Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a mega order from US-based AI cloud company Together AI to build India’s largest single-cluster AI infrastructure facility. The project, valued at ₹10,000–15,000 crore, will deploy 10,000 NVIDIA B300 GPUs at L&T’s Chennai data-centre campus. The facility will combine advanced computing, high-performance networking, ultra-low-latency connectivity and high-throughput storage to support large-scale AI training and inference. The deal marks L&T’s entry into the AI Factory segment and strengthens India’s position in the global AI infrastructure ecosystem. L&T said the project is part of its broader Gigawatt AI Infrastructure Mission.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk received $158.3 billion in compensation in 2025, more than 2.5 million times the pay of the company’s average worker, according to a new AFL-CIO report. The extraordinary figure dramatically increased the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio among S&P 500 companies to 5,387:1, compared with 312:1 when Musk is excluded. Average CEO compensation reached $22.8 million in 2025, rising sharply when Musk’s package is included. The report highlighted widening economic inequality and declining workers’ share of national income. Tesla did not immediately comment. The findings have renewed debate over executive compensation and worker pay disparities. (PC: Getty Images)

India’s merchandise exports rose nearly 20% year-on-year to $44.24 billion in July 2026, supported by stronger shipments of electronics and engineering goods, according to Commerce Ministry data. However, imports grew faster, increasing 17.51% to $76.22 billion, as elevated input and commodity costs linked partly to the West Asia crisis pushed up import values. Consequently, the merchandise trade deficit widened to $32 billion, its highest level in six months, from $27.9 billion in July 2025. Economists noted that both exports and imports have recorded double-digit growth for four consecutive months, partly reflecting higher commodity-price inflation. Imports of coal, fertilisers, electronics and chemical products expanded by more than 20% in July. (PC: @geovishalsharma)

Tata Group stocks lost over Rs 26,800 crore in market value after N Chandrasekaran announced he would step down as Tata Sons chairman. Chandrasekaran, whose current term ends on February 20, 2027, said he decided against seeking another 5-year term after one board member did not support the extension. At 1:25 pm on Wednesday, Tata Consultancy Services was the biggest loser, falling 4.8%. Tejas Networks dropped 2.84%, Tata Consumer Products 2.8%, Tata Elxsi 2.58% and Tata Steel 2.02%. Chandrasekaran, who has led Tata Sons since 2017, asked the board to decide on his successor soon. (PC: NDTV)

India has rejected China’s criticism of its decision to give official names to 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Arunachal Pradesh is an “inalienable and integral part of India” and called this an “indisputable reality”. India announced the names on Friday, including locations along the Line of Actual Control. Officials said the move strengthens India’s official maps and documentation of its territorial claims. China has called the move “illegal, null and void” and reiterated its claim over the region. India’s latest response comes amid continuing tensions between the 2 countries over their disputed border. (PC: HT)

Parliament on Monday passed the Taxation and other Laws (Amendment) Bill, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ruling out any tax or transaction charge on UPI. The Bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha, was returned by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote after a brief discussion and the Finance Minister’s reply. Sitharaman said UPI has remained free for consumers since its launch and will continue without transaction charges. The legislation seeks to remove the linkage between the Payment and Settlement Systems Act and Income Tax Act, while allowing the government to decide which electronic payments must remain free. It also aims to attract foreign capital, boost domestic electronics manufacturing and facilitate foreign cloud companies’ use of Indian data centres. (PC: BBC)

The Centre has stepped up scrutiny of Meta after senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) held high-level talks with the company's global leadership following the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video. Government sources said the discussions covered compliance with Indian laws, platform accountability, deepfakes, child sexual abuse material and the responsibilities of social media companies. Officials reportedly made it clear that platforms operating in India must follow Indian regulations rather than rely solely on standards used in other jurisdictions. The government is also considering stricter rules for artificial intelligence and online platforms to strengthen accountability and curb harmful content. (PC: India Today)

Air India has appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new CEO and Managing Director, weeks after reports linked him to the top job at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). According to media reports, Gebremariam had been selected to lead PIA, but his appointment was delayed pending security clearances. Before the process concluded, Tata Group-owned Air India secured him to lead its next phase of expansion. The appointment follows Campbell Wilson’s resignation and comes as Air India pushes ahead with fleet modernisation, network growth and service improvements. Gebremariam is widely credited with transforming Ethiopian Airlines into one of the world’s most successful and profitable carriers. (PC: ITG)

Air India has appointed former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Campbell Wilson, who announced his resignation in April. The airline said it conducted a global search, evaluating both internal and external candidates before selecting Gebremariam. Widely credited with transforming Ethiopian Airlines into one of the world's leading carriers, he takes charge at a pivotal time as Air India pursues an ambitious expansion and fleet modernisation programme. The Tata-owned airline continues to navigate financial challenges and external headwinds while seeking to strengthen its global competitiveness and accelerate its long-term turnaround under new leadership. (PC: How Africa)

A Mittal-backed consortium led by businessman Amit Bhatia is in talks to acquire a significant minority stake in Liverpool FC at a valuation exceeding $6 billion, according to reports. The proposed deal would rank among the largest investments in Premier League history and value Liverpool among the world’s most expensive football clubs. Bhatia has already transferred his stake in Queens Park Rangers to the club’s majority owner, a move seen as preparation for the potential Liverpool investment. Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have confirmed discussions with prospective investors as they explore strategic investment options while retaining overall control of the club. (PC: Getty Images)