Aware Financial News

ElevenLabs has gained unicorn status after its latest round of fundraising, a person familiar with the matter said, as surging investor interest for generative AI technology sends startup valuations soaring. ElevenLabs on Monday said it raised $80 million in Series B funding from investors led by venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz along with entrepreneurs Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, with participation from Sequoia Capital among others.

Health insurance is a financial saviour but a lack of clear understanding of the terms and conditions can lead to some out-of-pocket expenses for the policyholder. When buying health insurance plans, people usually connect with insurance agents or sales professionals who are eager to close the deal and hence suggest plans depending on what the customer is willing to pay. If one cuts back on benefits and features, the plan becomes pocket-friendly and is thus easy for the agents to close the deal. Due to lack of awareness, people buy such plans and suffer when the claim arises. So, here are a few factors one should consider when buying health insurance

NEW DELHI : The women and child welfare ministry may get a 3%-hike in the interim budget to ₹26,212 crore, according to two officials aware of the matter, amid a focus on women ahead of general elections. This outlay is expected to be earmarked for expanding marquee schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Saksham Anganwadi and self help groups (SHG). Women voters are seen as a key constituency for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as it aims a third term in office.

NEW DELHI : The price of the Indian basket of crude oil is unlikely to reflect cheap Russian oil prices in the next financial year despite making up a significant chunk of India’s oil imports. The Indian basket of crude oil represents a derived basket comprising of sour grade (Oman & Dubai average) and sweet grade (Brent dated) of crude oil processed in Indian refineries in a ratio of 75.62 : 24.38. Two people aware of the developments said that irrespective of the quantity of Russian oil imports the crude basket price may not include their price as there is no benchmark price of the Russian crude variants.

American satellite internet company Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been allowed to offer satellite broadband services in India, two officials aware of the development said. The department of telecommunications (DoT) has approved the grant of a global mobile personal communication by satellite or GMPCS licence to the company. “The licence has been approved.

Mint, Mahesh Balasubramanian, managing director, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance, says reinsurance support and additional health data of consumers that helps reduce friction around underwriting are equally important to increase protection in the country. Balasubramanian,who says that life insurers should start selling health plans, also talked about composite licence, individual risk-profiling, Bima Sugam and fraud prevention. The industry needs to come together and start awareness campaigns where protection is a key theme so that customers can understand products and natural demand gets created and met.

Sony Group Corp is unlikely to extend the good faith negotiations with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) — whose deadline was supposed to lapse on midnight of January 21, said people aware of the matter.

NEW DELHI : A delegation from the United Kingdom will arrive in India on 22 January to discuss remaining aspects of the free-trade agreement negotiations between the two countries, said two people aware of the matter. The fourteenth and concluding round of negotiations for a free-trade agreement between India and the UK began on 10 January in New Delhi. A majority of the issues in the proposed FTA between India and the UK are either finalised or at an advanced stage of talks, said one of the two persons mentioned above.

Maldives over viral social media posts by the country's junior ministers mocking his visit to Lakshadweep, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a fresh pitch for the promotion of domestic tourism. During his recent layover at Lakshadweep, PM Modi called for the Indian island cluster to be developed as a destination for beach tourism. Addressing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Khodaldham Trust Cancer Hospital in Gujarat, PM Modi urged fellow countrymen to take nine solemn pledges, including promoting tourism in the country. «Think about your country first. Do whatever you wish for your country first.

Ramayana stands as a testament to the eternal wisdom encapsulated in the life of Maryada Purushottam, Lord Ram. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, the lessons embedded in this epic continue to resonate, offering a guiding light for today's youth.

Guwahati Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that a mega theatrical show on Lachit Barphukan will be staged across the nation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released a book titled “Assam's Braveheart — Lachit Barphukan” in the presence of Chief Minister Sarma in a programme held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. An initiative of the Government of Assam, the book authored in English by eminent writerArup Kr Dutta, is an endeavour to familiarize the nation with the story of legendary 17th century war hero of the state Lachit Barphukan's life, and the sacrifices he made while defending his motherland against Mughal army. This book not only chronicles the rich and untold historical events of Assam but also captures how the legacy of Lachit Barphukan has had its influence on the posterity. The book is translated into 23 Indian languages.

As the one-year expiry date looms closer, the largest lottery win in Atlantic Canadian history is still yet to be paired with its rightful owner.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) on Friday said that it is not aware of any board meeting of Sony Pictures, where it was expected to seal the fate of a $10-billion merger deal. «The company is not aware of, and cannot comment on, any board meeting held or proposed to be held by Culver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd (formerly Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited), given that these are internal matters of Sony,» Zee said in a filing. Punit Goenka-led Indian media giant reiterated that it is committed to the merger with Sony and is continuing to work towards a successful closure of the proposed merger. Earlier today, multiple media outlets reported that a board meeting of Sony was scheduled on Friday to take a call on the merger deal with Zee. «Two key meetings are set to be held back-to-back. Culver Max Entertainment is likely to hold a board meeting on Thursday night, followed by Sony at its Tokyo headquarters,» an ET report noted. Reacting to the media reports, Zee said it is engaging in good faith negotiations with Sony with a view to discuss the extension of the date required to make the scheme effective, by a reasonable period of time. Zee and Sony agreed on a merger two years ago, but the proposed deal hit a brick wall after Sony expressed inhibitions about Goenka running the combined entity. It was expected that the deal would be completed within the stipulated deadline of December 2023.

Capterra survey, 82% of organisations with a heightened awareness of cyber threats reported increased cybersecurity spending from 2022 to 2023, while a mere 1% reported a recognition of the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures. Companies across various sectors in India have implemented a range of technical and procedural safeguards such as:1. 61% of surveyed organisations conduct formal cybersecurity risk assessments. 2.

stock updates in the language of your choice as the Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) has launched two multi-lingual initiatives in a move towards inclusivity and accessibility for users, the company said in a statement. The launch comes as the company marks its silver jubilee year (25 years of operation) and was unveiled by markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch on January 17. In the 'Apka CAS – Apki Zubaani' initiative, the Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) has upgraded the Consolidated Account Statement (CAS) to support 23 Indian languages.

budget a modest 9-11% increase in net tax revenue receipts in FY25 over the budget estimate for the current year in the February 1 interim budget. In absolute terms, the net tax revenue of the Centre is expected to be pegged at ₹25-26 lakh crore. In the current fiscal, the Centre has budgeted ₹23.3 lakh crore net tax revenue. The revised estimate for net tax revenue receipt in the current fiscal year, after devolution to states, will be at about the same level as the budget estimate, considering the likely shortfall in excise duty collections, people aware of the details told ET. The excise duty target for next fiscal is likely to be at ₹3 lakh crore. In the current fiscal year, excise duty collections are expected to fall short by ₹45,000 crore from the budgeted target of ₹3.39 lakh crore.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) plans to acquire rare earth and critical mineral mines including lithium directly from the government, in addition to bidding for Jammu & Kashmir’s lithium reserves in upcoming auctions. “Coal India is looking to directly take certain rare earth mines. Given that it is a PSU, it can apply for certain mines directly.

SAEL Ltd, which converts agricultural waste into energy, is close to finalising a fundraise of $1 billion (about ₹8,300 crore) from US and European investors, said people aware of the matter. US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Norfund, which is owned by the Norway government, are likely to participate in the fundraising along with some domestic investors who could collectively pump in funds in a combination of equity and debt in the company, according to the people. The fundraising is likely to include an equity component of $150 million and the remaining $850 million could be raised by way of loans or debt securities issued to investors, they said. DFC recently committed around $500 million of financing to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone's port terminal project in Sri Lanka. Norfund is an existing investor in SAEL. ET's queries to SAEL, DFC and Norfund did not elicit a response till press time. Delhi-based SAEL, promoted by Jasbir Awla, has established waste-to-energy conversion projects in Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and Punjab and also operates solar power plants. Awla's other business interests include warehousing and agro-processing.

Israel, where the offensive in Gaza, now in its fourth month, has caused a shortage of labour. Masons, painters, electricians, plumbers and some farmers said they were looking for jobs in Israel with some willing to risk going into a conflict zone because they could make five times more money in a year than they would at home. «There is unemployment here and it's because of it that people want to leave,» said Lekharam, a mason who was among the workers gathered at a recruitment camp in Rohtak, 66 km (40 miles) from the capital, New Delhi. «If it's in our destiny to die, then we can die either here or there. My hope is that we will go and do good work and spend some time and come back.» India, now the world's most populous nation with a population of 1.4 billion, has an urban unemployment rate of 6.6%, government data shows, but more than 17% of workers younger than 29 are unemployed and others work as casual labour. Unemployment and underemployment are a key concern for authorities, despite world-beating economic growth of 7.3%.

Orry aka Orhan Awatramani appeared unexpectedly poignant on the grand finale of ‘Koffee With Karan Season 8’. In a candid chat with director-producer and talk show host Karan Johar on the final episode of his iconic talk show, the Internet sensation opened up about the pitfalls of fame and how he is busy plotting his own downfall. The socialite also gave the audience a sneak peek to his ‘Orry office.’ When asked by the host if he was aware how fickle fame can be, Orry said that he was acutely aware of the unsaid tragedy of popularity and how fleeting it can be.

Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has announced on 16 January, that the Aadhaar card will NO LONGER be an acceptable document for date of birth. The EPFO, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the Government of India, notified the removal of Aadhaar Card as an acceptable document for date of Birth after a directive from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). According to UIDAI’s Directive (Circular No.