Page 22 - Bs Reads

Meta inks $6 bn deal with Corning for AI data center fiber cables: Report

Corning's optical connectivity products are among key components required to support the massive computing and data transmission demands at data centers

Aviation reforms in focus as India air show attracts global players

Analysts and industry executives will be looking for signals from government ​officials at the show on how India plans to ease airspace congestion in major cities

DFS seeks states' support to ensure banking ops during Jan 27 bank strike

The DFS said banks have conveyed that ATMs are being adequately loaded with sufficient cash, and arrangements have been made to ensure timely replenishment

Negotiations over, India-EU much-awaited FTA set for rollout by 2027

Deal likely to be announced on Tuesday; legal scrubbing, pact signing may take 5-6 months

Russian oil sanctions look porous as India, China absorb excess supply

Shipping and production data show Russian crude exports since November exceeding available non-sanctioned supply, with Indian and Chinese refiners absorbing most of the excess flows

F1 teams test their 2026 cars in private amid concerns they could fail

Ten new cars, five days, no fans. Formula 1 starts a new era with the public and the media excluded from its private testing session in Spain starting Monday. It's hard to imagine a bigger contrast to last year's lavish launch party that involved 16,000 fans and famous faces in London. Mercedes was one of the first teams on track Monday, F1 said, along with Alpine and Audi, which took part in its first official F1 event since it was renamed from Sauber. F1 has an 11th team this year as Cadillac makes its debut, but only 10 will be in Spain after Williams hit delays getting its car ready. There won't be TV coverage, except brief clips from F1's own broadcaster, or official results from the five-day test this week, so it'll be hard to gauge who's got a head start on F1's new regulations. The second test in Bahrain next month is when the focus switches to performance. Communications blackoutSo why is F1 blocking fans from seeing the new cars on track? F1 originally referred to this

Games Hospitals Play: Unhealthy truths about private medicine in India

Overtreatment, health check-ups as money-spinners, and tricky referrals - Abantika Ghosh's book is a helpful guide on how to navigate the complex web of medical care in India

Europe funding war via Russian oil routed through India: US Treasury chief

The US imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, but the Europeans signed a trade deal with New Delhi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said as he emphasised that Europe is financing the "war" against itself by purchasing refined Russian oil products from India. President Donald Trump has worked to negotiate a settlement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Bessent said, adding that the US has made much bigger sacrifices than the Europeans. "We have put 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India," Bessent told ABC News Sunday. "And just to be clear again, the Russian oil goes into India, the refined products come out, and the Europeans buy the refined products. They are financing the war against themselves," he said, adding that under Trump's leadership, "we will eventually end" the Russia-Ukraine war. The Trump administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including 25 pe

Global firms take 58% share of office leasing in 7 Indian cities: Report

Global companies remained major demand driver for office space in India during 2025 as they leased nearly 60 per cent of ofifce spaces in India's seven major cities to expand their businesses, according to JLL India. According to data by real estate consultant JLL India, the gross leasing of office spaces rose by 8 per cent to record 83.3 million square feet last year across seven major cities from 77.2 million square feet in the preceding year. These seven cities are Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. Out of the total leasing, the global firms took on lease 48.6 million square feet office last year, contributing 58 per cent to the total office demand. Availability of skilled English speaking talent and supply of premium office space at a very affordable rentals are the major factors that attract global firms to invest in India. Global firms took 31.4 million square feet area for setting up of Global Capability Centres (GCCs). Domestic firms absor

Gehlot seeks probe into all Rajasthan govt recruitments over 11 years

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday renewed his attack on the BJP-led state government over alleged tampering of OMR sheets in recruitment examinations. He accused the government of indulging in politics instead of rectifying the system and doing justice to youths. Gehlot demanded a comprehensive probe into all recruitments conducted over the past 11 years. "We demand an inquiry into all recruitments from the time this game started about 11 years ago, including the Congress tenure, up to 2026, to ensure justice for youths," he said in a statement. Terming Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's remarks "misleading and laughable", Gehlot said it was wrong to suggest that those arrested in the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSSB) paper leak case were involved in the malpractice only during the Congress regime. If a person was involved in changing OMR sheets in 2019 and remained on the same post till 2026, is it possible that he stopped committing the crime during the

India needs culturally rooted AI to counter Western bias: EY India

As India accelerates its quest for sovereign AI, the nation must prioritise the release of government-held data to counter the western standpoint of current global models, EY's Rajnish Gupta said. Ahead of the Union Budget, Gupta urged the government to make vast amounts of public data available to local developers to ensure India builds AI that reflects its own identity. Gupta, Partner, Tax and Economic Policy Group, EY India, warned that today's most popular Large Language Models (LLMs) are fundamentally biased because they are trained primarily on US and European data. To ensure India builds the next generation of AI that is culturally and linguistically relevant, he argued the government must act as a primary data provider. Gupta noted that India's unique cultural nuances, diverse languages, and religious complexities are often misunderstood or ignored by global models. "One of the big things which we could do a little more in India is make a lot of data available publicly. (Mo

'The Elements of Power' uncovers the dirty truth behind clean-energy EVs

Electric vehicles promise a green future, but the dirty reality of battery supply chains raises a harder question: climate solution-or the next environmental and human cost?

Not stating arrest grounds in memo is dereliction of duty: Allahabad HC

The Allahabad High Court has observed that failure to disclose specific grounds of arrest in the arrest memo will amount to dereliction of duty and has directed that errant cops be suspended. It is high time that police officials, who are not complying with the requirements of the arrest memo and are violating the constitutional mandate, are sternly dealt with, the court said, allowing a habeas corpus petition. A bench comprising Justices Siddharth and Jai Krishna Upadhyay directed that the petitioners -- Umang Rastogi and another person -- who were arrested on December 26, 2025, from Haldwani in Uttarakhand be set free, declaring the arrest and the subsequent remand order as illegal, null and void. The High Court, in its verdict dated January 22, ordered that any police officer in Uttar Pradesh who fails to disclose specific grounds of arrest in the arrest memo shall be liable for departmental proceedings after being placed under suspension. The court observed, "Empty compliance o

NDMC converts community halls near government hospitals into night shelters

As biting cold prevails across the capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Saturday announced that it has opened its 'barat ghars' (banquet halls) and community halls to shelter relatives and attendants of patients near major government hospitals. NDMC Vice-Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal, in a statement, said the step was taken in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court and in coordination with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). He said the facility would remain available till March 15, depending on the availability of community halls. The shelters are meant primarily for patients and their attendants visiting AIIMS, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital, many of whom are forced to spend nights outdoors during treatment, the statement read. Chahal said barat ghars and community halls without prior bookings were being used, to ensure that scheduled public functions were not disrupted. "Locations are being chosen carefully so t

Naredco budget wishlist: Industry status, hike in home loan interest

Realtors' body NAREDCO on Thursday demanded that the government in the upcoming budget should enhance the deduction limit for interest on home loans to Rs 5 lakh from the current Rs 2 lakh, as well as provide industry status to further fuel the growth of the real estate sector. The association also sought change in the definition of affordable housing and suggested that the homes costing up to Rs 75-80 lakh should be treated as affordable as against the price limit of Rs 45 lakh.. In a press conference held here, NAREDCO Chairman Niranjan Hiranandani said the Centre has undertaken various measures to support the real estate sector but there is a need to do more for affordable housing segment. "We need to ensure Housing For All. Housing should get equal importance like any other infrastructure sector," he added. Hiranandani suggested the government should utilise it own land for development of affordable and mid-income housing. NAREDCO President Parveen Jain said the limit for ...

Rapido FY25 loss narrows to ₹258 crore; revenue rises 44% to ₹934 crore

Roppen Transportation Services, the parent company of ride-hailing platform Rapido, narrowed its consolidated loss to Rs 258 crore in FY25 from Rs 370 crore a year ago. According to financial data accessed via business intelligence platform Tofler, the Bengaluru-headquartered unicorn's revenue from operations rose to Rs 934.44 crore last fiscal year, reflecting a 44.19 per cent increase compared to Rs 648 crore in FY24. "Rapido has sustained strong operating momentum, driven by higher utilisation across our mobility offerings, sharper cost discipline, and the growing maturity of our platform. "As we scale and expand, our focus remains on sustainable growth, improving unit economics, and strengthening the ecosystem for captains and passengers across markets and categories through varied business models," a Rapido spokesperson said. Rapido plans to initiate its IPO process by the end of 2026. In November 2025, Rapido Co-Founder Aravind Sanka told PTI that the company expects to main

Tiny Experiments: How linear careers limit learning and adaptability

Why linear careers deliver promotions, titles, money, and prestige - but often at the cost of curiosity, learning, and adaptability

Clean air on the go: Can wearable purifiers cut pollution exposure?

Wearable and convenient, personal air purifiers promise a clean-air bubble for urban Indians. But do these devices meaningfully reduce pollution exposure, or offer only limited relief?

From western dominance to multipolarity: China and India at the core

Mr Cable eschews the general narrative of China and India being different, highlighting instead their similarities

Global water 'bankruptcy' begins as billions face irreversible shortages

Global warming is increasing water demands and makes the natural supply of water less predictable