Companies

• Twaalf Indiase techbedrijven hebben financieringen aangekondigd ter waarde van meer dan 1,1 miljard dollar, wat AI-innovatie en de groei van startups in de bloeiende sector van het land stimuleert. • Deze instroom benadrukt de explosieve investeringen in de Indiase techindustrie, met een focus op AI-gestuurde startups en productontwikkeling. • De deals positioneren India als een wereldwijde hub voor tech-financiering, wat de economische expansie ondersteunt te midden van hoge adoptiecijfers van AI.

De regering-Albanese kondigt een gasreservatiebeleid voor de oostkust aan, waarbij producenten 20% van de exportvolumes moeten reserveren. • Volg onze liveblog over het nieuws uit Australië voor de laatste updates • Ontvang onze breaking news-e-mail, gratis app of dagelijkse nieuwspodcast Gasbedrijven zullen worden gedwongen om 20% van de exporten te reserveren voor binnenlands gebruik onder een reserveringsregeling die is ontworpen om de leveringen te stutten en de prijzen voor huishoudens en bedrijven aan de oostkust te verlagen. De federale regering kondigde donderdag het ontwerp van de reserveringsregeling aan als onderdeel van een bredere herziening van de mechanismen die de gassector reguleren. Lees verder...

• Bedrijven verhogen prijzen in het hoogste tempo in drie jaar, gedreven door stijgende energie- en loonkosten, maar ook door extra kosten voor metalen en plastics • Business live – laatste updates • Olieprijzen dalen terwijl Trump 'vooruitgang' prijst op Iran-deal

• India's Centre has notified 100% foreign direct investment in insurance companies, easing prior 74% cap restrictions. • The policy change aims to attract global capital, potentially lowering premiums and expanding coverage for consumers. • It holds significance for LIC by enabling strategic partnerships and sector modernization amid rising demand.

• Y Combinator's security startup cohort has expanded to 103 funded companies, reflecting accelerating investment in cybersecurity solutions amid rising threat landscapes. • The proliferation of YC-backed security startups demonstrates investor conviction that emerging cyber threats create durable market opportunities and venture-scale business potential. • This growth underscores the strategic importance of security infrastructure across enterprise and consumer markets, with founders addressing gaps in traditional defense mechanisms.

• India's government approved amendments allowing overseas companies with Chinese or Hong Kong shareholding of up to 10% to invest in India under the automatic route, with notification expected soon under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. • The decision was communicated by the government on Thursday and will come into effect following official notification, marking a significant shift in India's foreign direct investment policy toward greater openness. • This policy change, approved in March 2026 through amendments to Press Note 3 of 2020, aims to attract increased Chinese investment while maintaining regulatory oversight of strategic sectors.

Agreements with artificial intelligence firms spark concerns over public spending, cyber security and domestic surveillanceSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Pentagon said on Friday it had reached agreements with seven leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies: SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.“These agreements accelerate the transformation toward establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare,” the Pentagon said in statement. Continue reading...

• TIME Magazine published its 2026 TIME100 Companies list highlighting top entertainment firms on April 28. • Apple leads for prioritizing streaming quality over quantity in its services. • Other notables include Beast Industries for building an empire from viral antics and Neon for championing foreign films.

David Pocock says prime minister – who is trying to shore up fuel supplies – is parroting industry talking pointsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor is poised to reject a growing push for a new 25% tax on gas exports in next month’s budget, prompting David Pocock to accuse the government of “caving in” to the gas industry.It’s understood the government has elected not to pursue a new tax on gas exports in the budget, prompted in part by the global oil crisis and Anthony Albanese’s diplomatic efforts in shoring up fuel supply from Asian allies by pledging reliable access to liquefied natural gas. Continue reading...

• Cyware was again named to the Cyber66 list of hottest privately held security companies, announced via PRNewswire on April 23, 2026. • The recognition highlights Cyware's leadership in AI-powered threat intelligence operationalization and secure threat sharing. • Company emphasizes agentic AI for accelerating targeted threat responses and collaboration.

• The EU imposed sanctions on three Chinese technology firms and one individual on April 6, accusing them of conducting sophisticated espionage operations targeting European telecommunications infrastructure and government networks. • The targeted companies are suspected of exploiting vulnerabilities in 5G networks; the EU cited evidence of stolen intellectual property and unauthorized access to classified communications. • EU officials stated the move signals zero tolerance for state-sponsored cyber operations; Chinese officials denied accusations and called the sanctions "groundless and provocative."

New legislation comes amid push from big oil, as critics warn polluters’ profits prioritized over Americans’ healthUtah has made it nearly impossible for residents to hold fossil fuel companies legally accountable for climate damages in a move one advocacy group described as putting “profits for the biggest polluters over communities”, with other states expected to follow suit.The new state legislation comes as part of a push from big oil and its political allies – including groups tied to rightwing impresario Leonard Leo – for legal immunity in red statehouses and Congress, with a goal of winning state and federal legal immunity similar to the liability waiver granted to the firearms industry in 2005. Continue reading...

• Commercial property insurer FM Global announced April 2, 2026 that the Financial Times has recognized it as one of The Americas' Fastest-Growing Companies of 2026. • The Johnston, Rhode Island-based insurer joins other leading regional companies on the prestigious FT list recognizing high-growth businesses. • The recognition highlights FM's strong business performance and market position in the competitive commercial property insurance sector.

• Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen stated on March 31, 2026, that companies are 75% overstaffed from COVID-era overhiring, using AI as a 'silver bullet excuse' for layoffs. • In an interview on the 20VC podcast, Andreessen argued AI productivity fears mask long-standing business issues rather than genuine job displacement. • The comments highlight tensions in tech hiring amid AI advancements driving economic growth but fueling employee concerns over job security.

• Companies in the US are spending 93% of their AI budgets on technology and only 7% on preparing their workforce, leading to implementation bottlenecks. • Among executives surveyed, 78% report greater benefits from AI in revenue growth than cost-cutting, with experts predicting revenue gains will dwarf efficiency improvements. • Firms treating workforce as an afterthought risk failure despite advanced AI tools, as highlighted by insights from Deloitte, Wharton, and Harvard experts.

Charities say taxes should rise for banks, defence and energy companies which stand to make windfall profitsMiddle East crisis liveRachel Reeves is being urged to raise taxes on businesses generating “windfall” profits linked to the US-Israel war on Iran to fund emergency cost of living support for UK households.With the government under pressure to respond, a group of leading charities, campaigners and trade unions said the chancellor could raise billions by taxing “excess profits” linked to the conflict. Continue reading...

• Lumen Technologies was named to Fast Company's 2026 list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, announced on March 24, 2026. • The recognition highlights Lumen's advancements in networking and edge computing solutions amid U.S. tech infrastructure demands. • This accolade underscores Lumen's role in supporting AI and cloud growth through innovative fiber and digital services.

• Just Capital and CNBC announced the 2026 Rankings of America's largest public companies, evaluating responsible business leadership across 20 industries as AI reshapes the economy. • The rankings highlight industry leaders including Trane Technologies (Construction & Materials), Nike (Consumer Products), Marathon Petroleum (Energy), and others, providing decision-grade data on corporate performance. • Just Capital released enhanced Just Intelligence capabilities in February 2026, including a new AI-powered chatbot that allows users to query corporate performance data and business case libraries.

Britons learn about the country’s involvement ‘almost as a self-congratulatory narrative’, says historian Joseph Mulhern In 1845 British citizens and companies were already legally prohibited from owning or buying enslaved people overseas, yet that year 385 captives were “transferred” to a British mining company in Brazil named St John d’El Rey.Despite a global campaign waged by the UK against slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, the move was not technically illegal because the enslaved people were not sold but “rented” – a practice permitted overseas under the 1843 Slave Trade Act. Continue reading...

• Elon Musk has unveiled 'Macrohard,' a Tesla-xAI agent that combines Grok and screen-reading technology to automate entire software company operations, representing a significant step toward autonomous software development. • The system runs on Tesla's AI4 infrastructure and demonstrates the convergence of multiple AI capabilities—natural language processing and computer vision—to handle complex software engineering tasks. • This development signals accelerating competition in AI agent technology beyond traditional model training, as companies race to deploy autonomous systems that can perform knowledge work at scale.