In a move aimed at reducing borrowing costs for consumers, state-owned Canara Bank has announced a 10 basis point reduction in its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) across most tenors. The revised rates, effective from April 12, 2025, will lead to lower loan repayments for individuals with loans linked to the benchmark, including personal and auto loans. The rate cut follows a similar reduction by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which slashed its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to 6% in March.

Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism sector has suffered a devastating collapse following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. The fallout, intensified by India’s retaliatory missile strikes on May 7, has erased the region’s peak tourism season. The Chamber of Tourism, Trade and Industry Katra (CTTIK) has sounded the alarm, urging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately intervene with a comprehensive relief package.

NxtCell India is spearheading the comeback of the French technology brand Alcatel in the Indian smartphone market, partnering with Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of Dixon Technologies, to locally manufacture mobile devices. Backed by an initial investment of USD 30 million (approximately Rs. 260 crore), the initiative marks Alcatel’s return after a seven-year hiatus. The company aims to produce 1.2 million smartphones annually, with a strategic focus on introducing stylus-enabled smartphones priced between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 25,000—far below current market norms.

In a proactive cybersecurity measure, Google has issued an urgent update for its Chrome browser to patch four vulnerabilities, including a high-severity flaw that has already been exploited in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-4664, involves insufficient policy enforcement in Chrome’s Loader component and could allow remote attackers to exfiltrate sensitive user data through manipulated HTML pages. Security researcher Vsevolod Kokorin uncovered the issue, demonstrating how referrer-policy manipulation can lead to full account compromise.

Bollywood veteran Suniel Shetty recently revisited a pivotal moment in his career—the release of Mohra—and addressed a controversial remark allegedly made by Anil Kapoor, who referred to Shetty and co-star Akshay Kumar as “50% heroes.” While Shetty admitted that the comment stung at the time, he reflected on it with humility and grace, acknowledging the hierarchical nature of stardom in the industry.

Motorola has officially introduced the Razr 60 Ultra, its most advanced flip phone to date, to the Indian market. Positioned as a flagship device, the smartphone combines next-gen hardware with intelligent software enhancements, including powerful AI-driven features. Headlined by a blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the Razr 60 Ultra boasts a 7-inch LTPO AMOLED main display with a 165Hz refresh rate, the largest cover screen ever seen on a flip phone, and a refined triple camera system. It also ships with Android 15 and extensive software support.

India’s opposition to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent approval of a USD 1 billion loan tranche to Pakistan has sparked political controversy, highlighting tensions within Indian political discourse. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly condemned the loan, equating financial assistance to Pakistan with indirect funding of terrorism. However, the Congress party has criticized the ruling government for allegedly failing to actively oppose the loan during the IMF’s Executive Board meeting, accusing it of yielding to U.S. pressure.

Wipro has appointed Sandeep Dhar as the global head of its Global Capability Centre (GCC) practice, marking a strategic move to drive the company’s consulting-led, AI-powered transformation strategy. With over 30 years of experience, Dhar will focus on building and scaling innovation hubs for global enterprises, positioning Wipro to enhance its capabilities in future-ready transformations. His appointment is seen as a significant step in fortifying the company’s leadership in digital transformation services.

BLS International Services Ltd has reported a robust financial performance for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, fueled by a resurgence in global travel and a sharp uptick in its visa, consular, and digital services businesses. The company’s consolidated net profit jumped 69.9% year-over-year to Rs. 145.2 crore in Q4, while annual profit surged 65.7% to Rs. 539.6 crore. Total revenue for FY25 reached Rs. 2,193.3 crore, up 30.8% from the previous year.

Kalpataru Projects International Ltd. (KPIL) has posted a solid financial performance for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2024–25, driven by strong growth in its core engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) business. The company’s consolidated net profit for Q4 surged over 29% to Rs. 218.17 crore, supported by a significant rise in revenue. For the fiscal year, total income exceeded Rs. 22,000 crore for the first time, while the company closed the year with its highest-ever order book at Rs. 64,495 crore.