Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been rapidly exiting Indian markets, and this high-speed exodus does not look like it will stop anytime soon. In October 2024, FIIs withdrew Rs 1,14,445.89 crores from Indian markets. Yesterday, FIIs withdrew $770.67 million from the markets, with equity outflows of $440.86 million and debt outflows standing at $327.44 million across various categories. Per NSDL data, hybrid outflows amounted to $2.31 million. While this may sound dissuading at first, a recent SBI report underlined that FIIs still hold a massive $ 18.241 billion in Indian markets. So far, FY25 has seen FII inflows worth $ 8.924 billion. However, the situation may quickly turn alarming as well, given that FII holdings in Indian equities have already come down to a 12-year low. Says Anirudh Garg, Partner and Fund Manager at Invasset PMS, "The current valuation of Indian stocks, trading at around 24 times expected earnings, appears high compared to Chinese stocks, which are at approximately 10 times. Economic concerns, including weak corporate earnings and declining consumer demand, further exacerbate this situation. Additionally, renewed fears of inflation and potential monetary tightening by central banks have led FIIs to withdraw from the Indian market." In the meantime, DIIs (domestic institutional investors) are stepping in big time. During October 2024, DIIs infused Rs 1,07,254.68 crore in Indian markets. In November so far, DIIs have been keeping the fund momentum going, infusing Rs 12,265.74 crore in India, while FIIs have offloaded Rs 16,445.49 crore this month. But despite this strong uptick, SBI's recent report suggests that consumer confidence in India remains below 100, signaling muted positivity and optimism in the economy. While household consumption is gradually recovering, it grew at 4% last year, much below the 7% levels recorded pre-pandemic. <h2>FII share in <keyword id="20868945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE-listed-companies" source="keywords">NSE-listed companies</keyword> takes a dip, DII stake rise </h2>FIIs share in NSE-listed companies stood at 15.98% in October, with assets under their custody in the equity segment coming to Rs 71.08 lakh crore last month. In September, this stood at Rs 77.96 crore. Experts suggest that this is likely to continue for some time to come. Mutual funds, on the other hand, saw their share in NSE-listed companies hit a record high of 9.58%, as opposed to their 9.32% stake in September 2024. FIIs turned net sellers in the debt segment as well in October, dumping $771 million in Indian markets. This comes after 2 consecutive months of healthy inflows in this segment in August and September 2024, where the figures stood at $2,806 million and $2,295 million, respectively.

FII stake in Indian equities dips to a 12-year low

Indian financial services firm <keyword id="19913826" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zerodha" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zerodha" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zerodha">Zerodha</keyword> made headlines recently for hitting ₹8,320 crore revenue in FY24. However, its CEO and co-founder <keyword id="19923447" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nithin-Kamath" source="keywords">Nithin Kamath</keyword> says that the company is preparing for a decline in revenue as several regulatory changes are expected to take effect later this year. Kamath, in a blog post, outlined the challenges ahead, which could result in a <keyword id="20168027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue-drop" source="keywords">revenue drop</keyword> of up to 50% as Zerodha faces a combination of stricter regulations and shifting market conditions. <h2>Zerodha braces for revenue drop</h2>One of the main concerns for Zerodha is the new Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulation, which will be implemented on October 1, 2024. Kamath expects a 10% dip in revenue as the "true-to-label" circular is enforced. This change will impose stricter guidelines on brokers like Zerodha regarding the kind of financial products they offer, potentially limiting some of their key revenue-generating activities. Another significant factor affecting Zerodha’s future revenue is the ongoing review of index derivatives regulations. Index derivatives, which are a crucial part of Zerodha's business model, could soon face changes that might severely impact the company’s earnings. Kamath estimates that such modifications could reduce earnings by 30-50%. Additionally, with the <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword> (STT) set to rise in October 2024, the costs of futures trading could further impact Zerodha’s profitability, though the effect on options trading may be limited. Zerodha is also set to face revenue pressures due to changes in Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) under the new Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA) thresholds. From October 2024, brokers will only be able to charge full AMC fees from customers with holdings of ₹10 lakhs or more, up from ₹4 lakhs currently. Combined with Zerodha's removal of account opening fees, this is expected to significantly impact their revenue. Yet another challenge comes from Zerodha’s decision to halt payouts from its referral program. The program, which incentivised customers to refer others to the platform, will now only allow payouts to Authorised Persons (AP) registered with exchanges. This new regulation limits the number of people who can refer customers, slowing the firm's growth. <h2>Zerodha's financial results</h2>Despite these looming challenges, Zerodha posted strong financial results for the fiscal year 2024. The firm recorded a 62% increase in profits, reaching ₹4,700 crore, with revenue climbing by 21% to ₹8,320 crore. Traders using Zerodha's platform are also sitting on over ₹1 lakh crore in unrealised profits, largely driven by strong market performance and increased retail participation. However, Kamath also cautioned that the profitability boost in recent years has been fuelled by a bull market, which could reverse at any time. If the market turns, Zerodha, like many other financial service providers, may face significant challenges. To prepare for such an eventuality, the company has built up a strong financial position, with Kamath stating that their net worth now stands at nearly 40% of the customer funds they manage.

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath says bracing for a huge revenue hit even as the company hits ₹8,320 crore revenue in FY24

Dear readers, As we approach yet another weekend, here are some key developments across various sectors. Nvidia has surpassed Apple to become the world’s largest company, driven by the AI boom. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates, by 25 basis points to 4.75%, the second such reduction in 2024. In the workplace, Gen Z’s approach to mental health got attention, with one employee taking a week off after a breakup. Additionally, Indian banks are expecting steady growth, despite challenges in unsecured lending. Read on for all the details! <h2>Top stories from the week </h2> Indian banks to have steady growth in earnings over next 3-4 years, fees from unsecured lending may dip, notes Jefferies report Jefferies forecasts steady earnings growth for Indian banks over the next 3–4 years, with a 13% annual loan growth rate. However, a decline in unsecured lending could reduce fee income. While net interest income is expected to grow at 12%, challenges such as rising defaults and a potential dip in rate cuts could affect profitability. Despite this, banks’ return on equity and assets remain promising. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indian-banks-to-have-steady-growth-in-earning-over-next-3-4-years-fees-from-unsecured-lending-may-dip-notes-jefferies-report/articleshow/115048179.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Nvidia becomes world’s largest company amid AI boom, surpasses Apple in the race Nvidia has surpassed Apple to become the world’s largest company by market capitalization, driven by the AI boom. The company’s strong performance is fueled by surging demand for its chips used in AI technologies. With a market cap hitting $3.43 trillion, Nvidia continues to dominate the AI hardware sector, powering data centres and AI research. The company’s revenue growth of 122% YoY further cements its leadership in the AI space. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/nvidia-becomes-worlds-largest-company-amid-ai-boom-surpasses-apple-in-the-race/articleshow/115003223.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> ‘He had a breakup and took a one-week leave’: Manager shares about his Gen-Z employee, internet reacts A manager’s tweet about granting a Gen Z employee a week off for a breakup sparked widespread debate. While the manager expressed frustration over project delays, internet users defended the employee’s mental health needs, criticizing the manager’s lack of empathy. Some supported the manager’s view, pointing out generational differences in work culture. The incident went viral, furthering discussions about Gen Z’s unique workplace expectations. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/he-had-a-breakup-and-took-a-one-week-leave-manager-shares-about-his-gen-z-employee-internet-reacts/articleshow/115041747.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> US Fed cuts interest rates by 25 bps, Powell notes Trump’s victory to have no impact on policy decisions The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75%, the second such reduction in 2024. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized the Fed’s independence despite Trump’s criticism and suggested that the economic outlook remains uncertain, though the Fed is focused on inflation targets. Trump’s policies may lead to higher inflation, adding complexity to the Fed’s efforts to stabilize prices. Experts anticipate that bond yields will stabilize, benefiting emerging markets like India. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/us-fed-cuts-interest-rates-by-25-bps-powell-notes-trumps-victory-to-have-no-impact-on-policy-decisions/articleshow/115070690.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Big Tech’s winners and losers from Donald Trump’s win, according to the market After Donald Trump’s election victory, tech stocks surged, with companies like Tesla seeing significant gains. Tesla’s rise was fueled by Trump’s public support for CEO Elon Musk. Conversely, companies like Apple faced challenges due to fears over potential tariffs on China. While some, like Google, might benefit from lighter regulations, others like Meta could face political challenges. Overall, the election results reshaped market expectations for Big Tech’s future. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/here-are-big-techs-winners-and-losers-from-donald-trumps-win-according-to-the-market/articleshow/115067798.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Top web stories</h2> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/webstories/donald-trump-on-screen-a-look-at-his-iconic-cameos/slidelist/115045250.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Donald Trump on screen: A look at his iconic cameos</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/webstories/8-lifestyle-mistakes-contributing-to-health-problems-in-india/slidelist/115051791.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">8 lifestyle mistakes contributing to health problems in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/webstories/10-magical-indian-experiences-every-traveller-should-try/slidelist/115052527.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">10 magical Indian experiences every traveller should try</a>

Weekend wrap: Nvidia’s AI-driven surge, Indian banks’ steady growth and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ransomware attacks cost local governments and public colleges the most money, a new study found.</li><li>Lower education and central and federal governments reported an average of $6.6 million in payouts.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/infamous-hacker-gang-pharmacy-prescription-backlogs-2024-2">Ransomware attacks</a> are getting expensive. And it's local governments and public colleges that are handing over the most cash.Sophos, a UK-based software security company, released its annual <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sophos.com/en-us/content/state-of-ransomware">ransomware report</a> this week. It details a steep increase in payouts for ransomware attacks in recent years.Ransomware attacks typically come from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ransomware-attacks-corporations-children-executives-mandiant-google-cyber-security-2024-5">criminals who hack into companies to steal data</a>, which they hold <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ransomware-payments-increase-500-in-the-last-year-finds-sophos-state-of-ransomware-report-1033305236">until the victim agrees to pay a fee</a>. The attacks leave the victims unable to access the stolen data, which can cripple the institution until the ransom is paid.Almost 60% of respondents told Sophos that ransomware attackers had targeted their organization this year. That's a slight decrease from 66% for the same period in 2023. But the companies that do fall victim to ransomware attacks are paying out more money than ever, the study found.More than 1,000 of the surveyed organizations said they paid the ransom after hackers compromised their data.IT and telecom companies reported the lowest median ransom payment at $300,000, while lower education and government agencies posted the highest with a median of $6.6 million.Professional business and financial services were the most likely to successfully reduce ransom demands through negotiation. Higher education institutions, on the other hand, were the most likely to pay more than the original demand."It may be that these industries are less able to access professional ransom negotiators to help reduce their costs," the study's authors said. "They may also have a greater need to recover the data 'at any cost' due to their public remit."Researchers say advancements in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-phishing-scams-automation-detection-2024-6">AI will likely increase the scale of ransomware attacks</a>. In April, researchers from the Institute for Security and Technology told the House Financial Services subcommittee that they have "tremendous concern" about the role AI could play in future attacks, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4599587-ai-ransomware-easier-committee/">according to The Hill</a>.Typically, ransomware groups target large companies with revenue greater than $5 billion, but smaller organizations are starting to become more likely targets, according to the study. In the last year, organizations with less than $10 million in revenue made up about 47% of those hit by ransomware attacks, Sophos found."While many ransomware attacks are executed by sophisticated, well-funded gangs, the use of crude, cheap ransomware by lower-skilled threat actors is on the rise," Sophos says.

The price of ransomware attacks is skyrocketing and government agencies are paying the most

On Thursday evening, a significant <keyword id="22471557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-cyber-outage" source="keywords">global cyber outage</keyword> began, causing a massive disruption to Microsoft Windows users around the world. This event impacted users in countries including India, Australia, Germany, the United States, and the UK, with affected systems displaying the dreaded <keyword id="22469490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Blue-Screen-of-Death" source="keywords">Blue Screen of Death</keyword> (BSOD). This malfunction led to automatic system restarts or shutdowns, severely hampering productivity and operations across various sectors. The root cause, as identified by companies like Dell Technologies, was linked to a recent update from the <keyword id="19906883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cybersecurity" source="keywords">cybersecurity</keyword> firm <keyword id="20424191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CrowdStrike" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CrowdStrike" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CrowdStrike">CrowdStrike</keyword>. The outage had far-reaching consequences, particularly for essential systems used by several airlines. In the US, carriers such as American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant, and Sun Country experienced operational disruptions. Similarly, in India, IndiGo and other airlines were affected. Beyond the aviation industry, the outage also disrupted banks, supermarkets, media outlets, and other businesses who are extensively reliant on Microsoft's cloud services. <h2>What is CrowdStrike?</h2>CrowdStrike is a leading cybersecurity company known for its advanced security solutions designed to protect against <keyword id="19973480" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="data-breaches" source="keywords">data breaches</keyword>, <keyword id="19955190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ransomware" source="keywords">ransomware</keyword>, and <keyword id="19945689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-attacks" source="keywords">cyber attacks</keyword>. Founded in 2012 by former McAfee employee George Kurtz, CrowdStrike has become a critical player in the cybersecurity landscape, serving a diverse clientele that includes global investment banks, universities, and major corporations. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111858142" title="Global cyber outage: Microsoft users report &amp;#39;blue screen of death&amp;#39;; flights cancelled" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>At the heart of CrowdStrike's offerings is the <keyword id="21411329" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Falcon-platform" source="keywords">Falcon platform</keyword>. This comprehensive cybersecurity solution uses a single sensor and a unified threat interface to provide real-time indicators of attacks, hyper-accurate detection, and automated protection. The platform is designed to correlate attacks across endpoints, workloads, and identities, effectively stopping identity-driven breaches in real time. The recent issues stemmed from an update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor. This update reportedly caused the sensor to malfunction, leading to conflicts with Windows systems and resulting in the widespread blue screen errors. CrowdStrike acknowledged the error and has since been actively working on a resolution. The company assured users that there was no need to open a support ticket and promised to provide updates as they become available. <h2>CrowdStrike, Sony, and <keyword id="19910206" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="North-Korea" source="keywords">North Korea</keyword></h2>CrowdStrike is no stranger to the spotlight, having been involved in several high-profile cyber investigations. One notable case is the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, where a group called the Guardians of Peace, believed to be affiliated with North Korea, hacked into Sony Pictures Entertainment. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111856595" title="Microsoft outage – London Stock Exchange, banks and airlines across the world affected" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>GoP stole vast amounts of information and threatened acts of terrorism against movie theatres unless Sony cancelled the release of "The Interview," a comedy about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In this investigation, CrowdStrike discovered evidence that seemed to definitively connect North Korean players to the Sony hacking. <h2>The “Blue Screen of Death” explained</h2>The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is a critical error screen displayed on Windows operating systems when a severe system issue occurs, preventing safe operation. This error forces the computer to restart unexpectedly, often resulting in data loss. In the recent incident, the BSOD error message indicated that the PC ran into a problem and needed to restart, leaving users frustrated and businesses scrambling for solutions. While Microsoft has confirmed that the Azure outage has been resolved, the incident has brought a spotlight to the potential risks associated with heavy reliance on cloud services. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike has offered solutions on its members-only platform and continues to address the fallout from the outage.

Global Cyber Outage: What is CrowdStrike? How is it linked to the global Microsoft outage?

Shares of <keyword id="19931193" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Maruti Suzuki India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Maruti Suzuki India">Maruti Suzuki India</keyword> jumped more than 2 per cent on Thursday in the morning trade after the homegrown automobile major reported a 47 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 3,650 crore for the June quarter. The stock of the company climbed 2.30 per cent to trade at Rs 13,417.05 apiece on the NSE. On the BSE, it rose 2.06 per cent to trade at Rs 13,439.55 per piece. Later, in the intra-day trade, the shares of the Gurugram-based automobile major advanced to hit a 52-week high of Rs 13,680 and 13,675 apiece on the NSE and BSE. In the morning trade, the company's market valuation also rose by Rs 15,941.78 crore to Rs 4.29 lakh crore on the BSE while it stood at Rs 4.30 lakh crore on the NSE. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 127 points or 0.16 per cent to trade at 81,868.34 while NSE Nifty went up 61.40 points or 0.25 per cent to 25,012.55. In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, <keyword id="44883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki" source="Orion">Maruti Suzuki</keyword> India reported a 47 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 3,650 crore for June quarter, riding on the back of cost reduction efforts, favourable commodity prices and foreign exchange gains. The auto major had logged a net profit of Rs 2,485 crore in April-June FY24. Net sales increased to Rs 33,875 crore in the June quarter as compared with Rs 30,845 crore in the year-ago period, the company said. The country's largest carmaker said it sold 5,21,868 vehicles during the first quarter, up 5 per cent as compared to the same period previous fiscal. The company said it sold 4,51,308 units in the domestic market in the first quarter, an increase of 4 per cent over the same period of FY24.

Maruti Suzuki India stock hits 52-week high after robust Q1 results

<ul><li>Realme has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the <keyword id="21837377" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Realme-GT-7-Pro" source="Orion">Realme GT 7 Pro</keyword> in India.</li><li>The Realme GT 6T is priced starting at ₹59,999 and is available in two variants.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the latest flagship offering from the Chinese smartphone maker.</li></ul> Realme on Tuesday launched the GT 7 Pro, the company’s latest flagship smartphone in India. The Realme GT 7 Pro is the first device with the new<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/snapdragon-8-elite-announced-to-power-iqoo-13-oneplus-13-xiaomi-15-series-and-more/articleshow/114463844.cms"> Snapdragon 8 Elite</a> chipset to launch in India. The Realme GT 7 Pro kicks off the launch of the next-gen flagship smartphones in India, with the likes of the iQOO 13, OnePlus 13 and more scheduled to hit the Indian market in the coming weeks. <h2><keyword id="23806393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Realme-GT-7-Pro-price" source="keywords">Realme GT 7 Pro price</keyword> and availability</h2>The Realme GT 7 Pro is priced at ₹59,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB internal storage option and ₹65,999 for the 16GB RAM + 512GB internal storage option. The device comes in Galaxy Grey and Mars Orange colour options. The device will be available from Amazon India, Realme Online Store and the company’s offline stores starting from November 29. <h2>Realme GT 7 Pro specifications</h2>The Realme GT 7 Pro runs on Android 15 out of the box with the company’s Realme UI 6.0 on top. The device will get three years of Android updates and four years of security updates. The device features a 6.78-inch 8T LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,780 x 1,264 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Realme GT 7 Pro is equipped with the <keyword id="24026636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Snapdragon-8-Elite-chipset" source="keywords">Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset</keyword>. It is available in two variants – 12GB RAM + 256GB internal storage and 16GB RAM + 512GB internal storage. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114463844" title="Snapdragon 8 Elite announced, to power iQOO 13, OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 15 series and more" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Coming to the camera department, the Realme GT 7 Pro features a triple camera setup at the back consisting of a 50MP primary camera with Sony IMX906 sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera with Sony IMX882 sensor and a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. On the front, the device sports a 16MP selfie camera. The Realme GT 7 Pro is powered by a large 5,800mAh battery with 120W fast charging support, which the company claims can charge the device to 100% in 30 minutes. While the device was launched with a 6,500mAh battery in China, the company has opted for a significantly smaller 5,800mAh battery in India. It comes with IP68+IP69 water and dust resistance. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oppo-find-x8-and-find-x8-pro-launched-in-india-starting-at-69999/articleshow/115521010.cms">Oppo Find X8 and Find X8 Pro launched in India starting at ₹69,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-13-announced-with-snapdragon-8-elite-6000mah-battery-and-more/articleshow/114842638.cms">OnePlus 13 announced with Snapdragon 8 Elite, 6,000mAh battery and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-to-buy-a-majority-stake-in-pegatrons-iphone-plant-in-india/articleshow/115414852.cms">Tata to buy a majority stake in Pegatron's iPhone plant in India</a>

Realme GT 7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset launched starting at ₹59,999

<ul class="summary-list"><li>After two scandals this year, PwC's business in the Asia-Pacific region has fallen.</li><li>The firm's license to operate in China was suspended for six months for its involvement in a fraud case.</li></ul>After scandals in Australia and China this year, PwC has lost business in the Asia-pacific region.On Monday, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/partner-pay-at-big-four-falling-ey-pwc-deloitte-kpmg-2024-10">Big Four</a> consulting firm reported a 12.7% decline in net income in the region for the financial year ending in June. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/about/transparency-report/2024/financials.html">PwC said</a> demand was particularly slow in China, where revenues fell.In September, the firm was found to have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-network-statement-regarding-pwc-zhong-tian-administrative-penalties.html">helped conceal fraud at the now-collapsed Chinese property developer Evergrande.</a>The Chinese government fined PwC $62 million and removed its license to operate in the country for six months. 11 employees were fired or left the company, and state-owned enterprises have since dropped PwC as their auditor.Mohamed Kande, PwC's global chairman, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/global-annual-review/2024/pwc-global-annual-review-2024.pdf">said</a> the findings of the Evergrande audit were in "stark contrast" to the high-quality work PwC produces and were not representative of what the firm stands for.The firm's second regional scandal hit in Australia after a senior partner in its tax division was found to have passed confidential information from his work with the government to colleagues to help them win new business with multinational technology companies like Uber and Google, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/the-emails-that-almost-destroyed-pwc-australia-20240802-p5jyv1">the Australian Financial Review </a>first reported.PwC sold its government consulting business in Australia following the revelations.Overall revenues in Asia-Pacific, which is the smallest of the firm's regions, were down by 5.6% in local currencies. PwC highlighted that business had performed well in India, where revenues increased.Despite the regional impact on the business, PwC posted an overall growth of 3.7% to reach record-high gross revenues of $55.4 billion.Like other leading consultancies, PwC has been hit by falling demand for consulting services, and its growth rate has slowed. In FY2023, revenue grew 9.9%.Following a pandemic-era rush on advisory services, demand for professional services has slowed, leaving firms overstaffed for the level of work. While EY and Deloitte have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-four-consultancies-deloitte-ey-cut-staff-pwc-accenture-2024-10#:~:text=Deloitte%20and%20EY%20are%20trimming,be%20over%2C%20one%20analyst%20said.">trimming back staff numbers</a> in the past year, PwC expanded its workforce by 10,000 in FY2024 to reach 370,000 global employees."Despite a backdrop of economic headwinds, we've seen revenue growth across all of our lines of business, deepened our strategic alliances, and invested $1.5 billion to expand and scale our AI capabilities," said Mohamed Kande, PwC's global chairman.

Scandals in China and Australia hit Big 4 giant PwC, but global revenues reached a record high

<keyword id="20448705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Waymo" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Waymo" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Waymo">Waymo</keyword>, the self-driving car whiz kid from Alphabet (aka Google’s big parent company), just made a splash by launching its robotaxis in Los Angeles! This means that anyone with the Waymo One app can now call up a driverless cab across a whopping 129-square-kilometre stretch of the city. It’s like having a robot chauffeur — without the awkward small talk! This isn’t Waymo’s first rodeo with robotaxis. They’ve been rolling around Phoenix since 2020 and then hit up San Francisco last year. In Los Angeles, after a short trial for some lucky early testers, Waymo opened up rides to the public. Now anyone can zip around L.A. traffic in style, with the car’s AI brain in control. Waymo’s journey started as a secret project back in 2009 and has come a long way since then. The company’s <keyword id="19967698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="self-driving-cars" source="keywords">self-driving cars</keyword> have logged over 20 million miles without any major accidents — a record that certainly leaves human drivers in the dust. Meanwhile, Waymo’s competitor, Cruise (owned by General Motors), ran into some trouble when one of its <keyword id="21485769" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="driverless-cars" source="keywords">driverless cars</keyword> was involved in an accident with a pedestrian, resulting in a license suspension in California. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="107634470" title="A crowd set fire to a Waymo taxi in San Francisco, as tensions about driverless tech grow" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>But Waymo’s big moves in the US raise an interesting question: what would happen if robotaxis rolled out in a place like India? The impact could be massive! India has millions of taxi drivers, and many rely on their daily fares to support their families. Not only is the work gruelling, such “gig workers” often earn shockingly less, and at increasingly shrinking profit margins. One source even noted earning only around Rs 30,000 a month while working as an Ola captain from Bengaluru. Thus, a widespread shift to driverless cars could be a serious blow to their livelihoods, especially in a country struggling with rampant levels of inflation. Therefore, there exists an issue of livelihoods on one hand and technological progress on the other, so if companies like Waymo ever bring robotaxis to India, it could shake things up in a big way. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="102751416" title="Sex in self-driving cars: Passengers are reportedly hooking up in San Francisco&amp;#39;s driverless taxis" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, on the other side of the spectrum, there are undoubtedly some benefits to moving towards a fully-automated robotaxi fleet. For instance, road accidents cause over 1,50,000 deaths annually in India. Autonomous vehicles,which are designed to follow traffic rules strictly and reduce human error, could help lower these numbers. Additionally, driverless taxis could make transportation more accessible and affordable, especially in densely populated cities with high demand. Furthermore, such robotaxis would also provide a solution for passengers who experience language barriers or inconsistent service quality, as these vehicles are designed for efficient, standardised rides. There is also the hope that they could reduce traffic congestion and pollution with AI-driven routes that minimise idle time and fuel use. Waymo may be rejoicing in the spotlight at the moment, but there are several other companies in the robotaxi race, including Tesla, which has its “Cybercab” in the works, and Amazon’s Zoox, aiming to hit the streets of Las Vegas next year. Baidu’s Apollo is already making robotaxi runs in some Chinese cities, but each company faces its own unique set of challenges. In India, where roads are a blend of honking scooters, zig-zagging rickshaws, and plenty of cows on the streets, introducing robotaxis would require some serious tech tricks and regulatory green lights. Until then, L.A. can enjoy the driverless rides while the rest of us wait to see how this wild technology shapes the future.

No Driver? No Problem! Waymo’s driverless robotaxis make Los Angeles debut — but what could the tech mean for India?

Indian companies across multiple sectors have reported disappointing results in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, notes a new JM Financials report. Consequently, their poor performance has triggered stock price corrections for affected companies. The brunt of this weaker than expected earnings was largely borne by consumer centric sectors like FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), retail, and auto, which slacked largely due to dampened urban demand. For instance, India's largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki, reported a 5% YoY decline in its total domestic passenger vehicle wholesales, largely on the back of pent-up inventory. Similarly, Honda reported a staggering 23% YoY dip in its total sales during October 2024. A recent report by Bernstein noted that around 48% of the companies listed on the NSE100 index missed their earnings estimate for Q2FY25, the highest since March 2020. Most companies have mentioned deteriorated domestic demand, urban slowing, macroeconomic risk, and margin pressures as the main reasons behind the dip. "The quarter's earnings have made investors nervous," noted the JM Financials report. The challenging environment stems from multiple factors: softening consumer demand, rising input costs, and companies' limited ability to increase prices. Moreover, this is not limited to just one quarter. Companies have been reporting weak, single-digit earnings growth for the last six consecutive quarters. Data from India Data Hub also suggests that corporate profits of listed companies plunged by as much as 3.4% during the quarter ended September 30, 2024. This is in stark contrast to the year-ago period, where they had shot up by over 40% The oil and gas sector had a difficult quarter, with refiners hit by weak margins and city gas distributors struggling with higher input costs. Financial institutions showed mixed results. While government-owned banks reported strong numbers, microfinance institutions and some private lenders faced massive difficulties with their unsecured loans. Most notable amongst this was the case of IndusInd Bank, which saw its net profits dip by 40% amidst burgeoning provisions, which climbed 87% to Rs 1,820 crore in Q2, as against Rs 974 crore reported in the year-ago period. <h2>Markets head southwards</h2>The selling trend by FPIs has dragged down the major Indian indices, the Nifty 50 and Sensex, both of which have dropped by around 8% since the beginning of this selling spree in October. According to National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) data, FPIs offloaded equities worth a significant Rs 19,994 crore in just the first five trading sessions of November last week. The impact is clearly visible on Indian stock markets. Data suggests that while every sector in October closed the month in red, auto, oil and gas, and consumer durables were the most badly hit, each declining by as much as 10% during the month. Another indicator underlining the inherent weakness of the market was that the month saw only 242 stocks hit their 52-week high, significantly below the usual monthly average of 310.

You Searched For "companies in india hit by ransomware" and got 10 results

FII stake in Indian equities dips to a 12-year low

Ira Alok Puranik

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath says bracing for a huge revenue hit even as the company hits ₹8,320 crore revenue in FY24

BI India Bureau

Weekend wrap: Nvidia’s AI-driven surge, Indian banks’ steady growth and more

Divyanshi Sharma

The price of ransomware attacks is skyrocketing and government agencies are paying the most

Kenneth Niemeyer

Global Cyber Outage: What is CrowdStrike? How is it linked to the global Microsoft outage?

BI India Bureau

Maruti Suzuki India stock hits 52-week high after robust Q1 results

PTI

Realme GT 7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset launched starting at ₹59,999

Sourabh Jain

Scandals in China and Australia hit Big 4 giant PwC, but global revenues reached a record high

Polly Thompson

No Driver? No Problem! Waymo’s driverless robotaxis make Los Angeles debut — but what could the tech mean for India?

Ankush Banerjee

India Inc. stares at an earnings dearth in Q2, FMCG, auto, and consumer durables falter

Ira Alok Puranik

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides