Stories from earlier this week and beyond.
Nida Khan, the 26-year-old accused in the TCS religious conversion and workplace harassment case, has been remanded to police custody until May 11 after her arrest in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar following weeks of evading authorities. Amid the probe, a court permitted her mother two 10-minute daily visits, offering a narrow reprieve during detention.
US employers kept surprising the market in April, adding 115,000 jobs even as uncertainty from the Iran war weighed on global sentiment. Alongside the steady hiring, average hourly earnings rose 0.2% from March and 3.6% year over year, aligning with the Federal Reserve’s push toward a 2% inflation target.
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Tamil Nadu’s government formation is taking a sharper turn as Left parties—part of the DMK-led alliance—say they backed the decision to block the BJP’s “backdoor entry” into the state. They will remain aligned with the DMK, emphasizing state rights. Meanwhile, Communist parties have clarified they will not join the TVK cabinet, even as Vijay is set to meet the Governor again.
Amazon India plans to upgrade the delivery partner work experience by setting up 150 new Ashray Centres this year, aiming for 250 by 2026. The rollout begins with 50 centres launching in May, designed with climate-controlled seating and hygienic washrooms. The move signals a shift toward more comfortable and safer rest spaces for gig delivery teams.
SBI Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty dismissed concerns over funding by pointing to an excess Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) of roughly Rs 3 lakh crore on the bank’s balance sheet. He said the public sector lender has no funding challenges ahead even as SBI reported its highest-ever annual profit of Rs 80,032 crore.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir ruled out any alliance with the BJP, saying his party will remain in the opposition. In a sharp attack, he called Mamata Banerjee a liar and also took aim at Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress leadership. The move comes as Suvendu Adhikari was elected BJP’s West Bengal legislative party leader.
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Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia made their first public appearance since the India’s Got Latent controversy on The Great Indian Kapil Show. Veteran comedian Sunil Pal, who had earlier criticized Raina, joined as well, sparking playful banter. In a follow-up interview, Pal opened up about an unexpected experience tied to the show’s format, leaving viewers curious about what happened behind the scenes.
The Supreme Court has sharply criticized the Madhya Pradesh government over offensive remarks by minister Kunwar Vijay Shah targeting Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi. After an SIT probe, the court ordered the state to decide within four weeks whether to grant sanction for Shah’s prosecution, effectively setting a tight timeline for legal action.
Tamil Nadu BJP has accepted the election outcome, with party chief Nainar Nagenthran saying the mandate belongs to the people. BJP says it will not attempt to form the next government and also won’t participate in voting during government formation. After securing just one seat, the party insists its focus remains on welfare and issues for Tamil Nadu’s residents.
Russia is gearing up for Victory Day, but the usual spectacle in Moscow is being overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. A unilateral ceasefire collapsed rapidly, with both sides trading blame as fighting continued. Security concerns and domestic unease are driving a more restrained Red Square event, including the absence of military hardware this year.
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PJM Interconnection, which manages the largest U.S. power grid serving major data center growth, says it needs an overhaul to handle rapidly rising electricity demand driven by AI. But the plan is drawing mixed reactions, with some questioning whether the regulator can adapt fast enough and how changes will be delivered under mounting pressure.
Six BSE 100 stocks hit fresh 52 week highs even as the broader market remained weak. Bajaj Auto, along with Nestlé India, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Cummins India, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise and Titan Company, have rallied as much as 22% over the past month, highlighting pockets of strength in specific sectors and names.
Startup and business news collided on 8 May 2026. Zepto secured SEBI approval for its $1.2 billion IPO, moving it closer to a landmark quick commerce listing. The ED arrested all three Gameskraft co-founders in a money laundering case tied to real-money gaming platforms. Swiggy also posted Q4 results with its loss narrowing 26% to ₹800 crore on 45% revenue growth.
Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested four people for an interstate counterfeit medicine racket. The group allegedly sourced government-supplied drugs from Uttar Pradesh and other states, repackaged them, and distributed them across Delhi NCR and parts of the northeast. Investigators say the operation ran on a sophisticated supply chain and may involve hawala payments.
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Airbnb says its engineering pipeline is increasingly AI-assisted, claiming artificial intelligence now writes 60% of its new code. The company also reports that its customer support bot resolves 40% of issues without escalating to a human agent. Airbnb frames this as faster, more scalable support and development, while raising questions about testing and oversight as AI expands.
Dorf-Ketal Chemicals India has acquired Vasu Chemicals’ water treatment business, marking the company’s entry into India’s industrial water treatment sector. The deal is designed to broaden Dorf-Ketal’s specialty chemical portfolio, deepen customer relationships, and create a scalable platform for future growth in water treatment solutions.
US and Iran clashes near the Strait of Hormuz are putting Pakistan’s mediator role under scrutiny. While Donald Trump claims a ceasefire holds, he warns Tehran of tougher strikes tied to US nuclear demands. Analysts say Islamabad lacks diplomatic and economic leverage and may have overstated its influence with Washington, leaving its “grey” strategy at risk.
Election Commission data points to record engagement in recent assembly polls, with women voting more than men and West Bengal topping polling percentages. But the follow-through is uneven: women elected as MLAs still remain low in states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala. Third-gender candidates were limited and faced defeat.
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Maharashtra has extended its One District One Registration framework to wills, allowing registration with a nominal Rs 100 fee while keeping validity independent of registration. The move also separates registration from territorial jurisdiction, making where you register less important. With no statutory deadline to present the will, experts urge homeowners and senior citizens not to delay estate planning.
WorkEZ has expanded its managed workspace footprint to about 1.7 million sq. ft. across South India. The company says Chennai and Kochi drove the latest additions, while a major new development is underway in Coimbatore. The move underlines WorkEZ’s strategy of betting on high-growth commercial markets to scale services in major urban hubs.
Suvendu Adhikari, long tied to the political rise that toppled the Left in West Bengal and later tested Mamata Banerjee, has been elected BJP Legislative Party leader in the state. Known for beating Mamata twice in Nandigram and Bhabanipur, Adhikari’s path runs from Congress to TMC, where he surfaced during the 2007 Nandigram agitation.
TVK has crossed the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, reaching 118 seats after securing support from Congress, VCK, CPI and CPM. With 107 seats of its own, the party is now positioned to help actor-turned-politician Vijay form the next government, ending the long-standing Dravidian duopoly.
Swiggy Instamart’s gross order value fell 0.7% sequentially to Rs 7,881 crore in the March quarter, even as it rose 68% year-on-year. The slowdown reflects a wider quick commerce shift: operators are prioritizing unit economics and profitability over chasing higher volumes at any cost.
An AIMIM corporator, Matin Patel, has been arrested for allegedly harbouring Nida Khan, a key accused in a sexual harassment and religious coercion case linked to TCS. Nashik police said Patel’s sustained questioning helped track Khan and her family, who were later apprehended in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The FIR alleges exploitation and forced religious practices against female employees.
Suvendu Adhikari is set to become West Bengal’s next chief minister, highlighting BJP’s growing playbook in eastern India. Drawing parallels to Assam’s rise of Himanta Biswa Sarma, both leaders were insiders of rival parties before joining the BJP. The strategy: use influential defectors to break through entrenched regional politics and accelerate electoral gains.
Delhi recorded the highest number of suicides in India in 2024, with 2,905 cases, even as the total is lower than in earlier years. Crime data points to family-related issues as the top reported trigger, with married people accounting for the largest share of victims. Most deaths were among men and those earning under Rs 1 lakh annually.
Infra.Market is in talks to raise a ₹500 Cr pre-IPO round at a post-money valuation of ₹25,000 Cr (around $2.6 Bn). The deal is set to include new institutional investors and existing backers like Tiger Global, Accel and Nexus, with a public listing targeted in the next 4-6 months. The company has already secured part of the amount and is seeing profit growth.
West Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi scheme is hitting a snag as Kolkata’s private hospitals restrict admissions for enrolled patients. With uncertainty over whether the program will continue under the new government, some hospitals have halted entry entirely, while others allow only emergency cases. Providers point to financial strain and low reimbursement rates, and say they are awaiting official directives.
Bank of Baroda reported Q4 consolidated profit up 11.2% year on year to Rs 5,616 crore, powered by higher net interest income, solid loan growth, and better asset quality. Deposits and advances grew at double-digit rates. But non-interest income declined and the capital adequacy ratio weakened during the quarter.
BJP has chosen May 9 for Suvendu Adhikari’s swearing-in as West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister, aligning the ceremony with Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary. Supporters frame it as a symbolic blend of political change and cultural resonance, marking a first-of-its-kind government in the state and a carefully timed message aimed beyond the usual electoral calendar.
A Trump administration proposal seeks to sharply raise H-1B visa minimum salaries, including setting an entry level software engineer wage in San Francisco at $162,000. Supporters say it will stop foreign workers from undercutting American pay, but critics warn it could increase employer costs by billions and reduce job opportunities for younger US talent.
Lending tech startup Kissht made a strong stock debut on Friday, ending up 22% on NSE at Rs 209 after opening higher. The IPO raised Rs 926 crore, split between Rs 850 crore fresh issue and Rs 76 crore via OFS, and was oversubscribed 9.5 times. Existing backers participated in the OFS, while anchor investors included HDFC Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential.
Urban Company reported a Q4FY26 revenue from operations surge of 43% year-on-year, yet its losses ballooned 57 times to Rs 161 crore. The earnings update highlights how growth in top-line hasn’t translated into improved profitability, raising fresh questions about cost control and unit economics even as demand appears resilient.
Mauritius is introducing a golden visa scheme targeting about 100 high net worth migrants each year. To qualify, applicants must invest at least $1 million, with the programme designed to pull in capital for sectors like technology and renewable energy. The government says it has a strong due diligence process to manage financial and security risks.
West Bengal is preparing for a dramatic political shift as the BJP is set to end nearly two decades of Trinamool Congress rule. Suvendu Adhikari has been named Chief Minister-designate, and his swearing-in is planned for May 9. The move signals a new direction for the state after a long stretch of TMC dominance.
In a major shift for West Bengal politics, the BJP officially named Suvendu Adhikari as the next Chief Minister following the party’s landslide Assembly election victory. The announcement also ends earlier internal talk of a two-Deputy Chief Minister formula, with the party opting for a different leadership structure after key BJP legislature party meetings.
April thali costs increased about 2% year-on-year for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, with higher tomato prices, vegetable oil, and LPG weighing on household spending. Onion and potato declines helped cushion the impact, but the non-veg segment also felt pressure as broiler prices rose around 2%.
Wealthtech firm ZFunds has launched ZIVA, an AI-powered assistant for mutual fund distributors and wealth managers. Built to streamline workflows, boost client engagement, and automate portfolio analysis, it’s been tested in a pilot phase. ZIVA also promises data-driven insights and multilingual support, aiming to reduce day-to-day workload while improving efficiency.
Indian markets logged a second straight session of losses as fresh Iran US escalations weighed on sentiment. The Sensex fell 516 points to 77,328, while the Nifty 50 dropped 150 points to 24,176, both ending over 0.6% lower. But smallcaps stood out, closing in the green and outperforming the benchmarks despite the broader slide.
The Reserve Bank of India has completed an auction for a new 10-year government security, raising Rs 34,000 crore at a 6.94% cut-off yield. Demand was strong enough to push bids above Rs 1 lakh crore. The fresh bond is set to become the new benchmark, shaping corporate borrowing costs and influencing overall interest rate direction.
DMK MP Kanimozhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stating that DMK members will now sit separately from the INDIA alliance in the Lower House. The note signals a sharp distancing by the DMK, an INDIA bloc constituent, from its parliamentary alliance partners after its arrangement with Congress ends, reshaping seat arrangements and opposition coordination.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is poised to be the most data-intensive tournament ever, powered by AI, real-time analytics, and edge computing. That surge in data and digital infrastructure demand could translate into stronger sentiment and valuation support for chipmakers and data centre REITs, highlighting a growing overlap between global sport and financial markets.
Users reported a “Claude not working” error on May 8, 2026, as elevated errors hit multiple Claude models. The outage began at 09:49 UTC, with a fix rollout starting at 10:22 UTC. Residual impact remained for Claude Opus 4.1 and Claude Opus 4.6 Fast Mode, leaving many wondering when normal service would fully return.
The controversy around Akshay Kumar’s Bhooth Bangla escalated after a vendor alleged Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms Limited failed to pay dues, with claims nearing ₹30 lakh. Shortly after, the production company released a firm statement rejecting all allegations and asserting that their financial records and payments are in order. The dispute now raises questions about payment practices in film production.
Delhi Capitals, led by Axar Patel, take on Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 8. KKR arrive in eighth place, but DC’s camp is focused on discipline after a warning to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The clash is poised to test Delhi’s execution under pressure as both teams chase momentum.
Urban Company’s InstaHelp grew quickly in the March quarter, but the momentum came with a sharp rise in net losses. The company is pouring money into its on-demand domestic help business and says it will keep investing despite the drag on profitability. Meanwhile, competition in the segment is intensifying, raising pressure on margins.
In a rare humanitarian move amid tense India Pakistan relations, Pakistan returned the body of 7 year old Zulkarnain Ali to India via the Teetwal Bridge. The child from Ladakh was swept away by the Suru River into Pakistan occupied Kashmir. His repatriation followed weeks of negotiations and culminated in a final handover to his family.
Billie Eilish’s concert film Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour was set for an India release, but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has forced a postponement. The news comes despite the film being directed and produced by James Cameron, with Eilish at the heart of the project. Fans will now have to wait as the certification process plays out.
Hardik Pandya has joined the Mumbai Indians squad in Raipur ahead of the team’s crucial IPL 2026 clash against RCB. The skipper and star all-rounder missed the previous match after suffering back spasm, raising questions about his availability. His return boosts MI ahead of a high-stakes encounter, with momentum now shifting as they prepare in Raipur.
BSE logged its strongest financial year ever, crossing ₹5,000 crore in revenue for the first time in 150 years. The exchange is also ramping up derivatives with new products such as the Focused IT Index derivative. On the retail and foreign front, BSE is pushing BSE Star MF to onboard new investors and targeting a sharp rise in foreign portfolio investor participation.
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