'The immediate impact for India will be very minimal as the share of Venezuela in our total overseas production is very low.'
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday announced plans to invest $17.5 billion in India to help build infrastructure and sovereign capabilities for the country's AI-first future, marking the third major AI-driven investment in the country in the past two months. Microsoft said that the $17.5 billion (around Rs 1.58 lakh crore) investment builds on the $3 billion (around Rs 26,955 crore) funding announced earlier this year, which the company is on track to spend by the end of CY (calendar year) 2026.
The key question is how much of the latest growth record represents recovery from the 2020-2021 downturn, and what is the sustainable growth rate now, asks T N Ninan.
Running deep beneath mountains, rivers, and sometimes bustling cities are the world's longest tunnels. Quiet marvels of modern engineering, hidden from sight, they are vital to everyday life, carrying drinking water to millions, whisking metro trains between megacities, draining floodwaters, and connect regions once separated by formidable terrain.
'Solutions developed in India are being commercialised and offered globally because we're executing at scale, creating new markets and revenue streams.'
Insurance intermediaries who receive disproportionately high commissions are likely to see a decline in their payouts, post the new Insurance Amendment Bill. The new Bill gives the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (Irdai) the power to disgorge unlawful gains made by insurers and intermediaries as well as the right to limit commissions paid to intermediaries.
The missile was showcased at the recent Dubai Air Show and drew huge interest from potential buyer countries.
The West Bengal government has transferred over 500 bureaucrats ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The move has drawn criticism from the opposition BJP, who allege it is an attempt to manipulate the electoral process.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticized Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, stating the Mumbai civic body election is a fight for their political survival. He also defended development projects and economic growth under the current government.
'Only four or five original companies remain; the rest have been replaced every decade as sectors evolve or leadership shifts.' 'Companies that fail to adapt -- like many textile mills from the 1970s and shipping firms from the 1980s -- disappear.' 'Benchmark indices reward those who reinvent themselves in line with economic demands.'
Opposition parties have accused the state government of using force and ignoring rehabilitation concerns.
'International flights will continue to operate from the old terminal because of customs and other requirements. Eventually, the old terminal will be closed.'
Infrastructure development has come to a standstill despite all the promises.
'Headcount expansion is more likely in revenue-linked and product-critical teams than in broad based hiring.'
Google on Tuesday announced funding support of USD 8 million to India's AI Centers of Excellence for health, agriculture, education, and sustainable cities, and committed USD 4,00,000 to support development of India's health foundation model.
South Korea's HD Hyundai, one of the world's largest ship manufacturers, is planning to build a shipyard in Thoothukudi. The project may see an investment of around $2 billion, said a government source.
Infosys has opened a new development centre at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, to develop solutions for global Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) clients.
The Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati has inaugurated a new nature-themed terminal building, designed to handle 13.1 million passengers per year and serve as a key aviation hub for the northeast and a gateway to Southeast Asia.
Delhi cabinet minister Parvesh Verma launched a sharp attack on the previous AAP government, alleging failure to carry out basic civic works over the past decade, leading to issues like garbage mountains, broken roads, pollution, and Yamuna cleaning.
'What the government is doing would be a drop in the ocean. It has to be matched by investments by industry.'
Across all sectors, the future of work depends on adaptability.
State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) is willing to dilute a 30-40 per cent stake in its upcoming greenfield refinery in Andhra Pradesh, with Gulf energy major Saudi Aramco and upstream player Oil India Ltd (OIL) likely to join as partners, a senior BPCL executive said.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged victorious in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also vanquished the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in the Pune civic body.
From a surge in startups to crewed mission preparations, 2025 marks a transformative year as India eyes $44 billion space economy by 2033.
Foreign investors fled Indian equities in 2025 at a scale never seen before, pulling out a record Rs 1.6 lakh crore (USD 18 billion) as volatile currency movements, global trade tensions, especially potential US tariffs, and stretched valuations eroded risk appetite, though flows are expected to turn sustainably positive in 2026.
The Indian economy is growing at a robust pace, driven by strong domestic demand, low inflation, and the healthy balance sheets of banks, said a Reserve Bank report released on Wednesday.
Digital Connexion, a joint venture between Brookfield, Reliance Industries and Digital Realty, on Wednesday announced an investment of $11 billion till 2030 for building 1 gigawatt (Gw) state-of-the-art AI-native, purpose-built data centres in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
India told the UN Security Council that it calls for a pragmatic engagement with the Taliban, underlining that a focus on only punitive measures will ensure a 'business as usual' approach.
Inderjit Bindra, who raised Indian cricket on the world stage in the 1990s and early years of this century, passed into the ages on Sunday. 26 years ago, Mr Bindra spoke at length to Rediff about his vision for Indian cricket, an interview which we republish in his memory.
The Maharashtra municipal elections showed a troubling shift, where votes were traded for cash, convictions no longer mattered, and ideology became an afterthought, observes Ramesh Menon.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari voiced concerns about increasing poverty and wealth concentration, advocating for wealth decentralization and job creation in rural areas. He also highlighted the need for balanced sectoral contributions to GDP and discussed infrastructure development initiatives.
After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
Top real estate developers reported healthy presales growth in the second quarter of FY26, aided by a steady pipeline of new project launches. While overall housing momentum across major Indian cities moderated during the quarter, listed players remained relatively insulated.
'I can sanction projects worth Rs 20 trillion annually as of today.' 'But my system is only capable of executing projects worth Rs 3 trillion to Rs 4 trillion.'
North Kashmir took a significant step in promoting fitness and inclusive recreational activities with the inauguration of its first Pickleball courts at SSM College, Parihaspora, in Baramulla district.
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
India's housing finance sector is riding a wave of post-pandemic revival, driven by policy support, digital innovation, and growing demand from younger homebuyers in emerging cities.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
India took another leap in space infrastructure with the foundation stone laid for a new launch pad at the country's second rocket port in Kulasekarapattinam.
One key development is the direct cargo connection between Chennai and Vladivostok, a crucial Russian port on the Northern Sea Route.
