Airtel and Reliance Jio have announced deals to market Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet in India, pending regulatory approvals. These partnerships aim to enhance network coverage, especially in rural and remote areas where connectivity is limited. Satellite internet services will, however, be more expensive and initially cater to enterprise sectors.
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JSW Group is engaging in discussions with multiple auto manufacturers, including Chinese company Geely, for electric vehicle joint ventures in India. Their aim is to expand across various EV segments, including passenger and commercial vehicles, while exploring partnerships beyond their existing collaboration with SAIC's MG.
Reliance Industries Ltd posted a 7.4% increase in net profit for the December quarter, driven by a recovery in its retail sector and strong telecom earnings. The company reported a net profit of Rs 18,540 crore compared to Rs 17,265 crore in the same period last year. Revenue rose to Rs 2.43 lakh crore from Rs 2.27 lakh crore.
GCMMF has announced a Re 1 price reduction per litre for its one-litre Amul milk packs across India to encourage consumers to buy larger packs. In Delhi, Amul Gold will now cost Rs 67, and Amul Taaza is priced at Rs 55. GCMMF reported an 8% growth in turnover and continues to expand its global presence.
Companies in India are expected to see an average salary increment of 8.8% in 2025, slightly down from 9.0% in 2024. While 75% of companies aim to maintain or reduce pay hikes due to muted revenue growth, top performers may receive 1.7 times higher increments than average employees, with a focus on optimizing costs and talent differentiation.
The telecom department (DoT) and companies in India used the 'International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System' to block 70% of spoofed calls, reducing them from 1.5 crore to 5 lakh daily. They are now tackling scams using virtual private networks. AI tools like ASTR identified 78 lakh fraudulent connections, blocking many and leading to 365 FIRs.
Adani Group is officially withdrawing from a $442 million wind power project in Sri Lanka after the government attempted to renegotiate the agreement for better energy rates.
Large IT firms saw growth driven by small and mid-sized deals in the December quarter, with a strong pipeline and shorter deal decision-making cycles. HCLTech's annual contract value increased by 23% year-on-year, while TCS signed deals worth $10.2 billion. The shift towards smaller, shorter-tenure deals aligns with changing client spending patterns.
The Finance Ministry has informed the Parliament about the risks tied to households moving deposits to market-linked instruments, highlighting potential financial losses and liquidity issues for banks.
ICICI Bank reported a 15% rise in standalone net profit to Rs 11,792 crore for Q3 of FY2024, compared to Rs 10,272 crore in the same period last year. Total income rose to Rs 48,368 crore, with improved asset quality as gross NPAs dropped to 1.96%.
India's banking sector is experiencing slow loan growth and margin pressure due to high interest rates. Loan growth is projected to drop significantly, and banks are focusing on retail deposits to strengthen their balance sheets. Despite this, net profits and bad loan ratios show improvement.