Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy said Centre will soon set up the country's first online coal trading exchange, which will allow more sellers and buyers to trade coal as a commodity. The exchange will also offer a clearing and settlement mechanism and provide easy availability of dry fuel. Draft note for the exchange has been circulated for inter-ministerial consultations.

Walt Disney Co has named James Gorman as its Chairman of the board and said it will appoint a new CEO in early 2026. Gorman, who is the former CEO of Morgan Stanley, was appointed to head Disney's succession planning in August. He will succeed Mark Parker, who is departing the board on January 2 after nine years of service.

Bajaj Housing Finance reported a 21% year-on-year rise in its net profit for the quarter ending September 30. The net profit surged to ₹546 crore, up from ₹451 crore in the year-ago period. This is the company's first earnings report post its recently-concluded IPO, which raised ₹6,560 crore in September. Its revenue rose by 26% to ₹2,410 crore in Q2.

Tata Group and Somerville College, University of Oxford have announced the construction of a new building that will honour the late industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata. The decision to name the new facility - the Ratan Tata Building - was taken some time ago, a statement said. The building will include seminar rooms, shared study spaces and reception rooms.

PhonePe has reduced its customer support staff by 60%, from 1,100 agents to just over 400, over the past five years, according to its annual report. The fintech giant said the efficiency was achieved by increasing automated customer service issue resolutions, powered by AI-driven chatbots, to over 90%. PhonePe also stated it employs more than 1,500 of India's top engineers.

B. Naidu, a Krishi Ratna awardee, transformed his farm and community by adopting natural farming practices, which boosted his income and revitalised soil health. His success inspired over 165 farmers to transition to eco-friendly farming, promoting sustainable agriculture on a larger scale. His income surged to ₹1,20,000, a fourfold increase from his previous earnings.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said he has taken "necessary steps" to introduce India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). "The move is expected to bring significant benefits to the Maldivian economy," Muizzu added in a statement released online. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier announced that India and Maldives have signed an MoU to bring UPI payment service to Maldives.

Kerala-born billionaire Yusuff Ali, Chairman & Managing Director of Lulu Group, is set to launch the hypermarket chain Lulu Retail Holdings' IPO in the UAE. The IPO, set to be one of UAE's biggest IPOs this year, is set to run from October 28 to November 5. The IPO could raise $1.7 billion-$1.8 billion for a 25% stake, Reuters reported.

Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha, who is 22 years-old, said people who report to him are almost double his age. "It has taken time, but we have proven our ability to add value to the time," he said at the NDTV World Summit. "The team now has conviction that Aadit has some idea of what he is doing," he added.

UCO Bank Ltd, a Government of India Undertaking, that offers a range of banking solutions, rose above 6% following a 50% year-on-year increase in net profit to ₹603 crore, in Q2FY25. The Gross NPA improved to 3.18% in Q2FY25, compared to 3.32% in Q1FY25. Net interest income grew by 20% year-on-year to ₹2,301 crore.