Zomato has laid off around 500-600 customer support employees due to non-performance and is leaning on AI to automate job functions. Impacted employees claimed they were terminated without notice. The layoffs come as Zomato reports a significant drop in profits and continues its expansion into quick commerce. The company recently approved new stock options for eligible employees.
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In Davos, young demonstrators protest against the World Economic Forum, highlighting the disparity between the rich and the global issues they face. Meanwhile, young Global Shapers engage in discussions with world leaders, aiming to influence decisions on social justice, climate change, and political representation for the youth.
Cryptocurrency prices fell as President Trump announced new tariffs, but Bitcoin showed some recovery. Other digital assets like Ethereum and dogecoin saw larger declines. Trump's meme coin also plummeted significantly. Despite his earlier skepticism, Trump now supports crypto, aiming to make the U.S. a leader in the industry. Bitcoin remains close to its record high despite fluctuations.
Neelkanth Realtors, a Mumbai-based real estate developer, files draft papers with Sebi for an IPO to raise funds through the issuance of 1.35 crore equity shares. The proceeds will be used for project development, debt repayment, and general corporate purposes. The shares will be listed on BSE and NSE.
The S&P 500 shows strong performance, with 24% and 23% gains in 2023 and 2024. Analysts expect continued growth in 2025, driven by economic robustness and AI advancements. Companies like Arista Networks and Palo Alto Networks, which have executed stock splits, are highlighted for potential significant gains, showing impressive revenue and earnings increases.
Air India has made significant progress since its privatisation by the Tata Group, expanding its fleet to 300 aircraft and covering over 100 destinations. The airline is enhancing its services with new aircraft deliveries, major infrastructure projects, and the integration of Vistara and Air India Express to achieve world-class service quality.
China has emerged as a significant player in AI foundation models with DeepSeek, creating powerful AI models at lower costs than the West. This has spurred a debate in India about whether to develop indigenous large language models or focus on smaller, application-specific ones. Experts emphasize the need for investment in research, infrastructure, and innovation to enhance India's AI capabilities.
Life insurance companies are opposing the exemption of term insurance policies from GST, citing increased costs due to the loss of input tax credit. They propose maintaining a 12% GST rate to offset costs. The decision has been deferred, awaiting feedback from insurance regulator Irdai. Inconsistent implementation could lead to higher premiums and impact affordability for consumers.
China's manufacturing activity expanded for the third month in a row in December, with the PMI reaching 50.1. This growth comes amid efforts to combat a property market crisis, weak consumption, and high government debt. However, experts believe more fiscal stimulus is necessary for full economic recovery. The non-manufacturing PMI also showed improvement, rising to 52.2.
India is discontinuing medium- and long-term options of its gold monetisation scheme due to evolving market conditions. From March 26, 2025, only short-term deposits will be accepted based on commercial viability. This move aims to reduce financial commitments and mitigate risks from gold price fluctuations. Existing deposits will remain intact until maturity.
India’s forex reserves declined by $1.781 billion, hitting $638.698 billion on February 28. Despite intermittent gains, reserves have generally dropped since their all-time high in September. The decline is largely attributed to the RBI’s efforts to stabilize the Rupee.