| BUSINESS
| CORPORATE
| | Jio likely to see 2.5-3.4% revenue growth in Q1 Reliance Jio is expected to post 2.5%–3.4% QoQ (quarter-on-quarter) revenue growth for the June quarter (Q1FY26), driven by robust subscriber additions and a steady improvement in average revenue per user (ARPU), analysts said.
Revenue for Jio Platforms is projected to grow sequentially to around Rs 31, 000–31, 200 crore. This growth will be driven by an estimated 7–7.2 million net additions during the quarter, of which 2–2.5 million are expected to be mobile subscribers, according to Axis Capital and JM Financial.
Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) for Jio is forecast to increase 3.4–4.1% q-o-q, with margins expanding by 20–50 basis points to about 53.5%, as per estimates by BofA Securities and Axis Capital.
The margin improvement is attributed to better network utilisation and operating leverage.
“Jio’s Ebitda to grow 3.5% QoQ on robust subs gain and 1.8% QoQ growth in ARPU to Rs 210… We expect 2.7% QoQ growth in Jio’s standalone revenue to Rs 31,200 crore and 3.5% QoQ growth in Ebitda to Rs 168 billion,” analysts from JM Financial said.
However, analysts noted that profit growth could be muted due to higher depreciation and amortisation expenses arising from the capitalisation of 5G spectrum and fixed assets at the end of FY25.
Average revenue per user (ARPU) is likely to increase to Rs 210 in Q1, compared to Rs 206 in the previous quarter. Brokerages attributed the rise to one extra day in the quarter, continued user upgrades, and the full impact of the tariff hike implemented in July 2024.
Jio continues to outpace peers on subscriber growth. Trai data for April and May shows Jio adding 5.3 million subscribers, and analysts expect the full-quarter figure to be around 7 million, including fixed wireless and fibre customers.
In the fixed wireless access (FWA) segment, Jio is estimated to have added close to 2 million subscribers in the June quarter, taking its total FWA base to over 7.5 million, or about 82% of the domestic market. Bharti trails significantly, with just 1.5 million FWA users as of May.
Jio’s enterprise segment is also expected to continue its growth momentum, in contrast to Bharti’s enterprise business, which is facing pressure from the exit of low-margin wholesale voice services.
| - by: (Financial Express) | Top |
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| | MTNL defaults on bank loans worth Rs 8585 crore; total debt of Rs 34,484 crore The Mahangar Telephone Nigham Limited (MTNL) has defaulted on bank loans worth Rs 8585 crore. In an exchange filing, the public sector company said that it has defaulted on the principal amount and interest from seven public sector banks.
MTNL said that it has defaulted on the payment of capital borrowed from the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Punjab and Sindh Bank and India Overseas Bank.
MTNL said that the largest capital borrowed by the company was from the Union Bank of India. The total principal amount from the Union Bank of India stands at Rs 3334.57 crore. Additionally, there is an overdue interest of Rs 398.65 crore on the principal amount.
MTNL’s borrowing from the India Overseas Bank stands at the second highest at Rs 2300 crore. Also, there was an additional interest of Rs 134.13 crore.
From the State Bank of India, the largest public sector of the country, MTNL’s principal amounts to Rs 313.90 crore. Additionally, the company also owes RS 49.53 crore in interest.
Furthermore, MTNL has defaulted on the Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Uco Bank and Punjab and Sindh Bank for a principal amount of Rs 999.54 crore, Rs 432.16 crore, Rs 245.83 crore, and Rs 168.34 crore
MTNL said in the statement that the company’s total debt stands at 34,484 crore. Other than the banks’ debt of Rs 8585 crore, the company also owes Rs 24,071 crore in Sovereign Gold bonds and a Loan for DoT for paying SG Bond interest of Rs 1828 crore
| - by: (Financial Express) | Top |
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| DIGITAL PAYMENT
| | NPCI adds 13 Indian banks to India-Singapore UPI-PayNow platform NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has announced the inclusion of 13 additional Indian banks into the UPI–PayNow payment linkage between India and Singapore.
“With this development, which will go live on July 17, 2025, users in both countries can remit funds to a wider base, making the service more accessible and convenient,” NIPL said in an official release.
This addition takes the total number of participating Indian banks to 19, further broadening the cross-border payment corridor that was launched jointly by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the
Please click on the headline for the article. | - by: (Business Standard) | Top |
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| HANDSETS
| | Flip Phones Turn Out to be a Flop It flips, it folds, and now it flops. Foldable smartphones—hailed as the future of mobile handsets when they debuted seven years ago—are now seeing their sales charts do some folding of their own.
Despite multiple iterations and a drop in the average selling price (ASP), foldable smartphone shipments in India fell 47% year-on-year in 2024, when they accounted for less than 0.5% of the overall market, according to IDC.
This was followed by another 20% dip in the first quarter of 2025, as per the market research firm that tracks shipments from manufacturers to distributors and retailers.
Counterpoint Research, which tracks retail sales to consumers, reported a 12% on-year decline in 2024, and a sharper 36% fall in the quarter ended March.
Analysts expect foldables to remain a niche segment for the foreseeable future as consumers largely consider the devices fragile, pricey—notwithstanding recent price cuts—and lacking attractive use-cases.
“Despite all the attention new foldable devices receive, they are still too expensive for massmarket appeal,” said Jan Stryjak, associate director at Counterpoint Research. “Further, most consumers are still not sure what a foldable phone is for, and may still have concerns about the durability and longevity of the devices.”
IDC expects foldable shipments to decline by over 10% onyear in 2025.
Counterpoint is more optimistic, forecasting a turnaround with about 20% growth this calendar year, driven by Samsung’s latest foldables and fresh launches from Vivo and Motorola.
Yet, the segment is expected to remain niche with sales of under 800,000 units in 2025, said
Shubham Singh, analyst at Counterpoint. According to the researcher, India’s smartphone sales reached 153 million units in 2024.
India is not an outlier. Even in developed markets like Europe and the US, foldable smartphone shipments have remained flattish, despite increased competition driving prices downwards, according to multiple analysts.
For overall global shipments of foldables, Counterpoint Research has forecasted a single digit degrowth in 2025, after 2.9% YoY growth in 2024. However, the segment remains aspirational, and brands continue to launch new models as a showcase of their engineering prowess, experts said.
“Moving into their seventh year as a commercial category, foldables are no longer emerging,” said Runar Bjørhovde, senior analyst at market analysis firm Canalys. | - by: (Economic Times) | Top |
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| | iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S26 Ultra, Google Pixel 10 Pro XL: Top 3 upcoming flagship phones, check expected India price, design and camera The iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL are all set to launch soon, signaling an exciting wave of next-gen flagship smartphones. Apple is rumored to introduce the iPhone 17 Pro Max alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro between September 11 and 13, 2025. As the flagship model in the series, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is anticipated to carry a high-end price, highlighting its position at the top of Apple’s next-generation lineup.
Google is gearing up for the Pixel 10 series debut in August 2025. In addition to a foldable model, the lineup will include three smartphones: Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Meanwhile, leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra have now begun surfacing online. The smartphone’s spec sheet, ahead of its official launch next year, has already made its way to the internet, with additional feature details expected to emerge soon.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is projected to carry a high-end price, in line with its flagship position in Apple’s next-generation series. In the Indian market, it is expected to launch at approximately Rs 1,64,900, whereas in the United States, the estimated price is around $2,300.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to debut alongside two additional models — the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could hit the Indian market with a starting price of Rs 1,59,990.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is likely to launch with a starting price of €1,299 (approximately Rs 1,17,700) for the 256GB version, whereas the standard Pixel 10 Pro is expected to be priced at €1,099 (around RS 99,500) for the 128GB configuration.
The rear of the phone showcases a bold new design, featuring an expansive camera module that stretches across the entire back surface. This eye-catching “visor-style” setup represents a notable shift from Apple’s usual design language, although comparable styles have been implemented by competing brands in the past.
In terms of camera capabilities, the iPhone 17 series is rumored to receive a major front camera boost, with all models featuring a 24MP selfie shooter—an across-the-line enhancement. On the back, the base iPhone 17 is expected to come equipped with a dual-camera setup, while the iPhone 17 Air could sport a single 48MP rear lens.
Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models are expected to run on the all-new A19 Pro chip, which promises major advancements in speed, power efficiency, and overall device performance.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to feature an advanced OLED panel called CoE OLED, short for Colour-on-Emitter OLED, according to a report by Android Headlines. This new display technology replaces the conventional design by layering the colour filter directly on top of the light-emitting element, potentially improving both efficiency and visual quality.
A recent leak has also hinted at a major camera upgrade, suggesting that the device may sport a 200MP Sony sensor, replacing the previous ISOCELL lens. Tipster Fixed Focus Digital claims the Sony camera will be a high-performance sensor measuring 1/1.1 inches, marking a significant improvement in imaging capabilities.
In terms of thermal management, the smartphone is rumoured to include a large vapor chamber to maintain optimal performance during heavy usage. The device is also expected to feature a 6.9-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a smooth and immersive display experience.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will likely be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Elite chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. While many details remain under wraps, additional leaks and reports are expected to shed more light on the device in the near future.
The upcoming Pixel 10 Pro XL is set to sport a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on both the front and back panels.
Under the surface, the device will be powered by Google’s latest Tensor G5 processor, combined with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of built-in storage.
In the camera department, the phone is expected to offer a 50MP primary sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. A 42MP front-facing camera will handle selfies and video calls, while a vapor chamber cooling system ensures better thermal performance.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL will also pack the largest battery ever in a Pixel device, coming in at 5,200mAh, with support for 29W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging.
| - by: (Financial Express) | Top |
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| | Lava Agni 4 to launch in India soon; Key specifications and pricing tipped online Lava is preparing to introduce a new smartphone, the Agni 4, in India. This model is expected to follow the Lava Agni 3, which launched in October 2024. Ahead of the official release, details about the Agni 4’s design, specifications, and pricing have been surfacing online. Here’s what to expect.
Lava Agni 4: Key Features and Design (Expected)
The Lava Agni 4 is likely to come with the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor, an upgrade from the Dimensity 7300X chip used in the Agni 3. Reports suggest the Agni 4 will have a 6.78-inch full-HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device may include dual 50MP rear cameras arranged horizontally in a pill-shaped camera module with an LED flash between the lenses. This setup contrasts with the triple rear camera system found on the Lava Agni 3.
On the other hand, a leaked render shared by tipster Yogesh Brar, suggests that the Lava Agni 4 will feature a metal frame and a white back panel. Unlike the Agni 3’s curved edges, the new model might have flat edges. The power and volume buttons could be located on the right side. Notably, the mini AMOLED display on the back of the Agni 3 is missing in the new design, which marks a shift in the device’s features.
Furthermore, the device is expected to include UFS 4.0 storage to give users a faster data transfer. It may also pack a large 7,000mAh battery, which could offer extended usage without frequent charging.
Lava Agni 4: Price and Availability (Expected)
According to a 91Mobiles report, the Agni 4 will retail in India for around Rs. 25,000. This price is higher than the starting price of the Lava Agni 3, which was Rs. 20,999 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 256GB Agni 3 variant with a charger was priced at Rs. 24,999. The increase in price is likely due to the upgraded processor and other new features.
However, Lava has not yet announced the official launch date, pricing, or availability details for the Agni 4. The company has also not confirmed the distribution channels for the upcoming smartphone. Consumers interested in the Lava Agni 4 will need to wait for an official statement from the company for detailed information.
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| | Motorola Moto G96 review: Scores high on the ‘feel-good’ factor The Moto G redefined the budget segment of smartphones over a decade ago. With a clever combo of up-to-date specifications, funky design and interesting colourways, the early generations of Moto G models redefined expectations from affordable Android smartphones. Despite a slew of lacklustre releases during its ownership transition to Lenovo, the Moto G has always remained a safe choice for everyone.
Hence, when Motorola shipped the Moto G96 to our mailbox, our expectations were high. Compared the usual collection of China-bred affordable smartphones, the Moto G96 promises a clean Android experience with a fancy design, popping colourways and a decent set of specifications. With a curved-edge 144Hz display and an IP68 water and dust resistance, it makes the entire package a lot more enticing.
With a starting price of Rs 17,999, this baby Moto G takes on the likes of Redmi Note 14 5G and the recently launched Samsung Galaxy M36 5G. Is it a better deal than these devices? Let’s find out.
Motorola has mastered the vegan leather finish on its phones and the Moto G96 is a great example. The back panel is well sculptured, especially with the camera hump and the lens decor, with the subtle sensor detailing adding to the exquisite feel. The curved edge display adds to the glamour, with the curved sides making it comfortable to hold.
The tactility of the buttons may not be up to satisfactory levels but the choice of colours makes up for it – our unit came in the nicely made PANTONE Grener Pastures. The presence of an IP68 certification assures that this Moto G can survive our hot and humid climate with ease.
The Moto G96 also impresses with its vibrant 6.6-inch Full HD+ OLED display – it delivers a punchy colour reproduction with deep blacks and high contrast. You get wide viewing angles and ample brightness for good sunlight legibility. The optical fingerprint scanner seems a little slow but it does the job as advertised.
Motorola is using its favourite Qualcomm chip to take care of performance needs – the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. Seen earlier on entry-level Moto Edge devices, this chipset is now capable of delivering reliable performance to affordable mid-range phones. Coupled with 8GB RAM as standard and a choice of either 128GB or 256GB storage, the Moto G96 is adequately equipped.
With Android 15-based HelloUI on the device, this Moto G96 has ensured a consistently smooth and lag-free user experience during our test phase. Be it browsing through social media apps or playing a bunch of casual indie games, we did not encounter any major deal-breaking experience with this handset.
As is the norm with Motorola, the Pixel-inspired Hello UI interface remains among the best in the segment, sharing the top spot with Samsung’s One UI. The interface is clean, well-designed and relies on slick animations to deliver a good experience. There’s the usual Glance AI lockscreen bloatware but unlike Samsung, you can turn it off on the Moto G96 – thanks, Motorola. The presence of unique Moto gestures continues to impress me.
The G96 also left us impressed with its network reception performance. Call performance has been good and the same can be said for the mobile data aspect.
Motorola phones are not exactly the first choice for photographers, but the Moto G96 manages to provide a decent setup for casual photography. The G96 features a 50MP Sony Lytia 700C camera with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture.
Our test revealed detailed and vibrant photos in good lighting conditions, although with the saturation turned up by several notches. Low-light performance is decent for its class, ensuring the same saturated colours and higher HDR to keep the photos looking bright and spicy.
The 8MP ultrawide shooter comes with autofocus and macro photography – the two modes that are decent for use on brightly lit days. The 32MP selfie camera can do 4K video recording and offers clear and sharp images in most lighting situations.
On the whole, the Moto G96 provides a reliable pocket camera for a phone in this price segment.
With a 5,500mAh battery and the power-efficient Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, the Moto G96 can easily last an entire day and leave some juice for getting through the first half. This is despite running the phone on 5G networks with the 144Hz refresh rate enabled. With the auto refresh rate option enabled, we noticed a slight increase in battery power reserves.
Sadly, Motorola is only offering a regular 33W wired charging solution instead of its faster systems usually available on lower-end Moto Edge models. The 33W adapter takes close to 1.5 hours to fill up an empty battery. Motorola provides the 33W charging adapter in the box as standard, which is a respectable decision.
The Motorola Moto G96 has its fair share of pros and cons but when you consider its sub-Rs 20,000 price tag, it ends up looking like a good deal. The lack of fast wired charging and average camera tuning leaves room for improvement. However, the presence of a punchy 144Hz OLED display with trendy curved edges, the nice-to-touch vegan leather finish on the back panel, a water and dust resistance build, a consistently smooth user experience and a reliable battery life make the Moto G96 an easy recommendation for someone seeking a feature-rich Android smartphone experience. For a phone that costs Rs 17,999, the Moto G96 is a solid deal to consider over the Samsung Galaxy M36 and Redmi Note 14.
| - by: (Financial Express) | Top |
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| | Not just iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max; iPhone 17 aslo said to come with Apple’s A19 chipset: Check launch date, India price and more Apple is anticipated to unveil its iPhone 17 series—comprising the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max—sometime in September. While earlier reports hinted that the regular iPhone 17 would be powered by the A18 chip, analyst Jeff Pu now suggests it will instead debut with a brand-new ‘A19 Pro’ processor.
On the other hand, the Pro and Pro Max variants are rumored to come equipped with the high-performance A19 Pro chip. Additionally, the entire lineup is expected to incorporate Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi 7 chip, pointing to a significant boost in both speed and wireless capabilities.
Recently, a Weibo user operating under the name Fixed Focus Digital claimed that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature Apple’s A19 Pro chipset rather than the standard A19. However, according to the post, the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Air will include a 5-core GPU, while the same chip in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max is anticipated to come with a 6-core GPU configuration.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman hinted that Apple fans should keep the week of September 8 free, as it’s expected to be the timeframe when the next iPhone series will be officially revealed and become available for purchase.
Gurman pointed out that Apple usually debuts its iPhones shortly after Labor Day, which lands on September 1 this year. This pattern suggests that the company is likely to hold its launch event the week after. Such a schedule would be in line with Apple’s usual release strategy.
As reported by MacRumors, Apple has unveiled new iPhones during the second week of September in nine of the past ten years. The sole deviation from this trend occurred in 2020, when the pandemic disrupted the company’s typical launch timeline.
Preliminary leaks suggest that the base model of the iPhone 17 could be priced around Rs 89,900 in India. Meanwhile, the newly introduced iPhone 17 Air is expected to carry a price tag of approximately Rs 99,900. As for the premium variants, the iPhone 17 Pro may retail for about Rs 1,39,900, while the flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max could be available for roughly Rs 1,64,900. If these projections hold true, it seems Apple is maintaining its usual pricing approach for the next generation of iPhones.
Apple seems to be adding a vibrant touch to its upcoming iPhone lineup. According to well-known leaker Majin Bu, the Sky Blue shade recently introduced with the latest MacBook Air could make its way to the rumored iPhone 17 Air later this year.
Meanwhile, another source posting as “yeux1122” on the Korean platform Naver claims that accessory makers have already started producing camera ring covers in colors that align with the expected finishes of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air.
These early production choices offer a glimpse into Apple’s potential color palette. The standard iPhone 17 is rumored to arrive in five hues: black, silver, blue, green, and purple—reinforcing earlier reports that Apple has been experimenting with eco-friendly color technologies.
| - by: (Financial Express) | Top |
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| | OPPO Find X8 Ultra Review: Picture perfect, but out of reach Every once in a while, a smartphone comes along that pushes the conversation forward — not just with specs on paper, but in how it actually performs in the real world. The OPPO Find X8 Ultra is one of those phones. With a clear focus on imaging, it packs in a quad-camera setup unlike anything we’ve seen before, yet manages to remain sleek, comfortable, and fast enough to hold its own as a flagship smartphone.
For a phone that carries a 1-inch sensor and a 6,100mAh battery, the Find X8 Ultra is fairly slim. At just 8.78 mm thick and weighing 226 grams, it feels balanced in the hand and not too top-heavy. The flat edges, smooth matte back and symmetrical Cosmos Ring camera module bring a sense of restraint to what is, by all definitions, an overachiever of a phone.
The display, too, is built for creators and media-lovers alike. The 6.82-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel is bright, colour-accurate, and flat, which means you get fewer accidental touches and more reliable framing when editing or shooting. Indoors, it’s crisp and punchy; outdoors, the 1600-nit brightness ensures legibility even under the sun. The panel supports LTPO 1–120Hz dynamic refresh, Dolby Vision playback, and comes with 2,160 Hz PWM dimming for flicker-free use in low light.
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| | Vivo X Fold 5 review: Polished design, capable cameras and standout battery The X Fold 5 is Vivo`s latest attempt to make smartphones with foldable form factors feel just as effortless as traditional bar-shaped smartphones, and it comes surprisingly close. From fitting a massive 6000mAh battery into a slim profile to packing in a Zeiss co-engineered triple 50MP rear camera setup, Vivo’s 2025 foldable ticks a lot of right boxes on paper. But how well do those numbers translate into real-world experience? Let us find out:
Design
The Vivo X Fold 5 borrows its rear design from the X200, with a familiar circular camera module housing the triple camera setup. The main difference, of
Please click on the headline for the article. | - by: (Business Standard) | Top |
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| SEMICONDUCTOR
| | Next two years are crucial for India’s semicon plans: Ashok Chandak, President of SEMI India and IESA Access to critical components in the semiconductor industry, such as silicon wafers is a challenge for India’s nascent semiconductor manufacturing industry. Ashok Chandak, President of SEMI India and India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) said the association is working on a supply chain management plan to address this issue while working with associated industries on this.
Chandak said that incentives from the government would help in bridging the gap in getting the raw materials while global companies can also be encouraged to set up their operations in India.
No, it is understood that these are the factors that increase overall cost economics and creates a “disability” for Indian industries. We have to depend on process technology, the manufacturing excellence or some of the raw materials which are not available. That is why the Indian government is putting incentives on the table, 50 per cent of the capex by government and some additional support of up to 10-20 per cent by state governments. We are telling industry to get started even if your raw material cost is a bit expensive.
So, we have a disadvantage, but with the government funding that disadvantage is addressed initially for X years. The industry needs to think how they will sustain beyond these years. IESA is working on a plan called the supply chain management and we have mapped several materials, chemicals required and started the dialogue with various other associated industries that they also start developing those things.
A lot of global companies would be willing to come and set up their operations in India. Rather than importing everything from China, Taiwan, etc, even those companies themselves may be doing the manufacturing in India.
India does not have a manufacturing setup so we don’t have the trained manpower available. So multiple things can be done: companies like Tata that have their own collaborator can send part of their labour force to the collaborator for training or the collaborator can send trainers to India to train the workforce. Additional training outputs will also come up.
Semi India has already started doing work which is called the workforce development where the online professional development courses are getting deployed. We did two sessions already at IIT Guwahati and IIT Gandhinagar. Companies wanting to set up manufacturing operations in India will have to take steps on both these fronts.
My view is next two years are going to be crucial. Several institutes have to modify their course curriculum to include manufacturing-related programmes and some of the institutes need to tie up with global companies for training. Of those, some of the people would be interested in manufacturing jobs. That work has already started and it will move forward in next two-three years. We would see that additional workforce is created, that is competent enough to take manufacturing-related jobs.
It is definitely going to counter Make-In-India just as it will affect any other country’s plans because a lot of chip companies are headquartered in the US. In fact more than 50 per cent of chip manufacturing is by US-based companies. So, they are the dominant player. Last year, the global semiconductor market was $650 billion and more than half is supplied by the US-headquartered companies. However, they do most of the wafer manufacturing or assembly outside of the US.
The current President and administration is pushing many companies to return to the US for this and invest there. Obviously, that would impact ambitions of any other country including India as we are looking for manufacturing activity in the country. As for the extent of the impact, the semiconductor market is going to grow beyond $1 trillion by 2030, as per forecasts. It may go even like more than $1.1 trillion.
As the market grows there is a potential opportunity for everybody and India has to grab a part of it. Even if the manufacturing is moving to the US, it will not be 100 per cent. There will be something outside the US, and we will have to see how we attract the players and support growth of that portion so that India takes a pie of that total market actually.
No. I don’t see our goals being pushed back. Some of the big-time companies like NVIDIA are committing to that side but as a market pie, it is still feasible enough. India should be able to attract part of the business opportunity. It’s just that it becomes challenging to attract companies because many American firms are being asked by their government to set up operations locally.
That’s a valid point. Most of the global companies so far have committed to India mainly on the design side as they see India has got a chip design/software development/technology development talent. That is one of the positive signs which builds India in terms of the talent pool.
On the manufacturing side, the biggest issue is India’s own demand which will increase substantially to about $103 billion by 2030. So, there is sizable demand in India itself which is one of the carrots for companies to invest. There are also several companies who have understood the Indian business model, skilling and competence which helps us compared to Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines.
Further, representatives from design centres of global multinationals keep visiting in India, so we have visibility. Most importantly, Indian corporates are showing a lot of interest in getting in manufacturing as they see a sizable opportunity inside and outside India. Indian corporates are sensing the opportunity and that is why you see there is a commitment by Tata, Murugappa Group, HCL Tech and Foxconn tie-up. There are a couple of other smaller projects such as RRP in Mumbai, Suchi Semicon in Surat, Polymatech in Chennai and RIR Ratan Shah in Odisha.
These are clear indicators that Indian corporates are also rising up to seize the opportunity unfolding in this sector. Parallelly, there is a concept to do a fab-less design ecosystem or a product creation. Through this scheme, the chip design start-ups are getting a lot of support in terms of the expensive tools, funding to create their own product designs.
In the Budget so far, they did not announce any second version of the Semicon India programme. Initially, $10 billion was allocated. Beyond that the next version has not yet come. We have heard Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and also Secretary Krishnan stating in multiple forums that they are working towards the second part of the incentive programme now, which is under consideration. So, that second version of the incentives amount is awaited.
Incentives are a must right now considering that we do not have a very well established ecosystem to do the manufacturing activity. Without incentive it would have been impossible for us to get the semiconductor manufacturing moving into the country
Before tariff, US was still selling to China, which in turn was selling anywhere it wanted. India’s Semicon programme was planned with that scenario in mind. If US puts more restrictions on China, that is an advantageous position for countries like India surely but even if it does not happen, we are just back to the situation four-six months ago.
We don’t know what will finally transpire between China and US. It looks like that there is still a tussle between the two countries. Things will not be worse than four-six months ago considering they recently tightened the rare earth minerals and materials which created problems for many countries. |
| | Nvidia CEO downplays role in lifting US ban on chip sales to China The head of Nvidia downplayed his role in getting the US government to lift a ban on selling an advanced computer chip in China and said it will take time to ramp up production once orders for the AI-processor come in.
CEO Jensen Huang, speaking Wednesday in the Chinese capital Beijing, was upbeat about the prospects for the H20 chip, which was designed to meet US restrictions on technology exports to China but nonetheless blocked in April.
He met US President Donald Trump before his trip and his company announced this week it had received assurances that sales to China would be
Please click on the headline for the article. | - by: (Business Standard) | Top |
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| | TSMC quarterly profit seen hitting record but Trump tariffs, forex a concern Analysts expect a 52% surge in second-quarter profit
TSMC benefiting from surge towards AI
Earnings call at 0600 GMT
TAIPEI, - TSMC, the world`s main producer of advanced AI chips, is expected to post a 52% jump in second-quarter profit to record levels on Thursday, though U.S. tariffs and a strong Taiwan dollar could weigh on its outlook.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world`s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, is forecast to report net profit of T$377.4 billion for the three months through June 30, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 21 analysts.
SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.
The company will report the headline profit figure at 0530 GMT which will be followed by an earnings call from 0600 GMT that will include third-quarter guidance.
TSMC has already flagged a rise in second-quarter revenue of 38.6%. Any profit result above T$374.68 billion would mark the company`s highest-ever quarterly net income and its sixth consecutive quarter of profit growth.
It remains unclear just how much U.S. President Donald Trump`s tariffs will affect TSMC.
Taiwan was threatened with a 32% reciprocal tariff rate in April but has yet to be notified of an updated figure that some countries have received. Trump also said this month that tariffs on semiconductors are likely to come soon.
The company said in June that U.S. tariffs were having some indirect impact, noting they can lead to slightly higher prices, which may in turn weigh on demand.
In March, TSMC announced a $100 billion investment in the U.S. alongside Trump at the White House, on top of $65 billion pledged for three Arizona plants - two of which have been built.
Another key issue is the Taiwan dollar`s 12% appreciation against the greenback so far this year.
TSMC has said a 1% appreciation in the Taiwan dollar typically reduces its gross margin by 0.4 percentage points. In June, the company said that strengthening in the Taiwan dollar had shaved more than 3 percentage points off its gross margin.
Shares in TSMC surged some 80% last year but have climbed just 5% for the year to date on worries about tariffs and unfavourable currency exchange rates. |
| TECHNOLOGY
| | Dixon Technologies` China playbook faces crucial Centre`s FDI test Dixon Technologies (India) on Tuesday signed two agreements — a joint venture (JV) and an acquisition, both with Chinese companies — in what could be a test case for the government on how to handle such proposals under foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for Chinese firms, following the implementation of Press Note 3.
The note states that any investment or transfer of ownership from countries sharing a land border with India, or where the beneficial owner is from that country, must go through the government approval route. This includes China — and many proposals of Chinese companies wanting to come
Please click on the headline for the article. | - by: (Business Standard) | Top |
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| | Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee acquitted by South Korea’s top court in merger case South Korea`s top court upheld on Thursday a not guilty verdict for the chairman of Samsung Electronics Jay Y. Lee, Yonhap News Agency said, backing two lower court rulings clearing him of accounting fraud and stock manipulation related to an $8 billion merger in 2015.
The Supreme Court`s verdict permanently removes a long-running legal distraction for Lee as Samsung plays catch-up in a global race to develop cutting-edge AI chips.
The Supreme Court upheld an appeals court`s ruling dismissing all the charges in the case involving the merger a decade ago between two Samsung affiliates, Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries, which prosecutors said was designed to cement Lee`s control of the tech giant.
A lower court last year had also cleared Lee of the charges
The Supreme Court ruling was widely expected, but comes at a critical moment for Lee, who has faced mounting questions about his ability to lead Samsung Electronics - the world`s top memory chip and smartphone maker - as it grapples with growing competition and playing catch-up in artificial intelligence chips.
For nearly a decade, Lee has faced legal challenges, including those from the merger that paved the way for his succession after his father, Lee Kun-hee, had a heart attack in 2014 that left him in a coma. |
| WORLDWIDE
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