India Extends Zero Duty Import of Pigeon Pea and Black Matpe, Retains 30% Tariff on Yellow Peas Till March 2027
India has extended duty‑free imports of pigeon pea (tur) and black matpe (urad) through 31 March 2027, while maintaining a 30 percent tariff on yellow peas. The move follows a dip in domestic pulse production and anticipates supply risks from El Niño and the West Asia conflict. Import volumes are projected to stay around five million tonnes in the 2026‑27 fiscal year, similar to the current level. The policy aims to ensure steady pulse availability and price stability for Indian consumers and farmers.
Antler-Backed Covrzy Shuts Down Due To Cash Crunch
Covrzy, an Antler‑backed insurtech founded in 2023, announced its shutdown after three years of operation due to a persistent cash crunch. The Bengaluru startup, which had raised $386,000 and secured an IRDAI direct broking licence, projected FY26 revenue of ₹1.3‑₹1.5 crore...
Closed Loop Partners Acquires Metal Processing Company
Closed Loop Partners, the New York‑based circular‑economy investor, has acquired a majority interest in Sutter Metals, a regional metal‑processing firm operating in Washington state. The partnership will fund expansion of processing capacity, geographic reach, and a buy‑and‑build M&A strategy targeting...
T-Mobile Set for Further Job Layoffs - Report
T‑Mobile announced another round of layoffs in the United States, with estimates suggesting up to 600 positions could be cut. The reductions focus on the company's IT organization as part of a broader effort under new CEO Srini Gopalan to...
Variance Raises $21.5M Series A to Automate Financial Crime Investigations
Variance, a San Francisco AI risk‑compliance startup, closed a $21.5 million Series A led by Ten Eleven Ventures, bringing its total funding to $26 million. The round will fund expansion of its agentic AI platform that automates KYC/KYB investigations, delivering auditable decisions in...
Hellmann's Parent Company to Merge Food Business with McCormick
Unilever PLC announced a definitive agreement to merge its Foods division with McCormick & Co., creating a combined flavor business with roughly $20 billion in FY 2025 revenue. The transaction values Unilever Foods at $44.8 billion, reflecting an EV/Sales multiple of 3.6× and...
Activating Attention: How OpenX and TVision Are Turning CTV Engagement Into Real-Time Performance
OpenX introduced OpenX Attention Targeting, a real‑time capability that lets advertisers bid on CTV inventory identified as high‑attention by TVision’s measurement platform. The partnership enables predictive attention data to be applied during the buying process, rather than only in post‑campaign...
Wall St Opens Higher on Mideast De-Escalation Hopes; Monthly Losses Loom
Wall Street opened higher on Tuesday as investors cheered a report suggesting a possible de‑escalation in the Middle East conflict. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 325.6 points, or 0.72%, to 45,541.76. The S&P 500 gained 52.2 points, up 0.82% to...
Chinese Carbide PVC Could Temper US Exports to Asia
U.S. suspension‑grade PVC (S‑PVC) prices surged over 55% since the Gulf war began, reaching $1,000‑$1,050 per tonne FOB Houston. In contrast, China’s carbide‑based S‑PVC rose about 36% to $815‑$900 per tonne FOB China, remaining cheaper to produce. Because roughly 80%...
Why Standardization Beats Local Expertise for Global E-Invoicing
The article contends that local e‑invoicing compliance is merely a baseline for multinational firms, while standardized platforms are essential for scalable growth. Managing dozens of local vendors inflates fees, multiplies contracts, and creates disparate data formats, especially as EU initiatives...
Space Start-Ups Gain Siemens Nous
Siemens has joined the European Space Agency’s EPIC programme, offering its Xcelerator software suite and digital‑twin capabilities to start‑ups nurtured by ESA Business Incubation Centres. The partnership gives fledgling space firms access to virtual design, simulation and engineering tools that...
Crosschq’s Acquisition of Traitify: This Is Not About Assessments
Crosschq announced the acquisition of Traitify, a visual‑assessment startup, but the deal is not simply about adding new tests to its portfolio. The move is positioned as a strategic step to deepen data‑driven talent analytics and improve candidate engagement. By...
China’s Economy Feels the Iran War Shock
The recent U.S.-Israel strike on Iran has choked the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off 40‑50% of China’s seaborne oil imports and adding pressure to an economy already in a three‑year deflationary slump. Beijing’s four‑month oil stockpile and a dual‑track sourcing...
The Broken System That Keeps Shipping Crews Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz
Conflict in the Gulf has left roughly 1,900 commercial vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, exposing a systemic failure in maritime ownership and regulation. Seafarers like India’s PK Vijay remain on abandoned ships such as the Mahakal without pay,...
Marriott Names Federico Greppi President, CALA
Marriott International has appointed Federico Greppi as president of its Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) division, marking the first time a Latin American leads the region. Greppi, formerly CALA COO and previously CFO overseeing franchise operations, succeeds Brian King, who...
How PAPSS Is Fixing Africa’s Cross-Border Payments, Four Years On
The Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) launched in January 2022 to slash the cost and delay of intra‑African payments by routing transactions in local currencies. Four years on it is live in 19 countries, linking over 160 commercial banks...
What Is Strategic Recruitment? Benefits, Key Components, and Tips
Strategic recruitment transforms hiring from an ad‑hoc task into a deliberate, data‑driven function that aligns talent acquisition with long‑term business goals. By integrating a strong employer brand, structured workflows supported by ATS technology, and continuous metric tracking, companies attract higher‑quality...
MFs Allowed to Keep Retirement, Children’s Funds Alive
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reversed its plan to scrap Retirement and Children mutual‑fund schemes, allowing 44 funds with an asset base of roughly ₹57,663 crore (about $7 billion) to remain operational. The regulator also introduced new norms...
World Briefs | Italy Refuses US Aircraft Use of Base on Sicily
Italy denied US military aircraft permission to land at Sicily’s Sigonella base, underscoring a diplomatic rift. India’s diesel exports to Southeast Asia jumped to a seven‑year high, shipping roughly 1 million tonnes—about half to Singapore and 90% by Reliance Industries. The...
Carlyle to Acquire Majority Stake in MAI Capital
The Carlyle Group announced it will acquire a majority stake in MAI Capital Management for a valuation exceeding $2.8 billion, with the transaction slated to close in the second quarter of 2026. MAI, which oversees more than $72 billion in assets and...
Pay Rises Sharply in Hospitality, but Hiring Starts to Slow
Research from Employment Hero shows hospitality and retail wages jumped 18% over the past year, outpacing inflation. The rise coincides with the April increase in the UK National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour (about $16.15) and higher employer National...
Life in Focus: Ajay Ajmera, Founder & CEO, Ajmera Fashion Ltd.
Ajay Ajmera, founder and CEO of Ajmera Fashion Ltd., has grown a Surat‑based textile company from a Class 12 dropout to a global exporter serving more than 30 countries. The firm has empowered over 150,000 textile entrepreneurs, including more than 10,000...
An Open Letter to Jamie Dimon on Rethinking Collateral in Rent-Regulated Lending
J.P. Morgan Chase has become the dominant lender for rent‑regulated multifamily properties in New York City after the collapse of Signature Bank and the retreat of New York Community Bank. The author argues that, since the 2019 Housing Stability and...
New Bitdefender Assessment Helps Organizations Identify and Eliminate Hidden Internal Attack Paths
Bitdefender launched a complimentary Internal Attack Surface Assessment to help enterprises pinpoint hidden internal cyber risks tied to excessive user access and shadow IT. The service leverages the GravityZone PHASR platform to deliver data‑driven visibility down to the individual user...
What Behavioral Health Startups Get Wrong About Enrolling Therapists With Aetna, BCBS, and United
Behavioral health startups often underestimate payer enrollment for Aetna, BCBS and UnitedHealthcare, causing 60‑150 day delays before therapists can bill in‑network. The article identifies three recurring errors: submitting incomplete provider data, applying to closed panels, and assuming uniform payer timelines...
Mining’s Capital Challenge with Sir Mick Davis, Vision Blue Resources
The mining sector faces a paradox: demand for copper, lithium, nickel and rare earths is surging to power the energy transition, yet the cost of capital to develop new projects has reached historic highs. Sir Mick Davis explains that modern...
Shipping GenAI Into an Existing App: How to Integrate AI Features Without Rewriting Your Stack
Integrating generative AI into existing applications requires a disciplined, contract‑first approach rather than a full stack rewrite. The article outlines a repeatable pattern that starts with selecting bounded, reviewable workflows, then defining a strict JSON contract that separates input, output,...
Canada’s Trade Deal With Mercosur Alliance Could Revamp Western Hemisphere Trade
Canada is close to sealing a free‑trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc, potentially by September 2026. The deal would connect Canada with five South American economies—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay—representing 282 million people and about $3 trillion in GDP. In 2024,...
Clinical AI Platform Avo Secures $10M, Announces EBSCO DynaMed Partnership
Avo, a clinical AI platform that overlays major EHRs, closed a $10 million Series A led by Noro‑Moseley Partners and backed by AlleyCorp. The company announced a strategic partnership with EBSCO’s DynaMed to embed evidence‑based guidelines directly into its AI copilots. Avo’s...
Vedanta Expands Transgender Workforce to 75 Employees Across Businesses
Vedanta has expanded its transgender workforce to 75 employees, a figure that now spans its core subsidiaries such as Hindustan Zinc, Vedanta Aluminium, Sesa Goa, FACOR and Cairn Oil & Gas. The hiring drive, launched in 2022, places transgender staff in a variety...
Connoisseur Eyes Market Domination As NRG Preps Lincoln Exit
Connoisseur Media has agreed to purchase six Lincoln-area radio stations from NRG Media, including KBBK, KLIN-AM, KLNC, K233AN, K257GN and KFGE. To complete the acquisition, Connoisseur is seeking an FCC waiver that would allow it to own 11 stations in...
Gas South CEO Kevin Greiner On The Value Of Being An ‘Even-Keeled’ Leader
Gas South chief executive Kevin Greiner emphasizes the strategic advantage of maintaining an even‑keeled demeanor, especially amid the natural‑gas market’s price swings and regulatory shifts. He cites personal routines—daily meditation, deliberate pacing of decisions, and transparent communication—as tools that keep...
March 2026 Jobs Report Preview: What to Expect
The March 2026 jobs report is expected to show a further slowdown, with total job gains likely falling below the already‑weak three‑month average of 8,000. Health care and social assistance should remain the only sector posting net hires, while restaurants...
Bridging Continents: The Future of Middle East-Africa Trade Alliances
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is deepening trade alliances with African nations, creating a new South‑South growth corridor. GCC countries bring abundant capital, sovereign wealth funds, and advanced logistics, while Africa offers natural resources, arable land, renewable energy potential and...
Backyard Ventures Partners With “Between the Lines” To Expand Into Podcasting, Opening New Brand Opportunities
Backyard Ventures announced a partnership with the socially‑focused series Between The Lines to launch a full‑scale podcast and simulcast platform. The video series, created by former NBA champion Danny Green and hosted by Ivana Rojas, already commands over 474,000 followers...
California Bill Targets Family Vloggers, Giving Children the Right to Erase Monetized Content at 18
California Senator Steve Padilla introduced Senate Bill 1247, mandating social‑media platforms to let adult children request removal or editing of monetized content that features them as minors. The bill gives creators three business days to acknowledge a request and ten...
Introducing IAS Agent: Your AI-Powered Assistant that Uncovers Deep Insights and Powers Performance
Integral Ad Science (IAS) unveiled IAS Agent, an AI‑powered assistant that accelerates campaign activation, delivers insights up to five times faster, and optimizes performance at scale. Built on more than 15 years of proprietary data, the tool embeds explainable AI...
Influur Is Building a Creator-Powered Campaign Layer Around the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Miami-based creator marketplace Influur announced a multi‑city, creator‑led initiative to help brands engage audiences around the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Rather than seeking official tournament sponsorship, Influur will build an independent, creator‑powered cultural...
Forterro Appoints Chris Fisher to Lead Orderwise as Mid-Market ERP Demand Evolves
Forterro has named Chris Fisher as Managing Director of its Orderwise business, signaling a strategic push toward a platform‑first ERP model. Fisher brings deep experience in guiding mid‑market firms through cloud and AI transitions, especially in distribution and logistics. His...
Morning Reads
Nasdaq is overhauling its index eligibility rules, slashing the Nasdaq‑100 entry window from three months to just 15 trading days. The change, effective May 1, targets large‑cap IPOs and removes the 10% float minimum while tweaking low‑float weightings and other technical...
Mirza International Acquires Solethreads to Enter Semi-Premium Footwear Segment
Mirza International has acquired 100% of Gurugram‑based casual‑footwear startup Solethreads, marking its entry into India’s fast‑growing semi‑premium footwear segment. Solethreads, founded in 2020, has raised over $7 million and achieved a monthly run rate of about $638,000, with presence in 600...
Laos - Vietnam Railway Gets Green Light
The Lao National Assembly approved the first phase of a 562‑km standard‑gauge railway linking Vientiane with Vietnam’s Vung Ang deep‑water port. Phase 1A, a 147‑km stretch from the Thai border to the Laos‑Vietnam frontier, will be built under a 50‑year build‑operate‑transfer...
Brands Ramp Up Use Of Content And Agentic AI
Brands such as ScottsMiracle‑Gro and Clinique are accelerating the deployment of agentic AI to deliver real‑time, location‑specific educational content to consumers. At SXSW, ScottsMiracle‑Gro’s senior vice president John Sass highlighted how the company’s 158‑year legacy is being amplified through autonomous...
Flipkart Hires Senior Executives To Scale Platform Engineering And Execution Capabilities
Flipkart has appointed Smita Ojha as Vice President of Engineering and Amit Sharma as Vice President of Programme Management to bolster its OneTech platform capabilities. Ojha will head the Central Platforms Group, bringing over two decades of platform‑engineering expertise from Mindtickle. Sharma...
Palico Reduces Fees to 5bps for $50m-Plus Sales
Palico, a digital LP-led secondaries marketplace, announced it will lower its transaction fee to 5 basis points for sales exceeding $50 million. The fee reduction aims to attract larger institutional secondary deals, a segment the platform has previously serviced with smaller...
AIMCo Has No Plans to Reduce U.S. Exposure Despite Trade Tensions, CIO Says
Alberta Investment Management Corp (AIMCo) said it will maintain its roughly 38% U.S. asset allocation despite ongoing trade tensions with Washington. The pension fund’s chief investment officer highlighted that private‑credit exposure, already at about 5% of the portfolio, could actually...
Where Fee Transparency Meets the Agentic Era
PubMatic launched the Fee Transparency Agent within its AgenticOS platform, delivering a unified view of all fees across a programmatic media buy. The tool consolidates vendor, data and measurement costs, eliminating the need for manual report stitching. By exposing the...
Debt Intelligence Platform 9fin Scores £130m Round
AI‑driven debt intelligence platform 9fin has become a unicorn after closing a $170 million (≈£128.8 million) Series C round, pushing its valuation to $1.3 billion. The funding, led by HarbourVest and joined by CPP Investment Board and other investors, will fund AI enhancements, dataset...
How Instagram’s ‘PG-13’ Branding for Teens Unraveled
Instagram has withdrawn its PG‑13 branding for teen accounts after the Motion Picture Association warned of trademark infringement and threatened legal action. The social‑media platform introduced the rating in 2024 to signal age‑appropriate content, but the MPA’s pushback forced Meta...
RIA Sellers Seek to Mitigate Market Impact on Payout Potential
RIA sellers are re‑engineering earn‑out structures as market volatility threatens payout forecasts. Buyers are increasingly stripping market‑driven asset appreciation from revenue models and inserting catch‑up clauses that grant sellers extra time to meet targets if markets dip. Negotiations now prioritize...