Recent 6 months news in Business

Zoho has launched ‘Zia Chat’, a unified AI interface for business operations. The company also announced its entry into vertical Software as a Service (SaaS) by introducing 7 industry-specific applications.

These applications are designed to cater to sectors including retail, automotive, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), healthcare, education, real estate, and restaurants.

Tata Steel Ltd (Tata Steel) has commissioned a “Coke Oven Gas (COG) Injection Project” at its Meramandali plant in Odisha. The project, implemented at Blast Furnace 1, is the first-ever initiative of its kind in the Indian steel industry.

JSW Group has signed a non-binding MoU with the Volkswagen Group, through Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL), to form a proposed Joint Venture (JV).

The proposed JV will feature a 51:49 ownership structure and focus on the passenger vehicle operations of Volkswagen in India.

Akasa Air has successfully operated its first commercial flight using conventional Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) blended with 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), supplied by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

The flight, which departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, marks a milestone in the sustainability initiatives of the airline. It is to be noted that this initiative aligns with the national goal to achieve 5% SAF blending in aviation fuel by 2030 to reduce the carbon footprint of the domestic aviation sector.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) US and PwC India have established a Joint Venture (JV) to integrate their advisory talent and capabilities. The JV will create a consulting powerhouse of 40,000 professionals on a single integrated platform.

The initiative aims to scale the global delivery model to assist cross-border clients in navigating technological disruptions and expanding operations.

Qualcomm Technologies Inc. has partnered with Amazon to develop customized AI chips for Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres. The partnership is valued at over $60 billion.

Agnikawach Safety Solutions Pvt Ltd has launched ‘Agni Kawach’, the first indigenously developed AI powered safety platform of India.

The platform aims to provide protection against 8 major industrial hazards to establish a global industrial safety ecosystem. It is to be noted that the prototype of the platform has reached Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL-5).

PhonePe, a fintech firm based in Bengaluru, has launched its first local operations in the UAE. The company has secured two licenses to offer consumer payment instruments and to provide e-payment acceptance infrastructure for merchants.

Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecommunications service provider in India, has appointed Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador and introduced a revitalised brand identity.

As part of the revamp, the logo of the company has been redesigned from “V!” to “Vi”. The company also launched a marketing campaign titled “Vi badal raha hai... tayaar rahiye” (Vi is changing... Be ready).

Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) has attained an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) score of 90, the highest globally in the utilities sector.

The score, assessed by S&P Global through its Media and Stakeholder Analysis (MSA) review, surpasses the global industry average of 41 for the sector.

NVIDIA has announced an agreement to acquire the premier open-source AI platform ‘Hugging Face’ for $12.93 billion in cash and equity. This transaction represents the largest acquisition undertaken by NVIDIA to date.

Hindalco Industries Ltd has commissioned the first Superfine Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate (PPT ATH) manufacturing plant of India in Belagavi, Karnataka. The greenfield facility marks the inaugural domestic production of this high-value specialty alumina product.

The unit has an initial capacity of 30,000 tonnes per annum (expandable to 60,000 tonnes) and is powered entirely by renewable energy sources. It is to be noted that PPT ATH serves as a Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant (HFFR) material used in cables, insulation, and polymers.

Tata Elxsi, the design and technology services division of the Tata Group, has entered into a strategic partnership with Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation to develop an air taxi. The vehicle is designed to have a capacity to transport 6 passengers and 1 pilot.

SpaceX has announced an investment of $100 billion to build its largest rocket launch complex named “Starbase Louisiana” in southern Louisiana, USA.

AkinAnalytics, a Hyderabad-based women-led deep technology (DeepTech) and defence technology startup, has launched an indigenous drone named “NIKA2” Kisan Medium Drone.

The drone, unveiled by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is designed to provide technology-driven solutions for farmers and field-intensive industries.

Google has emerged as the successful bidder in a bankruptcy auction to acquire internal enterprise data and software assets of Spirit Airlines for $10 million.

The company intends to use these assets for product development and training AI models.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has partnered with UK-based Rolls-Royce Ltd to design, develop, and manufacture an indigenous combat engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme of India.

It is to be noted that the collaboration also aims to explore the establishment of a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, which will serve as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for power and propulsion technology.

L&T Energy Hydrocarbon Onshore (LTEH Onshore) has secured a contract worth over ₹15,000 crore from a company based in West Asia for a gas compression facilities project. The project was bagged against a letter of award issued for the FY26.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has acquired Germany-based MHP Management- und IT-Beratung GmbH (MHP), a subsidiary of Porsche AG, for €320 million.

Additionally, Porsche AG has entered into a 5-year strategic agreement with TCS valued at €1.25 billion.

Larsen & Toubro, through its AI infrastructure arm Vyoma.AI, has bagged a contract worth between ₹10,000 crore and ₹15,000 crore from the USA-based Together AI (Together Computer Inc) to build the largest single-cluster NVIDIA B300 AI factory in India.

The facility will be established at the L&T data centre campus in Chennai, and is designed to deploy 10,000 NVIDIA B300 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).