Junior officers misguided by external elements on HRA issues, says SEBI

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said it believes that the recent controversy related to the employees complaining about alleged toxic work culture at the regulatory body is "misguided" and perhaps triggered by "external elements". "... it is our belief that SEBI’s junior officers, who were in large numbers, originally aggrieved in respect of HRA allowances, have been misguided, perhaps by external elements... To believe that as “employees of a Regulator”, they should not be held to high standards of performance and accountability even though, they have in fact demonstrated that they are fully capable of delivering to high standards to the market ecosystem," stated a release issued by SEBI on September 4. Read more here

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NEET UG Counselling 2024: Round 2 registrations begin
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Infinix Hot 50 5G India launch
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ECOS India Mobility shares close with 32% gains in market debut

Shares of chauffeur-driven mobility provider ECOS India Mobility and Hospitality ended with a premium of 32 percent against the issue price of Rs 334 on September 4. The stock made its debut at Rs 391.30, a jump of 17.15 percent from the issue price on the BSE. During the day, it zoomed 36.52 percent to Rs 456. Shares of the firm finally ended at Rs 441.05, up 32.05 percent. Read here

HDB Financial aiming for $9–10 billion listing latest by March

HDFC Bank Ltd is moving ahead with plans to take its non-banking arm, HDB Financial Services, public, with a potential listing targeted for December or, at the latest, by the end of the current financial year, people familiar with the development said. The initial public offering (IPO), likely a combination of secondary sale and fresh capital, is expected to fetch a valuation of roughly around $7–8 billion. Details here

Premji Invest may pump in $10-$15 million in San Francisco-based AI startup Galileo

Premji Invest, the investment arm of Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, may invest $10-$15 million in artificial intelligence (AI) startup Galileo, according to sources familiar with the development. The investment will be part of San Francisco-based Galileo’s Series B round of funding, according to one of the people cited above. The AI startup previously raised $18 million in a Series A round from a clutch of investors in November 2022, according to media reports. Read more here

Should you invest in debt funds as interest rate cut inches closer?

The US Fed has indicated that interest rate cut might happen as early in September, which might prompt RBI to follow suit. This bodes well for debt funds, says Siddharth Chaudhary- Senior Fund Manager-Fixed income at Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund on Moneycontrol’s Simply Save podcast. Listen to the podcast here.

OnePlus Buds 3 Pro review: The return of the flagship killer

In such a crowded market, it is a challenge for almost any brand and its earbuds to really stand out. Sure, you can be one of the many ‘good’ options but to stand out, you have to offer something special. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 actually manage to do that. Read the full review here.