Vodafone Idea (VI) may need nearly ₹50,000 crore to survive and remain competitive in India's telecom market, Zee News reported. The company is already under significant financial strain due to heavy debt, adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, and the high costs of expanding its 4G and 5G networks, it added. Notably, the government recently cut VI's AGR dues by 27%.

The government has tightened foreign investment rules, mandating prior approval for investments from countries sharing a land border with India, including those involving indirect or beneficial ownership, according to the Ministry of Finance notification. It added that such entities "shall invest only under the Government route". It also clarified that future ownership changes will be scrutinised.

India's digitalisation reforms in public administration have boosted productivity among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in states that have adopted them, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a working paper. The authors compared unincorporated manufacturing firms in states with more reforms to those with fewer. MSMEs contribute around 35% of manufacturing output in India.

As per a survey by Aon, India has the highest average salary hike at 9.1%, followed by Indonesia (5.8%), Malaysia (4.9%), Brazil (4.9%) and China (4.8%). Other countries among the top ten are US (4.3%), Singapore (4.2%), UK (4.1%), Canada (3.9%) and Germany (3.9%). Australia has an average salary hike of 3.9%, while in Japan it is 3.7%.

Ex-JPMorgan executive Chirayu Rana once sought legal advice from a chatbot about sexual abuse by a male boss, contradicting his allegations that his ex-colleague Lorna Hajdini made him her "sex slave", New York Post reported. The chat took place 10 months before he filed the lawsuit, with Rana seemingly indicating the abuse happened in 2020. Rana joined JPMorgan in 2024.

The government has notified changes under FEMA, allowing foreign companies with up to 10% Chinese shareholding to invest in India under the automatic route. They can invest in sectors where FDI is permitted under the automatic route, subject to conditions. However, the relaxation doesn't apply to entities registered in China, Hong Kong or other countries sharing land borders with India.

The Punjab Hotel and Restaurant Association has proposed a 20% increase in food prices across the state after commercial LPG cylinder prices were hiked by ₹993. A meeting has been called on Monday and the revised rate cards will be implemented from the next weekend. The association is also in talks with the government for a rollback of the hike.

Anthropic, the startup behind Claude, has seen a sharp rise in its valuation since 2023, when it was reportedly valued at around $4.1 billion. Its valuation jumped from $61.5 billion in March 2025 to $183 billion in September 2025. Valued at $380 billion in February 2026, it is targeting a $900 billion valuation in an upcoming round, as per reports.

Fund managers at Motilal Oswal AMC and WhiteOak Capital said Indian markets remain resilient despite oil shocks, FII outflows and currency pressure. They highlighted volatility across global markets, but indicated that long-term opportunities may persist even as risks from energy prices and global uncertainty continue.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said most AI agents remain "too complex" for everyday users, failing his "mother test" of simplicity. Speaking during Meta's earnings call, he noted many tools require technical setup, citing Sam Altman-backed OpenClaw as an example. Zuckerberg said that Meta is focused on building simpler and more accessible AI tools for users and not just for developers.