Free travel for students welcomed while funding issues is flagged
The free student bus pass programme was among the key welfare announcements made by the newly sworn-in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress government on Wednesday
🇮🇳 인도 · "FUNDING" · 총 20건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.0
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 6,094건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.0(균형)입니다. 긍정 0건(0.0%)·중립 6,094건(100.0%)·부정 0건(0.0%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 0.0(중도 균형)입니다.
The free student bus pass programme was among the key welfare announcements made by the newly sworn-in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress government on Wednesday
The shares of Vodafone Idea sharply surged nearly 7% to a new 52-week high of Rs 15.09 apiece on the NSE on Wednesday, even as the Sensex and Nifty crashed, as multiple tailwinds boosted investor sentiment for the telecom major.The stock has rallied 46% in one month and a whopping 121% in one year. The company currently has a market capitalisation of more than Rs 1.62 lakh crore.ICRA upgrades Vodafone Idea’s rating, revises outlookRatings agency ICRA upgraded Vodafone Idea’s rating to A- from its earlier BBB rating and revised its outlook on the company’s long-term fund-based loans worth Rs 727 crore to ‘Stable’ from ‘Positive’. ICRA said that the rating upgrade was driven by a change in rating approach for Vodafone Idea to factor in support from promoter Aditya Birla Group, which was further strengthened with the re‑appointment of Kumar Mangalam Birla as the Chairman of the board and with the proposed equity infusion of approximately Rs 4,730 crore through a preferential allotment of warrants to a promoter group entity in May 2026. “These developments reflect strong confidence in Vi’s potential and long-term growth trajectory. The Aditya Birla Group has expressed its continued support to Vodafone Idea to ensure timely debt servicing and to ensure continuity of operations and improvement in its market position. The Aditya Birla Group has been consistent in providing operational and financial support to Vi and will continue to do so going forward. Further, the Group’s brand equity and market position provided Vi with assistance in Government engagement and higher financial flexibility,” it added.ICRA also highlighted the revision of Vodafone Idea’s adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. In May, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) cut Vodafone Idea's AGR dues by 27% to Rs 64,046 crore as of December 31. This revision significantly alleviates the company’s liability burden and enhances cash flow visibility, the ratings agency said, adding that these will provide a push to the telco’s capex plans.Citi removes ‘High Risk’ rating on Vodafone Idea sharesCiti removed its 'High Risk' rating on the stock and raised its target price to Rs 17, implying an upside potential of more than 20% from the previous closing price. In its latest note, Citi Research changed its rating on Vodafone Idea shares to ‘Buy’ from ‘Buy-High Risk’, citing several tailwinds, including the government’s recent reassessment of AGR dues, rating upgrades, equity infusion by the Aditya Birla Group, and other factors into consideration.The brokerage, however, flagged key risks to its bullish view, including delays in bank funding, intensifying competition that could limit future tariff hikes, continued subscriber churn, and slower-than-expected growth in 4G and 5G users.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
The S&P 500 and the Dow closed modestly higher on Tuesday as risk appetite driven by AI fervor was counterbalanced by tensions arising from U.S.-Iran talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the months-long war.Gains in most of the 11 major S&P sectors kept the S&P 500 and the Dow in the green, with the small-cap Russell 2000 outperforming its larger-cap peers. The Nasdaq ended the session essentially unchanged.Small-cap stocks have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence stocks, which provided some upside muscle. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index advanced on the day.The Software & Services Index, battered in recent months over worries of AI disruption, closed in negative territory.Strong results from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and a funding commitment from Alphabet reinforced confidence in the AI buildout."The market is kind of muted at the surface level, but there is a lot going on under the hood, and that describes much of this year," said Mike Dickson, head of portfolio management at Horizon Investments in Charlotte, North Carolina. "There's some massive dispersion in the whole AI infrastructure ecosystem.""Markets could be in for one of these heated, melt-up rallies where the momentum keeps winning," Dickson added. "I would not be surprised at all to be sitting here at the end of the summer a good bit higher."Tehran is studying a U.S. proposal to bring the war to a halt, but has not been in contact with Washington for days, according to Iranian media, which also said Iran is taking a "stern" approach, given what it views as a history of U.S. noncompliance and mutual distrust. Simultaneously, Israel is continuing its strikes on Lebanon, despite Tehran's warnings that the attacks are threatening to derail the fragile truce.The war has sent crude prices soaring, reviving worries over inflation and giving rise to an increasing likelihood that the U.S. Federal Reserve could hike interest rates by year-end. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said on Tuesday that such a hike could become necessary if already-elevated inflation pressures continue to mount. On the economic front, a report from the Labor Department showed an unexpected spike in job openings, driven by the volatile professional and business services sector. Otherwise, hiring, firing and quits all decreased, suggesting a slowdown in labor market churn in the face of uncertainties related to strife in the Middle East and inflationary effects.Analysts look to the May employment report due on Friday, which is expected to show the U.S. economy added 85,000 jobs last month, a monthly deceleration of 26.1%. The unemployment rate is forecast to stand pat at 4.3%.According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 10.07 points, or 0.13%, to end at 7,610.03 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 8.78 points, or 0.03%, to 27,095.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 237.13 points, or 0.46%, to 51,316.01.Hewlett Packard Enterprise jumped after the AI server maker pulled forward its long-term financial targets by two years. In further evidence of AI buildout, Alphabet said it was looking to raise $80 billion in equity offerings, including an investment from Berkshire Hathaway, to fund a costly expansion of its AI infrastructure. Its shares lost ground on the day. Marvell Technology's shares surged after Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang called the chipmaker the next "trillion-dollar company" at the Computex conference in Taipei. Nvidia invested $2 billion in Marvell in March.A drop in bitcoin hit cryptocurrency firms Coinbase and Strategy Inc.Broadcom is expected to report quarterly results on Wednesday.
India's first AI-powered music company PaRa Music launched on Tuesday, offering a model designed to help original Indian music reach larger audiences across the country and worldwide, but does not create its own music.The music venture combines human-created music with proprietary AI-led market intelligence to guide catalogue development, distribution, and monetisation of music. It is backed by a funding from a consortium of angel and institutional investors led by Apollo Growth Capital and plans to build a catalogue of 40,000 songs over the next four years across film and non-film music, spanning Hindi and regional languages.Tapping one of the world’s largest music markets, PaRa is aiming to bridge the gap between audience demand and effective discovery, particularly for regional and non-film music. With the industry projected to reach Rs 7,500 crore in 2028, estimates point to continued expansion in both streaming and recorded music revenues.Para Music has deployed a model "ParaMeter" as its in-house AI Chief of Music Intelligence who does not create music.This AI brain analyses audience signals across platforms and geographies to identify emerging demand, guide investment decisions, and support smarter catalogue and release strategies. The approach is intended to improve discovery and market fit while keeping music creation firmly in the hands of artists, composers, and songwriters.The venture is planning to build its business around the premise that original Indian music should have a stronger path to audience reach and long-term monetisation. It combines human creativity, institutional capital with data-led decision-making to support catalogue creation, targeted distribution, and diversified revenue opportunities for creators and rights holders.It further aims to partner with central and state governments to support music-led cultural, creative, and economic initiatives across India.PaRa Music is entering a broader market in which music rights and catalogues are increasingly viewed as long-term assets, with global investment activity expanding across recorded music and related rights. It adds volume to India’s national music arena through a technology-led approach and a professional team aiming to build Indian music IP for the world, ensuring creators achieve stronger commercial outcomes and capture greater long-term value.“India has one of the world’s richest and most diverse music ecosystems, yet much of its potential remains untapped. PaRa Music was founded to unlock this opportunity through technology, data, and strategic investment in Music IP," said founder Rashna Pochkhanawala.As the global recorded music market moves towards $200 billion by 2035, Pochkhanawala believes that India is poised to become a major growth engine.“We rarely encounter opportunities where a large market, a proven business model, and exceptional leadership converge so clearly. India’s music economy is entering a period of unprecedented growth, and we believe Music IP will be one of the defining asset classes of the next decade," said Johri, Company Spokesperson - Apollo Growth Capital.
China is pitching itself as the global fulcrum for the next phase of artificial intelligence and a legion of robotics companies is lining up initial public offerings to test investor appetite.Unitree Robotics, one of the most recognizable names in the industry after its robots practicing martial arts made headlines, on Monday received approval for a listing in Shanghai. Its IPO will serve as an early test for what could be a broader wave of offerings. Hong Kong alone has at least 46 robotics-related companies in the pipeline, more than 10% of applicants, according to a report. Companies that have filed IPO applications include Leju Robotics and Deep Robotics. “Chinese humanoids are one step closer to IPOs, igniting market interest on humanoids in the second half of 2026,” Sheng Zhong, head of China industrials research at Morgan Stanley, wrote in a note. “Funds from most of the Chinese humanoids’ IPOs will go toward R&D, especially robot models.” The deep pipeline of robotics IPOs mirrors the fast rise of China’s AI ecosystem, where an array of listings whipped up an investor frenzy in the past six months. It also aligns with Beijing’s push to shift high-tech industries from innovation to large-scale deployment. China is rushing to set the pace of funding, industrialization and ultimately leadership in what Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang calls “physical AI.” Shares of OneRobotics (Shenzhen) Co. jumped as much as 18% in Hong Kong on Tuesday, while component maker Leader Harmonious Drive Systems Co. gained as much as 11% on the mainland. 131456136“This is the decade of the robot – and it belongs to China,” Barclays analysts, including Zornitsa Todorova, wrote in a note last month. “This leadership reflects a decade-long, state-guided push.”The firm says China’s robotics roll-out is already unmatched, accounting for 50% of global industrial robots and 85% of humanoids in 2025. Backed by coordinated industrial policy and tight supply-chain control, humanoids could reach about 3.8% of the nation’s labor capacity by 2035, it estimates. Unitree got a nice shoutout from Nvidia’s Huang on Monday, when he showcased his company’s endeavors in robotic AI. The two companies have partnered to build humanoid “reference” machines, featuring five-fingered hands and built-in chips to replace cumbersome “Frankenrobots” in research labs.Some investors remain more cautious, though, when looking at the companies’ fundamentals. Many robotics firms are expected to burn cash for years and concerns are mounting that valuations could run ahead of earnings.A gauge of humanoid robot stocks has fallen about 13% this year, after registering a 47% gain in 2025. ChinaAMC CSI Robot ETF, a major exchange-traded fund tracking robot-related stocks, has seen net fund outflows for most of this year. Valuations were also elevated, with the sector trading at about 40 times forward earnings, compared with about 14 times for the CSI 300 Index, according to Bloomberg-compiled data.“Investors trading at such elevated valuations are typically not driven by long-term fundamentals, but rather by the pursuit of short-term price gains,” said Shen Meng, a director at Beijing-based investment bank Chanson & Co. “It indicates that sentiment is driven more by market dynamics than by conviction or long-term vision.”The state-run China Securities Journal also struck a cautious tone in an editorial published Tuesday, warning that pre-IPO valuations may outpace fundamentals, with many firms still unprofitable, raising the risk of a sharp correction if growth or commercialization disappoints. Still, prospective issuers can look at the performance of China tech IPOs this year, with many listings thousands of times oversubscribed and producing big gains on their debuts. Two of those companies, AI model developers Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Co. and MiniMax Group Inc. last month gained inclusion in the Hang Seng Tech Index after massive rallies since their January listings. For investors, the robotics companies can also offer a way to benefit from the rapid expansion of a cutting edge industry, said Zhou Nan, founder and investment director of Shenzhen Long Hui Fund Management Co.“With continued advances in AI, the robotics sector is poised for substantial long-term growth,” Zhou said. “Robotics is expected to become a key driver of enterprise value, and progressively complement or replace human labor across a wide range of use cases.”
A barbecue chain has gone viral for refunding 50% of mutton kebab bills to customers without complaints, totalling over ₹1.5 crore.
NEW YORK: Businesses big and small have started receiving tariff refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump lacked the constitutional authority to impose higher import taxes on goods from nearly every other country.The process could grind to a halt, however, after the Trump administration said Friday that it intended to appeal a federal judge's order to allow all companies that paid the invalidated duties to seek refunds, not just the ones that filed lawsuits.Until the Department of Justice informed the judge of its planned appeal, the refund system overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been working fairly smoothly. Refunds reached the bank accounts of the first successful applicants on May 12, about three weeks after importers and their customs brokers could start submitting claims through an online system, according to CBP.Applications for refunds totaling $85 billion - more than half of the $166 billion the agency estimated the government owes to companies that paid the tariffs on imported goods - were accepted for processing as of May 22, CBP reported in a legal filing earlier in the week. It said it had so far directed the Treasury Department to issue $20.6 billion in refunds.Also read | US probes Reid Hoffman group over funding lawsuits against Trump, source saysThe administration revealed its appeal preparations while objecting to a demand by Judge Richard K. Eaton for CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott to appear in the U.S. Court of International Trade to answer questions about how long it would take to repay all 330,000 importers that might be eligible for refunds. The judge scheduled a June 9 hearing on why he shouldn't require the government do whatever it takes to speed up the process.Justice Department lawyers asked Eaton to allow one or two of Scott's deputies to appear in his place, arguing that as a high-ranking presidential appointee, the CBP chief could not be compelled to testify. They also argued that Eaton exceeded his authority when he determined in March that the Supreme Court's ruling entitled "all importers of record'' to refunds."For that reason, defendants intend to appeal the court's universal injunction," the lawyers wrote, adding that CBP would continue to move "as quicky as it can to process refunds in a phased approach" for businesses that filed legal complaints asserting their rights to refunds.In a written reply, Eaton said he needed to hear directly from Scott whether the government would return all of the money it collected between when Trump put what he called "reciprocal" tariffs on most countries in April 2025 and when the Supreme Court struck them down in late February."It is undisputed that the remedy for this unlawful collection is for the United States government to refund the unlawfully collected duties," the judge wrote.Refunds coming in phasesMore than 1,000 companies, including large ones like Costco, Goodyear Tire, banana and pineapple distributor Dole Fresh Fruit, and department store chain Kohl's, filed lawsuits to recoup their tariff costs. The judge said Wednesday he intended to allow cases he put on hold while CBP figured out how to handle refund claims - they numbered 485 in mid-March - to proceed.Also read | Minority union at Samsung Electronics to challenge pay deal in courtCustoms and Border Protection is handling refund claims in phases, focusing first on payments that weren't finalized before the Supreme Court handed down its 6-3 decision. CBP officials have said those later payments were more straightforward to process.Importers are required to make estimated tariff payments when goods enter the U.S. The declared items then enter a process called "liquidation," in which CBP determines how much in import taxes was owed. The decision becomes final after 180 days unless the payer contests the bill.In Friday's filing, the Justice Department said the agency did not have the technological ability or the legal authority to recalculate liquidated accounts without "importer-specific orders" in each lawsuit.Price cuts promisedSome national retail chains said they planned to use their tariff refunds refunds to lower customer prices on some items. Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told analysts last week that the company would implement price cuts even though the maximum refund it might be eligible for represented less than half of 1% of Walmart's $483 billion in annual U.S. sales.Costco intends to return the tariff costs that it passed on to members, CEO Ron Vachris said. How much of its refund the big-box retail chain redistributes, when and in what form, depends on factors such as the size of the refund, when it arrives, and developments in a lawsuit seeking tariff compensation for Costco customers, Vachris told investors Thursday.Consumers could first see refunds from shipping companies such as FedEx, UPS and DHL, which acted as customs brokers when they delivered products ordered from overseas. The companies charged either the sellers that shipped the packages or the buyers who received them and turned the tariffs they collected over to CBP.All three promised to return any refunds they get to the customers that paid the import taxes. Last week, FedEx said it was "working to swiftly process refunds and return them to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges."Putting refunds back into the businessThe Supreme Court invalidated only the country-by-country tariff rates Trump set by citing the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Others he imposed under different rationales remain in effect. Trump also has moved to introduce new tariffs since the court's Feb. 20 ruling.Some smaller companies told The Associated Press that the tariff refunds they've received so far would go toward paying remaining or future tariffs or getting back on solid financial footing after more than a year of uncertainty and additional costs.Jay Foreman, CEO of toy company Basic Fun, said he received about $450,000, or 7% of his total claim, over two consecutive days. He took the repayment as a positive sign but said that after having less than $10,000 refunded since then, the process seemed like a "total slow roll.""It's time to release the funds back into the economy, especially given how much we and others need these funds to support our businesses and fund our operations," Foreman said.Men's grooming brand Manscaped has received about 30% of the $12 million in refunds it applied for, President Kevin Datoo said. He said the San Diego company deferred investments and took on debt to pay tariffs on imports from Indonesia, China and elsewhere in Asia last year."We need to shore up the balance sheet because there's still a whole second chapter here," Datoo said.Melkon Khosrovian, who owns Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles, said he applied for a tariff refund of about $90,000 for 17 different shipments and has received $18,000 covering four of them. Certain types of herbs, spices and packaging are hard to find domestically, so Khosrovian said he imports them.The tariffs were "painful," he said. He invested money to automate his bottling process last year so he wouldn't have to pay as many workers. The move allowed him to reduce his 13-person staff by three, but Khosrovian noted that the White House had argued the tariffs would create more U.S. manufacturing jobs."Our choices were bad and worse: raise prices and lose customers, or keep prices the same and not make any money," he said.
Ukrainian drone strikes caused fires at more Russian oil facilities overnight into Saturday, local Russian officials said, in what appeared to be the latest attack on Moscow's vital oil industry.Read more: Ukraine-bound Russian drone crashes into Romanian buildingAuthorities in Russia's Rostov region said falling drone debris sparked a fire that damaged an oil depot and tanker in the port of Taganrog, while officials in the neighboring Krasnodar region reported a fire breaking out at an oil depot in Armavir for the same reason. "Another facility of Russia's oil industry has been reached - Armavir," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X Saturday of the attack in the Krasnodar region, noting that Armavir is "500 kilometers from our state border." "We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from," he wrote. Our new long-range sanctions – and this is 500 kilometers from our state border. We are rightfully bringing the war back to where it came from. Russia could have ended its aggression long ago, but instead chose to prolong and continue it. So another facility of Russia’s oil… pic.twitter.com/YrrTsLDMqP — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 30, 2026 Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deploying drone and missile technology that it has developed domestically to battle Russia's 4-year-old invasion. Attacks on Russian oil assets that play a key part in funding the invasion have become almost daily occurrences.Read more: Senior Ukrainian commander sees imminent 'turning point' in warFor its part, Russia has used its long-range ballistic missiles to damage Ukraine's power grid and hammer cities. The Ukrainian capital is bracing for further heavy bombardments after what the Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week would be upcoming "systemic strikes" on Kyiv. Zelenskyy said Thursday that he's being "very persistent" in pressing the United States to provide his country with more Patriot air defense missiles that can counter devastating Russian ballistic missile attacks. The attacks on Russian oil infrastructure came a day after a Russian drone that was part of an attack on Ukraine went astray and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member country. The incursion added to concerns that the war could spread across the alliance's borders, and drew strong condemnation across Europe.
Eight men with links to Pakistan's ISI and Dawood Ibrahim have been arrested
Europe faces a critical need to develop its own superintelligence. Mistral AI's chief scientist warns against relying on American tech giants for future AI advancements. This push for independence is driven by geopolitical shifts. Mistral AI aims to provide European-hosted AI models. However, funding remains a significant challenge for the startup.
India's Social Stock Exchange (SSE) is set to receive a fresh boost after the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) permitted companies to route a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure through the platform. The change is expected to widen funding avenues for non-profit organisations and strengthen transparency and accountability in the social impact ecosystem.The MCA has amended Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, to recognise investments in certain Social Stock Exchange instruments as an eligible CSR activity. As per a Gazette Notification issued on May 27, 2026, "subscription to zero coupon zero principal instruments on Social Stock Exchange" has now been added to the list of approved CSR activities.The amendment allows companies to allocate up to 10% of their total annual CSR budget towards not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) registered on the Social Stock Exchange through Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments.The Social Stock Exchange serves as a dedicated platform that connects social enterprises and NPOs with donors, investors and other funding sources. Unlike conventional stock exchanges, where investments are made with the expectation of financial returns, the SSE is designed to facilitate measurable social impact.According to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the latest policy change could help scale up social financing in India by providing corporates with a regulated and disclosure-based channel to support impact-focused organisations. The exchange said the framework is expected to enhance transparency, credibility and the overall reach of funding within the social sector.The idea of a Social Stock Exchange was first outlined by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the 2019 Budget, with the aim of bringing capital markets closer to the masses while advancing inclusive growth and financial inclusion.With the amendment now in place, companies can incorporate SSE-based contributions into their CSR programmes through a structured and regulated mechanism. NSE said the move is likely to improve funding access for verified NPOs, strengthen governance and disclosure standards, encourage outcome-oriented philanthropy and foster greater trust and accountability across the social impact landscape.Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer at NSE, described the amendment as a significant development for India's social sector. He said the provision would enable corporates to channel CSR funds through a transparent, regulated and impact-driven platform, helping improve trust, accountability and access to capital for social enterprises.The MCA notification has come into effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Guwahati: The Manipur cabinet meeting discussed related to the appeal made by the Prime Minister for various steps to be taken by the State Governments and citizens of the country in view of the global challenges at present.The State Cabinet decided to implement the various points mentioned in the appeal of the Prime Minister, including reducing the size of VIP convoy following a security review, start ‘work from home’, freeze Government funded foreign travel, and take steps to reduce non-essential Government expenditure.Also Read: Manipur CM Y Khemchand Singh hails Centre's decision to form panel on demographic changeThe meeting while approving the filling up of 173 posts of Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) in the Family Welfare Department, with funding from the Central Government, the State Cabinet took a decision to approve age relaxation of 2 (two) years for all recruitments yet to be notified by State Government departments.State Cabinet approved the rates of compensation related to land acquisition for expansion of the Imphal – Jiribam and Imphal – Dimapur National Highways. These decisions will lead to faster implementation and timely completion of these projects, which will greatly benefit the state.The Cabinet approved the rationalization of posts under the Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL) so that the employees can have adequate promotional avenues. This shows the intention of the State Government that employee welfare is a priority.The cabinet also approved the extension of the critical ‘Manipur Water Supply Project’ funded by the New Development Bank (NDB) and approved the proposal of Tourism Department for implementation of the ‘Loktak Experience Project’ which will develop Loktak as an Iconic Tourist Destination.
New Delhi, In a significant move, the government has allowed companies to invest up to 10 per cent of their CSR funds in zero coupon zero principal instruments issued by not for profit organisations through a social stock exchange.Under the Companies Act, 2013, a certain class of profitable companies are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year average annual net profit towards CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities in a particular financial year.The corporate affairs ministry has introduced the item 'subscription to zero coupon zero principal instruments on Social Stock Exchange' in Schedule VII, which pertains to activities allowed for CSR activities under the Companies Act."This amendment is aimed at providing significant ease of compliance to the companies and will also help Not for Profit Organisations (NPOs), to raise funding for public welfare projects in a transparent and regulated manner."These NPOs will be able to issue zero-coupon, zero-principal instruments on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Regulations," the ministry said in a release on Friday.Expenditure incurred by the CSR-mandated companies for such instruments shall not exceed ten per cent of the total CSR expenditure for the particular financial year.To facilitate the implementation of CSR through zero coupon zero principal instrument, amendments have been done in the CSR Policy Rules, 2014.Now, under the rules, the definition of NPO and zero coupon zero principal instrument' has been introduced.Anshul Jain, Partner Regulatory at consultancy PwC India, said companies can now invest their CSR funds into such instruments issued through an SSE.It helps in furtherance of a transparent and credible mode of funding CSR projects by the companies and enables social enterprises to access a wider pool of capital, Jain said.
Anthropic PBC raised $65 billion in a funding round that valued the artificial intelligence company at $965 billion including the new investment, eclipsing rival OpenAI’s value for the first time.The funding, announced Thursday, was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks and Sequoia Capital. Each of the lead investors put in more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Sequoia declined to comment. The other three firms did not respond to a request for comment.Alphabet Inc.’s Google contributed several billion dollars to the round as part of a previously announced commitment to invest up to $40 billion in Anthropic over time, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon.com Inc. invested $5 billion in the round, also as part of a prior commitment, Anthropic said in a blog post.Google declined to comment. Micron Technology Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. also contributed an undisclosed amount, helping to push the round well above Anthropic’s initial $30 billion target.The large round came together in a matter of weeks, a sign of strong investor demand for the Claude maker. In late April, Anthropic had been weighing whether to pursue new financing at a more than $900 billion valuation after receiving several inbound proposals, Bloomberg News has reported. The artificial intelligence startup then kicked off advanced discussions earlier this month.Founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI employees, Anthropic has since emerged as a leader in the AI sector. Anthropic has developed a series of AI tools aimed at overhauling the way businesses handle tasks from coding to cybersecurity. Anthropic and OpenAI are both expected to go public as soon as this fall, Bloomberg News has reported. Anthropic is still expected to proceed with an IPO on that timeline after the latest funding, one person said.Anthropic declined to comment.Anthropic expects to post $10.9 billion in revenue for the second quarter, more than doubling from the prior three-month period as demand surges for its AI software, Bloomberg News has reported. The company is also on pace for its first profitable quarter.The company has told investors that its annualized run rate revenue will surpass $50 billion by the end of next month, people familiar with the matter said. Anthropic’s run rate, a metric that projects full-year revenue based on sales from a shorter period, was $4 billion in July of last year.OpenAI was most recently valued at $852 billion in a funding round completed in March. The company is expected to confidentially file draft paperwork to go public in the coming days or weeks.
Funding pledges for the Ebola crisis in central Africa stand at just over half the $500 million the region’s leaders originally announced earlier this week, as health officials warn that more money is needed to halt the spread of the disease.
The US Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation against E Jean Carroll over claims she gave false testimony in lawsuits against Donald Trump. Prosecutors are examining statements about lawsuit funding, while the case adds to growing scrutiny of Trump’s long-time critics.
After two decades in a Saudi prison, Feroke native Abdul Rahim returned home on Eid Al Adha, a moment of immense joy for his family and the Malayali community. A massive crowdfunding effort raised Rs 47 crore, including Rs 34 crore in blood money, to secure his release from a death sentence and subsequent 20-year imprisonment.
Startup investors say the focus is now on execution, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
Police are also looking into the preacher's "funding sources". (Representational)
MUMBAI: Liquidity risk is increasing for Indian-based real-estate developers, as non-bank financial institutions (NBFI; including housing finance companies) are shying away from lending to the sector, said Fitch Ratings.Developers that rely on refinancing from NBFIs, particularly those with weak financial profiles, will be affected the most should conditions persist. The availability of unencumbered assets among large developers may be of limited use, as NBFIs are looking to shed their already-high exposure to the sector, especially to large borrowers.NBFIs have disproportionately increased their share of real-estate sector credit in the previous few years, owing to heightened risk aversion by banks; banks have been cutting exposure due to their own funding challenges that began in late 2018, which have become more acute in the previous few months; domestic bank exposures fell to 2.3% of loans in the financial year ending March 2019 from 2.8% in 2015-16.NBFIs are now also shying away from refinancing maturing debt of even large, proven developers to limit concentration risk to the sector. This is pushing developers towards alternative funding channels, such as private equity. The availability of such funding could be more limited than the value of maturing debt and may only be available to established developers with sufficient unpledged assets. It would also come at a higher cost. We believe banks may still consider exposure to quality real estate, but overall exposure continues to decline.Developers that are focused on high-end projects may face higher risk, as sales of such projects have slowed in the last two years. We believe these developers would be wary of taking sharp price corrections on unsold inventory to boost sales, except in extreme circumstances, as this could diminish the value of unsold inventory and weaken collateral cover for existing lenders.In addition, any boost in sales would be temporary. Meanwhile, developers with substantial exposure to affordable housing may still benefit from marginal access to lenders in light of healthy pre-sales growth, supported by India's substantial housing deficit and government incentives for buyers via the credit-linked subsidy scheme as well as for developers, including tax deductions and grant of infrastructure status, which entitles companies to some benefits and concessions.The government has announced measures to improve NBFI-sector liquidity, but their efficacy remains to be seen. For example, we believe the government's July 2019 announcement to provide a first-loss guarantee of 10% on securitised assets issued by NBFIs to banks could ease funding pressure for NBFIs in the short term. However, the provision refers only to financially sound issuers and there is a lack of clarity about the duration of the guarantee and the definition of what comprises a 'financially sound' entity. In addition, most of the actions by the authorities to alleviate the liquidity squeeze will benefit the largest and least risky NBFIs and is unlikely to address the pressure on the more property focused players.Defaults by two NBFIs - Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) in September 2018 and Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) in June 2019 - have contributed to the sector-wide liquidity squeeze, as investors have become more risk averse. Banks' low appetite for lending to real-estate developers is evidenced by the usually high risk weights attached to such loans. These are due to developers' typically low credit ratings amid high leverage, making exposure to the sector an inefficient use of banks' already-limited capital.Substantial bank recapitalisation to increase lending capacity could benefit NBFIs as well as real-estate developers, subject to the banks' risk appetite. Although a structural improvement in NBFI asset books would take time. Nonetheless, even under better conditions we expect NBFI's to tighten credit standards, with developers facing funding pressure until there is a broader improvement in their operations, with better end-user demand and pricing support.