Meta has signed a $21 billion (₹1.9 lakh crore) deal with AI cloud startup CoreWeave for additional cloud computing capacity. CoreWeave provides clients with hardware and cloud services designed specifically for large-scale AI training and complex computational tasks. The deal gives Meta access to initial deployments of ​Nvidia's Vera Rubin chips, twice as fast as its Blackwell platform.

OpenAI is planning to launch a new AI model with advanced cybersecurity capabilities, which will be rolled out in a phased manner, reported Axios. The model will not see a wide release due to concerns over its misuse and may initially be made accessible to a small group of companies. OpenAI had earlier introduced its "Trusted Access for Cyber" programme.

OpenAI projected $100-billion earnings in advertising revenue by ​2030, with expectations to generate $2.5 billion in 2026, reported Axios. The company expects that its ad revenue will surge to $11 billion in 2027, $25 billion in 2028 ​and $53 billion by 2029, the report added. OpenAI started testing ads in ChatGPT for some users in the US in February.

Skyroot Aerospace, a startup led by ex-ISRO scientists, has successfully tested the payload fairing separation for its Vikram-1 rocket, set for launch in May 2026. The part is responsible for shielding satellites from aerodynamic pressure, heat, and vibration on their way up and separates after reaching the space vacuum. Vikram-1 is built with lightweight carbon composites and 3D-printed engines.

OpenAI has paused the Stargate UK project, which aimed to build AI data centres in the UK. "We...will move forward when the right conditions, such as regulation and the cost of energy, enable long-term infrastructure investment," said an OpenAI spokesperson. OpenAI launched the project in partnership with NVIDIA and Nscale last September.

Harshita Arora, a 24-year-old woman from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has become the youngest General Partner at Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator. She began coding at 13, dropped out of school at 15, and built a crypto app by 16, which was later acquired. She later moved to San Francisco with an O-1 visa and co-founded fintech startup AtoB.

Indian tech startups' total fundraise declined by 18% to $11.7 billion in FY26 from $14.3 billion in FY25, according to Tracxn's report. The funding of seed-stage and late-stage startups declined by 15% and 38% respectively, while early-stage funding rose 33%. As per the report, India was the fourth-highest funded country globally in FY26, after the US, UK, and China.

Pilots of an Air India flight, operating from Mumbai to Bengaluru on Thursday, declared 'PAN PAN' after one of its engines stalled mid-air, reported Hindustan Times citing officials. "There was a sound heard and sparks seen while take off...Pilot returned to airport a few minutes after take off," the official said. The call is made to announce a serious situation.

Pakistan's Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE-100) saw a massive decline of over 3,800 points during intraday trading as US-Iran ceasefire deal faltered. This blow comes a day after the KSE-100 witnessed its biggest single-day surge of 12,000 points on Wednesday. The deal was jeopardised after Israel launched its biggest attack on Lebanon despite US-Iran ceasefire taking effect.

New Era Energy & Digital (NUAI) stock slumped 11% in pre-market trading after pricing a $100 million public offering at $3.35 per share, a 20% discount. The company intends to use the net proceeds to repay outstanding debt to SharonAI, with the remaining funds allocated for general corporate purposes.