Recent 6 months news in Business

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Norway-based Hystar AS for the phased indigenisation and local manufacturing of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser systems.

The partnership aims to support green hydrogen projects in India by establishing localized production capabilities for the advanced electrolyser technology.

Bank of America Corporation (BofA) has entered into a Joint Venture (JV) agreement with Jio Financial Services Ltd (JFSL). Under the JV, BofA will acquire up to a 49.9% stake in Jio Credit Ltd (JCL).

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a 23% equity shareholding in TM International Logistics Ltd by Tata Steel Ltd.

Additionally, the CCI has approved the acquisition of a specific equity shareholding in Bharti Life Insurance Company Ltd by Prudential Corporation Holdings Ltd.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has delivered 'MS Maria', the second of eight Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) in the 'HS EcoFreighter' series, to the Germany-based shipping firm HS Schiffahrts UG & Co KG.

The vessel was designed by the Netherlands-based Groot Ship Design and constructed by CSL in compliance with the classification rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV). It is a 7,000 Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) ice-class vessel featuring a raked stem with the 'Groot Crossbow' design.

Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel, has partnered with ITI Ltd to accelerate enterprise digital transformation and strengthen digital infrastructure in India.

International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation and Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) Bengaluru have inaugurated the ‘IBM-MIT AI Lab-MAHE’ at the Bengaluru campus.

Additionally, IBM Corporation and CHRIST University have announced the establishment of the ‘IBM Innovation Center for AI’ to promote AI education, research, and innovation.

Adani Airport City Ltd (AACL), a step-down wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), has incorporated AACL Global IFSC Ltd as a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL).

The Lucknow-Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is set to become India’s first privately branded passenger train.

The semi-high-speed train will be temporarily renamed as the ‘Sprite’ Tejas Express for a duration of 6 months.

Jupiter Wagons Ltd (JWL) has partnered with Italy-based Lucchini RS Holding SpA and SIMEST (Italian Society for Enterprises Abroad) SpA to set up India’s first fully integrated private-sector railwheel manufacturing platform, named Jupiter Tatravagonka Railwheel Factory Pvt Ltd (JTRWF).

Under this deal, Lucchini RS and SIMEST will acquire a combined 25% stake in JTRWF for an investment of ₹307 crore (EUR 28 million).

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger of AAPC India Hotel Management Pvt Ltd (AAPC India), Caddie Hotels Pvt Ltd (Caddie), Triguna Hospitality Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd (Triguna), Srilanand Mansions Pvt Ltd (SMPL), Techpark Hotels Pvt Ltd (Techpark), and Accent Hotels Pvt Ltd (Accent) into InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd (IGH).

Japan-based Eisai has launched 'Leqembi' (lecanemab) in India after receiving approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It is the first disease-modifying therapy in the country for early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

This launch addresses the rising dementia burden in India, which affected 8.8 million elderly individuals in 2023 and is projected to double by 2036.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order against Dabur India Ltd for marketing food products with misleading claims such as "100% Pure" and "100% Natural".

These claims were found to be in violation of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved the acquisition of Magma General Insurance from Sanoti Properties (owned by Adar Poonawalla) by Patanjali Ayurved and the DS Group for ₹4,500 crore. Under the share purchase agreement (SPA), Patanjali Ayurved will acquire a 73.56% stake, while the DS Group will acquire a 24.50% stake in the company.

Separately, the IRDAI has granted a licence to ProTec General Insurance, a joint venture (JV) between the M Pallonji Group and Divya Sehgal of True North.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced the launch of 'Indian Natural Gas Futures', the first exchange-traded energy derivative of India.

The contract is linked to a domestic benchmark and will be traded under the symbol 'NATGASIND'. Following the approval from the SEBI, trading is scheduled to commence on 27 July 2026.

Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group has announced an investment of over ₹600 crore to set up an integrated nickel-based superalloy manufacturing facility in Telangana.

The plant, to be built on a 50-acre site near Hyderabad, will have an annual production capacity of 5,000 tonnes. The announcement was made at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held in the UK.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the amalgamation of Go Digit Infoworks Services Pvt Ltd with Go Digit General Insurance Ltd, with the latter remaining as the surviving entity.

Additionally, the CCI has approved the acquisition of units of Oaktree Capital Group Holdings, LP (OCGH) and Oaktree Equity Plan, LP (OEP) by Brookfield Asset Management Ltd (BAM).

Microsoft India, in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at the IIT Delhi, has launched UNNATI AI 2.0.

It is the second phase of the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Microsoft India, with the name signifying 'Unnati se Pragati' (progress through growth). The program aims to democratise access to AI technologies to strengthen the AI talent pipeline in India, with a special focus on fostering startups and innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Infosys has been fined €175,000 (around ₹2 crore) by a French labour authority because the employee working time recording system of the company was found to be non-compliant with the legal requirements of the country.

Nvidia, in collaboration with Microsoft, SpaceX, Palantir, and other technology companies, has launched an AI safety initiative named the 'Open Secure AI Alliance'.

The primary objective of this alliance is to develop and share open-source AI security tools. This initiative was launched following a recent disclosure by OpenAI that an autonomous agent had compromised the infrastructure of the startup Hugging Face.

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has launched the Electronic Commerce Council of India (ECCI) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The ECCI is a nationwide platform designed to strengthen the digital commerce ecosystem of India through collaboration among the industry, government, and other stakeholders. It has already onboarded 70 to 80 members.