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Jio Platforms becomes 2nd most valuable Indian firm by market cap after terrific debut Jio Platforms became India’s second most valuable listed company after a strong stock market debut on Wednesday. The Reliance Industries-backed digital services company closed nearly 27 per cent above its IPO price of ₹1,119, giving it a market capitalisation of more than ₹13 lakh crore. Jio Platforms now ranks behind only Reliance Industries in terms of market value among Indian companies. Air India Group’s Q1 FY27 loss doubles to over ₹6,000 crore Air India Group’s net loss widened to more than ₹6,000 crore in the first quarter of FY27, more than double the loss recorded during the same period a year ago. According to industry sources, foreign exchange fluctuations, elevated fuel prices and airspace restrictions weighed heavily on the airline’s financial performance. Fuel now accounts for more than half of the group’s operating expenditure, with higher jet fuel costs continuing to pressure profitability. TVS Motor Company to demerge consumer finance and related businesses into a separate entity TVS Motor Company has approved the demerger of its consumer finance and related businesses into a separate holding company. The move is aimed at creating greater strategic focus and unlocking value for shareholders. Under the proposed scheme, existing shareholders will receive an equal number of shares in the new entity, allowing them to participate in the growth of both the mobility and finance businesses. DPDP Act does not infringe press freedom, says Vaishnaw; Centre open to changes Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the Digital Personal Data Protection Act does not affect freedom of the press, responding to concerns from news publishers over its potential impact on investigative reporting. He reiterated that journalistic freedom is guaranteed under the Constitution and said there is no intention to restrict media independence, while also indicating that the government remains open to addressing stakeholder concerns. (Research and VO: Siddharth Mathew Cherian)

The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) plans to expand its mutual fund training programme to Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and other Sstates after more than 19,500 students in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar cleared the investor awareness test. In an interaction with businessline, Venkat Chalasani, Chief Executive, AMFI, said the association also plans to pilot its Tarun Yojana programme in 15 districts, targeting students in Classes VIII and IX to teach them basic financial concepts. AMFI has adopted four Sstates — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Meghalaya — using different models to train students on mutual funds and career opportunities in the sector.

Jio Platforms IPO allotment out; shares set to list on October 28 Jio Platforms has finalised the allotment of its ₹30,213-crore IPO ahead of its stock market debut on October 28. The issue witnessed robust investor interest, attracting subscriptions of over 22 times the shares on offer, with institutional investors leading demand. Market observers are recommending a long-term view on the stock given Jio Platforms’ dominant position in India’s digital ecosystem. Supreme Court questions Centre over medicine pricing system The Supreme Court has raised concerns over the wide gap between the maximum retail price of medicines and the price at which they are sold to retailers. During a hearing on drug pricing, the court questioned whether the existing system disproportionately benefits pharmaceutical manufacturers and remarked that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority appeared to be ineffective in addressing the issue. Maruti Suzuki Q2 profit hit by rising costs despite strong festival demand Maruti Suzuki reported a weaker-than-expected profit for the July-September quarter as higher costs for key raw materials such as steel and copper weighed on earnings despite healthy festive-season demand. The automaker also indicated that discussions on BS-VII emission standards are underway within SIAM, the industry’s apex body, ahead of consultations with the government. The company expects the stricter norms to eventually have an impact on vehicle pricing. Digi Yatra international passenger trials to go live at seven airports from November 1 Digi Yatra will begin international passenger trials at seven Indian airports from November 1, marking a major step in expanding the facial-recognition-based travel platform beyond domestic operations. Eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports and travelling on Air India or IndiGo international flights will be able to participate in the pilot programme, which is expected to pave the way for a wider rollout in 2027. (Research and VO: Siddharth Mathew Cherian)

Tata Communications to invest $400-450 million for India’s AI fibre network Tata Communications will invest close to $450 million to build a high-speed, low-latency AI network fabric connecting India’s key AI data-centre corridors. The company plans to lay around 10,000 kilometres of long-haul fibre across the country, creating one of India’s largest AI-ready connectivity networks. Dubbed the “AI Super Highway”, the network is designed to support next-generation AI workloads. The rollout is expected to take place over three to five years. Phase 1 will focus on the Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad-Chennai corridor, linking major data-centre clusters and subsea cable landing stations. Later phases will expand connectivity to Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Gujarat, GIFT City and Jamnagar. Centre includes E100 in emission framework for flex-fuel vehicles The Centre has updated the vehicle emission framework to include E100 fuel alongside E85 for flex-fuel vehicles, paving the way for greater ethanol use in specially designed automobiles. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, references to E85 in specific emission norms have been replaced with “E85 or E100”. E100 refers to near-pure ethanol fuel, while E85 contains up to 85 per cent ethanol blended with petrol. India’s current nationwide standard fuel remains E20, which contains 20 per cent ethanol. The government has clarified that no decision has been taken to raise the national blending target beyond E20 at this stage. Private logistics players tap India Post to expand last-mile reach India Post’s vast delivery network is increasingly being used by private logistics companies looking to expand into smaller towns and remote regions without building costly new infrastructure. Recent partnerships with Blue Dart, DTDC and Flipkart highlight the growing demand for India Post’s extensive reach to bridge last-mile delivery gaps. Blue Dart signed an agreement with the Department of Posts earlier this month to extend services into Tier-III and Tier-IV cities and remote areas. Meanwhile, Flipkart has partnered with India Post to provide last-mile delivery, cash-on-delivery services, OTP-based authentication and real-time tracking across urban, semi-urban and rural markets. Backdoor attacks on Indian SMB systems jump 52% in H1 2026: Kaspersky Backdoor malware attacks targeting Indian small and medium businesses surged 52.1 per cent year-on-year during the first half of 2026, according to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. Data from the Kaspersky Security Network showed that 4.52 lakh backdoor threats were detected between January and June 2026, compared with 2.97 lakh during the same period last year. A backdoor enables attackers to bypass authentication systems and gain hidden access to a computer or network. Once installed, it can be used to steal data, move deeper into systems and launch additional cyberattacks. While backdoor malware detections rose sharply, attacks targeting Remote Desktop Protocol, or RDP, fell 26.3 per cent year-on-year to 37.38 lakh attempts. Exploit detections also declined 35.1 per cent to 4.63 lakh during the period. (Research and VO: Siddharth Mathew Cherian)

Centre rushes 2 RAF companies to violence-hit Arunachal Pradesh The Centre has dispatched two Rapid Action Force (RAF) companies of the CRPF to Arunachal Pradesh following violence in Pasighat during protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, officials said on Sunday. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed on Saturday that the RAF companies, comprising about 250 personnel, be airlifted from Navi Mumbai aboard an Indian Air Force transport aircraft. The units are expected to reach Pasighat and be deployed by Sunday. Modi highlights exports, local products and deep-tech start-ups in Mann Ki Baat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the economic potential of local products, agricultural value addition, traditional textiles and deep-tech innovation, citing examples ranging from Bihar’s makhana exports to brain research and start-ups at IIT Madras. In the 139th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, which marked 12 years of the broadcast, Modi urged listeners to prioritise products made by local artisans during the festive season ahead of Diwali and Chhath. He said the Vocal for Local movement was helping Indian products reach international markets. “This spirit of Vocal for Local is now taking our products to global markets,” he said. GSTAT allows GST refund on cancelled air tickets if fare, taxes returned to passengers GST paid on cancelled airline tickets can be claimed as a refund if the airline has returned both the fare and GST to passengers and has supporting documents to prove it, a GST Appellate Tribunal has ruled. Ruling in the case of Singapore Airlines Ltd. vs Kochi Commissioner of CGST & CE, the Kochi bench of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) held that there was sufficient evidence to establish that refunds on cancelled tickets had reached the respective passengers directly and that there was no passing on of the incidence of tax. India’s 2029 rear-crash rule could cost car makers ₹2,700 crore annually, squeeze small-car margins India’s April 2029 rear-impact safety mandate could add approximately ₹2,700 crore annually to passenger vehicle manufacturing costs, as automakers strengthen rear structures, fuel-system protection and electric-vehicle battery safeguards. An illustrative calculation by industry experts tracking the development estimated additional costs of ₹5,000 per small car, ₹4,000 for conventional SUVs and sedans, and ₹15,000 for electric and hybrid vehicles, based on annual vehicle sales of around five million units. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ notification S.O. 5723(E), dated October 19 and published on October 21, applies AIS-101 Revision 1, as amended, to covered passenger vehicles from April 1, 2029. Hatchbacks and compact sedans may require reinforced rear cross-members, stronger fuel-tank brackets, protective fuel-line shielding and revised filler-pipe routing. Rear floor panels could also need strengthening, according to automotive engineers. At an assumed 35 per cent market share, small cars would incur an estimated ₹875 crore annually in additional costs. The projected ₹5,000 increase per vehicle represents roughly 0.83 to 1 per cent of the price of a ₹5-6 lakh car. (Research and VO: Siddharth Mathew Cherian)