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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Centre has released the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, proposing to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. The move comes after years of delay, even as the indiscriminate use of pesticides and the growing presence of spurious products have underscored the need for stronger regulation of the sector.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI: Amagi Media Labs will open its ₹1,789 crore initial public offering (IPO) on 13 January, becoming one of the first companies to test public market appetite in 2026 with a business that is globally scaled—but difficult to price. The IPO comprises a ₹816 crore fresh issue and a ₹973 crore offer for sale.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Indian Railways plans to use galvanised steel rails in coastal and high-humidity regions to reduce corrosion and quadruple track life, two people aware of the development said. The move is being examined as an alternative to the nickel copper chromium (NCC) rails being produced by state-owned steel maker Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Inside a sprawling, brightly lit factory in central Ukraine, a pair of launchers held up two massive cruise missiles with an unusual nickname: “the Flamingo." Longer than a city bus and weighing nearly 7 tons, the Flamingo is at the center of Ukraine’s quest to build missiles domestically that can strike deep inside Russian territory. Doing so successfully would lessen the country’s reliance on its Western backers for its most powerful weapons.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI : As most credit card issuers chase premium experiences and luxury rewards to drive higher spending, BoB Card is betting on healthcare, wellness and insurance-led benefits to carve a niche for itself. With rising medical costs and changing customer preferences reshaping how credit cards are used, the Bank of Baroda subsidiary is moving away from one-size-fits-all offerings towards cohort-specific products.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : Signalling a recalibration of India’s quality control regime, the Centre has withdrawn a total of 49 quality control orders (QCOs), according to an 8 January communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Electric two-wheeler maker Simple Energy plans to raise $30-40 million in fresh capital, largely from international backers and existing investors, in what could be its first round with institutional participation, chief executive Suhas Rajkumar told Mint. So far, the company has raised capital mainly from family offices and high net-worth individuals rather than venture capital funds.The fresh funds will be used to increase production capacity and support a second manufacturing plant as the Bengaluru-based company rolls out its Gen 2 Simple One range of scooters and the long-range Simple Ultra scooter, which according to the company has clocked 400 km in the Indian Driving Cycle (IDC), a standardized lab test by the Automotive Research Association of India.“We plan to close a fresh round of $30-40 million this year, which will have a mix of equity and debt, and have been talking to institutional investors, mostly international ones,” Rajkumar said.Simple Energy has also held discussions with domestic private equity and venture capital investors, but has so far struggled to convert that interest into large cheques, Rajkumar said.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected] Centre is shaping a wider and more deliberate standards strategy for 2026, moving to realign Quality Control Orders (QCOs) with actual testing and laboratory capacity while easing friction with key trading partners.

Venezuela, the brutal civil war in Sudan, and the continuous instability in the Middle East, to the war in Ukraine and the growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. All these crises have global implications.In the face of these myriad emergencies, it is no surprise that the West, broadly understood, is contending with its greatest challenge in decades. At the root of this challenge lies a sense of civilizational exhaustion, of which our adversaries have taken notice, confident that their time has come.But has it? More than 1,350 days have passed since Russia launched its three-day “special military operation”—its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression—against Ukraine.

AI and technology-led disruption, which naturally makes the hiring process more rigorous."This scrutiny has introduced new hurdles for candidates, including psychometric testing. Once reserved for the top rung, these assessments are now standard for middle management.Peer-level reviews are in too."Peer group evaluations are now done in seven out of 10 mandates at the middle and senior levels," says Pranshu Upadhyay, regional director at Michael Page India.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected] the year 2025 drew to a close, thousands of spectators braved Delhi’s foul air, made stagnant by the unyielding winter winds, to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi. Not long back, it would have been a regular meet-and-greet for a legendary footballer.

faced unexpected challenges earlier this year while preparing to roll out a new model, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg went on a recruiting blitz to build an AI dream team, offering top executives and researchers multimillion-dollar paydays.The company acquired a 49% stake in startup Scale AI that valued Scale at $29 billion, and Scale founder Alexandr Wang joined the social media giant as its chief AI officer.The Manus acquisition appears to be Meta’s first major purchase of an AI startup operating an frontier AI model. Manus’s capabilities are regularly tested by top benchmarks and compared against those of AI models including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini and DeepSeek’s R1.Earlier this year, Manus raised $75 million in a fundraising round led by venture firm Benchmark.

New Delhi: India’s leading electric bus and truck makers are planning to ask for a one-year extension on exemptions to import rare earth magnet motors — that are critical for electric vehicles (EVs)—under a central government scheme, three executives directly aware of the development said.According to the executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, manufacturers may seek an import relaxation till March 2027 under the ₹10,900-crore PM-E Drive scheme.The earlier deadline for e-trucks and e-buses to switch to locally manufactured rare earth magnet motors was March 2026, which was in turn extended from 1 September 2025.The extension is being sought as supply disruptions persist in imports, while local production of rare earth magnets and alternative motor technologies is expected to take another one to two years.Manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Eka Mobility and Montra Electric are deliberating on sending a request to the ministry of heavy industries (MHI) to extend the import deadline, the executives said.A formal outreach to the government is expected in the next few weeks.

How to access: Go to gemini.google.com → Click the beaker icon (top right) → Enable "Gems with mini apps"• Create interactive tools instantly: Generate calculators, planners, trackers, and games without leaving the chat• Build functional prototypes: Test ideas with working apps before investing in full development• Collaborate more effectively: Share interactive tools that teammates can use, not just readSuppose you're launching a new product and need a streamlined workflow for your marketing team. Here's how mini-apps in Gemini help:• Click “New Gem”: Start creating your custom mini-app from the Gems section• Describe what you need: “Create an app that evaluates product features, generates marketing content ideas, creates vision boards, and outlines next steps”• Gemini builds the workflow: You get a multi-step interactive app with sections for Product Name, Description, Content Generation, Vision Board Creation, and HTML rendering• Use it immediately: Your team inputs product details, and the app automatically generates marketing content, visual concepts, and actionable next steps• Remix and refine: Click "Remix" to modify steps, add fields, or customize the workflow for your specific needs• No technical skills needed: Build functional apps through simple conversation• Everything in one place: From request to working tool without switching platforms• Instant iterations: Modify apps by simply asking - no manual editing requiredMint's ‘AI tool of the week’ is excerpted from Leslie D'Monte's weekly TechTalk newsletter. Subscribe to Mint's newsletters to get them directly in your email inbox.Note: The tools and analysis featured in this section demonstrated clear value based on our internal testing. Our recommendations are

Mint a decade ago under the ominous headline ‘Is the history of the 1930s repeating itself?’ that concluded with: “History is unlikely to be repeated in the same manner, but with capitalism in crisis, and both the Centre and organized Left in retreat, human tragedy of indeterminate magnitude is likely. Whether the post-war liberal order will survive the right-wing onslaught is moot.”Developments over the last decade only fuelled my fears.

Mint unpacks how the store functions, whether Swiggy Instamart stands to gain meaningfully, and what this could mean for quick commerce.Swiggy Instamart did not respond to queries shared by Mint.Located in the upscale neighbourhood of M3M 65th Avenue of Gurugram, the store stands in the midst of a host of residential and commercial properties, including large housing complexes.At the outset, the store appears to be like any other department store—stocked with everyday products ranging from essentials such as pulses, fresh produce and grains to even nicotine products. Noice, Swiggy’s private label selling breads, paneer and snacks among other food items, also sits comfortably on the shelves.The store is run by PYD Retail Pvt Ltd, a seller that operates on Swiggy Instamart’s online app as well.

In 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) won’t just be something companies talk about in press releases. It will become part of how everyday work gets done. Instead of being tested in small pilot projects or used in flashy demos, AI will be built into the core of how businesses operate.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A JetBlue plane was en route to Puerto Rico when its pilots got word from air-traffic control they were about to fly through a danger zone. The plane initially went into a holding pattern to stay safe.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: As India manages record procurement volumes at home while cementing its role as a key supplier in the global food markets, the government is preparing to roll out artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automated grain analyzers (AGA) from next year to modernize how food grains are tested, stored and distributed, two people with direct knowledge of the development said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem is entering a decisive phase. Rising defence spending, a sharper focus on indigenization and growing export ambition are creating a longer runway for domestic suppliers.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. OpenAI is aiming to raise as much as $100 billion as it seeks to pay for ambitious growth plans in a market that has cooled recently on the artificial-intelligence boom. The fundraising round, which is in the early stages, could value the company at as much as $830 billion, if it raises the full amount it is targeting, people familiar with the matter said.