D’Wayne Wiggins, guitarist for Tony! Toni! Toné!, has passed away at 64 following a battle with bladder cancer. His legacy as a musician and community leader leaves a lasting impact, especially in his hometown of Oakland. D’Wayne Wiggins, a founding member and guitarist of the Grammy-nominated R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, has died after privately battling bladder cancer. His family announced his passing on Friday, sharing that

The first-ever White House crypto summit left some investors disappointed as Bitcoin prices dipped. While the event marked a shift in U.S. policy toward digital assets, the lack of strong commitments led to uncertainty. Crypto Industry Hopes for Stronger Support The White House hosted its first-ever cryptocurrency summit, bringing together top executive

Tencent Holdings has expanded its stake in Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware, acquiring an additional 1.11 percent of shares. This move increases Tencent’s ownership in the Japanese publishing giant from 6.86 percent to 7.97 percent. The transaction was made through Tencent’s subsidiary, SixJoy Hong Kong Limited, and was disclosed in a large shareholding report submitted to the Kanto Finance Bureau.   Tencent initially invested JPY 30 billion (appr

Microchip Technology has announced plans to lay off 2,000 employees, approximately 9 percent of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring plan aimed at cost reduction and operational efficiency. The decision is driven by declining semiconductor demand, particularly from the automotive sector, where companies are struggling to clear existing chip inventories before placing new orders.The semiconductor industry has faced challenges over the past year, with demand fluctuations affecting m

Nine months after the formation of the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, the state is showing a strong economic turnaround. The latest fiscal survey presented in the Assembly highlights that Andhra Pradesh has recorded a 12.94% growth in fiscal management, a clear indication of recovery from the previous administration’s economic downturn. The progress is primarily driven by agriculture, industrial development, and energy production, reflecting the effectiveness of new policies focused

Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing arm of Amazon, is set to invest approximately $8.2 billion in Maharashtra over the next few years, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the investment would play a key role in job creation while strengthening India’s cloud computing infrastructure. The investment is expected to be rolled out between 2029 and 2030.AWS is also planning to introduce its own graphics processing

India and the European Union (EU) have set a year-end deadline to finalize a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA), marking a crucial milestone in their bilateral trade relations. The announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in New Delhi to strengthen India-EU economic and strategic ties.The trade agreement, under negotiation for several years, aims to expand economic cooperation, boost trade, and enhance market access b

The World Bank has advised India to lower import tariffs, ease regulatory restrictions, and simplify trade processes to enhance its global trade competitiveness and attract foreign investment. In a report released on Friday titled the Economic Memorandum on India, the World Bank highlighted that high trade costs caused by import tariffs on intermediate and capital goods, as well as non-tariff barriers, are limiting India's participation in global value chains (GVCs).The report emphasized

Technicolor India, a leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studio, has announced the closure of its operations in Bengaluru and Mumbai, affecting 3,200 employees. The decision is part of a global shutdown by its parent company, Technicolor Group, headquartered in Paris.This sudden move has left thousands of employees in distress, particularly in Bengaluru, where nearly 3,000 professionals were employed. The closure marks a significant blow to India's VFX and animation industry, which

Amazon has officially surpassed Walmart in quarterly revenue for the first time, marking a historic shift in the retail landscape. For over a decade, Walmart has consistently led the industry in revenue generation, but Amazon’s rapid expansion in eCommerce, cloud computing, and advertising has propelled it to the top. During the fourth quarter, Amazon reported a staggering $187.8 billion in revenue, surpassing Walmart’s $180.5 billion. While Wal

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its latest bulletin released on February 19, stated that the tax cuts in the Union Budget 2025, along with moderating inflation, are expected to provide financial relief to the middle class and boost overall household spending. This announcement comes after the February Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, where the newly appointed RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra, emphasized the positive economic impact of the tax relief measur

In February 2025, US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 30-day pause on tariffs against Mexico and Canada brought a brief sense of relief to global markets. The decision helped prevent a potential escalation of a full-blown trade war, with US equity futures and international markets responding positively. However, concerns linger about the long-term effects of tariffs on industries such as automotive, semiconductor, consumer goods, e-commerce, and green energy.  

The Union Budget 2025 introduced a significant revision to the income tax exemption limit, raising it to ₹12 lakh. This change has sparked expectations of increased consumer spending, particularly in sectors such as automobiles and fast-moving consumer goods. With more disposable income available to middle-class taxpayers, the automotive industry is poised to see shifts in demand, with varying effects across vehicle segments. Analysts believe that while this tax policy revision may drive ov

Projected Economic Growth India’s economy is expected to grow between 6.3% to 6.8% in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26). This forecast comes from the Economic Survey 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament. Economic Fundamentals The survey highlights that the

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy proudly announced that the state has secured approximately Rs 1.8 lakh crore in investments during his recent visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. This marks a significant milestone for the state, with the Chief Minister emphasizing the importance of these investments in bolstering Telangana's economic growth. Taking a dig at the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Reddy refuted their claims

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed immense optimism for India's future, declaring that the country has entered its golden era of economic growth. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Naidu highlighted that India's economy is poised for significant growth, predicting it will register the fastest incremental GDP growth from 2028 onwards. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and emphasized the stability provided

 Indian IT companies are set to benefit from a resurgence in discretionary technology spending, which is expected to lead to incremental revenue growth. After a prolonged downturn, demand is picking up, driven by easing macroeconomic factors such as rate cuts and the new U.S. administration's policies. Key IT players like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, and HCLTech have seen a positive shift in discretionary spending across sectors, including BFSI and retail.

The week witnessed crucial political and economic developments that influenced market movements across the world. In India, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced its third-quarter earnings, with a net profit rise of 4.1%, while the Union government predicted India's economy would grow at its slowest pace in four years, with a projected GDP growth rate of 6.4% for fiscal year 2024-25. Meanwhile, India's merchandise trade deficit remained elevated despite a reduction in go

India's government is investigating rising steel imports, particularly in two categories of flat-rolled steel products (HS 7208 and 7210), which account for over 75% of the surge in imports. Instead of implementing global safeguards, experts suggest that India should focus on Free Trade Agreement (FTA)-specific safeguards and measures targeting China. Many imports come duty-free under FTAs with coun

Google is preparing for a critical 2025, with CEO Sundar Pichai stating that the company will focus heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and scaling its Gemini chatbot to disrupt the market. During a strategy meeting on December 18, Pichai highlighted the stakes as being "high," calling 2025 a year of disruption. He stressed the need for the company to rapidly scale its AI products, particularly Gemini, to solve real user problems and compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT.