'A prime hire can have a salary as high as Rs 11 lakh at the entry level and above.'
AI-driven job disruption, rising debt, shrinking savings and a changing global economy are reshaping India's middle class. Saurabh Mukherjea discusses jobs, entrepreneurship, investing and the future of India's economic growth on THE REDIFF PODCAST.
'India is often skipping legacy cycles and moving directly to advanced AI-driven operations.'
India Inc on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a 'structural shift' in the country's technology landscape, noting that the government is moving beyond fragmented pilots to build foundational layers where AI serves as a 'horizontal enabler' for the entire economy.
Analysts predict that developments in West Asia, their impact on crude oil prices, and the trading activity of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) will be crucial factors influencing the Indian stock market this week.
Indian IT leaders are betting big on agentic AI adoption for business growth compared to the leading western market, where focus is on enhancing traditional efficiency, a survey report by technology consultancy firm Thoughtworks said. The company has claimed to cover 3,500 C-suite and senior IT decision makers across seven countries, including 500 in India.
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant decline, primarily driven by a selloff in IT stocks due to concerns about AI disruption and renewed worries over global trade.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast, highlighted India's recent achievements in self-reliance, including the maiden flight of the made-in-India C-295 aircraft and the induction of indigenous naval ships. He also lauded the global participation in International Yoga Day and India's success at the World Yoga Asana Championship, alongside Nalanda University's revival of the 'Shastrarth' tradition.
'What the government is doing would be a drop in the ocean. It has to be matched by investments by industry.'
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi asserts that India and the United States are natural partners, crucial in the geopolitical competition with China. She highlights India's pivotal role as the world's largest democracy with a young, English-speaking population, despite its "chaotic" nature. Nooyi also discusses the need for leaders to understand each other's perspectives to maintain strong bilateral ties.
World champion D Gukesh and Indian star R Praggnanandhaa are set to compete in the Zagreb Rapid and Blitz Tournament, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour. Despite Gukesh's sabbatical from classical chess, he joins a strong field including recent Norway Chess winner Praggnanandhaa, promising an exciting week of high-stakes chess.
A new study reveals that global warming has accelerated significantly since 2015, even after accounting for natural climate fluctuations. Researchers express concern that current efforts to curb emissions are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement targets.
IT stocks had their worst first half fall in decades, with the Nifty IT index declining 31% in the January-June 2026 period, its biggest decline in the first six months of a calendar year since 2003.
'When a technology is this fundamental, a country should have its own version of it, rather than relying on whether someone else chooses to build it for you.'
Following a ban on real-money gaming, Dream Sports, the parent company of Dream11, is strategically expanding its portfolio across 11 companies, including a new venture into wealth management and stockbroking, with a focus on serving a mass user base through AI-first solutions, cofounder Harsh Jain confirmed.
Salesforce is concentrating on developing 'digital labour platforms' and using AI to augment human capabilities rather than replace them, according to a senior company official.
TCS has secured a multi-year deal with Swedish bearings manufacturer SKF to modernise its IT infrastructure and leverage AI for industrial manufacturing.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya led the FIT India Cyclothon in Mumbai, advocating for cycling as a sustainable mode of transportation. The event, attended by Narsingh Yadav and Jackie Shroff, highlighted the importance of cycling for personal health, environmental sustainability, and energy conservation, especially amidst global fuel supply concerns.
The BCCI has secured a lucrative Rs 270 crore (Rs 2,700 million) sponsorship deal from Google's AI platform Gemini ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
JPMorgan has downgraded Indian equities to 'neutral' from 'overweight', citing elevated valuations, rising earnings risks, and limited exposure to next-generation technology like AI. The brokerage believes other emerging markets offer more attractive risk/reward propositions despite India's strong structural growth story.
A sovereign cloud, our own DNS root and Root CA, a defence-led research base that builds for keeps, and a real national cybersecurity strategy that outlives electoral cycles are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a nation that can be switched off and one that cannot, points out Venkata Satish Guttula.
Asian Games medallist Vishal Uppal has advised against creating excessive hype around young Indian tennis sensation Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, urging the fraternity to let her develop naturally rather than pressuring her to emulate Sania Mirza. Uppal believes Maaya, a top 20 junior player, has the potential to break into the top 100 in professional tennis if she maintains her hard work and hunger. He also highlighted the challenges of professional tennis and praised another prospect, Dakshineshwar Suresh.
World leaders have expressed relief and condemnation following a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where US President Donald Trump and other top officials were present. Leaders from various countries reiterated that political violence has no place in a democracy.
The Indian women's cricket team has secured a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as the top-ranked Asian team in the ongoing T20 World Cup. The men's team will need to be the continental leaders in world rankings by the end of 2026 to qualify directly. Cricket is making its return to the Olympics after a century, featuring six teams in both men's and women's competitions, with qualification criteria unveiled by the ICC.
Specialty chemicals maker Anupam Rasayan India Ltd has become the first company globally to commercialise Ethyl trifluoroacetate (ETFA) production using its proprietary continuous flow chemistry platform. This innovative technology offers significant advantages over traditional methods, and ETFA is a crucial component for pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and performance materials, with a global market estimated at USD 500-600 million.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed optimism about the state securing hosting rights for the World Athletics Championship 2031 after meeting a delegation from the international governing body. The delegation is assessing Gujarat's sports infrastructure and readiness for both the 2028 U20 Championships and the 2031 senior championships, highlighting the state's growing ambition to host major global sporting events.
Chennai-based deep-tech startup The ePlane Company has successfully completed the assembly of its full-scale electric air taxi, the e200X. This prototype, designated PT-01, is now ready for ground testing, marking a significant step towards flight testing and eventual type certification. The versatile e200X is designed for passenger air taxi services, urban cargo transport, and air ambulance operations, aiming to leverage existing city infrastructure.
The FIFA-AIFF Telangana Academy, a new high-performance football training centre for boys and girls, has been launched in Hyderabad. This initiative, a collaboration between FIFA, AIFF, and the Telangana government, aims to nurture young talent with comprehensive support, including residential facilities and medical care. It marks India's first girls' football academy of its kind.
Galgotias University is under fire after showcasing a robotic dog that sparked controversy over its true origin and whether it was misrepresented as in-house technology.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of ethical AI usage, intellectual property protection, and fair compensation in the AVGC-XR sector, advocating for AI to enhance human creativity rather than replace artists.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that two more semiconductor chip packaging units, part of the India Semiconductor Mission, are expected to be operational by July and December, respectively. He also highlighted India's focus on becoming a beneficiary of AI technology, expanding data centre infrastructure with significant investments, and developing new subsea cable networks for global connectivity.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya felicitated the Indian men's volleyball team for winning the country's first-ever medal at the AVC Men's Volleyball Cup. India secured a bronze medal by defeating Bahrain, marking a historic achievement and reflecting the sport's growth in the nation. This success is expected to inspire young athletes and boost volleyball's development.
TVS Motor Company has appointed Ravindran Shanmugam, a technology entrepreneur and business leader, as an independent director for a five-year term, effective May 13, subject to shareholder approval.
N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Consumer Products (TCPL), stated that India continues to experience credible economic growth, driven by strong demographic fundamentals and accelerating digital public infrastructure, despite a fragmented global landscape.
Adobe has announced the opening of a new office in Noida, its seventh in India. The new campus will house over 700 employees and signifies Adobe's continued focus on driving innovation from India.
India's men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton believes the squad can defeat any country if they stick to their game plan, following confidence-boosting victories against Germany and the Netherlands in the FIH Pro League, despite finishing eighth overall. The team's improved performance and maturity are seen as crucial stepping stones for upcoming major tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Games.
Adani Properties has emerged as the largest value creator in the 2026 Grohe-Hurun India Real Estate 150, adding Rs 38,000 crore in valuation to become India's fourth-most valuable real estate company, with its valuation rising 72.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 90,400 crore.
IIT Madras, in partnership with Herbalife International India, has inaugurated India's first Centre of Excellence for plant cell fermentation technology. This new facility aims to be a national hub for sustainable innovation, research, and development, focusing on producing herbal biomass, enriched extracts, and high-value phytochemicals, while bridging the gap between lab research and industrial applications.
'If we don't become part of this, if we don't embrace this particular technology, millionaire brands might go down, which we cannot allow.'
"If you're young, focus on your job and your career. Learn five to 15 useful AI tools. Because the older generation in many organisations won't adopt them as quickly. They won't experiment as freely. They won't move as fast. And if you become AI-enabled, you become more productive. More valuable. More relevant," says Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani.
