Rediff

Tewolde Gebremariam, a seasoned aviation professional with extensive experience at Ethiopian Airlines, has been named the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India. He is tasked with leading the airline's ambitious five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, aimed at achieving significant growth and profitability, marking him as the second foreign national to helm Air India under Tata Group ownership.

Air India has announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam, former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Campbell Wilson. This strategic appointment comes as the airline navigates expansion amidst significant challenges.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini met with a World Bank delegation to discuss advancing Artificial Intelligence, digital governance, and skill development in the state. The discussions focused on leveraging technology to enhance citizen services, with plans to showcase Haryana's AI Sandbox globally and develop a dedicated AI model for the state.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained its key policy rates for the fourth consecutive time, keeping the repo rate at 5.25 per cent, while the benchmark BSE Sensex closed 152 points higher in a volatile session, recovering from an intraday dip.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to alter hiring patterns in South Asia, with multinational companies (MNCs) and firms integrated into global value chains (GVCs) reducing recruitment more sharply than domestic firms, signalling the technology's early impact on the region's export-oriented services sector, according to the World Bank's World Development Report 2026.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd reported a 112 per cent year-on-year increase in standalone net profit for Q1 FY27, reaching 17,034 crore, primarily due to higher crude oil prices and increased realisations from new well gas. Despite a consolidated net profit decline due to HPCL's losses, ONGC's core upstream business showed robust growth.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated it is premature to discuss the implementation of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for digital payments, advising a wait-and-watch approach. He emphasised that investment in public payment infrastructure is necessary and someone must bear the cost, whether through taxes or MDR. The government is currently working on amendments to relevant statutes, and the RBI is focused on strengthening this infrastructure.

Gold futures saw a significant rise for the second consecutive day, driven by strong overseas market rallies, increased safe-haven demand due to geopolitical uncertainties, and a weaker US dollar. This surge coincided with the Reserve Bank of India's decision to maintain its repo rate, reflecting a focus on growth amidst global inflation concerns and easing oil prices.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced plans to launch long-lasting polymer currency notes by the next financial year. He also discussed the central bank's data-dependent approach to interest rates, its focus on aligning inflation with the 4 per cent target, and the orderly trajectory of the rupee amidst geopolitical tensions.

Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, reported a 37.3 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to 8,167 crore for Q1 FY27, driven by the addition of high-paying premium customers, despite missing Bloomberg consensus estimates.

India's services sector experienced its weakest growth in four-and-a-half years in July, as new business orders, both domestic and export, eased due to intense competition and declining demand. Despite a modest rebound in job creation and improved profit margins, overall business confidence slipped, reflecting a broader slowdown in the economy.

VinFast has gone from an unknown brand to India's fifth-largest EV carmaker in just seven months, but its toughest battle is only beginning.

While charger deployment is yet to begin, the scheme has supported the sale of 2.65 million EVs as of July 22.

The Reserve Bank of India has marginally increased its GDP forecast for the current fiscal to 6.7 per cent while slightly lowering the inflation projection to 5 per cent. The central bank noted that while domestic economic activity shows resilience, global turbulence, particularly re-escalating conflicts and volatile oil prices, continues to pose risks to the inflation outlook.

The Reserve Bank of India has maintained its key interest rates for the third consecutive time, keeping the repo rate at 5.25 per cent. This decision comes amidst concerns over uncertain energy prices and supply disruptions from the West Asia crisis, despite retail inflation exceeding the 4 per cent target. The RBI also marginally raised its growth forecast while lowering inflation projection for the current fiscal, as the Indian rupee continues to depreciate against the dollar.

The Nifty's stunning 200-point jump in the final minute of trading wasn't a glitch. It marked India's shift to a new, globally accepted system of end-of-day price discovery.