L’Oreal to pump 3.5k cr in 1st AI-powered global tech hub

HYDERABAD: Beauty and personal care giant L’Oreal will set up its first AI-powered global beauty tech innovation hub in Hyderabad. The company will invest 350 million euros (approx Rs 3,500 crore) by 2030. The hub, which will be a first-of-its-kind globally, will focus on developing the next generation of AI-powered beauty innovations.L’Oreal plans to leverage…

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Local audit push: CAG flags capacity gaps, calls for stronger PAIs and tech-led audits

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has called for strengthening the institutional framework, professional capacity building and audit practices of primary auditing institutions (PAIs) responsible for local governments, highlighting the need to improve audit quality and transparency at the grassroots level, PTI reported.The call came at the conclusion of a three-day national workshop for…

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Trump tariff war: What is Europe’s ‘trade bazooka’? How it could hit US

Rattled by US President Donald Trump’s remarks linked to Greenland, the European Union is weighing possible countermeasures against Washington, reviving debate over its so-called “trade bazooka” — a powerful but rarely used economic tool formally known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI).While the issue has resurfaced at the highest political levels, most of the EU’s 27…

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Despite global headwinds India to remain fastest-growing economy: RBI

MUMBAI: RBI has said that the first advance estimates of real GDP growth for 2025-26 reflected the resilience of the Indian economy, driven by domestic factors amid a challenging external environment, adding that high-frequency indicators for December pointed to continued buoyancy in growth impulses with demand conditions remaining upbeat.In its State of the Economy article…

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India cracks Smirnoff global top five: Diageo

BENGALURU: India has broken into the top five global markets for Smirnoff, driven by strong traction from flavour-led innovations such as Minty Jamun, Praveen Someshwar, chief executive of Diageo India, told analysts on Tuesday.“Smirnoff flavours, specifically Minty Jamun, have emerged as a breakthrough innovation, validating our India-first flavour strategy and becoming the primary growth engine…

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US markets today: Wall Street steadies after sharp sell-off, Donald Trump rules out force over Greenland

US stock markets stabilised on Wednesday after a sharp sell-off in the previous session, as President Donald Trump said he would not use force to take control of Greenland, easing some investor concerns even as pockets of caution remained.The S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent, recovering part of its 2.1 per cent decline on Tuesday,…

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EU–Mercosur trade pact: Parliament sends deal to EU court, farmers celebrate while exporters flag risks

The European Parliament has voted to refer the recently signed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement to the bloc’s top court, pushing the long-negotiated pact into legal uncertainty just days after it was sealed, according to an AFP report.Lawmakers in Strasbourg voted 334 to 324 in favour of asking the Court of Justice of the European Union…

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Investing in a child’s name: How mutual fund accounts for minors work, rules to know, and tax impact explained

Mutual fund investments can be made in the name of a minor (below 18 years) across all categories — equity, debt, hybrid, gold/silver and international funds — but they come with specific operational, documentation and tax rules that parents must understand before investing. Here is a clear question-and-answer explainer, as reported ET, covering how it…

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From ‘dead’ economy to ‘hottest’: Trump pitches US as economic engine of the world at WEF; ‘most dramatic turnaround…’

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland, pitching the American growth story and calling it a miracle. Praising his administration, Trump spoke of how he believes the US has gone from being a ‘dead economy’ to the ‘hottest’ in the world in a year.“Today, after 12…

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