War singes ecommerce, quick commerce supply chains as input costs rise

The first signs of stress, according to industry executives, are visible in packaging costs and inventory movement and fulfilment cycles, particularly for quick commerce platforms that depend on high-frequency restocking. Demand-side pressures could emerge if fuel prices rise sharply, they said.

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WTO talks in Brazil-US deadlock over ecommerce duties moratorium

Negotiations to extend the moratorium - ​which is set to expire in March - by four years plus an additional buffer year to 2031 are stuck, even though a broader reform package appears close to a deal, a senior diplomat and two diplomats told Reuters.

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WTO MC: Members intensify talks on ecommerce duty moratorium extension at Yaounde

While some countries oppose an extension or favour a two-year period, the US is pushing for a longer duration.

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Fuel volatility accelerates EV leap in last mile delivery for ecommerce, logistics firms

Ecommerce and logistics companies are accelerating the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) for last-mile deliveries, driven not just by sustainability goals but also by rising costs and supply risks. While EV adoption was already gaining momentum at companies such as Flipkart, Delhivery and Porter, fuel price volatility linked to global conflicts is hastening the transition, executives at bigbasket, Zippee and Dealshare said.

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What is Agent Smith? Google’s internal AI tool for operations that helps engineers code

Agent Smith by Google: Unlike conventional AI coding assistants, the system is capable of planning and executing workflows autonomously, marking a shift toward more independent AI agents. Agent Smith can reference internal documents and access employee profiles to complete assigned tasks. It is built on Google’s earlier platform, Antigravity, but offers significantly greater autonomy and workflow integration.

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Advanced economies drive surge in India remittances

This diversification has reduced dependence on any single region and enhanced financial resilience.

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Apple hires ex-Google executive to head AI marketing amid push to improve Siri

The hire ​comes as Apple is readying an improved version ‌of Siri, its virtual assistant, ​for ​release ⁠this year, rebuilt with technology from Alphabet's Gemini AI ​model.

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ETtech Deals Digest: Startups raise $936 million in March so far; down 56% on-year

The number of deals during the month, however, was down at 94, compared to 237 in the corresponding month last year.

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IT firms push M&A deals to cover AI’s revenue impact

Infosys' $560 million bet on Optimum Healthcare IT and Stratus is a strong signal that the industry is taking domain-specific solutions seriously, analysts said, amplifying the momentum for large deals as technology services companies figure out how to offset pressure on revenue from growing artificial intelligence adoption.

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Musk rewrites IPO playbook with large slice of SpaceX stock for retail investors

Elon Musk is discussing allocating as much as 30% of SpaceX's initial public offering to individual investors - at least ​three times the usual retail slice - leaning on his rabid fan base and other loyal backers to help steady the stock after its debut, a person familiar with the matter said.

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EU accuses four porn platforms of letting children access adult content

The European Union accused four pornographic platforms on Thursday of allowing children to access adult content in breach of digital rules, putting the companies at risk of large fines.

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