Companies grapple with costs, complexity of overlapping cybersecurity laws

India's digital economy faces increasing compliance burdens due to overlapping cybersecurity laws from various regulatory bodies. Companies are challenged with inconsistent requirements in breach reporting, audits, and vulnerability assessments. Experts call for harmonization under a single governance body to reduce complexity and costs, especially urging the Data Protection Board under the DPDP Act to take on this role.

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Small language models set to be the next big thing in AI

Large language models (LLMs), SLMs can generate human-like language but are trained on smaller datasets with fewer parameters. They are said to be easier to train and use, consuming less computational power, more cost-effective, and better suited for specific tasks. The year 2024 saw launches of a slew of lightweight models, from Microsoft’s Phi family of SLMs to Google’s Gemma and a smaller variant of Meta’s Llama model.

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Wipro says Applied Value Technologies Pte transaction to be completed by January 31

Wipro announced that the acquisition of Applied Value Technologies is now expected to be completed by January 31, 2025. Although transactions for Applied Value Technologies, Inc. and Applied Value Technologies B.V. were finalised by December 16, 2024, the one for Applied Value Technologies Pte Ltd was deferred from the initial deadline of December 31, 2024.

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ISRO takes last flight of the year with SpaDeX Mission

ISRO launched the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket. The mission carried two small spacecraft, Chaser and Target, into a 470 km orbit. This mission aims to develop and demonstrate satellite docking and undocking. Successful docking will place India among elite space-faring nations. The fourth stage repurposed as PSLV Orbital Experimental Module will deploy 24 scientific experiments.

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Year in Review: SaaS firms tackle funding dip and a slump amid AI disruption

India's SaaS industry is facing challenges such as slowing demand, cautious investor funding, and the impact of AI. Funding levels remain below 2022, with valuations corrected sharply. Companies are focusing on AI-driven solutions and innovation to navigate these difficulties. Domestic and global market opportunities, cloud migration, and AI adoption provide growth potential for the industry.

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Jio brings data playbook to build out accessible and affordable AI

Jio Platforms is working with Nvidia to create affordable AI services and applications. They aim to provide these solutions through GPU-as-a-service at competitive prices. Jio is also building a large AI data centre in Jamnagar for both internal and commercial use. Green energy will help reduce operational costs and make AI more accessible.

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Foxconn’s $230 million ‘home’ for workers at Tamil Nadu plant complete

Foxconn has completed its $230-million project to build dormitories for workers in Tamil Nadu. An audit is currently being conducted. The dorms, located in Sriperumbudur, will house 18,000 workers, mainly women. This initiative follows a government housing project for 18,720 women employees. Enhanced worker accommodation is expected to boost Foxconn's operational efficiency in India.

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Musk effect: Behind Trump's changing stance on H-1B visas

Trump supports immigration visas for high-skilled workers amid H-1B visa controversy, backing Elon Musk. Despite restrictions during his first term, he now acknowledges the US engineering talent shortage. Trump emphasises the economic contribution of foreign graduates from US universities. Online racist remarks against Indian-origin CEOs and Musk's response highlight ongoing tensions.

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Brands ride ‘quick’ sleigh as quick commerce dons the Santa hat

The Christmas gifting season saw a 20-30% sales boost for D2C brands in categories such as personal care, desserts, eatables, and activewear, driven by convenience, personalization, and premium offerings. Quick commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, among others, played a key role in fuelling gifting-focused sales, enabling last-minute purchases, according to several brands.

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AI no longer flavour of the season but a reality at scale; 2025 to see AI turn into business value

AI has evolved from a trend to a key business tool, enhancing efficiency and creating new roles. While it drives innovation, concerns about its impact on jobs, data ownership, and liability persist. As AI scales across industries, companies are focusing on upskilling talent to bridge the gap between technology and business strategy.

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OpenAI details plans for becoming a for-profit company

In a company blog post published Friday, OpenAI said it planned to restructure as a public benefit corporation, or PBC, which is a for-profit corporation designed to create public and social good. OpenAI rivals like Anthropic and Elon Musk's xAI use a similar structure.

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Top startup and tech stories this week

Welcome to a new edition of ETtech Unwrapped – our weekend newsletter packed with the most important stories this week. Let’s take a look.

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AI specialists hit pay dirt as talent war rages

Companies will compete aggressively to hire AI talent, increasing salaries by 15-20% in the next 12-18 months. AI demand is expected to double by 2027. Firms must offer competitive packages, upskilling, and career opportunities to attract top AI professionals. Salaries for AI jobs are already 30% higher than traditional IT roles.

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Centre eyes January start to India AI datasets collection, aggregation

The ministry of electronics and information technology also plans to allow the trained data to be used by domestic startups and companies to build application programming interfaces, which can interact with the language models built on top of the database and provide specialised services, a government official said.

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OpenAI responds to former researcher Suchir Balaji's death

OpenAI has extended its full support to the family of former researcher Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment. Balaji had previously raised concerns about the company's use of copyrighted content for training AI models. His whistleblowing efforts had gained attention amid lawsuits against AI companies for copyright violations.

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Tata Sons may infuse fresh funds into ecomm arm only by mid-2025

Tata Sons plans to infuse capital into its ecommerce business, Tata Digital, only by mid-2025, with a focus on internal funding and debt until then. The strategy emphasizes growth, better execution, and sustainable profitability, with BigBasket eyeing an IPO and significant growth in standalone revenues for FY24.

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Cloud kitchen firms cut their losses to cook up healthy numbers

India's cloud kitchen startups achieved revenue growth and reduced losses in FY24 by managing expenses. However, high inflation may impact margins this fiscal year. Rebel Foods, Curefoods, Biryani by Kilo, and Freshmenu showed significant improvements. Zomato and Swiggy's food delivery GOV also grew, with a positive industry outlook despite rising costs.

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Women in tech; IT hiring revival

India's tech industry has seen a surge of women leaders. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

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Nvidia dominates GPU offerings in government’s Rs 10,000-crore AI mission

The government initiative aims to make available 10,000 GPUs to support IndiaAI Mission, benefiting startups, researchers, students and academicians. AS Rajgopal, chief executive of NxtGen Datacenter and Cloud Technologies, one of the bidders told ET, “We have made the INDIAai bid with three hardware platforms – AMD (MI325X, MI210), Nvidia(L40S, H100, H200) and Intel Gaudi-2.”

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No wonder! Women blast through global tech's glass ceiling in India

The global capability centre (GCC) boom in India has helped women to assume leadership positions. About 25% of the women employed in the technology sector are in GCCs and the figure is expected to rise to 27% by 2027, industry data shows. Kumar Rajagopalan, vice president at staffing firm Dexian said that while the trend of appointing women to leadership positions is noteworthy, it cannot stop there.

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Meta is in a spot of bother as ChatGPT comes to WhatsApp

ChatGPT creator OpenAI has launched its own WhatsApp account. This is likely to impact Meta AI’s reach, especially in markets such as India, Brazil and Mexico, which are among the largest user bases for WhatsApp and the mainstream communication medium for businesses.

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Microsoft works to add non-OpenAI models into 365 Copilot products, sources say

Microsoft is integrating internal and third-party AI models into its Microsoft 365 Copilot. This aims to reduce dependence on OpenAI and cut costs. The company is working to customize other open-weight models for better efficiency. Microsoft tracks these efforts closely, aiming for cost-efficiency and potentially passing savings to customers.

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VCs bullish on AI startups in India despite a fall in funding

Indian AI startups saw a funding dip in 2024, but deal volume increased, with a focus on application-layer ventures. Investors are optimistic about this trend, particularly for applications targeting the US market, mirroring the enterprise software sector. While foundational models remain a US stronghold, India sees opportunities in infrastructure and applications, despite challenges in talent acquisition and rapidly evolving technology.

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GST on Rides: Platforms, unions push for review of levy on SaaS model as CBIC escalates it to GST Council

The GST Council delays a decision on the GST levy for ride-hailing apps. Companies and driver unions seek clarity on the SaaS model's tax implications. Uncertainty looms over future investments and driver earnings. AAR rulings create confusion about GST applicability. Discussions continue regarding GST on fares paid outside the platforms.

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Top tech trends to watch out for in 2025

As we step into 2025, the convergence of innovation, societal needs and global challenges is set to redefine industries across the board. From autonomous AI agents to custom AI and clean tech solutions, transformative trends are poised to unlock unprecedented opportunities. Here’s predicting five key technologies that will shape the future over the next 12 months.

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The (Mona) Lisa Effect: AMD's transformation since CEO Su's takeover

In the chip-making business, AMD was languishing as Intel hogged the limelight, and market share, for most of the last 50 years. But the chipmaker’s fortunes have turned around since Lisa Su took over as CEO 10 years ago. In 2014, AMD's share in the data-centre chip market was negligible; however, today, the company has achieved stronger margin growth and ranks second only to Nvidia in the graphics processing unit (GPU) market.

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Accel nears close of new India fund at $650 million

Accel India has secured $650 million for its eighth fund, while its global growth fund has raised $1.35 billion. A portion of this will be invested in pre-IPO rounds of Indian startups, bringing Accel's total India commitments to nearly $3 billion. This move comes as several Accel-backed companies, including Bluestone, are preparing for IPOs.

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Google Layoffs: Sundar Pichai announces major job cuts in these top roles amid threat from OpenAI

Google has announced major job cuts in managerial roles, CEO Sundar Pichai said in an all-hands meeting on Wednesday. Google's CEO said it had cut managers, directors, and VPs by 10% as part of its efficiency drive. The company has been boosting efficiency by reducing layers and reorganizing teams. The move comes amid threats from OpenAI and other AI rivals.

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Bill Gates in India: When Microsoft founder got candid with IIT Delhi students | Rewind 2024

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Rs 14,000 crore semiconductor investments in pipeline at Orvakal: Andhra industries minister

Andhra Pradesh anticipates a potential Rs 14,000 crore investment in the semiconductor sector at Orvakal industrial park. An Indo-Japanese company is interested and met with IT minister Nara Lokesh. The company finds Orvakal conducive for investment and is expected to finalise a deal with chief minister Naidu in January 2025.

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Andhra Pradesh gearing up to tap AI extensively for administrative efficiency

Andhra Pradesh is embracing Artificial Intelligence to revolutionize governance. The state government, in collaboration with Google, aims to streamline public services and improve accessibility for citizens. Initiatives include a unified search bar for all government services and the development of a state-owned ChatGPT. Blockchain technology will simplify the delivery of essential certificates digitally, enhancing transparency and efficiency.

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An uphill task for new stockbrokers as Sebi cracks down on excessive speculative trades

Despite regulatory hurdles impacting established brokers, new wealth-tech startups are entering the Indian stock market. Founders cite market under-penetration and economic growth as justification for their ventures, focusing on long-term investors and educational resources. However, high retail investor losses and a changing regulatory landscape pose significant challenges.

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P2P payments being evaluated for UPI One World: sources

The UPI One World service, currently used by foreign travellers in India for merchant transactions, may soon expand to include interpersonal payments. This change would allow travellers to pay small vendors and individuals using UPI. However, challenges remain, including the need for physical KYC and limited awareness of the service.

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Fintech startup Curie Money raises $1.2 million from India Quotient, others

Fintech startup Curie Money secured $1.2 million in seed funding to enhance its mutual fund-backed banking app. The platform, partnered with Yes Bank and ICICI Prudential, offers users up to 7.3% CAGR on savings through liquid funds and UPI transactions. The app recently launched with 1,000 beta users and aims to revolutionise personal finance in India.

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Deep-tech startups must explore alternative funding options, says VC report

Indian deep tech startups have seen a 5.3x increase in average seed check size over the past eight years, fueled by government initiatives and VC confidence. However, alternative funding is crucial to navigate initial challenges. While the sector is nascent, fostering exits is vital for building investor trust and driving future growth.

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Space Bill draft to be put up for stakeholder consultation in Q1 of FY26, says IN-SPACe chairman

This bill is envisioned to cover international and national obligations, define offences and subsequent punishments, barrier of entry for private companies, and liability for damages caused. Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, said that the venture capital fund announced in the Union Budget for space startups will also become operational by the first quarter of the next fiscal year.

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We plan to have a significant ramp up in India: Krafton CEO CH Kim

The CEO said that the company has invested up to $170 million in gaming and gaming adjacent industries as well as consumer industries that are based on IT and tech. They are planning to invest $140 million more in the future as well. It is also increasing its focus on proprietary games in India, such as BGMI, Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor Empires, and others.

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SoftBank's Masayoshi Son unveils $100 billion US investment plan

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son will invest $100 billion in the US. The investment will create 100,000 jobs. It will focus on artificial intelligence. Earlier, Son also visited India and he met with Prime Minister Modi and entrepreneurs. SoftBank saw an $8 billion profit last quarter.

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Exotel’s FY24 loss narrows to a third, operating revenue up 6%

Exotel, a cloud telephony provider, narrowed its FY24 net loss to Rs 39 crore while achieving Ebitda profitability in the last two quarters. The company prioritized operational efficiency and product development, including AI offerings, over rapid expansion after integrating acquisitions. Exotel projects 100% Ebitda growth for FY25, driven by improved sales execution and expansion in markets like the Middle East.

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Big-bracket investments push states to create social infrastructure

Indian states are bolstering social infrastructure around large electronics manufacturing facilities to support the growing workforce. Initiatives include housing, shopping complexes, recreational spaces, and essential amenities, mirroring successful models in China and Taiwan. This aims to attract investment and enhance the sector's growth.

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India’s power surge

The country’s electronics manufacturing sector is set to be strengthened through a major government initiative that will spur the components ecosystem. Experts maintain that India's next step would be to work on increasing the domestic value addition and develop the almost non-existent electronic component supply base. Let's take a closer look at this initiative and what this entails going forward.

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Who was OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment?

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US lawmakers tell Apple, Google to be ready to remove TikTok from app stores on January 19

A US House committee has given Alphabet and Apple a January 19 deadline to remove TikTok from their app stores if a court-ordered divestiture isn't completed. Lawmakers urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to sell the app, citing national security concerns and the need to protect 170 million American users from potential influence by the Chinese Communist Party.

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Google to appeal Turkish competition authority decision

Google plans to appeal a $75 million fine imposed by Turkey's competition authority. The regulator alleges Google abused its dominant position in the ad server market. Google argues the decision ignores the competitive landscape, where ad buyers and sellers have numerous options. The company maintains its commitment to supporting Turkish businesses, publishers, and users.

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One Card secures $25.5 million from QED Investors, BTV, Peak XV Partners and Z47

FPL Technologies has raised $262 million in equity funding over multiple funding rounds. The fresh funds will be used for enhancing its technology infrastructure and invest in the development of new products by collaborating closely with regulated entities like banks.

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Intel executives say a manufacturing spinoff is possible

Intel's interim co-CEOs acknowledged the possibility of selling the company's manufacturing operations if its new 18A chipmaking technology fails next year. This comes after the recent ouster of former CEO Pat Gelsinger and a significant drop in the company's value. While Intel is separating its manufacturing division financially, the executives remain uncertain about a complete split.

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Supreme Court won't decide Nvidia securities fraud case after all

The Supreme Court dismissed a securities fraud lawsuit against Nvidia, citing it had been a mistake to take up the case. The justices expressed difficulty evaluating the technical arguments and left in place an appeals court decision allowing the case to proceed. This follows a similar dismissal in a case against Facebook.

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Legitquest raises $660,000 in ongoing round from existing investors InfoEdge, WaterBridge Ventures

Legal tech startup Legitquest has secured $660,000 in funding from InfoEdge and WaterBridge Ventures, aiming to close the round soon. The company, founded in 2017, develops a generative AI assistant for legal professionals and has seen 250% year-over-year growth. Legitquest boasts a vast legal data repository and has promoted Rajan Batra to co-founder.

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S&P Global downgrades Intel's credit rating on slow recovery, management changes

The departure of CEO Pat Gelsinger, who was critical to the Intel's integrated manufacturing strategy, also adds uncertainty to the execution of the company's turnaround plan, S&P Global said. Gelsinger's departure came well before the completion of his four-year roadmap to restore the company's lead in making the fastest and smallest computer chips, a crown it lost to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

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GrowX Ventures launches Fund-II, aims to raise Rs 400 crore

Within the B2B space, the New Delhi-based firm will focus its investments on sectors such as semiconductors, defence technology, space technology, alternative materials and advanced manufacturing. It will also explore opportunities in fintech, healthtech and supply chain/logistics.

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GCCs may receive sops to set up units in tier-2 and 3 towns

India is planning a new policy to boost global capability centres. The policy will offer incentives like tax breaks. It aims to attract GCCs to smaller cities. The government wants to develop large and small GCCs. The GCC market is expected to grow significantly. The policy will also focus on talent development in areas like AI.

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China opens investigation into Nvidia over potential antitrust violations

The inquiry, a rare move by Beijing, comes a week after the Biden administration expanded curbs on the sale of advanced U.S. technology to China. In the days since, the Chinese government announced that it would ban the export of several rare minerals to the United States and imposed sanctions on more than a dozen U.S. defense firms and defense industry executives.

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Digital lenders struggle to grow profit amid high expenses

New-age non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) witnessed declining profits in the September quarter. Increased borrowing costs and tighter lending conditions, particularly in the unsecured loan segment, impacted profitability. While some NBFCs maintained flat profits, others reported losses, prompting concerns about a potential shift back to informal financing channels for some borrowers.

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Reverse flip in cart, Flipkart plans IPO delivery in 12-15 months

Flipkart, India's leading e-commerce giant, is gearing up for a landmark IPO within the next 12-15 months. The Walmart-owned company has initiated the process by shifting its domicile to India, aiming for a public listing by late 2025 or early 2026.

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Open dialogue and collaboration can drive regulations that ensure safety and foster crypto innovation: Bitget COO Vugar Usi Zade

Bitget's COO, Vugar Usi Zade, revealed plans to secure Indian government approvals and open a local office by New Year. Zade discussed Bitget's India growth strategy, the potential impact of the Trump presidency on crypto, and the evolving role of crypto in a post-AI world, emphasizing the importance of balanced crypto regulations and highlighting Dubai's emergence as a crypto hub.

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Advanced AI chips cleared for export to UAE under Microsoft deal

The US government has authorised the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to a Microsoft-operated facility in the United Arab Emirates. This approval is part of Microsoft's closely scrutinized partnership with the Emirati AI company G42.

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Bluesky is different from X for now

On social media, the political is personal; migrating Bluesky users are signaling political separation from an increasingly conservative X and giving up on the idea of a town square that holds all voices simultaneously.

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Paytm to add Rs 2,364 crore to its kitty through sale of PayPay shares

On Saturday, in a stock exchange filing, the Noida-based fintech announced that the shares will be transferred to SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The deal values PayPay at 1.06 trillion Japanese yen (approximately $7 billion). This comes after Paytm divested its entertainment and ticketing business Paytm Insider to Zomato for Rs 2,048 crore.

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AI triggers boom in flexi-work options for technology professionals

Skilled tech professionals, particularly in AI, are increasingly choosing freelance work, commanding high hourly rates on platforms like Upwork and Appen. Indians are prominent, offering competitive rates while demand for AI skills like data annotation and training surges. This shift allows workers flexibility and higher earnings compared to traditional employment.

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Walmart, Amazon holiday spending rise as Target, Best Buy stumble, data shows

Walmart, Shein, and Temu achieved record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, outperforming struggling retailers like Target and Best Buy. Amazon also saw strong growth, driven by popular items like Fire TVs and Shark vacuums. Temu and Shein experienced double-digit percentage growth, while Best Buy faced sales declines despite investor optimism.

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View investment in senior care ventures as long-term, says Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath advocates for long-term investments in senior care, emphasizing steady growth over rapid scaling. He highlighted the need to destigmatize senior care and raise awareness, particularly beyond the affluent. Kamath's firm recently invested $13 million in Primus Senior Living, reflecting his commitment to the sector's potential amid India's increasing life expectancy.

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Jewellery retailer Bluestone plans to raise Rs 1,000 crore in fresh capital

Bluestone’s board has approved an IPO to raise Rs 1,000 crore, with filing expected soon. Proceeds will fund offline store expansion. Founded in 2011, it reported Rs 1,265.8 crore revenue in FY24 and aims to grow its retail footprint to 400 stores.

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Meta pushes zero-carbon energy strategy with solar deal

Meta inked deals with Invenergy for 760 megawatts of solar power across four US states, boosting its renewable energy portfolio to over 1 gigawatt. This move supports Meta's goal of 100% renewable energy operations, fueled by increasing energy demands from AI adoption. The solar facilities are expected to be operational between 2024 and 2027.

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OpenAI chief 'believes' Musk will not abuse government power

Musk, an OpenAI cofounder who later departed the company, is currently suing Altman's firm and Microsoft, claiming they shifted from the project's original nonprofit mission. "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing," Altman said. "It would be profoundly un-American to use political power to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses."

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Swiggy’s Instamart pushes for higher average order value; analysts say metric's growth key to improve profitability

Swiggy Instamart's average order value (AOV) of Rs 499 has come in low compared to its competitors like Blinkit and Zepto. Although the company has indicated that its AOV is in an upward path, analysts have emphasised the need for the quick commerce platform to push this metric to sustain revenue momentum and maximise profitability.

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Allen Institute held talks to acquire Unacademy valuing edtech firm at $800 million in a cut-price deal: sources

The Bengaluru-based Unacademy, valued at $3.4 billion in 2021, will likely be merged with Allen; founders expected to exit. The edtech company has around $160 million of cash in the bank but revenues have been flat after the highs of Covid-19 even as its pivoted to an offline model.

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Judge faults Apple for withholding documents in Epic Games case

A US judge ruled that Apple misused attorney-client confidentiality to avoid disclosing documents in Epic Games' lawsuit regarding App Store practices. Apple must release withheld documents, as attorney-client privilege claims were deemed improper for certain business decisions. This ruling follows accusations by Epic of Apple's non-compliance and broad privilege claims.

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EU Commission commits Euro 4.6 billion to support clean tech projects

The European Commission is set to invest Euro 4.6 billion in decarbonisation technology and clean hydrogen projects, using funds from the EU Emissions Trading System. The funding includes Euro 3.2 billion for net-zero technologies and Euro 1.2 billion for renewable hydrogen production, under the EU's Innovation Fund.

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PB Fintech gets board approval to set up healthcare business

PB Fintech, parent company of Policybazaar, received board approval to establish PB Health Services, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on healthcare services. This move aims to bridge the trust gap between insurers and hospitals, enhancing claims settlement experiences for Policybazaar's health insurance customers. The announcement previously impacted PB Fintech's share price negatively.

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Black Friday weekend sales grow 17-18% on year for ecommerce players

Direct-to-consumer brands and ecommerce marketplaces saw a 17-18% rise in Black Friday order volumes compared to last year, with beauty, wellness, personal care, and home decor driving sales. Gross merchandise value grew over 24%, boosted by festive excitement. Higher average order values were noted in wearables, fashion, and electronics. India embraced the trend with growing consumer interest.

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Apple accused of silencing workers, spying on personal devices

Apple faces a lawsuit accusing it of illegally monitoring employees' personal devices and iCloud accounts while restricting discussions about pay and working conditions. Filed by Amar Bhakta, the suit claims Apple requires software installation on personal devices, enabling access to private data. Apple denies the allegations and asserts its commitment to employee rights.

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ETtech Explainer: Behind PhonePe call to end third-party deals

PhonePe will offer payment solutions directly to merchants, ending partnerships with payment aggregators like Juspay. This move may help merchants save on transaction fees. Juspay, with a new license, will provide full-stack services. The move reflects a trend of payment aggregators building in-house routing technologies for direct merchant integrations.

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IT outlook is positive, weakness in stock price to be temporary, say analysts

India's $254 billion software services industry sees temporary weaknesses in stock prices likely caused by US inflation concerns but maintains a positive outlook. Experts predict business growth and an uptick in technology spending as the economic policies of the Trump administration clarify and rate cuts commence.

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"Cybercrime, AI misuse featured prominently": PM Modi after attending DGP/IGP conference

PM Narendra Modi attended the DGP/IGP conference in Bhubaneswar and discussed national security challenges, urban policing, and new-age threats like cybercrime and AI misuse. He emphasized the importance of SMART policing, modernizing forces, and harnessing AI. PM Modi also recommended holding a National Police Hackathon and highlighted the need for improved port security.

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Australia PM Albanese says Musk pushing agenda for X in social media ban criticism

The prime minister also indicated that he is open to discussions with Musk regarding the ban. This ban is one of the more difficult regulations to roll out, targeting tech giants. While the government believes that this is good move, the X owner believes that this is a way to control "access to the Internet".

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UPI reigns supreme in digital payments kingdom

While UPI grew the fastest among all merchant payments modes, credit cards saw a 35% increase in transactions in October to 433 million transactions, compared to around 320 million a year ago, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed.

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Engineering sustainability for enduring success: Navigating the path to industry 5.0

The time is ripe for engineering services providers and their end customers to broaden the use of renewable energy, drive water conservation measures, reduce carbon emissions, and develop Net Zero products. A continued commitment to sustained R&D into smart engineering products and solutions will go a long way in underscoring a commitment to a greener, cleaner, and better world.

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