Business

Mumbai, February 17: Indian stock markets close higher for the second consecutive session on Tuesday, supported by gains in banking, IT, and capital goods stocks, even as global cues remain subdued.Benchmark Indices End in Positive Territory The 30 share BSE Sensex rises 173.81 points, or 0.21 percent, to settle at 83,450.96. During the session, the index moves between an intraday high of 83,598 and a low of 82,987.43.The 50 share NSE Nifty advances 42.65 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 25,725.40.Market participants maintain a cautious stance amid muted global signals, but selective buying in key sectors helps benchmarks extend Monday’s gains.IT, PSU Banks and Capital Goods Drive Market Momentum Among Sensex constituents...

New Delhi, February 17: India and Ireland are looking to strengthen their digital partnership, with a focus on quantum communications, artificial intelligence, regulatory innovation, and rural broadband expansion, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday.The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting in the national capital with Irish Minister Jack Chambers, where both sides explored ways to deepen cooperation in telecommunications, digital infrastructure, emerging technologies, and regulatory collaboration.Support for India’s ITU Candidature During the meeting, Scindia expressed optimism about Ireland’s backing for India’s candidature at the International Telecommunication Union. He underlined that...

Conflicting Claims Over Gates’ Attendance at AI Impact Summit in New Delhi New Delhi, February 17: Speculation surrounding the participation of Microsoft co founder Bill Gates at the AI Impact Summit intensified on Tuesday after conflicting statements emerged regarding his attendance at what is being described as the world’s largest AI summit.Earlier in the day, government sources indicated that Gates would not be attending the event. However, the uncertainty deepened when a spokesperson for the Gates Foundation contradicted this claim, stating that he is indeed participating in the summit.Name Removed from Official Website List Gates had originally been listed among prominent speakers on the official website of the AI Impact...

New Delhi, February 17: The India Deep Tech Alliance announced a strategic collaboration with the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to launch the India Deep Tech Accelerator, a 10 week program aimed at helping IIT affiliated deep tech startups expand into global markets.The initiative is led by the Polsky Center and developed in partnership with leading IIT innovation ecosystems, including SINE at IIT Bombay, FITT at IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras Research Park. The program is positioned to strengthen India’s deep tech startup ecosystem by creating a structured pathway for international scale and commercialization.10 Week Accelerator to Support Up to 15 Startups The accelerator will run from April...

Ashwini Vaishnaw Outlines India’s Vision for Responsible Artificial Intelligence New Delhi, February 17: India is working to build global consensus on the ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday, underscoring the country’s ambition to ensure AI serves humanity while limiting the risks associated with misuse.Speaking during a briefing on the India AI Impact Summit, the minister said India plans to organize a dedicated summit aimed at bringing together global leaders to align on the proper and ethical deployment of AI technologies.“We will organize a summit where we aim to create consensus among global leaders regarding the proper and ethical use of AI, so that...

New Delhi, February 17: Nearly 16 percent of the world’s artificial intelligence talent originates from India, giving the country a distinct competitive edge in global AI capabilities, according to a white paper unveiled on Tuesday. The report also projects that India will contribute close to 20 percent of incremental global GDP growth over the next 15 years, underscoring its rising influence in the global digital economy.The white paper was launched at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, signaling a strategic shift in how artificial intelligence is positioned within India’s development narrative.From Automation to Institutional Transformation Titled “AI for All: Catalysing Jobs, Growth, and Opportunity,” the...

India Norway Talks Focus on Solar Power, Carbon Capture and Investment Partnerships New Delhi and Oslo, February 17: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday held bilateral talks with Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo, exploring deeper cooperation in renewable energy and emerging green sectors.During the meeting, both leaders discussed expanding collaboration in solar power, rare earth processing, and carbon capture and storage. The discussions underscored a shared intent to strengthen partnerships in clean energy technologies and sustainable industrial development.Leveraging Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement for Blue and Green Economy The two sides agreed to work towards leveraging the Trade and...

New Delhi, February 17: AU Small Finance Bank on Tuesday announced the launch of its dedicated gold loan branch network, marking a significant step in its broader nationwide expansion strategy in secured retail lending.The move signals the bank’s intent to deepen its footprint in the gold loan segment through a focused, branch-led model.First Exclusive Gold Loan Branches Open in Gujarat The small finance bank has inaugurated its first two exclusive gold loan servicing branches in Jamnagar and Junagadh in Gujarat. These branches mark the beginning of a phased rollout designed to strengthen the bank’s presence in secured lending markets.The launch sets the foundation for a structured expansion of AU Small Finance Bank’s gold loan...

Rupee Closes Higher at 90.69 Against US Dollar, Gains 5 Paise on Equity Strength and Softer Crude The Indian rupee strengthened on Tuesday, closing 5 paise higher at 90.69 against the US dollar on a provisional basis. The domestic currency drew support from firm equity markets and easing global crude oil prices, although persistent foreign fund outflows and a stronger dollar capped further gains.Rupee Trades in Narrow Band During Session In the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.72 against the greenback. Throughout the trading session, it moved within a limited range, touching an intraday high of 90.64 and a low of 90.78.The unit ultimately settled at 90.69, improving by 5 paise from Monday’s closing level of...

IT Minister Assures Round the Clock Efforts to Streamline Operations at AI Impact Summit New Delhi, February 17: Following reports of long queues and large crowds on the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday apologized to attendees for the inconvenience and assured swift corrective action.Addressing concerns during a briefing, the Minister acknowledged the operational challenges faced by participants and emphasized that the organizing team is working continuously to improve the experience at what he described as the world’s largest AI Summit.‘War Room’ Activated to Address On Ground Challenges Vaishnaw said that a dedicated “war room” has been set up to monitor and resolve issues in real...

Mumbai, February 17: Indian equity benchmarks ended higher for the second straight session on Tuesday, supported by buying in banking, information technology, and capital goods shares.The 30 share BSE Sensex rose 173.81 points, or 0.21 percent, to close at 83,450.96. During the session, the index touched an intraday high of 83,598 and a low of 82,987.43, reflecting a volatile but upward trending trade.The 50 share NSE Nifty advanced 42.65 points, or 0.17 percent, to settle at 25,725.40.IT, PSU and Infra Stocks Support Market Momentum Among Sensex constituents, gains were led by ITC, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, Asian Paints, Titan, Adani Ports, HCL Technologies, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Maruti Suzuki India...

Mumbai, February 17: Indian benchmark equity indices closed higher for the second consecutive session on Tuesday, supported by gains in public sector banks and information technology stocks, even as global cues remained largely muted.The 30 share Sensex ended at 83,450.96, up 173.81 points or 0.21 per cent. The broader Nifty settled at 25,725.40, rising 42.65 points or 0.17 per cent.Nifty Faces Resistance Near 25,800 Mark Market participants noted that the recovery pushed the Nifty above the 25,700 level. However, upward momentum repeatedly encountered resistance in the 25,760 to 25,800 range, resulting in intermittent profit booking.On the downside, dips towards the 25,550 to 25,600 zone attracted consistent buying interest. This...

Highway solutions provider Markolines has reported a 12 per cent year on year rise in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December 2025, supported by improved project execution and disciplined cost management.Q3 FY26 Net Profit Climbs 12% Year on Year The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 6.78 crore in the December 2025 quarter, compared with Rs 6.05 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year.The growth reflects steady operational performance during the third quarter of FY26, as the company continued to focus on execution and billing efficiency across its projects.Nine Month Performance Shows Strong Momentum For the nine months ended December 2025, profit after tax stood at Rs 14.87...

New Delhi, February 17: Deep-tech firm NeuroDx on Tuesday announced the development of Manas-1, a 400-million-parameter artificial intelligence brain language model designed to decode the electrical activity of the human brain.The company said the breakthrough model is aimed at transforming diagnostics in neuroscience by enabling earlier detection of brain disorders and improving treatment accuracy.Manas-1 Positioned to Advance AI-Based Brain Diagnostics According to Siddharth Panwar, founder of NeuroDx.ai, Manas-1 has the potential to significantly enhance the way neurological conditions are identified and managed. By interpreting complex brain signals, the model is designed to assist in early-stage diagnosis and more precise...

CPI Inflation Expected to Edge Up as Food Prices Normalize The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India is likely to keep policy rates unchanged in fiscal year 2027, even as consumer price index inflation is projected to increase, according to a report released on Tuesday by Crisil Ratings.The report stated that CPI inflation will rise as food inflation normalizes. However, non food inflation is expected to remain moderate, supported by lower crude oil prices and continued benefits from tax cuts on goods and services during the first half of the year.GDP Growth Projected at 6.7 Percent in FY27 Crisil Ratings expects economic growth to remain close to its long term trend. Based on the 2011 to 12 series, the agency...

Diamond Power Infrastructure Q3 FY26 Results: Net Profit Jumps to Rs 49.72 Crore, Revenue Surges Diamond Power Infra Reports Strong Earnings Growth in October to December Quarter New Delhi, February 17: Diamond Power Infrastructure has delivered a sharp rise in profitability for the third quarter of FY26, reporting a substantial increase in net profit and revenue compared to the previous year.The Vadodara based integrated power transmission and distribution solutions provider posted a net profit of Rs 49.72 crore in the October to December quarter of 2025 to 26. This marks a significant jump from Rs 6.27 crore reported in the corresponding period of the previous year.Revenue From Operations Climbs to Rs 474.71 Crore Revenue from...

Strengthening India’s Government Cloud Infrastructure New Delhi, February 17: Amazon Web Services India Pvt Ltd and Yotta Data Services will collaborate to deploy a hybrid cloud infrastructure for the National Informatics Centre’s Meghraj 2.0 initiative, reinforcing the digital backbone of government services across the country.The GI Cloud initiative, branded as MeghRaj, is designed to leverage cloud computing to accelerate the delivery of e services nationwide. Meghraj 2.0 represents the next phase of this effort, focused on enhancing scalability, resilience, and security for citizen facing applications.AWS Outposts to Power Hybrid Cloud Deployment AWS India said it will work with Yotta Data Services to deploy AWS Outposts as part...

AI in Healthcare Must Be Guided by Ethics New Delhi, February 17: Ethics will play a decisive role in determining how effectively artificial intelligence is deployed in the healthcare sector, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, said on Tuesday.Speaking at a session during the AI Impact Summit, the minister emphasized that the responsible use of AI will be critical to unlocking its full potential in medical applications.“Ethics will be a very important factor in determining how optimally AI can be used in the healthcare sector,” he said, underlining the need for careful integration of advanced technologies in sensitive domains such as health.BharatGen Reflects Government’s Sovereign AI...

BJP MP Flags Risks of AI-Driven Job Losses and Social Disruption at AI Impact Summit New Delhi, February 17: BJP MP and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has called for the creation of a new global governance framework to regulate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the use of critical minerals, warning that existing international institutions are not equipped to address the challenges posed by futuristic technologies.Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital, Shringla, a member of the Rajya Sabha, said global bodies including the United Nations and the World Trade Organization are not structured to manage the complexities of rapidly advancing technologies.Existing Global...

Drug-Free Handheld Device Aims to Improve Mucus Clearance and Breathing Support New Delhi, February 17: Zydus Lifesciences on Tuesday announced the launch of PEPAIR, an affordable Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure OPEP device designed to help patients manage chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD, asthma, and bronchiectasis.The company stated that PEPAIR is India’s first affordable OPEP device and is intended to support effective mucus clearance, reduce congestion, and improve breathing outcomes for patients dealing with chronic lung disorders.Addressing a Growing Respiratory Health Burden in India According to the company, more than 90 lakh patients in India suffer from chronic respiratory conditions. A significant...