Oracle NetSuite identifies India as one of its highest-priority markets, noting that small businesses, particularly outside major metros, are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies to expand domestically and internationally. This adoption is driven by India's young, tech-native population, which is less burdened by legacy systems, allowing smaller firms to compete more effectively with larger enterprises.
Pragya Misra, OpenAI's head of public policy and strategy for India, stated that the next phase of AI will concentrate on driving measurable outcomes rather than mere experiments. She highlighted examples like Cars24 using AI for customer retention and a healthcare company building its CRM with OpenAI's Codex, demonstrating AI's tangible business impact and cost-saving potential. OpenAI aims for artificial general intelligence (AGI) to benefit all humanity by making AI accessible and addressing enterprise concerns like data residency.
Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha stated that evolving architecture and methodologies for safely deploying Artificial Intelligence, coupled with adequate guardrails, are essential to unlock productivity gains. He welcomed the government's upcoming consultation paper on AI regulation, focusing on safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach. Sinha also highlighted AI's role in driving demand for digital infrastructure and Airtel's growth in cybersecurity and fraud prevention.
Preeti Lobana, Google India VP, stated on Wednesday that Google views AI as an "economic equaliser" and a democratic technology. Speaking at Google Cloud Day, she highlighted AI's potential to empower businesses, especially SMEs, in India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. Google has committed USD 15 billion to scale India's digital and AI infrastructure, including an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, to support the IndiaAI Mission.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is set to discuss proposals aimed at transforming the complex indirect tax system into a more business-friendly regime, focusing on simplifying compliance, reducing administrative burdens, and potentially raising the prosecution threshold.
Indian athletes are set for a packed day of competition at the Asian Games, participating in various sports including athletics, boxing, canoe sprint, hockey, kabaddi, rowing, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, and wushu. Several medal events are scheduled in rowing and shooting, with key matches in team sports like hockey and kabaddi.
India's Consul General in Shanghai, Pratik Mathur, extended greetings to Song Hou, Director General of China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC), ahead of his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Business Forum 2026. Discussions focused on B2B, technology, and connectivity ties, aligning with India's BRICS Presidency vision. The forum precedes the 18th BRICS Summit.
Global companies like LG Electronics, Smartworks, Microsoft, and HCL Technologies lauded Uttar Pradesh's investor-friendly policies, infrastructure, and talent at the GCC Innovation Summit 2026. They shared positive experiences, highlighting the state's swift decision-making and commitment to fostering a conducive environment for Global Capability Centres, leading to significant investments and job creation.
India needs to move beyond ease and cost of doing business and focus on the "speed of doing business" as the next leg of reforms to sustain economic growth and private investment, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President R Mukundan said.
Despite recent foreign portfolio outflows, India's long-term investment prospects remain strong, but the return of capital hinges on global financial conditions, relative valuations, and the country's ability to attract sustained foreign investment, according to foreign bankers at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit.
Industry leaders at an AIMA panel discussion emphasised the need for businesses to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and invest in technologies like artificial intelligence to build resilience and achieve long-term growth. They highlighted the current era of uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and rapid regulatory changes, stressing that tactical responses are as crucial as long-term strategy.
Delhi Police have taken stringent measures to prevent the Cockroach Janta Party's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march in Connaught Place, deploying thousands of personnel and citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS due to risks of traffic disruption, stampede, and threats to public safety.
Most of the companies AI models and AI agents targeted had no idea their networks had been breached.
Supporters of the INDIA bloc gathered at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan for a 'Chalo Dilli' protest on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities and 'vote chori'. Senior leaders participated in a march, while extensive security arrangements were made for the large-scale mobilisation.
India's premier education leadership conference, EGN ConnectX India 2026, will be held in Mumbai from November 3. The event will bring together school and university leaders, policymakers, and edtech innovators to discuss the integration of AI in classrooms, future-ready curricula, and skilling initiatives. The conference aims to provide actionable solutions for implementing AI in education, addressing challenges faced by educators.
Microsoft has announced a voluntary exit programme for eligible employees in India, the US, the UK, and Canada, providing financial support and career planning resources to those who choose to leave the company. The offer, available to employees at level 70 and below in participating teams, aims to offer flexibility and allow businesses to adjust their workforce.
The INDIA bloc is making extensive preparations for its November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities. CPI(M) MP John Brittas claims 10 lakh people will attend, despite alleged attempts by authorities to prevent participants from reaching the capital. The rally will be preceded by a symbolic public impeachment of Kumar.
National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chairman Srinivas Injeti stated that post-listing, the exchange's duties as a stock trading marketplace and its responsibilities as a commercial entity will see public interest overriding business interests if the two intersect.
Delhi Police has announced elaborate security and traffic arrangements for the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. Over 4,000 police personnel, along with CAPF companies, will be deployed, with the venue divided into 14 zones and monitored by over 200 CCTV cameras and drones. Traffic diversions are planned, and organisers have been instructed on crowd management and conduct, while local traders express concerns about business disruption.
'India needs to create eight-nine million jobs annually to absorb the growth in the working-age population.' 'Failure to create productive jobs could squander the demographic advantage that we enjoy right now.'
Such is the depth of riches in Indian cricket that Shubman Gill, despite boasting of a good record in T20Is and IPL, finds himself out of contention in India's T20 team.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed an INDIA bloc rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, likening the venue to the "Haldighati of democracy" due to the massive public turnout. He asserted that the BJP, which came to power through Uttar Pradesh, would also be ousted from there, criticising their claims of an unshakeable political stance. Yadav accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls and predicted their defeat in upcoming elections, starting from UP.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that the historic Free Trade Agreement with India, now in effect, will help grow both economies, allowing Kiwi businesses to reach over a billion more customers with significantly reduced tariffs, leading to 'more jobs and higher wages for Kiwis'.
Engagement with neighbours has gathered pace, particularly as the conflict in West Asia has exposed their vulnerability to energy supply disruptions.
'In the past, when the Indian markets have been flat for two years, the next year's returns have ranged between 5 per cent and 55 per cent.'
'The larger lesson for India Inc is that promoter oversight and professional management are not inherently contradictory. The difficulty arises when the boundaries between the two are unclear.'
Akash Ambani is leading Jio Platforms' initial public offering (IPO), set to be India's largest, with a strategy that includes appealing to regional investors and drawing parallels to his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani's historic public listing of Reliance Industries.
State Bank of India (SBI) is developing an innovative solution to assess the creditworthiness of small businesses lacking GST registration by utilising UPI transaction data. This initiative aims to provide end-to-end digital loans within a day, addressing the financial exclusion of many small enterprises.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar outlined the critical factors for the media and entertainment sector's next growth phase, including robust intellectual property, sustainable revenue models, and disciplined investments. Speaking at the CII Big Picture Summit, he emphasised the government's role in fostering an environment for creative enterprises and addressing challenges posed by digital platforms and AI. The CII White Paper also projected a USD 100 billion Indian M&E sector, advocating for stronger IP and regulatory reforms.
'The political leadership is very clear that we have to move towards the integration of the three services into theatre commands.'
RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta stated that India's economic growth momentum remains strong despite various global and domestic shocks, attributing this resilience to a diversified growth base and improved policy responses. She highlighted the economy's 7.8 per cent growth in Q1 and continued momentum into Q2, suggesting potential upgrades to growth forecasts.
India is proposing the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) for AI Training, a national framework designed to enable startups, researchers, and companies to train AI models using data from hospitals, banks, and public agencies while ensuring privacy and security. This initiative aims to unlock significant AI-driven value for India's GDP by 2030.
Legendary Formula One driver and two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen advocates for the sport's return to India, citing its massive fan base and business opportunities.
IBM India and South Asia MD Sandip Patel stated that India is at a defining moment with a unique opportunity to shape exponential technologies like artificial intelligence, emphasizing that "when India builds, it builds for billions," leading to scalable impact. Speaking at the IBM Think 2026 event, Patel highlighted that the AI revolution is still in its early stages, requiring enterprises to redesign their operations around agents, real-time data, automation, hybrid architecture, and trust. He also introduced the concept of "digital swaraj" or sovereignty in the Indian context, stressing the importance of control over operating environments, data, technology, and AI execution. IBM also announced an MoU with MeitY Startup Hub to accelerate India's deep tech innovation and startup ecosystem, providing startups access to IBM's technology expertise and platforms like watsonx and Sovereign Core.
The last major business daily to launch in India was Financial Chronicle in April 2008, preceded by Mint on February 1, 2007.
India opener Sanju Samson discussed the team's strategy of "killing games in the powerplay" after his explosive 67-run knock led India to a record-breaking T20I chase against New Zealand. He highlighted the team's consistent aggressive approach, especially after their 2024 T20 World Cup victory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India this week underscores the complex dynamics of global energy policy, as Washington re-evaluates sanctions on Russian oil buyers amidst India's continued reliance on Russian crude.
'We are ready to help Prime Minister Modi achieve his vision of 100 per cent connectivity throughout India -- a vision all of our company, including Elon, shares,' Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said at the pre-business day of the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.
India's venture capital equity funding for startups has remained largely flat over the past three years, with a slight increase in total funding but a sharp decline in the number of rounds, indicating a concentration of capital in fewer, larger deals, particularly in deeptech and AI sectors.
Amitabh Kant, former NITI Aayog CEO, and PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl express strong confidence in India's potential to become a global golf powerhouse within the next decade. Kant specifically predicts a woman golfer will achieve a breakthrough moment for the country. They highlight India's demographic advantage, rising youth participation, and the need for university-level talent development and private investment in infrastructure to achieve this goal.
