IT may add 35-45% more AI roles in FY26 as deployments rise

AI job growth in India is projected to surge by 45% in FY26, defying the tech sector's overall slowdown. Demand for roles like ML engineers, GenAI developers, and AI consultants is booming, though talent shortages persist. Companies offer high salaries to attract niche talent, especially in GCCs over IT services.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Visa partners with AI giants to streamline online shopping

While users will set spending limits, the AI agents will do the rest - searching for products, booking vacations or ordering groceries, the payments processor said on Wednesday.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Amazon is not planning to show added tariff costs next to its online product listings

Amazon has denied reports that it plans to list tariff-related costs alongside product prices, following a news story and backlash from the Trump administration. The idea was briefly considered for Amazon's low-cost Haul storefront but was never approved. The controversy appears to stem from a misunderstanding of internal discussions.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Trump called Bezos to complain about Amazon report

Former US President Donald Trump reportedly called Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos to object to a news report claiming the company would show the impact of tariffs on product prices. Amazon denied the report, stating it had no plans to display tariff-related pricing on its retail site and had not implemented any such changes.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

In fierce UPI fight, new players Flipkart-backed Super.Money, Navi, Cred start to gain ground

New-generation UPI apps such as Navi, Cred, Bhim, and Super.Money have been quietly gaining market share over the last six months, aggressively using cashbacks and incentives to carve out a slice of the growing digital payments market. NPCI data shows that these smaller apps have collectively nearly doubled their market share.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

FM Nirmala Sitharaman asks NPCI to address infrastructure gaps to prevent future disruption of UPI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged stakeholders to address UPI infrastructure gaps, aiming for one billion daily transactions in 2-3 years. She stressed enhancing cybersecurity, global expansion, and onboarding more users and merchants to ensure resilience amid recent service disruptions and growing UPI adoption.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

High US tariffs pushing Chinese exporters to tap Indian firms for shipments to America: FIEO

High US tariffs on Chinese goods are pushing American sourcing firms and Chinese exporters to approach Indian companies for supplies, creating major opportunities for Indian exporters. FIEO highlights rising interest, though regulatory hurdles remain for Chinese firms investing in India.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

IT grapples with 20%+ drop in deal pricing on macro, AI impact

This scenario is expected to sustain leading IT firms to sharpen focus on cost efficiencies and vendor consolidation amid continued slowdown in technology spends by most corporate clients, analysts said. After Covid's strong growth period, the over-$280 billion technology services outsourcing industry has seen projects tilt towards cost takeout and vendor consolidation.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Singapore orders foreigners' Facebook posts taken down under new election rules

Singapore has ordered Meta to block local access to posts by three foreigners accused of trying to sway the upcoming May 3 election along racial and religious lines. The move, under new social media rules, sparked denials from those involved and raised concerns about foreign interference in domestic politics.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Israel's AI experiments in the war in Gaza raise ethical concerns

The Gaza conflict saw rapid deployment of AI tools—from facial recognition to Arabic-language chatbots—raising both strategic advantages and ethical concerns over surveillance, misidentification, and unintended civilian harm. These technologies, developed by Unit 8200 and tech-industry reservists, mark a new era of real-time AI use in warfare, prompting urgent debate over accountability and the human cost.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

India grappling with a dearth of agentic AI experts

India is grappling with a critical shortage of agentic AI professionals as demand surges, driven by the shift towards sophisticated AI agents capable of autonomous decision-making. The current talent pool of under 100,000 is struggling to meet the projected need of 200,000 by 2026, leading to soaring salaries and intense competition among GCCs, IT firms, and startups.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Top tech and startup stories this week

Welcome to a new edition of ETtech Unwrapped – our weekend newsletter packed with the most important stories this week. Let’s take a look.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

IndiaAI GPU tender: Lowest bidders receive AI workloads

Under the IndiaAI Mission, MeitY assigned AI projects to Yotta, E2E Networks, and NxtGen, offering GPUs at subsidised rates. The companies will supply over 11,600 GPUs collectively. India offers the world’s lowest GPU usage rate, aiming to boost AI capabilities amid global chip shortages and rising demand.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Mid-tier IT company Persistent's Q4 net profit balloons 25%

While healthcare will continue to see softness, CEO and executive director Sandeep Kalra is optimistic that banking, financial services & insurance and technology sectors to lead growth in the next three to four quarters.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Meta lays off employees in Reality Labs division: Report

While the exact number of layoffs is not yet known, these latest layoffs follow a broader round of job cuts in February, when Meta reduced its workforce by nearly 3,600 roles—about 5% of its global headcount—citing performance-related concerns. The downsising aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s push to build a leaner, more agile organisation.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Sarvam and three other AI firms in MeitY’s LLM build out first shortlist

Soket AI Labs’ founder Abhishek Upperwal said it has proposed to create a 120-billion parameter open-source Indic LLM (large language model) trained on 2 trillion tokens under the ‘EKA Project’. Upperwal did not share the funding requirement. Meanwhile, Gnani.ai and Gan.ai have proposed to build small language models.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

OpenAI’s image generator is now open to businesses worldwide via API

OpenAI has launched the gpt-image-1 API, enabling developers to integrate ChatGPT's image generation capabilities into their products. The model supports diverse visual styles and applications in design, marketing, and education. It includes safety filters and privacy measures, with tiered pricing.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

HCLTech's Q4 profit dips 6.5% to Rs 4,307 crore

The Noida-based company's forecast, though, was better than that of its peers. While Infosys has guided for flat to 3% growth in 2026 revenue, Wipro projected a 1.5-3.5% fall in revenue in the ongoing first quarter of FY26 in constant currency terms. Market leader Tata Consultancy Services does not give guidance.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Crisis-hit BluSmart’s 500 staffers await clarity on their salary dues

On April 16, BluSmart suspended its ride-hailing operation. A day later, in an email to its customers, the company said it would initiate a refund of their balance amount on the BluSmart app within 90 days if it did not resume the services by then.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Mobility startup Yulu eyes $80 million raise riding on quick commerce buzz

Yulu, a Bengaluru-based shared mobility startup, is in talks to raise $75–80 million to capitalise on quick commerce growth. Backed by Bajaj Auto and Magna International, the firm recently hit $30 million ARR and EBITDA profitability. It plans fleet expansion, while exploring a mix of debt and equity funding.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

ISRO achieves docking of SpaDeX satellites for second time

ISRO has successfully completed a second autonomous satellite docking under its Spadex mission, a key milestone for future space endeavours. The experiment included inter-satellite power transfer and builds on earlier trials. It supports ISRO’s long-term goals, including a space station and human lunar mission.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

BluSmart bond holders may invoke immediate repayment provisions

BluSmart Mobility, which raised approximately Rs 100 crore through non-convertible debentures (NCDs) from high-net-worth individuals and retail investors, may soon face an ‘Event of Default’ demand from bondholders.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

ETtech Explainer: How Trump tariffs hit Nvidia’s China business, and stock

The US has tightened curbs on export of high-end AI chips to China for the third time, which has exacerbated the pain for semiconductor major Nvidia and its peers amid the Trump tariff-led global uncertainty. As tech stocks lead index routs, we take a deeper look what the barriers could mean for technology and trade.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

TS Inter results 2025 expected soon: Check how to download marksheets here

The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education is expected to announce the TS Intermediate Results 2025 in April. Students from both General and Vocational streams can access their results online using their hall ticket number. The provisional mark sheets will be available on tsbie.cgg.gov.in and results.cgg.gov.in, with original documents to be collected from schools.

from Latest Education news - Board Exam Results, Admit Cards, Exam Paper Analysis and Question Papers | Times of India
via IFTTT

Work-life balance: Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha says company's fast paced culture not for everyone

Amid the ongoing work-life balance debate, Palicha made headlines for the wrong reasons last years with his tweet: "Nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors." In a recent interview with Y Combinator’s Garry Tan, he said join Zepto if you're looking to do the best work of your life.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

BluSmart crisis: Green mobility’s red flag is giving HNIs bond blues

The bondholders’ concerns stem from cash-strapped BluSmart’s failure to raise $50 million in a fresh round and an ongoing probe by markets regulator Sebi into Gensol Engineering—promoted by BluSmart’s cofounder Anmol Singh Jaggi, said people aware of the development. Investors, who trusted the fintech platforms to do a thorough due diligence before syndicating the bonds, have started losing faith.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Google makes Gemini Advanced free for US college students

The company said Gemini Advanced, including Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and video generation products, will be free for college students. Gemini will be enabled in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and Google's experimental image and video generation tool Whisk will also be available, the tech giant said in a blog post.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Nazara to add Rs 800-1,000 crore to M&A war chest

Nazara Technologies is targeting global gaming studios with established intellectual properties, strong teams, annual revenue of around Rs 100 crore and an earnings margin before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda margin) of at least 20% for acquisition.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

'Tough, sad for those involved': Boat cofounder Aman Gupta reflects on BluSmart’s troubles

Aman Gupta said incidents like these shake trust in the startup ecosystem and highlighted the importance of strong ethics and compliance. He urged entrepreneurs not just to chase growth, but to focus on building responsible and well-governed companies.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Wipro posts 26% jump in Q4 net profit to Rs 3,570 crore

India's fourth largest software services exporter posted a net profit of ₹3,570 crore for the quarter ended March 31, in line with analyst estimates tracked by ET. Revenue rose 1.3% from a year earlier to ₹22,504 crore. In dollar terms, Wipro missed its own guidance with revenue declining by 1.2% from the previous quarter and 2.3% a year earlier to nearly $2.60 billion.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

They sell party supplies on Amazon, new tariffs threaten their future

Amazon sellers Jing and Eddie Levine face major uncertainty after President Trump’s sweeping tariffs disrupted global trade. Relying on Asian suppliers for party goods, they now grapple with rising costs, unstable shipping, and limited US alternatives—highlighting the vulnerability of small ecommerce businesses to rapid policy shifts in international trade.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

ETtech Explainer: Decoding OpenAI’s new GPT-4.1 model with better coding skills

OpenAI has launched a new set of artificial intelligence (AI) models called GPT-4.1, along with lighter versions GPT-4.1 Mini and GPT-4.1 Nano. These models are designed to do a better job at tasks such as writing code, following instructions, and understanding long documents or conversations.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Google's spam policy hit by EU antitrust complaint from German media company

Launched in March last year, Google's site reputation abuse policy targets the practice of publishing third-party pages on a site in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site's ranking signals, commonly referred to as parasite SEO.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Scoop: Flipkart product, tech head Jeyandran Venugopal may join Reliance Retail Ventures as CEO

Jeyandran Venugopal, Flipkart’s outgoing chief product and technology officer, will likely head Reliance Industries Limited’s (RIL) consumer-facing businesses. Venugopal is expected to take charge of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRV), which operates platforms such as Reliance Brands, JioMart, Ajio, Tira and other online and offline retail businesses.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

ET Graphics: How geopolitics influences technology

​​Although trade pressures may increase the cost of AI infrastructure projects, Big Tech companies look undeterred indicating continued confidence in the disruptive technology. But factoring in caution for oversupply, some companies are also reassessing expansion plans.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah backs luggage startup Uppercase as an investor

Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah has made his first startup investment in luggage brand Uppercase. The partnership includes co-developing a product line for sportspersons. This reflects a wider trend of cricketers turning investors. Uppercase, backed by Accel, aims to break even soon and may explore a public listing in the future.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

WhatsApp faces outage for the second time, netizens react

According to Downdetector, which tracks downtime on popular platforms, user complaints regarding WhatsApp services surged to over 3,133 at 8:19 PM. Meanwhile, some users also reported experiencing similar issues on Facebook and Instagram, which are also owned by Meta.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

India fast positioning itself as key player in global semiconductor ecosystem

Under the government's 'Semicon India' programme, a Rs 76,000 crore ($10 billion) incentive package has been launched to boost domestic chip manufacturing, advanced packaging, and semiconductor design. "Coupled with strong participation from industry, over $20 billion in investments have already been committed by IESA member companies and global players across multiple Indian states," said Ashok Chandak, President SEMI IESA.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Smartphones and computers get reprieve from new US tariffs on China

The exemptions are not a full reprieve. Other tariffs will still apply to electronics and smartphones. The Trump administration had applied a tariff of 20% on Chinese goods earlier this year for what the administration said was the country's role in the fentanyl trade. And the administration could still end up increasing tariffs for semiconductors, a vital component of smartphones and other electronics.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Top tech and startup stories this week

Welcome to a new edition of ETtech Unwrapped – our weekend newsletter packed with the most important stories this week. Let’s take a look.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

TCS Calls Up Group Veterans to Lead the Voyage into AI

The IT giant has also created a new position of chief strategy officer appointing Mangesh Sathe, who currently is the chief executive of Tata Strategic Management Group. Sathe, who had previously worked as a principal with the Boston Consulting Group, will also head the Global Consulting Practice and oversee the M&A functions at TCS once he joins in May.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

TCS calls up group veterans to lead the voyage into AI

The IT giant has also created a new position of chief strategy officer appointing Mangesh Sathe, who currently is the chief executive of Tata Strategic Management Group. Sathe, who had previously worked as a principal with the Boston Consulting Group, will also head the Global Consulting Practice and oversee the M&A functions at TCS once he joins in May.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Assam HSLC Result 2025 date and time announced: Here's when and where to check

The Assam HSLC Class 10 results 2025 will be declared today, April 11, at 10:30 AM by the Assam State School Education Board. Results will be available in PDF format listing roll numbers of qualified candidates. Exams were held from February 15 to March 3. Students can check their scores on SEBA’s official websites using their roll numbers.

from Latest Education news - Board Exam Results, Admit Cards, Exam Paper Analysis and Question Papers | Times of India
via IFTTT

Urban Company’s IPO nod, Canva spreads its wings

Happy Friday! At-home service provider Urban Company’s shareholders have greenlit its upcoming IPO. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Meta flags DPDP Act clauses, seeks government collaboration

Emphasising the importance of personalised experiences, Rob Sherman, Meta's vice president of policy and deputy chief privacy officer, said, "You don't see the same Facebook news feed that I see. We each get a personalised experience that's based on what we're interested in. And I think that's an important part of using a service like Facebook or Instagram."

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Government’s paltry tax sops unlikely to steer GCCs to a safe harbour

India’s move to raise the safe harbour tax threshold for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to Rs 300 crore has disappointed the industry. Experts say it’s insufficient, fails to reflect inflation or GCC growth, and won’t ease litigation or improve ease of doing business significantly.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai reaffirms planned $75 billion capital spending in 2025

Alphabet reaffirmed its plan to invest $75 billion in 2024 to expand data center capacity and support AI initiatives like its Gemini model. Despite uncertain returns and rising costs amid a global trade war, the company is betting big on AI, prompting investor concerns over the scale of spending.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Computing India's AI future: Tech majors look to chip in

The government is subsidising 40% of the cost of GPUs, bringing the final price to under one dollar per hour of GPU usage for companies—the lowest in the world. The winners of the second round of the tender will be required to either match the lowest rates of the first round or offer lower prices.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Some part of US tariffs here to stay: Tata Sons chairman Chandrasekaran

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said some U.S. tariffs are likely to remain, noting the real challenge is the shift from decades-old globalisation norms. He highlighted ongoing supply chain issues and announced Tata’s plan to open seven new factories by 2027.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Wealthtech firm Scripbox eyes $20 million at $200 million value

Scripbox raised around $9 million in 2023 and 2024 through two funding rounds, primarily from existing investor Accel. It sought to raise funds from new investors last year but eventually secured $5 million from Accel at a post-money valuation of $138 million.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Indian STEM grads may run out of US stay OPTions

The development has panicked existing F-1 and M-1 student visa holders who are frantically applying for jobs that can transition them to an H-1B work visa, primarily sponsored by large US and Indian technology companies, said experts. The Open Doors 2024 report shows that over 300,000 Indian students were enrolled in US institutions during the 2023-24 academic year, with nearly one-third eligible for OPT.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Digital payment company Easebuzz bags $30 million lead by Bessemer

Speaking with ET, Rohit Prasad, managing director, Easebuzz, said that existing investors 8i Ventures and Varanium Capital also participated in the round. Dexter Capital acted as an advisor to Easebuzz to facilitate this funding. The company closed FY25 with a net profit of Rs 22 crore and gross revenue of Rs 650 crore.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Revolut gets RBI nod for PPIs, wallets

Revolut India already holds licences to function as a Category-II Authorised Money Exchange Dealer (AD-II), and to offer multi-currency forex cards and cross-border remittance services. With the PPI licence in place, Revolut can now offer both international and domestic payment solutions under one platform in India. Through its mobile wallet product, Revolut will also be able to offer UPI payment services to its Indian customers.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Shipping giant CMA CGM and French AI startup target customer service in tie-up

After drawing massive funding, the AI sector is under pressure to deliver gains, with the emergence of low-cost Chinese AI model DeepSeek unsettling investors. Mistral gained huge exposure at an international AI gathering in Paris in February, feted by President Emmanuel Macron as a European champion to compete with American giants such as OpenAI, which produces ChatGPT.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Piyush Goyal announces national helpline desk for startups

Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced a dedicated Startup India Desk to help entrepreneurs tackle regulatory issues. The multilingual helpline offers policy feedback, complaint redressal, and aligns with a Rs 10,000 crore fund for early-stage, deep-tech startups.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

RRB ALP CBT 2 revised schedule announced: Check detailed timetable here

The Railway Recruitment Board has rescheduled the CBT-II for CEN-01/2024 to May 2 and 6, 2025, affecting select candidates from March 19–20 shifts. Revised reporting times and document download dates have been issued. RRB urges candidates to rely only on official updates and warns against fraudsters offering false job assurances.

from Latest Education news - Board Exam Results, Admit Cards, Exam Paper Analysis and Question Papers | Times of India
via IFTTT

Meta releases new AI model Llama 4

Meta said Llama is a multimodal AI system. Multimodal systems are capable of processing and integrating various types of data including text, video, images and audio, and can convert content across these formats.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

People+ai’s Tanuj Bhojwani steps down

EkStep Foundation cofounder and CEO Shankar Maruwada and policy and partnerships chief Deepika Mogilishetty will now take a more active role in the people+ai initiative, two people aware of the development said.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

11 months & counting: Open Cloud Compute yet to go live

Launched by AI non-profit based in Bengaluru people+ai, Open Cloud Compute (OCC) was envisioned as an interconnected cloud computing infrastructure, where independent compute providers with different GPUs could collaborate on a single platform, enhancing their discoverability and utilisation by customers.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Microsoft, turning 50, dials up Copilot actions to stay in AI game

Copilot, Microsoft's AI assistant, is gaining a host of new features to make it more proactive. The version for consumers will start remembering personal facts about them. It will offer birthday reminders or support ahead of a presentation, or consumers can opt out, Mehdi said in an interview.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

India’s tariff silver lining; Krutrim’s hiring push

Happy Friday! High tariffs may reduce India’s electronics exports to the US, but its edge over China and Vietnam could drive growth. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

India’s $280 billion IT services industry likely to face setback due to Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs

The US government’s latest moves are however set to delay or derail a recovery for the IT services sector with revenue growth likely to have declined as much as 1.3% sequentially in the March quarter.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Solartech startup Aerem raises Rs 100 crore in round led by Japan-based UTEC

British International Investment, SE Ventures, Riverwalk Holdings, and Avaana Capital participated in the round, which was a mix of equity and debt. The funds will be used to expand its operations pan India, improve financing and marketplace solutions, strengthen the platform, and diversify the lending portfolio.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Infosys says Cognizant used its healthcare business for market control

Infosys has accused Cognizant of attempted monopolisation and unreasonable restraint of trade, and requested the court that "Cognizant's motion should be denied in its entirety." This comes around a month after Cognizant in a filing alleged that Infosys was "caught red-handed" stealing trade secrets of TriZetto.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton joins Bluesky amid growing exodus from X

This follows former president Barack Obama debuting on the platform last week. Though Bluesky’s user base remains smaller than that of X, the open-source social network has amassed over 33 million users. Bluesky has positioned itself as an alternative social media platform for users dissatisfied with X’s shift to the right.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

EV finance company charged up over electric commercial vehicles

Industry estimates suggest India will need $30 billion in EV financing over the next five years. While banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) focus on passenger EVs, fintechs are targeting commercial vehicles.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Trump tantrums and client rethinks likely to slow IT recovery

India’s $280 billion IT services sector faces delays in recovery due to economic uncertainties, client budget cuts, and deal pauses. Analysts predict minimal growth, with mid-tier firms outpacing larger rivals. FY26 demand growth remains uncertain.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

AI Mission GPU L1 bidders set to get workloads assigned by April second week

Reliance Jio, E2E, NxtGen, Locuz, and CtrlS, as L1 bidders in IndiaAI Mission's GPU tender, will receive AI workloads. They’ll integrate with the AI Compute portal by April 14, with further evaluations and fresh applications in April.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT