Author: Abizar Attari
News Editor

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: A month after 241 people died on an Air India flight to London shortly after takeoff, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a preliminary report on the cause of the crash. According to it, the engine fuel control switches were moved to the ‘Cutoff’ position just after takeoff.  This resulted in both engines losing thrust almost simultaneously, and eventually led to the plane crashing in the BJ Medical College hostel, resulting in a total of 260 fatalities, including those at the hostel. The report claims that the switch was flipped 3 seconds into the flight, even…

India’s armed forces are the second largest in the world, just behind China. Yet, India still has a lot of catching up to do with China, the US and other militaries. These days, the strength of the armed forces are more about technological superiority than sheer manpower size.  India has traditionally relied on foreign arm imports or licensed arm manufacturing to equip its 1.4 million actively serving military personnel. Traditionally, most of the arms came from the Soviet Union, and later, Israel, US and other countries. Though the we developed arms and ammunition independently, they have traditionally not been enough…

Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn has had to recall hundreds of its Chinese employees from its India operations after the Chinese authorities allegedly indulged in pressure tactics to hamper Foxconn’s India operations, according to various news reports.  Foxconn assembles the iPhone 16 in India, although most of the equipment and high-end expertise needed to do so come from China. Indian engineers aren’t skilled enough to handle these, and Foxconn had brought in these Chinese employees to aid its India operations. Though Apple and the government have downplayed the development, the reality is far more concerning. India may have become the ‘world’s…

Mumbai: India’s fourth-largest pharma company Glenmark Pharmaceuticals’ shares are witnessing a massive rise after the company informed the bourses about its deal with US-based AbbVie for developing and commercialising its experimental cancer drug ISB 2001, in a deal potentially worth $1.2 billion. The deal, inked by Glenmark’s Swiss-based subsidiary IGI Therapeutics SA, includes a $700 million upfront payment to develop a rival to Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster Tecvayli cancer drug, a cure for myeloma, a type of blood cancer. This development is perhaps the most significant landmark for an Indian biotech player, as this deal could potentially earn Glenmark about…

From July 15, monetizing your content on YouTube isn’t going to be as easy as posting a clip compilation or a low-value reaction video. YouTube has enhanced its monetization guidelines, targeting such ‘low value’, ‘repetitive’ or ‘mass-produced’ content that does not offer value to viewers.  The aim of these rules under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is to cut off earnings for channels that have been misusing the program to churn out reused, repetitive, recycled and clickbative content that doesn’t offer any additional value. Under the new guidelines, monetization is eligible for content that: Offers original learning or insight Genuinely…

Mumbai: Bangalore-based Manipal Hospitals has won the bid to acquire Sahyadri Hospitals, Maharashtra’s largest hospital chain, in a deal reportedly worth Rs.6,400 cr. The hospital group, currently owned by Canadian pension fund Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP), announced in a press release on July 9. Manipal hospitals successfully outbid Fortis, Malaysia-based IHH Healthcare and EQT partners for the Pune-based company’s 11 hospitals across Pune, Nashik, Ahilya Nagar and Karad, strengthening its position as the country’s second largest private healthcare provider. Deepak Dara, Senior Managing Director for India, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, said: “Healthcare is a key investment theme for us…

Though many economists have chided India for its slow adoption of technology investments, they cannot deny that India does have the capacity to shine, although it takes time. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has shown that India has what it takes to develop an indigenous aviation ecosystem. From contract production to Made in India manufacturing Founded in Bengaluru in 1940 as Hindustan Aircraft Limited, the company initially focused on servicing and manufacturing American trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force. For a few years after the Government of India took over the company, the primary focus was on maintenance of Indian…

The creator economy is facing intensified competition, as almost 45 lakh influencers are trying their luck to go viral, even as only 6 lakh creators manage to monetise their income. Approximately 47% of these influencers rely on sponsored content, while only 15% earn income through ad revenue. These insights are a part of a report by the Nikhil Kamat-backed Konfluence, an Ad-Tech platform. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kofluence (@kofluence) “With India crossing 900 million internet users, the creator economy is poised for continued expansion, fueled by government initiatives as well as significant technological…

Mumbai: India’s largest operator of food and beverage outlets at transport hubs, Travel Food Services (TFS)’s IPO has received an 18% subscription by 2pm on day 2 of its IPO. The company aims to raise Rs.2000 cr through an Offer For Sale (OFS) issue by the promoters Kapur family trust. At 10 am on July 9, the retail portion of the issue was subscribed 0.34 times, while the QIB and NII segments were subscribed 0.19 and 0.25 times, respectively. The IPO has a price band of Rs.1,045 to Rs.1,100 per share, with a grey market premium of Rs.15 per share.…

New Delhi: The Adani Group has submitted a Rs. 12,600 crore unconditional bid for the bankrupt Jaiprakash Associates (JAL) as part of its insolvency proceedings. Other bidders, including Dalmia Bharat, Vedanta, Jindal Power and PNC Infratech, have placed conditional bids tied to the resolution of a critical land dispute in UP pending before the Supreme Court. Once considered a major infrastructure and real company, JP Associates has faced mounting issues over the years, including a total debt burden of Rs. 55,493 cr along with a slew of court cases by buyers waiting to get possession of their homes. The company’s…