US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, during his India visit, will attend the wedding of India-American tech billionaire Nikesh Arora's daughter, Ayesha Arora, in Jodhpur on Saturday. He was earlier hosted by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for discussions on bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Nikesh, the CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, has a net worth of nearly $1.5 billion.

Google will deploy Form Energy’s 100-hour iron-air battery at its Minnesota data center in a reported $1 billion deal, according to TechCrunch. The system will support 1.4 GW of wind and 200 MW of solar power. The agreement marks a major commercial milestone for Form Energy and signals growing demand for long-duration energy storage.

Oil prices slipped as the United States and Iran agreed to extend talks over Tehran's nuclear programme, easing fears of supply disruptions. OPEC member Iran's continued negotiations reduced geopolitical risk, pushing Brent to $70.47 and WTI to $64.92. Both benchmarks are set for weekly losses, reversing recent gains.

Over 4,500 startup employees have lost jobs since July, with estimated layoffs touching 4,838, according to Longhouse Consulting data. Companies like Livspace (1,000 cuts) and several gaming and tech firms led reductions. Industry voices call this an AI-driven transition phase, as funding tightens and startups shift toward leaner, efficiency-focused operating models across India’s ecosystem.

Shadowfax said it has invested ₹50 crore to develop its largest automated sortation facility in the NCR region. The fully-operational facility is spread across 2.1 lakh sqft. The network offers up to 80 direct linehaul routes bypassing intermediate hubs, enables more than 3,000 unique origin-level sorts. At peak capacity, it is engineered to handle 1 million shipments per day.

After months-long battle, Netflix has dropped its proposal to buy Warner Bros Discovery, clearing the way for Paramount Skydance to acquire the Hollywood giant. This comes after Warner Bros determined that Paramount's latest offer was superior to the $82.7-billion Netflix deal. "At the price required to match Paramount's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive," added Netflix.

Akebia Therapeutics shares rose after forecasting significant 2026 revenue growth for its anemia drug Vafseo. The company expects gains from dialysis access and new patient starts. Akebia also plans to start mid-stage trials for AKB-097 in rare kidney diseases in late 2026, holding $184.8 million in cash to fund operations.

According to reports, PayPal is not in discussions with Stripe or others regarding a takeover. The fintech firm has been engaging bankers for months to defend against potential activist campaigns or unwanted bids, following a significant stock decline that left executives worried about vulnerability.

The Trade Desk faced price target cuts from Jefferies, Morgan Stanley, and Stifel after issuing soft Q1 guidance. Despite beating Q4 estimates, management projected slower growth and margin declines. Jefferies cited a 500 basis point margin drop, while Stifel noted weak demand from CPG and auto clients, and Morgan Stanley pointed to macroeconomic pressures.

IonQ shares surged 22% after deploying one of Europe's largest quantum key distribution networks in Romania. The 1,500-kilometre infrastructure, built exclusively with IonQ commercial technology, represents a fifth of Europe's terrestrial quantum capacity. The project, developed with Romanian partners, drove the stock to trend high.