India has built highways at a frenetic clip over the past decade. Now there are signs that the pace may have peaked in 2023-24 and it may even fall in the current fiscal year. Mint explores the reasons for this and whether this is a temporary blip or long-term in nature.
Tune in to the latest episode to know that now users are getting comfortable with AI models and chatbots, the next step is to improve user experience. But how? The answer lies in using many specialist bots, rather than getting one to do all the jobs from banking to customer care to teaching.
A sizzling heat wave is stretching India’s power infrastructure. In fact, the power deficit in June is projected to be the highest in 14 years. Mint looks at the factors causing it, steps the government has taken, and whether a crisis can be avoided this time around.
Google’s long-term experiment to create a science fiction-like 3D, holographic ultra-realistic display is now a real product. After many failures, is Silicon Valley’s quest to build screens that look like teleportation portals finally nearing promise?
The Supreme Court has exempted lawyers from the purview of the Consumer Protection Act. This sets the stage for doctors to get a similar exemption. Mint looks at what this ruling means for consumers and what redressal options we now have for poor service.
Regulatory action in Singapore and Hong Kong on two of India’s biggest spice brands—MDH and Everest—for alleged chemical contamination has turned the heat on spice exports. Mint looks at the issue and analyses what it could mean for the $4-billion export sector.
New RBI draft guidelines on project loans are aimed at bringing credit discipline and ensuring only serious players participate. But since their release last week, shares of PSU banks and infra NBFCs have tanked. And bankers are upset.
Flexible workspace provider Awfis Space Solutions recently got the market regulator’s nod for a public listing. More operators, which offer modern office solutions, are likely to follow. What does this mean for the commercial office sector?
Prominent brands are under the scanner for selling sugary infant food, chicken fed with antibiotics, and spices peppered with cancer-causing chemicals. Naturally, experts are concerned about lax regulations.
This month, Meta unveiled its new AI model, Llama-3, and Microsoft introduced Phi-3. The base version of each is tiny in comparison to large language models (LLMs). Turns out, shrinking AI models is what Big Tech is doing to reach every user in the world.
Fresh geopolitical uncertainty has pushed global crude prices above $90 per barrel. How does it impact India’s oil marketing companies? Will they be forced to increase prices in the election season?
Microsoft is unbundling its video conferencing platform Teams from the Office suite after a European probe into anti-competitive practices. Bundling of apps is under regulatory scrutiny everywhere. But breaking up Big Tech might not be the magic bullet.
Maintaining that GPT-4 “kind of sucks”, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said recently his company will release an “amazing new model” this year. This has sparked speculation that OpenAI may release GPT-5 sometime between June and August this year. Why is this a big deal?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is tightening its scrutiny of the credit card industry. Recently, it asked Federal Bank and South Indian Bank to stop issuing new co-branded credit cards.
The Centre has notified a fact-checking unit to flag ‘misinformation’ about the government, with powers to issue directives. The Supreme Court has stayed the notification to verify the unit’s constitutionality.
In a surprise move, the government brought in a new EV policy on Friday slashing import duties on electric cars to 15% just before the Model Code of Conduct came into force.
The Draft Digital Competition Bill looks to check Big Tech from creating market monopolies. But lawyers and policymakers fear it may scare away global investors, and stifle innovation by breaking up apps that work with each other. Here’s how the bill may work.
By Chinese standards, the 5% economic growth projected for 2024 seems rather modest. But such is the state of its economy that most analysts do not expect it to meet even this target. Mint looks at China’s economic woes and what it portends for the global economy.
The Indian economy grew at a surprising 8.4% in the third quarter of FY24. Will this pace of economic expansion continue in the fourth quarter? What is the outlook for 2024-25? Mint looks deeper into the third quarter performance and the prospects for the next few quarters.
SpiceJet boss Ajay Singh and Busy Bee Aviation have submitted a rescue plan for bankrupt airline Go First. Previously, efforts to revive Jet Airways have met with limited success. Mint explains the flight path of recovery and the challenges associated with it.
Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, in reprisal for Israeli bombing of Gaza, continue unabated and the disruption they are causing is beginning to pinch. As the crisis enters its fourth month,
Stocks of public sector undertakings (PSU) have had a sterling rally this year. The 56-stock BSE PSU Index’s doubling outshines the Sensex’ modest 24% return this fiscal amid a valuation re-rating backed by earnings. But this rally isn’t a mere bubble.
The Centre’s move to allow partial denotification of special economic zones (SEZs) into non-SEZs in IT and IT-enabled services parks has prompted developers and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to de-notify SEZ spaces. Will this impact vacancy levels?
The Reserve Bank of India has asked a card network to pause payments under a system that allowed companies to make card payments to certain other businesses. RBI did not name the network but Visa says it’s got a missive. Mint explains the reasons
Bike-taxis could be an answer to our urban mobility woes but often face regulatory hurdles. While the Centre has recently clarified their legality, state-level concerns about licensing and regulation persist. What needs to be done to make them more viable?
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), first proposed in 2016, was meant to be India’s challenge to the dominance of the US in space launch services. But in the past two years, it has only seen two demonstrator launches. Mint finds out why things are going slow.
Net direct tax collection has surged 20%, led by a sharp increase in personal income tax payments. This has helped the government reduce borrowings and speed up fiscal consolidation. Mint looks at what catalysed the mop-up, its benefits and the outlook for next year
Farmers have laid siege to European cities with tractors protesting subsidy cuts, cheap imports, high energy prices and imposition of green policies. In India, farmers are preparing for another showdown. What’s going on? Is there a common thread?
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a housing scheme for the middle class as part of a ‘housing for all’ policy. This has sparked off a hunt for counting the middle class.
Rents went through the roof in 2023—the rise was the highest in a decade—as demand outstripped housing supply in many cities. Will the trend change this year? If so, to what extent?
