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In this week’s recap, we dive into the key stories sparking conversations in the world of technology. From IT stocks making a comeback to data centres riding a growth wave, here’s a look at the tech stories creating a buzz. Watch the video and share your take — what do you think is the biggest tech story of the week? #LinkedInVideo #TechWrapIndia Source: Nikhil Agarwal - The Economic Times https://lnkd.in/dYBdBaca https://lnkd.in/dy_2ktje Business Standard https://lnkd.in/d3vQY4KG ✍ Dhritiman Deb 🎥 Dhritiman Deb, Isha Chitnis

In this week’s recap, we dive into the key stories that are sparking conversations in the world of finance. From the RBI’s cross border payment reforms to India Inc reducing unhedged foreign currency debt, here’s a look at the finance stories that are creating a buzz. Watch the video and share your take — what do you think is the biggest finance story this week? Source: Atmadip Ray - The Economic Times https://lnkd.in/drpYxEFe Christina Titus - Financial Express https://lnkd.in/dZ4Ra8eH Salman SH - Mint https://lnkd.in/d9caCnfQ ✍ Dhritiman Deb 🎥 Dhritiman Deb, Isha Chitnis #LinkedInVideo #FinanceWrap

Noida’s real estate and office market is set for a major transformation, Faizan Haider reports for The Economic Times. The opening of Noida International Airport (NIA) later this year, along with improved metro and expressway connectivity, policy support, and a strong talent base, is expected to boost institutional Grade A+ office supply and attract multinationals who have so far preferred Gurugram, the report says. Most office space in Noida is currently developer-owned and sold to investors, limiting leasing by global companies. In 2026, Grade A strata space, meaning high-quality, premium office spaces, will lead with over 2.5 million sq ft. However, by 2028, institutional Grade A+ supply will rise sharply to nearly 2.9 million sq ft from 400,000 sq ft, while strata completions will drop to 284,000 sq ft, the report adds. The city already contributes nearly 10% to Uttar Pradesh’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and has a total office stock of 43.4 million sq ft, including 26.6 million sq ft of Grade A+ assets, the report says further. Leasing activity remains strong, with 3.3 million sq ft recorded between January and September 2025, which is projected to reach 4.7 million sq ft by year-end, with Global Capability Centres continuing to be key occupiers. “Our analysis shows a city evolving across every major front — strengthening its office corridor, upgrading its retail landscape, accelerating residential momentum, and emerging as North India’s most competitive industrial and data centre hub,” said Supriya Chatterjee, Managing Director, North, Cushman & Wakefield. Targeted policy support, fiscal incentives, and streamlined approvals are strengthening Noida’s appeal for new multinational and GCC establishments, adds the report. Do you think Noida will soon rival Gurugram as a corporate hub? Share your thoughts in the comments section.  Source: https://lnkd.in/dsigAbbU ✍ Dhritiman Deb 📸 Getty Images #NoidaRealEstate #OfficeSpace #NoidaAirport #GCCs #UPDevelopment

More women are entering the insurance space in India, G Naga Sridhar reports for businessline. Women belonging to self-help groups (SHGs) in rural India are being employed by insurance companies as agents, now also known as ‘Bima Vahaks’. “Many insurers, including us, have started recruiting Bima Vahaks from among the women entrepreneurs in the villages. We already have around 2,200 in the pipeline,’’ Anuj Tyagi, MD and CEO, HDFC Ergo General Insurance, told businessline. It all started with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (IRDAI) Bima Vahak initiative, which seeks to position women as village-level insurance representatives to strengthen trust in rural households. The participation of women agents in rural markets is now as high as 30%, says Rakesh Kaul, Chief Distribution Officer, Retail Business, Bajaj General Insurance. Earlier, agencies were registered in the name of women, but the work was usually handled by male family members. Now women are taking on the mantle themselves. “The women are highly motivated and capable, with strong social credibility in villages. We will invest six to 12 months in training and handholding. It is a commission-based model, like any agency channel,” adds Tyagi. With IRDAI likely to make the hiring of Bima Vahaks mandatory next year, more women are expected to drive the expansion of insurance sales. Do you think women agents will transform rural insurance markets? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: https://lnkd.in/dZMuPaGU ✍ Dhritiman Deb 📸 Getty Images #BimaVahak #RuralInsurance #FinancialInclusion #WomenEmpowerment

India’s weight-loss drug market is bracing for a major shake-up as Novo Nordisk’s aggressive price cuts force domestic players to rethink their strategy, Rica Bhattacharyya and Teena Thacker report for The Economic Times. The Danish drugmaker has slashed Wegovy prices by up to 37%, bringing monthly doses down to ₹10,850–16,400, the report says. Ozempic may soon be priced 5–10% lower than Wegovy, putting significant pressure on generic manufacturers that had earlier planned monthly launch prices of ₹7,000–8,000, according to leading diabetologist Dr. Rajiv Kovil. Novo Nordisk has also tied up with Emcure to roll out a second semaglutide brand, adding to the pricing squeeze. Industry experts predict that this early reset could trigger faster-than-expected price erosion across the GLP-1 segment, well before generics flood the market. "At least 50% price cuts from current (semaglutide price) levels is something the generics companies may start with depending on how many players are in the market in the first wave," said Vishal Manchanda, pharma analyst at broking firm Systematix Group. With nearly 10 companies such as Dr Reddy's, Sun Pharma, Lupin, Mankind, Zydus, Cipla, Hetero and Alkem, set to enter the first launch wave, India’s GLP-1 landscape is entering its most competitive phase yet, the report adds. How will these pricing shifts impact India’s obesity care landscape? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: https://lnkd.in/dxnmyGN6 ✍ Dhritiman Deb 📸 Getty Images #Pharma #Healthcare #ObesityCare #WeightLossDrugs #Ozempic #Wegovy

When is the right time to make a career switch? In an interview on CNA’s Work It podcast, Ivan Aw, a vice president at UOB, shared that in hindsight, he would not have waited so long to move from personal finance into an AI role within the bank. https://lnkd.in/dH7RusGY Aw, who spent 16 years in his previous role, said he loved his work and felt established – but often questioned whether he had more to offer and if he could step out of his comfort zone. Each time, he concluded that the timing wasn’t right. Looking back, he now wishes he had made the leap earlier. “I loved what I was doing before. But one thing I would change is that I wouldn’t wait so long to make the switch,” he said. “Don’t wait for the perfect timing – make the perfect timing.” 💬 When do you think is the right time to make a career switch? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments.

The Indian legal sector is witnessing a surge in mergers among small and mid-sized law firms, Maulik Vyas reports for The Economic Times (ET). Scaling up, meeting client demands for multi-disciplinary expertise, cross-border advisory, talent acquisition, and comprehensive services are primary contributing factors, the report says. Recent examples include boutique tax firm Krishnomics Legal merging with Khaitan Legal Associates, Burgeon Law joining IC RegFin Legal, SJ Law integrating into Solicis Lex Advisory, and Tandon & Co merging with Aretha Legal. These consolidations aim to combine complementary strengths, expand bandwidth, and deliver seamless service, the report says further. "We adopted a transition model similar to what leading global firms use, i.e., unified but not abrupt integration of workflows and a clear practice-area ownership to ensure consistent execution with clients seeing continuity coupled with augmented capability," Tejesh Chitlangi, Managing Partner of RegFin Legal, told ET. Rising investment flows, complex regulations, and increased transactions are also key drivers. The Indian legal market, valued at $2.49 billion in 2025, is projected to reach $3.37 billion by 2030, growing at 6.24% annually, the report adds. "Talent acquisition and risk management are now the new mantras of law firms in India. Partly also because domestic firms are anticipating the entry of foreign law firms and want to consolidate their position before doors formally open for the foreign firms," says AMEET MEHTA, Managing Partner at law firm Solicis Lex Advisory. How do you think this trend will shape law firms? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/gh6zyrQY ✍: Novinston Lobo 📸: Getty Images #LawFirms #LegalSector #BoutiqueFirms #Mergers

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions from smaller towns into active equity schemes has crossed ₹10,000 crore, Abhishek Kumar reports for Business Standard. Locations beyond the top 30 cities, known as B30 markets, logged ₹10,080 crore in October, compared to just ₹2,832 crore in March 2021, the report says. “The steady rise in SIP inflows from B30 locations signals more than just geographical expansion. It reflects a structural shift in how India saves and invests,” says Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution and Strategic Alliances at Mirae Asset MF. The pattern is visible across SIP categories. In October, B30 regions contributed ₹12,130 crore to total SIP inflows of ₹29,529 crore, indicating expanding interest in hybrid, passive, and debt schemes as well, the report says further. “This is mainly due to increasing penetration of distributors in smaller towns. Steps like micro-SIPs of ₹250 or lower have also contributed. The massive multimedia campaign by the Association of Mutual Funds in India using celebrities like M S Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar has helped MFs strike the right chord with investors,” says Sunil Subramaniam, CEO of Sense and Simplicity. Do you see this surge from smaller towns changing the future of investing in India? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: https://lnkd.in/dicrbkAa ✍ Dhritiman Deb 📸 Getty Images #MutualFundsIndia #PersonalFinance #SIPGrowth #SmallTownInvestors

Brands are increasingly experimenting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) ads, Sowmya Ramasubramanian reports for Mint. Brands across India — from Coca-Cola and Pidilite to startups like Naturally Yours and Plum Goodness — are turning to generative AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT to produce faster, cheaper ad campaigns. “Clearly, AI has crashed the time from concept to first draft to revision to final. This has been the most significant impact of AI on our creative processes, even though we are still in early stages of adoption," says Shankar Prasad, Founder and CEO of Plum Goodness. Startups like Hypergro and Dashverse, who are key players in the generative AI space, are thus drawing investor interest, with recent funding rounds of ₹7 crore and $13 million, respectively. This capital will be used to scale AI-led marketing tools. However, a few experts also warn of creative absence and brand dilution. “AI is a great co-pilot to test and refine concepts. However, completely replacing human creativity isn’t something we are ready for,” adds Siddharth Jhawar Manager at Moloco. How do you think AI generated ads will impact brand perception and authenticity? Share your thoughts in the comments section. ✍: Nakul Ghai 📷: Getty Images Source: Mint: https://lnkd.in/dtChHE24 #Brands #Advertising #Engagement

Blinkit is the most preferred quick commerce application in India, Udisha Srivastav reports for Business Standard, citing a survey by Bank of America. Over 31% respondents opted for Blinkit, followed by Swiggy Instamart (19%), Flipkart Minutes (14%), and Zepto (12%). Top reasons for choosing q-commerce include fast delivery, avoiding offline shopping, attractive discounts, free delivery, and wider assortment. Between March and November this year, people who order on quick commerce at least once a day increased from 8% to 17%, while those who order more than twice increased from 3% to 11%, the survey adds. Meanwhile, India’s quick commerce sector is witnessing a surge in last-mile delivery hiring, Disha Acharya and Pranav Mukul report for The Economic Times. Platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart now employ 450,000–500,000 active delivery partners monthly, up 70–80% from last year’s 250,000–300,000. In fact, festive-season payouts rose 10–15%, with riders earning up to ₹50,000 monthly, the report says. "Delivery riders have shown a better retention rate in quick commerce compared to food delivery in recent quarters because of more orders, better incentives, and dark stores, which act as a place to rest for them,” said Madhav Krishna, CEO of Vahan. Dark-store expansion is accelerating, with Blinkit operating 1,816 stores and planning 3,000 by March 2027; Instamart and Zepto each run over 1,000, adds the report. How do you think quick commerce will shape the retail landscape in India? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: Business Standard - https://lnkd.in/gyRqqA-9 The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/g2CvXNAX ✍: Novinston Lobo 📸: Getty Images #QuickCommerce #Blinkit #GigWorking #DeliveryWorkers #India