Three 22-year-old childhood friends Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha became the world's youngest billionaires after their AI startup Mercor reached a $10 billion valuation with $350 million funding. Each founder owns approximately 22% equity, worth $2.2 billion individually, making them younger billionaires than Mark Zuckerberg at 23. Indian-American co-founders Hiremath and Midha met at age 10 through debate competitions in California's Bay Area. All three became Thiel Fellows, leaving Georgetown and Harvard to build Mercor full-time. Launched in 2023 connecting Indian engineers with American companies, Mercor evolved into an AI-powered talent marketplace. Revenue skyrocketed from $100 million in March to $500 million by September. (PC: X)

Amazon plans to lay off 30,000 corporate employees starting Tuesday, representing nearly 10% of its 350,000-strong corporate workforce, Reuters reports. The cuts address pandemic overhiring and expense reduction while capitalizing on AI-driven productivity gains. This marks Amazon's largest job reduction since eliminating 27,000 positions in late 2022. Affected divisions include human resources (People Experience and Technology), devices, services, and operations. Managers received Monday training for communicating the news via Tuesday email notifications. CEO Andy Jassy previously announced plans to reduce bureaucracy and management layers, noting in June that AI adoption would likely trigger additional cuts. eMarketer analyst Sky Canaves suggests the move reflects realized AI productivity gains offsetting AI infrastructure investments.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated Canada will resume US trade talks "when Americans are ready" after President Trump abruptly terminated negotiations over Ontario's Reagan-themed anti-tariff advertisement. The ad quoted former President Reagan saying tariffs "hurt every American," prompting Trump to call it "FAKE" and "egregious" on social media. Trump imposed 35% levies on Canadian imports, with sector-specific tariffs including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles. Three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, making its economy vulnerable. The Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized the ad's "selective" editing and is reviewing legal options. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who commissioned the $75 million campaign, remains vocally critical of Trump's policies affecting Canada's largest provincial economy.

Adhesive brand Fevicol has once again impressed social media with its clever humour. After the daring jewellery heist at Paris’s Louvre Museum, Fevicol shared a viral post showing a diamond-and-emerald necklace sealed inside a glass case with a thick coat of Fevicol. The image read, “This mission is impossible,” while the caption joked, “Ab Dhoom machane ki baari hamari.” The post quickly gained praise for its creativity, with users calling it “genius” and “marketing gold.” The Louvre reopened this week after thieves stole eight priceless crown jewels, including pieces once owned by Empress Marie Louise. (PC: Instagram)

Andhra Pradesh is seeking new markets for its shrimp exports after US tariffs made trade costly. The state’s IT and HRD Minister, N Lokesh Naidu, said Australia may ease restrictions on importing Indian prawns. He met with Seafood Industry Australia and discussed trade missions and partnerships to help local exporters. Andhra Pradesh supplies 80% of India’s shrimp and 34% of marine exports, supporting over 30 lakh people. US tariffs had canceled around half of the orders, costing the state nearly Rs 25,000 crore. The move to Australia aims to reduce dependence on a single market and boost exports. (PC: X)

Apple CEO Tim Cook extended Diwali wishes on X, sharing a photo captured on iPhone 17 Pro Max by Apeksha Maker. The image showcases a woman in traditional attire lighting diyas surrounded by marigold flowers, highlighting warm lamp reflections. Cook wrote, "Wishing a joyful and healthy Diwali to all celebrating around the world!" This continues his tradition of featuring community-sourced images during cultural celebrations. The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, A19 Pro chip with 40% better sustained performance, triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical zoom, and longest-ever iPhone battery life. India prices range from ₹1,49,900 to ₹2,29,900.

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai celebrated Diwali with a creative Instagram post featuring colorful barfis arranged as the Google logo. The sweets in red, yellow, green, and blue color mimicked Google's iconic colors, surrounded by ladoos, flowers, and rangoli. "Obviously this is the only way we serve barfi in my house," Pichai captioned, wishing everyone "a Happy Diwali filled with light, joy, and your favorite festive treats (Google themed or otherwise!)." The post quickly went viral, drawing festive greetings and reactions. Users commented "Matlab barfi khilani hi hai Google wali" and "Happy Deepavali Sundar!" This continues Pichai's tradition in 2024 where he shared a Google-themed Diya photograph.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated US tariff measures under President Trump don't significantly threaten India's economy, citing its domestic-driven resilience. Speaking at IMF-World Bank Fall Meetings in Washington, Malhotra acknowledged unprecedented global uncertainties but emphasized India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals through prudent policies. He expressed cautious optimism about trade negotiations with Washington. Addressing rupee volatility amid tariff announcements, Malhotra reiterated RBI's market-driven approach while ensuring orderly movements and curbing abnormal fluctuations. The RBI prevented rupee from breaching its September 30 record low of 88.80. MPC unanimously maintained the repo rate at 5.5 percent despite softer inflation outlook, with Malhotra stating it's not the opportune time for rate cuts. (PC: Mint)

The Global Brilliance Awards 2025 were presented at the historic British Parliament in London. The awards honored individuals and organizations across 15 categories, including innovation, entrepreneurship, education, social impact, and global leadership. The ceremony celebrated achievements that inspire excellence and global cooperation.   The summit was organized by Mr. Aditya Pratap Singh, President of the Global Brilliance Forum. Lord Rami Ranger, Member of Parliament, was the Chief Guest. Other dignitaries included Advocate Vikalp Singh from India’s Supreme Court, former MP Virendra Sharma, and Mayor Prerna Bhardwaj. Representatives from the London School of Economics, London Business School, diplomats, industrialists, and global professionals also attended.   A key highlight was the panel discussion on “The Impact of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement: Building a Shared Future.” The session was moderated by Mr. Manish Tiwari, Patron of the Forum and a renowned marketing expert. Founder of leading multicultural marketing agency in the UK, Mr. Tiwari guided discussions among economists, business leaders, and policy experts.   The evening concluded with a Diwali celebration, including traditional lamps and Indian cultural performances, highlighting India’s heritage and its growing presence on the global stage.

Google announced a $15 billion investment to build its largest artificial intelligence hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. CEO Sundar Pichai said he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the project, calling it a “landmark development.” The hub, built with the Adani Group, will include gigawatt-scale data centres and a subsea internet gateway. PM Modi said the project supports the “Viksit Bharat” vision and will boost India’s digital economy. Google said the investment will create jobs, promote innovation, and expand AI-driven services. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called it a new chapter in India’s digital growth. (PC: X)