ShrehithK Check DM

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

@joinditto @ShrehithK Check DM

[Micky Das (Baba) @mickydas23]

Disappointed with my recent experience with @joinditto. Advisor had zero knowledge about my mother’s health policy portability & renewal. No callback till I followed up. Today’s call was still unprepared—more interested in selling than helping. Expected better guidance @ShrehithK