Latest Developments

Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Reliance Jio strengthen telecom leadership in Keralam

Reliance Jio has strengthened its market position in Keralam by adding 2.38 lakh active wireless subscribers (VLR) in August. According to the latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Jio’s active subscriber base in Keralam increased from 1.06 crore VLR units (105.54 lakh) in July to 1.08 crore Visitor Location Register (VLR) units (107.92 lakh) in August, adding 2.38 lakh active subscribers during the month. The company’s active subscriber market share also improved from 24.62 per cent in July to 24.86 per cent in August. Jio also registered growth in its overall subscriber base (CMS) in Keralam, increasing from 112.47 lakh subscribers in July to 112.88 lakh in August. The growth in VLR subscribers is considered a key indicator of customer engagement, as it reflects the number of subscribers actively using the network. The surge in active users highlights a strong consumer shift toward Jio’s True 5G connectivity, competitive unlimited data offerings, and widespread coverage across both urban and rural pockets of Keralam, a press release said. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Reliance Jio strengthen telecom leadership in Keralam
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Dhanuka Agritech launches biosolution adjuvant Wetcit Neo

Dhanuka Agritech Ltd has announced the launch of Wetcit Neo, a plant-based biosolution adjuvant designed to enhance the application efficiency of crop protection and crop nutrition products. A company statement said efficient application of agricultural inputs is essential for helping farmers achieve better outcomes from their crop protection and nutrition practices. Wetcit Neo addresses a key challenge by improving spray spreading, coverage and absorption, particularly on crops where waxy leaf surfaces can limit the effectiveness of conventional sprays. By improving contact between spray solutions and plant surfaces, the adjuvant is designed to support the effective delivery of crop protection products, including applications targeting insects and fungal diseases. Its broad compatibility with many existing agrochemical formulations also offers flexibility in agricultural spray applications, subject to product-label recommendations, the statement said. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Dhanuka Agritech launches biosolution adjuvant Wetcit Neo
Europe
BBC Business

US rejects pleas from OpenAI, Anthropic for global AI standards

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Sam Altman of OpenAI has become a key figure in the AI technology development. The heads of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face have told the UN that the current pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development, and the risks it poses to society, demands international coordination. Altman called for common risk evaluation standards, as did Dario Amodei of Anthropic, a main rival of OpenAI, and Clement Delangue of Hugging Face. Earlier this month, Amodei wrote an essay welcomed by Altman and others calling an AI development slowdown in response to fears about the technology's threat to humanity. However, at the same UN conference, a key technology advisor to US President Donald Trump, rejected the idea any new form of AI regulation. Michael Kratsios, a former Scale AI executive, admitted that the speed of AI development is increasing and that there are risks presented by the technology, but told the UN this was not reason enough "to pause development or constrain it with new global governance structures". "International dialogue in this forum and others cannot be allowed to drift toward global governance," Kratsios added. Trump told the UN on Tuesday he wanted to rebrand it "super intelligence" and has strongly opposed any idea of an AI slowdown because of the US's competitive advantage in the sector. "We're leading China on AI... and, frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI, wins," he said earlier this month. Sam Altman of OpenAI and other AI chief executives expressed a different view in their talks to the UN on Wednesday. "If AI is to be democratic, the most important decisions cannot be made by labs in San Francisco alone," said Altman. He told the UN that he wanted countries to start working together toward "the collective good in the face of powerful new technology".

US rejects pleas from OpenAI, Anthropic for global AI standards
Europe
BBC Business

Rolls-Royce signs 'multi-million' engine deal

Rolls-Royce has moved forward with a deal to power a new fleet of Airbus long-haul jets for Philippine Airlines. The FTSE-100 firm will provide 18 engines for nine new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft in a deal worth "hundreds of millions of pounds". The agreement, once finalised, also includes a maintenance package, meaning Rolls-Royce will continue servicing and monitoring the engines throughout their operational life, officials said. The government welcomed the deal, saying it would bring "good quality jobs" to the company's Derby base. The order was first announced as a memorandum of understanding at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. At the time, Rob Watson, president of civil airspace at Rolls-Royce, said the company was "proud to continue strengthening our long-standing relationship with Philippine Airlines". While the deal is described as being worth "hundreds of millions", the precise value has not been confirmed. Airbus designs and manufactures wings for all its commercial aircraft at its Broughton site in North Wales. Minister for trade Anas Sarwar said: "This news shows British engineering is flying high with world-class innovation that puts our companies at the front of the pack. "Building these engines and wings brings good quality jobs to Derby and Broughton, and means UK expertise is at the heart of thousands of flights by one of the fastest-growing airlines around the world." The engine involved, the Trent XWB-97, can operate using a 50% sustainable aviation fuel blend, with plans for it to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel in the future. This order follows Philippine Airlines's previous order for nine Trent XWB-97-powered Airbus A350-1000 in 2023.

Rolls-Royce signs 'multi-million' engine deal
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

Keppel, StarHub discuss M1 deal; Grab execs buy shares after stock falls: Markets this week

In this column, ST’s business correspondents unpack the latest developments in Singapore and global markets during the week – and explain what they mean for investors. Singapore stocks rose slightly despite a cautious mood around the September Trump-Xi meeting, where disputes over tariffs and artificial intelligence remained unresolved. SINGAPORE – Singapore stocks ended the week slightly higher despite a cautious mood around Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Sept 23-25 US state visit hosted by President Donald Trump, where disputes over tariffs and artificial intelligence remained unresolved. The Straits Times Index rose from its Sept 18 close to finish at 5,711.12 on Sept 25. It had climbed to 5,723.76 on Sept 22, but gave up some of those gains as a sell-off in US government bonds pushed yields higher. Saxo UK investor strategist Neil Wilson noted “aggressive unloading” of US bonds on Sept 24, as the 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.23 per cent, a 19-year high, and the 30-year yield rose above 5.5 per cent, its highest level since 2004. Yields had eased by Sept 25, but remained elevated: US Treasury data put the 10-year yield at 5.17 per cent and the 30-year yield at 5.49 per cent. Bond yields rise when their prices fall. With inflation still above the Federal Reserve’s 2 per cent target, investors were also weighing the prospect of another quarter-point interest rate increase by the US central bank in October. In Singapore, the three local banks outperformed the broader market over the week. Compared with their Sept 18 closes, DBS gained 1.43 per cent to end at $78, OCBC rose 1.88 per cent to $32.01 and UOB added 1.87 per cent to $42.57. Listed companies will be held to higher standards of transparency and shareholder communication from Jan 1, 2027. Among the new obligations rolled out by the Singapore Exchange Regulation on Sept 23, every listed firm must have a dedicated investor relations policy published on its company website to facilitate regular, effective and fair communication with shareholders. At a minimum, it must set out the channels through which the issuer communicates with investors, including the mechanisms by which investors may contact the issuer. Companies are also encouraged to publish their annual reports, minutes of annual general meetings, investor presentation decks and a calendar of upcoming events on their websites.

Keppel, StarHub discuss M1 deal; Grab execs buy shares after stock falls: Markets this week
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Efforts on in EU to render basmati rice as a generic variety, denying protected geographical indication

Efforts are underway in the European Union (EU) to try to deny protected geographical indication (PGI) status for basmati rice from India and render it as a generic variety of the cereal. Some experts in Europe are claiming that the sales of rice labelled as fragrant rice are ten times the output in the origin areas. The experts, however, have no proof or laboratory findings to prove that 90 per cent of rice sold as basmati is non-basmati, said trade sources. Giving PGI status provides a country with the right to market a product exclusively, stating that it has unique properties and is specially grown in a particular region within its borders. It also gets a premium. In a video on the German media outlet DW, Delphine Marie‑Vivien of CIRAD, a French public agricultural research institution, said the area under cultivation in the basmati origin areas did not match the production. In 2024, she warned that a delay in granting PGI for basmati could make it a generic rice variety. In the same report, an unnamed European Commission (EC) source talked of a “balanced outcome” in the battle for PGI in the Union. The source spoke of separate protection for Indian and Pakistani basmati, while favouring a joint solution to the issue. The EU has been urging India and Pakistan to submit a joint application for a GI. However, experts say that such a move will compromise India’s sovereign rights, as Pakistan has given parts of India as regions where the long-grained rice is grown. India applied for PGI in July 2018, and the EU has been dragging its feet on the application. During this period, Pakistan applied for PGI in April 2024. There are three issues with the Pakistan application. One, it claims India’s basmati areas as its. Two, it says basmati is a shared product with India. Three, it got domestic PGI registration for its basmati only in 2021. This means the EU did not act on India’s application despite Pakistan not having a valid domestic GI registration and seems to have waited for Islamabad to complete the required formalities, trade sources said. Marie‑Vivien worked on basmati rice earlier under the EU-funded SINER-GI research project. It was intended to provide inputs for the EU’s GI policy. However, the project report disclaimed it represented the European Commission’s official position. Though the EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) was concluded in January this year, a separate agreement for GI products is under negotiation. EC records show GI negotiations only till March 2024, even though other negotiations with India have continued. Sources said this is proof that the EC did not want the basmati PGI issue to derail a wider trade agreement. However, it did not resolve the basmati issue either.

Efforts on in EU to render basmati rice as a generic variety, denying protected geographical indication
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

South Indian Bank appoints Mahesh Muralidhar Pai as new MD & CEO

South Indian Bank has announced that Mahesh Muralidhar Pai will take charge as its Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer from October 1. Mahesh Pai brings nearly three decades of experience across various facets of universal banking, including strategy, governance, digital banking, treasury, foreign exchange, retail banking, agriculture and MSME credit. Mahesh Muralidhar Pai, Managing Director & CEO, South Indian Bank, said, “South Indian Bank has a strong franchise, a robust balance sheet and significant growth opportunities ahead. My focus will be on driving our businesses, pursuing growth opportunities with discipline and strengthening our capabilities for a rapidly evolving financial landscape. We will remain focused on sharper execution, technology-led transformation and deeper customer relationships, while delivering sustainable growth for the bank and value for our stakeholders.” Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

South Indian Bank appoints Mahesh Muralidhar Pai as new MD & CEO
Europe
BBC Business

UK warned over ballooning debt costs and slower growth ahead of Budget

Image source, Getty ImagesByTom EspinerBusiness reporterPublished23 September 2026, 09:05 BSTUpdated 45 minutes agoThe UK has been warned over ballooning debt costs and slower economic growth ahead of Chancellor John Healey's first Budget next month. The UK was among countries facing downgraded growth forecasts in a report by the influential Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday. That came as the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the BBC that Britain and the US needed to reduce debt due to spiralling borrowing costs. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war has pushed up the cost of crude oil leading to higher fuel and energy costs, which in turn has driven up inflation around the world. The UK economy will grow by slightly less than expected next year, according to the OECD which now expects growth of 1% next year rather than 1.1%. However, it said the UK had proved more resilient than expected this year, upgrading its forecast for growth 0.9% to 1.1%. Meanwhile, IMF head Kristalina Georgieva told the BBC on Tuesday that global economic shocks had been "pushing debt levels up like a staircase not to heaven" but that governments had taken "no action to contain that service cost". "[It's] time to take that action," she said, adding that "courage" was needed by politicians to take the necessary steps. Inflation has also pushed up the cost of interest on government debt, which alongside an unexpected surge in government borrowing in August has added to the pressure on Healey. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has made easing the cost of living for households one of his key aims, while the government is under pressure to spend more on defence. However, Burnham and Healey face a difficult balancing act, trying to offer more support to households while sticking to Labour's manifesto commitments on tax and the government's self-imposed fiscal rules. The impact of higher fuel prices next year depends on how long supply disruptions last, the OECD said. Stockpiles of oil and supplies from outside the Gulf states have helped cushion the effects on economies so far, it said.

UK warned over ballooning debt costs and slower growth ahead of Budget
Europe
BBC Business

They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?

They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image? ByZoe Kleinman, Technology editor and Luke Mintz, BBC NewsWhen Meta first launched its AI-powered smart glasses in 2023, in collaboration with the trendy sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, it unleashed a storm of controversy. There have been multiple reports of the devices being used to harass women and girls in particular, filming them without their consent, then sharing the footage. The image problem doesn't seem to have been cured by Meta's enlistment this summer of Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian's sister, as their prime model. The devices have been dubbed "pervert" or "creepy" glasses. In the UK, JD Wetherspoon pubs, a handful of major theatres, Comic-Con, some schools, and Faslane, home of the UK's nuclear submarines, have all chosen to ban them. On Thursday, Meta is unveiling a new version which does not contain a camera at all, called Ray-Ban Meta Audio. They will have the audio functions of the original glasses - including the ability to make phone calls or play music, with the sound funnelled directly into your ear - but with fewer implications for privacy. To some in the industry, it looks like an interesting pivot - a response, perhaps, to the backlash over privacy. The tech giant denies that the new glasses have been rushed out in response to public anger. They say the product has been in development for two years. The audio-only version is cheaper than its camera-enabled cousins, and Meta says it has a lighter frame and better battery life. When I put it to Meta Glasses' head of product Ankit Brahmbhatt that I thought they might overtake the original camera-enabled glasses in sales, there was a pregnant pause. "We have, I think, something for everyone," he said, choosing his words very carefully. Does the release of a camera-free option represent a shift in how tech companies see the future of smart glasses? And is Meta's original vision getting further away? Or should we see camera-free glasses as a niche side-product that serves a small market - a bit like how some mobile manufacturers are now releasing internet-disabled "brick" phones for people who are tired of social media? I was lent a pair of Meta Ray-Bans – with cameras - to try out. I was initially nervous about wearing them in public, in case someone got physical: I have heard of people knocking them off wearers' heads and smashing them in the street.

They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?