TECHNOLOGY
Chip giants weigh local sourcing in India to make smartphones, electronics more affordable
Qualcomm and MediaTek have expressed willingness to tap into India’s emerging fabrication and chip packaging capacities if local production proves strategically and commercially viable
BUSINESS
SC written order clarifies scope of AGR order, limits re-examination to Vodafone Idea
The modified order provides a significant breather for the financially strained telecom operator, in which the government currently holds around 49% stake.
TELECOM
5G yet to live up to its promise globally; Airtel rolling out 5G dual mode with SA capability in phases: Gopal Vittal
Gopal Vittal also noted that the key benefits of 5G standalone — such as lower latency and stronger uplink performance
BUSINESS
Airtel to step up data center investments under Nxtra, raising Indus stake for strategic growth: Gopal Vittal
Nxtra currently commands a 10–12% market share in India’s data center segment, but Airtel believes there is significant headroom for growth
COMPANIES
Airtel to seek reassessment of AGR dues issue with govt: MD Gopal Vittal
Airtel MD said the company welcomes the apex court’s clarification, which permits the government to undertake a detailed reassessment of the dues
BUSINESS
Missed buying a smartphone during festive sales? Pay more now as companies hike prices
Sources said the latest round of price hikes is driven by rising memory component costs, broader supply chain pressures affecting other key components, and rupee’s depreciation against US dollar
BUSINESS
Apple captures 28% value share in India, becomes the third-largest global iPhone market by volume
The premium segment led market growth with 29% YoY shipment growth, lifting the overall market’s value by 18% and pushing average selling prices (ASPs) up 13% YoY.
BUSINESS
Eutelsat OneWeb yet to get security clearance for satellite broadband as Starlink conducts demo in Mumbai
Sources said OneWeb had previously complied with all security guidelines but was required to again demonstrate compliance under the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) new guidelines introduced in May this year.
BUSINESS
Starlink begins hiring in India ahead of satellite broadband launch
Starlink is recruiting for finance and accounting roles—including payments manager, accounting manager, senior treasury analyst, and tax manager—as part of its initial hiring drive, according to listings on the SpaceX careers page and LinkedIn. All roles are based in Bengaluru, Starlink’s operational hub in India.
BUSINESS
Apple hits all-time revenue record in India on iPhone 17 surge
Chief executive Tim Cook credited the robust demand for iPhone 17 for driving the record results and said he expects the momentum to continue into the December quarter.
TELECOM
BSNL nears revenue target with 93% achievement in September quarter, ARPU at Rs 91: Jyotiraditya Scindia
The minister urged BSNL to benchmark its network and service standards against private operators to identify and bridge performance gaps
BUSINESS
Govt to seek legal advice on Supreme Court’s limited AGR relief for Vodafone Idea
According to the order, the ruling pertains exclusively to Vodafone Idea and covers only the additional AGR dues up to FY2016-17
TELECOM
Supreme Court order on Vodafone Idea limited to additional AGR dues up to FY2016-17
The order came in response to Vodafone Idea’s petition seeking to quash additional AGR demands raised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and to reconcile dues as per the Deduction Verification Guidelines of February 2020.
BUSINESS
India Post to be revamped into modern logistics powerhouse; targets 75% revenue from parcels and mail in three years: Scindia
“I want our target to be that in the next three years, parcels and mails should be a minimum of 75% of our total revenue,” Scindia said at India Post’s quarterly performance review, calling it a central focus of the department’s next phase of growth.
COMPANIES
Govt to study SC order before taking call on Vodafone Idea relief: Scindia
A government official said Vodafone Idea will have to formally communicate the kind of relief it is seeking once the court issues its directive
BUSINESS
Elon Musk's Starlink to demo lawful interception of satellite broadband to Indian authorities this week
Starlink to conduct security, technical demo runs in Mumbai on October 30-31
BUSINESS
Verified caller name display coming soon: DoT targets all-India rollout of CNAP by March 2026
The CNAP system has already undergone successful inter-operator trials for 4G and newer networks in Haryana and Maharashtra, with Jio and Airtel completing their tests earlier
TECHNOLOGY
VVDN to set up US unit, eyes ECMS incentives for PCB, display production at home
The US plant, along with the facility in UAE, is aimed at bypassing Trump tariffs and help VVDN serve key customers closer to their markets,
TELECOM
DoT orders telecom operators to launch caller name display pilot within a week; 2G users to be left out
While the feature will initially benefit 4G and 5G users, nearly 200 million subscribers on legacy 2G networks will not be able to access the service.
BUSINESS
Indus Towers says SC’s Voda Idea AGR ruling to guide dividend decision; Africa foray expected in 3-6 months
Indus Towers also plans to foray into Africa in the next 3-6 months, starting with Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia, as part of its long-term growth strategy.
BUDGET
AGR relief may trigger fresh equity raise, govt stake dilution in Vodafone Idea: Analysts
Analysts said such relief could unlock a fresh equity raise, dilute the government’s 49% stake, and open the door for further debt-to-equity conversion, setting off a chain of positive developments for the telecom operator.
BUSINESS
Global telecom gear makers in talks with govt to bring in suppliers to boost local value addition
Companies are in talks with DoT, which is working on policy measures to boost local content, both electronic and non-electronic components, as part of India’s push to build a self-reliant telecom equipment supply chain
COMPANIES
SC order opens door for Vodafone Idea’s AGR relief; lenders, investors turn hopeful
The top court on October 27 said that any decision on granting relief to Vodafone Idea falls within the government’s policy domain
BUSINESS
Amazon surpasses $20 billion in exports from India ahead of 2025 goal; targets $80 billion by 2030
Indian exports through Amazon have surged across key categories — led by health and personal care (45 percent), beauty (45 percent) and toys (44 percent)
