Information Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The AI hack we unlocked today is based on: Skills in Chrome.Here’s a situation most of us don’t notice because we’ve accepted it as normal: you craft a great AI prompt that works perfectly—say, one that extracts key information from any product page. It works.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: An early and harsher-than-usual start to summer has prompted the Centre to ask states to step up heatwave preparedness, with temperatures already running 4-8 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages in several regions, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by Mint.The directive comes as parts of northwestern, central and eastern India report daytime highs crossing 44°C, raising the risk of heat-related illnesses and potential disruption to economic activity if extreme conditions persist.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that heatwave conditions are very likely in the next 24 hours in states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, as well as parts of central and peninsular India.India's official weather forecaster defines a heatwave as temperatures at least 4.5°C above normal, with higher departures classified as severe.Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has asked states to stock essential supplies such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), intravenous fluids, ice packs and cooling equipment, and to operationalize dedicated Heat Stroke Management Units at health facilities. Ambulance services have also been asked to be equipped to handle heat-related emergencies, according to the communication sent to states.States have been directed to mandatorily report daily heatstroke cases and deaths through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) to enable real-time monitoring.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk—a recent Economist article describes them as the small, powerful group of five men who will determine the path along which artificial intelligence (AI) evolves. Their fellow AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, who invented the neural network system that enables AI models to learn like humans, quit Google in 2023 to alert the world that while further development of AI could lead us to a utopian future, it could equally lead us to a dystopian one.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.As companies around the world accelerate automation and adopt artificial intelligence (AI) tools, layoffs have shifted from speculation to reality. Thousands of professionals who once considered their careers stable are now navigating sudden unemployment.The scale is significant.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The clean energy story is evolving fast, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming a crucial part of that shift.As renewable energy capacity grows, the need to store power efficiently and use it when demand rises is only getting more important. But the BESS theme has not been like many other fast-emerging themes in the market.Due to supply constraints and operational challenges, many stocks within the sector or involved in the ecosystem have corrected from their peaks.In some cases, stocks have fallen simply due to the broader market weakness.As India continues to push aggressively towards renewable energy, the need for efficient energy storage is only expected to grow.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Wall Street’s watchdogs are ramping up their inquiries into how much risk has built up in the $3 trillion private-credit industry, just as investor angst has sparked some backers to head to the exits.The Securities and Exchange Commission in recent months has opened several enforcement investigations of large private-credit managers, according to people familiar with the matter. The Treasury Department has requested information from private fund managers and insurance firms about their business models.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India is looking to strengthen the social security net for informal workers amid rising living costs for retirees. Under the plan, the finance ministry, in consultation with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), is considering doubling the assured pension ceiling under the flagship Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to up to ₹10,000 a month, according to three people aware of the discussions.The proposal aims to boost fresh enrolments as well as retention in a scheme that now has 90 million subscribers but faces high drop-offs.Launched in May 2015, the pension scheme focuses on informal sector workers and currently provides a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000-5,000 after the age of 60 years, depending on the subscriber’s contribution slab.With nearly half the enrolled subscribers discontinuing contributions over time, the government is examining a long pending demand to enhance the pension cap to up to ₹10,000 per month to make the scheme more attractive and aligned with rising living costs, according to the people cited above.The scheme's gross enrolments in FY26 crossed 13.5 million, the highest ever in a single fiscal year since its launch.“The government and the PFRDA are examining options to enhance the upper pension cap to around ₹8,000– ₹10,000 per month, aiming to make the scheme more attractive and aligned with rising living costs,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity.Under the scheme's structure, the government provided a co-contribution in the initial years for subscribers enrolled before 31 March 2016.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Fed chair, faced pointed questions Tuesday at his Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing, with lawmakers zeroing in on his lack of investment disclosures, his stance on Fed independence and, of course, inflation.While the public watches the consumer price index (CPI) to follow inflation, the Federal Reserve spends its time tracking a different set of initials: PCE.The personal consumption expenditures price index, a monthly measure of the prices Americans pay for goods and services, is the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation and a key input in its interest-rate decisions.Damjan Pfajfar, vice president in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said the central bank prefers the PCE because it provides a “broader measure of inflation.” Speaking with Barron’s on April 17, he said PCE is a “more accurate reflection of what consumers are actually spending.”Compared with the CPI, which only includes urban consumers, the PCE also measures rural households and spending done on behalf of consumers, including employer-provided health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. With monthly updating of its weightings—the relative importance of different sectors—the index also better reflects shifts in consumer behavior, such as substituting pricier options for lower-cost alternatives.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The electronics technology ministry is moving to tighten its grip on how social media giants disclose artificial intelligence-generated content, proposing a ‘continuous’ watermarking mandate to prevent platforms from avoiding transparency rules.The ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) issued a draft amendment on Tuesday that would require labels on AI-modified media to be clearly visible throughout the duration of a video or image. The proposal follows government frustration with current practices, where firms have allegedly used fleeting or obscured markers that satisfy the letter of the law while failing to inform the public.Tuesday’s amendment, a copy of which Mint has reviewed, targeted Rule 3(3)(a)(ii) of India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, updating the previous proposal to social media companies for “prominent visibility” of AI labels.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Traditional computers store information in bits. Quantum computers operate very differently. They use qubits, a whole new information architecture that leverages a quantum property called superposition, which allows them to occupy multiple states simultaneously.Quantum machines are no faster at ordinary tasks—the laptop on your desk will probably outperform them at writing documents or running spreadsheets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s chaotic public transportation system could be in for a major overhaul, with federal think tank NITI Aayog beginning work on a national framework for first- and last-mile mobility, according to two people aware of the development and a document reviewed by Mint.The move is significant given the scale of reliance on informal transit: an estimated 200–300 million Indians depend heavily on privately run rickshaws, tempos and minibuses for last-mile connectivity, with most tier-II, tier-III and smaller towns having limited public transport.The framework is to be finalized by a nominated committee of transportation sector experts, as well as officials from the ministries of road transport and highways, and housing and urban affairs, according to one of the two people cited above, who requested anonymity.“The target for this committee, headed by a NITI Aayog official, is to prepare a report in the next three months,” this person added.The second person cited above said that the move was prompted by the fact that there is currently no formal framework for a transport system widely used by the public. “The committee will try and figure out what can be done about establishing an oversight into this informal system of transport, which is growing rapidly,” the second person said.The document reviewed by Mint showed that government-run systems are available in just 66 of 496 Indian cities with populations above 100,000.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.If you’ve ever hesitated before approving a UPI request or double-checked a QR code before scanning, you’re not alone. As UPI becomes central to everyday payments, concerns around fraud are rising alongside its growth.As per government data shared in Parliament, 10.64 lakh UPI fraud cases worth ₹805 crore were reported in FY26 (till November).The Reserve Bank of India’s proposal to introduce a one-hour cooling-off period for new or high-value UPI payments above ₹10,000 is the latest step aimed at curbing such frauds.At the same time, another digital payment option has quietly evolved in the background: the e-rupee, or India’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. has become the first homegrown information technology (IT) services company to grant its board complete oversight of artificial intelligence, underlining the technology's importance amid an uncertain demand environment.As part of its AI guidelines, the company's board of directors will monitor the use of AI tools and their financial impact on the company.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Earlier this year, the government issued a much-awaited update to the methods by which it measures national income and gross domestic product (GDP).According to the government, key reforms to the way GDP is calculated “include revising the base years of GDP and price indices, strengthening the measurement of the informal and services sectors, improving labour market statistics, adopting advanced survey methods and technology, and enhancing transparency…”Based on the new methodology, India’s GDP grew 7.2%, 7.1% and 7.6% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms in FY24, FY25, and FY26, respectively, compared to the 9.2%, 6.5% and 7.4% growth rates last estimated using the old methodology. In absolute terms, GDP is now lower than previously pegged: at current prices (not adjusted for inflation), India added ₹345.47 trillion in economic output in 2025-26, not ₹357.14 trillion as believed using the old technique.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: India’s appetite for Swiss watches is expanding, but the bigger shift is in how consumers are buying them. As the market crossed ₹3,500 crore for the first time in 2025, demand is increasingly being shaped by more informed, deliberate choices—moving away from logo-driven purchases towards craftsmanship, heritage and understated design.“The Indian luxury customer has evolved from buying brands to buying watchmaking,” said Pranav Saboo, managing director and chief executive of Ethos Ltd, one of India’s biggest watch retailersThat shift is showing up across the market.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s food safety regulator has moved food recalls from paper trails to real-time digital tracking.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a dedicated “Food Recall” portal in March 2026, integrated into its FoSCoS licensing system, creating a centralized cloud-based hub to track recalled products.The shift comes after high-profile recall episodes — from Maggi noodles in 2015 to recent concerns over spices and protein supplements — exposed the delays and opacity in manual systems.The new framework aims to significantly reduce the time between identifying a food safety hazard and removing the product from the market.Mint explains.The “Food Recall” portal is a web-based facility integrated into FoSCoS. Each recall is assigned a unique identification number, allowing digital monitoring and public access to recall information.All new recalls initiated by enforcement authorities — including Designated Officers (DOs) and Central Licensing Authorities (CLAs) — must now be created directly in the FoSCoS system using official logins.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Will we reach a maturity level in our workplaces where a company can ask for a mental health check the same way it asks for a physical test after rolling out a job offer but before signing the final appointment letter? When attention deficit disorder (ADD), cortisol spikes and high cholesterol are openly discussed in water-cooler conversation, why is mental health not a factor that needs to be gauged before an employment contract is signed?According to a senior partner at one of New Delhi’s most prominent law firms, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 states that one is prohibited from discriminating against a candidate based on the Act’s stipulated list of disabilities, unless proportionate to a legitimate objective.A note released by the Press Information Bureau in December 2025 said that the same law defines a ‘person with disability’ as “someone who has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders their full and effective participation in society equally with others.” While employers cannot be biased during the hiring process, they can take a final call depending on the role’s needs. If the mental health conditions of candidates may obstruct their work efficacy, should employers not be informed of such diagnoses? Maybe not under present workplace dynamics.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Wall Street’s ambivalence toward retail investors was summed up by Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., explaining what convinced him to get out of the stock market before the Crash of 1929.It was, he said, unsolicited investing advice from the guy polishing his wingtips.“When the shoeshine boys have tips, the stock market is too popular for its own good,” said Kennedy, who sold short and made a fortune, giving rise to an American political dynasty.The story seems too perfect to be true, but it underscores the basic tension between Wall Street and individual investors.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mehli Mistry, a close associate of late tycoon Ratan Tata, has challenged his ouster from Sir Dorabji Tata Trusts (SDTT), the largest among Tata Trusts, and requested the appointment of an administrator to run the philanthropic entities behind the sprawling Tata Group of companies.In an affidavit filed before the Maharashtra charity commissioner on Wednesday, Mistry challenged the votes cast by Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh that led to his ouster in October; questioned Tata Trusts chair Noel Tata's objection to reappointing N. Chandrasekaran as chair of Tata Sons; and highlighted what he claims is a procedural flaw in the appointment of Noel as the Trusts chair.On 24 February, the Tata Sons board deferred a decision on reappointing Chandrasekaran, after Noel sought a roadmap to revive loss-making Tata businesses.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.When India enacted its four new Labour Codes, consolidating over 40 central labour laws, the promise was straightforward: simplify compliance, make labour markets more flexible and attract investment. These are worthy goals. But for the Codes to deliver on that promise, they should be accompanied by a reform that has been conspicuously absent from the conversation: a properly designed, state-sponsored unemployment insurance system.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A downward revision in nominal gross domestic product (GDP) following the base-year revision and a sharp depreciation of the rupee have proved to be a setback for India's position in global ranking.The country has slipped to the sixth rank in 2025 (FY26) and 2026 (FY27), falling behind the UK after claiming the fifth position for three straight years, showed the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest data.At current prices, India’s GDP is estimated to be $3.92 trillion in 2025 (FY26) and $4.15 trillion in 2026 (FY27). The UK’s GDP is expected to be $4 trillion in 2025 and $4.26 trillion in 2026, respectively.