Category: Communications

With remote IT work expanding opportunities for professionals in Tier 2 & 3 cities, experts have called for investment in digital infrastructure and upskilling to connect talent with global projects.

Experts have also hailed the government’s move to set up five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling as a strategic move to align youths’ capabilities with the demands of both domestic and international markets.

Atul Soneja, Chief Operating Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, “The rise of remote IT work has notably expanded opportunities for professionals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. This shift provides earning potential and promotes inclusive growth.”

To fully harness this opportunity, it is imperative to invest in robust digital infrastructure, offer continuous skill development programmes, and create platforms connecting talent from these regions with global projects, Soneja said.

Ganesh Gopalan, Co-founder & CEO, Gnani.ai said that to fully tap talent in small cities, investments in digital infrastructure, reliable internet, and upskilling programmes are crucial. thehindubusinessline

Strengthening work policies, cybersecurity frameworks, and industry collaborations will further enable professionals in smaller cities to compete globally and drive India’s IT growth, Gopalan said.

Pawan Gupta, the CTO at SkillsCapital, said his company is connecting professionals with international opportunities through an AI-Powered Talent Cloud platform which was launched in April 2024.

“Our goal is to not only meet the growing global demand for enterprise software and tech talent but also to elevate India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as key players in the global tech ecosystem.

“By empowering professionals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, we are fostering inclusive growth and positioning India as the SkillsCapital of the world,” Gupta said.

SkillsCapital is enabling individuals to work on high-impact global projects while remaining in their hometowns, he said, adding that this transformation is not only driving career growth but also fostering economic development in these regions.

“The growing availability of IT projects in Tier 2 and 3 cities is expanding earning potential, providing global opportunities without relocation, improving work-life balance, and boosting local economies,” said Ganesh Gopalan of Gnani.ai.

IT professionals benefit from diverse opportunities, higher incomes, and skill development through exposure to international standards, Gopalan added.

On the Rs 500-crore Centre of Excellence for AI in Education announced in the Budget, Gopalan said that the AI fund can help equip IT professionals with new skill sets by supporting training programmes and certifications.

“By investing in upskilling initiatives, the fund can bridge skill gaps, making professionals in Tier 2 and 3 cities more competitive in the global job market,” he said.

Soneja of Tech Mahindra said, “By integrating AI into education, we can enhance learning experiences, personalize educational content, and better prepare students for the evolving demands of the job market, thereby addressing the talent gap in the tech industry.”

“The recently proposed Union Budget 2025-2026 underscores a transformative vision for India’s workforce and technological landscape,” Soneja said. The Hindu BusinessLine

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has stated that the state’s new Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2025 is a significant step towards attracting multinational companies and establishing Madhya Pradesh as a digital and technological hub.

This policy will prove to be a milestone in accelerating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India, he said.

The Global Investors Summit-2025, to be held in Bhopal, will provide the largest platform to present this policy at the global level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 24, which will further strengthen the investment landscape of Madhya Pradesh.

At the summit, the Chief Minister will present this policy to investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from around the world, aiming to elevate the state to new heights in the GCC sector.

This summit is expected to bring in a large number of investment proposals for GCCs, transforming the state’s economic landscape.

Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are centres established by international companies in countries other than their headquarters. Their purpose is to streamline global operations and leverage advanced technologies.

These centres offer services like software development, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, financial services, research and development, supply chain management, and customer support.

India has in recent times become the world’s largest GCC hub, with over 1600 GCCs operational. Madhya Pradesh is fully prepared to rapidly increase its share in this sector.

The policy is focused on attracting investments in areas like IT, finance, engineering, and business process outsourcing, with the potential to completely transform the state’s industrial landscape.

Thanks to Yadav’s efforts, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the country’s most promising investment destinations, a state government press statement said.

Under his leadership, there have been continuous efforts to improve ease of doing business, develop IT infrastructure, and attract investors. The state government has appointed the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (MPSeDC) as the nodal agency for implementing this policy, which will provide all possible assistance to companies.

To facilitate the rapid establishment of GCCs in the state, a special Policy Implementation Unit (PIU) is being created to oversee incentives allocation, project approvals, and compliance monitoring. This will ensure that investors receive timely support, enabling them to start their projects quickly in the state.

Madhya Pradesh offers a favourable environment for GCCs. Over the past three years, the state’s IT/ITES exports have tripled, with an annual growth rate of 43 per cent. Cities like Indore, Bhopal, and Jabalpur are quickly developing as hubs for IT and ESDM (Electronics System Design and Manufacturing).

The state has over 300 engineering colleges, producing more than 50,000 technology graduates annually. Cost-effective business operations, state-of-the-art technology parks, special economic zones (SEZs), and simplified regulatory processes make this policy even more effective.

Madhya Pradesh ranks fourth in the Ease of Doing Business index, demonstrating a favourable environment for investors.

Madhya Pradesh’s GCC Policy 2025 is a transformative initiative that will play a key role in helping India achieve its target of a 110 billion-dollar GCC market by 2030. Focused on innovation, infrastructure, and incentives, this policy will position the state as a leading destination for global companies to establish and expand their GCC operations.

The upcoming Global Investors Summit-2025 will be the largest platform to present this initiative to international investors, and Madhya Pradesh is expected to receive historic investment proposals. The presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will further enhance the significance of this event.

The implementation of this policy will usher Madhya Pradesh into a new era of innovation, technology, and job creation, offering global-level employment opportunities for the state’s youth and giving a new impetus to the state’s economy. PTI

The auction conducted by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Chennai Telephones for exclusive BSNL vanity numbers will end at midnight on February 20.

Chennai Telephones had announced an auction for 1,864 exclusive BSNL vanity numbers, including 9444394443, 9444155155, 9498344983, 9445944459, 9444199199, 9445099099, 9444366066, 9445022022, 9445994599, 9445033033 and 9444522522.

The base price for the auction, which started on February 12, ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 50,000. Those interested in participating in the auction may visit the official website of BSNL.

In a statement, the State-run utility said that this is a good opportunity for businesses and individuals to secure memorable phone numbers that enhance branding and visibility.

Such numbers are often preferred by businesses, as memorable numbers would make it easier for their potential customers to recall and connect. Besides them, there are also a large number of people who are keen on possessing a vanity number, commonly called fancy numbers. DT Next

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his 75-day delay in enforcing a ban on the popular short-video app TikTok could be extended, but said he doesn’t think that will be necessary.

In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he still hopes to make a deal on TikTok to keep the app alive in the U.S., crediting it with helping him win the 2024 presidential election.

The app’s fate has been up in the air since a law requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell it on national security grounds or face a ban took effect on January 19.

Trump, after taking office on January 20, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days enforcement of the law.

Asked if the deadline was running out, Trump said, “Well, I have 90 days from about two weeks ago, and I’m sure it can be extended. But let’s see. I don’t think you’ll need to.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what the 90-day reference meant.

Trump said there were a lot of people interested in acquiring the social media company, and said its image had changed since the 2024 election. He said he found the app to be fair and useful in appealing to young voters.

Trump said he believed Chinese President Xi Jinping would agree to approve the sale of TikTok to a U.S. buyer as it would also be in China’s interest.

“I’m going to make it worthwhile for China to do,” he said, without giving any details. “I think it would be to China’s advantage to have the deal be made.” Reuters

An alleged US government plan to encourage Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to form a joint venture with Intel to boost US chipmaking would place the Taiwanese foundry giant in a more disadvantageous position than proposed tariffs on imported chips, a semiconductor expert said yesterday.

If TSMC forms a joint venture with its US rival, it faces the risk of technology outflow, said Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Industry Economics Database of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.

A report by international financial services firm Baird said that Asia semiconductor supply chain talks suggest that the US government would ask TSMC to send engineers to Intel’s US fab, applying the company’s know-how to ensure both the fab and subsequent manufacturing projects are viable.

Although TSMC has built production facilities in Dresden, Germany, and Kumamoto, Japan, through joint ventures, the local businesses it partners with are its customers, Liu said.

If a joint venture with Intel is formed, it would inevitably focus on advanced semiconductor technology and once technology leaks occur, that could jeopardize TSMC’s leading edge in advanced technology, he said.

As US President Donald Trump is committed to prioritizing US interests, if TSMC cooperates with Intel it might be placed at a disadvantage, he added.

TSMC’s leadership in advanced technology is irreplaceable and gives it strong bargaining power, Liu said, adding that if the US imposes tariffs on imported chips, the increased costs could be passed on to TSMC’s customers in the US.

Therefore, a joint venture with Intel is the worse choice for TSMC and more unfavorable than Trump’s tariff plans, he said.

Intel is facing operational difficulties and is encountering bottlenecks in technological development, while TSMC is in a leading position. If a TSMC-Intel joint venture is formed, it would help Intel overcome difficulties and bolster the development of the US semiconductor manufacturing industry, Liu said.

TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) has said the company has no interest in acquiring Intel’s chip manufacturing facilities after the US firm spun off its foundry business, he said.

Baird analyst Tristan Gerra said that while there is no confirmation and the potential completion of the project could take a long time, the move would make sense, “further building on Intel’s prior CEO’s focus on the company’s core competency, manufacturing.” Taipei Times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at Washington DC on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump has chosen Musk to head a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last month.

Musk arrived at Blair House with his three young children, who were sitting with Musk when he met Modi.

“Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,” Modi said in a social media platform X.

Earlier, Modi met US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

The meeting with Waltz was the first engagement of the day. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval were also present at the meeting.

Modi arrived in the US capital Wednesday evening for a bilateral meeting with President Trump.

After arriving at Blair House, the President’s Guest House, Modi met the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Just hours before her meeting with Modi, Gabbard took the oath of office as the 8th Director of National Intelligence in the presence of Trump. NDTV Profit

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has directed Karnataka’s state labour department to take urgent action regarding Infosys’s termination of employees at its Mysuru campus, following complaints from an IT employees’ association. In a letter from the office of the chief labour commissioner, as viewed by the Times of India, the central ministry instructed state officials to investigate the matter and report back to both the association and the Labour Ministry.

The intervention comes after the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a registered IT workers’ body, lodged a formal complaint, labelling the terminations as “illegal, unethical, and in violation of labour laws.”

Infosys defends terminations, NITES disputes claims
Infosys claims that fewer than 350 employees resigned through “mutual separation”, stating that they had failed three attempts at an internal assessment following foundational training. However, NITES disputes this figure, arguing that the actual number of affected employees is closer to 700.

“All freshers get three attempts to clear the assessment, failing which they will not be able to continue with the organisation, as is also mentioned in their contract. This process has been in existence for over two decades and ensures a high quality of talent availability for our clients,” the company said in a statement last week.

Infosys under fire for ousting trainees
The dispute gained attention after reports emerged that trainees were given only three hours to resign, with instructions to vacate the Mysuru campus by 6 pm on February 7. Many of these employees, hired as system engineers with monthly salaries below Rs 17,000, were left stranded without accommodation.

Many trainees also claimed that the test syllabus and criteria were later changed, making it harder to pass, according to a report by The Economic Times. NITES in response condemned the move as “shocking and unethical”.

“It has come to our attention, through numerous complaints, that Infosys Ltd. has resorted to forcibly terminating recently onboarded recruits, who had already suffered a two-year delay in their joining after being issued offer letters,” NITES said in its complaint.

Labour ministry steps in
NITES has demanded an immediate investigation, along with the reinstatement of terminated employees with compensation. The association warned that Infosys’s actions could “set a dangerous precedent for the IT industry”, potentially encouraging other companies to adopt similar cost-cutting measures under the guise of performance assessments.

Infosys’s decision to fire the Mysuru trainees has drawn scrutiny from employee unions and industry analysts. Some accuse the company of using internal assessments as a cost-cutting strategy. Business Standard

Reddit missed market estimates for daily active unique visitors in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, hit by a change in Google’s search algorithm that impacted how often the social media platform appeared in the search results, sending its shares down 15% in extended trading.

The San Francisco-based company’s stock, which debuted in March 2024, gained nearly five-fold last year.

Reddit experienced some volatility with Google search later in the fourth quarter, triggered by a periodic algorithm change, but traffic from search has recovered so far in the first quarter, CEO Steve Huffman said in a letter to shareholders.

The algorithm changes impacted “logged-out users,” who browse the platform without signing into an account, Huffman added.

Its daily active unique visitors rose 39% to 101.7 million in the fourth quarter ended December 31, but missed analysts’ average estimate of 103.3 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Their growth has also slowed sequentially.

“Reddit shares are down in part due to Daily Active Users missing expectations, but it’s not the best reason for anyone to lose faith in the company,” said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at eMarketer.

“If Reddit keeps expanding internationally and builds on its AI advantage, it could go from a promising upstart to a true digital advertising heavyweight.”

The company has been benefiting from AI deals with Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI and its conversation placement ads, where brands can advertise directly into discussion threads within interest-based communities known as subreddits.

That helped Reddit forecast first-quarter revenue of $360 million to $370 million, which was above an average estimate of $358.1 million.

Referring to an opportunity of data licensing deals, Huffman said, “we are still talking to some of the big players.”

Revenue rose 71% to $427.7 million during the fourth quarter, beating estimates of $405.3 million, owing to the holiday shopping season, when brands spend heavily to promote their products and services. Its profit per share of 36 cents exceeded estimates of 25 cents.

Reddit’s global average revenue per user increased 23% to $4.21.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the algorithm changes. Reuters

The frenzy over Chinese artificial intelligence is turning Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. into an investor favourite again, injecting new life into an ecommerce giant that had nearly sunk into obscurity following a years-long regulatory crackdown.

Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares have surged 46% since hitting a 2025 low on January 13, expanding its market value by nearly $87 billion and exceeding the Hang Seng Tech Index’s 25% gain in the same period. That makes the stock by far the best performer in China’s Big Tech universe in the new year, outshining rivals Tencent Holdings Ltd., Baidu Inc. and JD.com Inc.

It marks a surprise reversal of fortunes for Alibaba, which had fallen out of favour among investors after its business suffered from Beijing’s clampdown on the country’s tech behemoths and a post-Covid consumption slump. Behind the rally is optimism about Alibaba’s efforts to develop its own AI services and platform, which gained traction after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek unveiled technologies that caused a rout on Wall Street.

Alibaba’s shares got another shot in the arm on Wednesday, after the Information reported that Apple Inc. is working with the ecommerce pioneer to roll out AI features in China.

“The emergence of DeepSeek has sparked a new AI-related catalyst for Chinese tech stocks,” said Andy Wong, investment and ESG director for Asia Pacific at Solomons Group. “Within this space, we see Alibaba as having more tangible and well-established earnings growth prospects in the medium term.”

Alibaba’s 2025 bounceback is the culmination of a year-long turnaround spearheaded by two of Jack Ma’s oldest lieutenants: Joe Tsai and Eddie Wu. The chairman and CEO, part of the original founding team that created Taobao in Ma’s lakeside apartment, took the helm in 2023 right after years of Beijing-led regulatory investigations and a post-Covid downturn gutted its cloud and consumer businesses. They took the company back to basics, initially focusing on consolidating and streamlining the fragmented core commerce business.

They also decided to go big in AI. Since the advent of ChatGPT, Alibaba has invested in a clutch of China’s most promising startups, including Moonshot and Zhipu. And it prioritized the expansion of the cloud business that underpins AI development, slashing prices to win back the customers that fled to rivals during the turbulent years. It also decided to spend on AI, joining a race led by Baidu at the time.

In January, that effort yielded initial fruit. Alibaba published benchmark scores showing its Qwen 2.5 Max edition scored better than Meta Platforms Inc.’s Llama and DeepSeek’s V3 model in various tests. The company is now considered a leading player in AI alongside big names from Tencent to ByteDance Ltd. and startups including Minimax and Zhipu.

But it’s still early days.

A key hurdle facing Chinese AI firms has been the slower adoption and lack of willingness to pay for services among domestic consumers and businesses.

“Many hedge funds and long-only investors see AI as a potential inflection point for Alibaba, with some expressing interest in understanding the valuation of Alibaba’s cloud business and any upside from large language models,” JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts including Alex Yao wrote in a note. “The AI narrative is seen as a driver for potential re-rating, but there are concerns about the monetization of AI capabilities.”

In addition, cloud business growth for Chinese hyperscalers has lagged that of major US peers so far. Analysts estimate cloud revenues for the December quarter rose 9.7% from a year ago at Alibaba and 7.7% at Baidu, compared with 19% at Amazon.com Inc. and 31% at Microsoft Corp.

Alibaba’s financial results scheduled next Thursday are expected to offer investors a fresh opportunity to learn about the company’s progress on its AI models and outlook for its cloud services.

For now, derivative traders are boosting their bets. Options contract volumes surged to more than twice the 20-day average on Wednesday in Hong Kong, reaching their highest level in over four months. More than 110,000 bullish contracts changed hands, compared with over 74,000 puts. The cost of hedging against declines in the coming month has dropped to near its lowest level since November.

Alibaba’s valuations remain attractive to some investors even after the latest rally. Its shares are trading at 12.2 times forward earnings, below its five-year average of 14.6 times.

“Despite the rally, Alibaba’s stock is still undervalued compared to its US tech peers, considering its growth potential and market position,” said Manish Bhargava, chief executive officer at Straits Investment Management in Singapore. “The company is expanding its overseas marketplaces, which could reduce its reliance on the domestic Chinese market and drive future growth.” Bloomberg

Social media company X has agreed to pay about $10 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, who has put X’s billionaire owner Elon Musk in charge of a major government cost- and staff-cutting effort.

Trump had sued X, then known as Twitter, and its then-CEO Jack Dorsey in San Francisco federal court for deplatforming his account following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol by his supporters. Twitter had cited the risk of Trump inciting further violence related to his effort to remain in the White House following his loss to former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Trump claimed Twitter had violated his First Amendment right to free speech

The Wall Street Journal first reported the settlement on Wednesday.

John Kelly, one of Trump’s attorneys in the lawsuit, confirmed to CNBC that the president and X reached a settlement.

“It’s resolved,” Kelly told CNBC.

NBC News later Wednesday confirmed settlement involved a payment of about $10 million by X, citing a source familiar with the situation.

CNBC has requested comment from a lawyer for X.

At the time of the settlement, Trump had been waiting for more than a year for the outcome of an appeal of the dismissal of his lawsuit by a federal district court judge in 2022. On Monday, the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals granted a motion by all parties in the case to dismiss that appeal.

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, on Jan. 29 said it would pay $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over that company’s decision to suspend Trump’s social media accounts after the Capitol riot.

The settlement with X comes as Tesla CEO Musk oversees the Trump administration’s wide-ranging effort to cut federal government spending and staffing levels as the head of DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump win election to a second term in the White House, purchased Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion.

Musk reinstated Trump’s X account in November 2022. CNBC