Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL) has launched OWND!, a fashion brand aimed at India’s Gen Z, featuring modern store designs and trend-focused products. CEO Sangeeta Tanwani highlights its role in engaging fashion-conscious, value-driven youth. ABFRL plans to convert StyleUp stores into OWND! outlets, expanding to 100 stores by fiscal year-end, strengthening its presence in the value fashion segment with a vibrant brand identity and strong business model.

Elon Musk has become the first person with a $500 billion net worth, driven by Tesla’s stock surge and SpaceX’s $400 billion valuation. His 12% Tesla stake is worth $191 billion, while xAI Holdings adds $113 billion. Rising from $24.6 billion in March 2020, Musk could become the first trillionaire by 2033, tied to Tesla’s performance-based pay. He stresses Tesla influence for robotics safety.

Amazon is replacing Fire OS with Vega OS, a new Linux-based system debuting on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select. Built using React Native, Vega OS focuses on speed and efficiency while encouraging developer adoption through Amazon’s Cloud App program, which helps port Android apps. App installs remain limited to the Amazon Appstore, though support for Xbox Gaming and Luna is coming. Fire OS devices will continue receiving updates.

The CCPA is probing e-commerce platforms for charging extra on Cash-on-Delivery (CoD) orders, a “dark pattern” flagged by Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. Platforms like Amazon and Flipkart face scrutiny for hidden fees and unclear pricing. A LocalCircles survey found only 3% of platforms avoid such tactics. Meanwhile, Drishti IAS was fined ₹5 lakh for misleading UPSC ads, adding to ₹90.6 lakh in total penalties.

Google Quantum AI has acquired Atlantic Quantum, an MIT spinout, to advance scalable quantum computing. The deal integrates Atlantic’s modular chip stack to accelerate fault-tolerant systems. CEO Bharath Kannan reflected on startup challenges, while Google sees the move expediting real-world applications. Following its 105-qubit Willow chip, which lowers error rates, Google strengthens its quantum roadmap. Atlantic Quantum previously worked with DARPA, as visions of space-based quantum clusters gain traction.

Neo4j is investing $100 million to drive product innovation and expand support for AI-native startups. The funding backs new solutions like Neo4j Aura Agent and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, simplifying AI agent development. CEO Emil Eifrem emphasized graph technology’s role in agentic systems. With GenAI customers up six-fold and cloud use rising 58%, Neo4j surpassed $200M revenue, supporting 1,000+ startups including Firework and Rivio, alongside new leadership appointments.

Fujitsu and NVIDIA are strengthening their partnership to build a full-stack AI infrastructure, targeting industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and robotics. By integrating FUJITSU-MONAKA CPUs with NVIDIA GPUs through NVLink Fusion, the initiative enhances AI adoption and enterprise competitiveness. Together, they will co-develop AI agent platforms with autonomous learning and digital twins, delivered as NVIDIA NIM microservices. Fujitsu also partners with Cohere, aiming to establish Japan’s AI infrastructure by 2030.

Vani by Zoho transforms team collaboration with its AI-powered visual platform, helping teams visualize, communicate, and execute ideas efficiently. Features like infinite whiteboards, AI mind maps, built-in video meetings, and contextual comments support real-time or asynchronous collaboration. Integrated DB tables, workflows, and third-party tools streamline execution, enabling teams to turn ideas into results across product development, marketing, and more—making Vani essential for modern hybrid work.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that India’s Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) has received INR 1.15 Lakh Cr in investment proposals, doubling its target. Projected production stands at INR 10.34 Lakh Cr with 1.41 Lakh jobs. MSMEs make up 60% of applicants, boosting advanced electronics. ECMS, aiming for a $500 billion ecosystem by FY32, offers incentives tied to turnover, capex, and employment, strengthening India’s electronics output.

Perplexity has released its AI-powered browser Comet for free, directly challenging Google Chrome. Comet lets users complete tasks through natural language commands, boosting engagement after download. While free access has limits, Pro ($20/month) and Max ($200/month) tiers unlock added tools, including Comet Plus. Available on Windows and Mac, Comet also debuts Background Assistants and an Email Assistant (Max plan), enhancing automation and productivity for advanced subscribers.

OpenAI has become the world’s most valuable private startup, overtaking SpaceX with a $500 billion valuation after a $6.6 billion secondary share sale backed by Thrive Capital, SoftBank, and others. CNBC highlighted strong employee confidence and investor demand. The milestone follows a $1.5 billion SoftBank deal last November. Outpacing SpaceX ($456B), ByteDance, and Anthropic, OpenAI continues investing in AI infrastructure with Oracle and SoftBank amid fierce talent competition with Meta.

IBM launched Granite 4.0 on October 2, 2025, an open-source family of LLMs built on a hybrid Mamba/transformer architecture for greater efficiency. With reduced memory needs and lower hardware costs, the models run on affordable GPUs. Released under Apache 2.0 and ISO 42001 certified, Granite 4.0 is available via watsonx.ai and partners. Variants like Granite-4.0-H-Small (32B) rival larger competitors, with testing from EY and Lockheed Martin.

Meta is acquiring Rivos, valued at $2 billion, to boost its AI chip development and reduce reliance on NVIDIA, according to VP Yee Jiun (YJ) Song. The move supports Meta’s MTIA program, with AI-related spending expected to reach $65 billion by 2025, part of a total $114–$119 billion budget. Zuckerberg prioritizes AI to compete with OpenAI and Google, while Meta partners with TSMC for chip manufacturing.

UPI transactions dipped 2.5% to 19.6 billion in September from 20.1 billion in August, though they rose 31% from last year’s 15 billion. Transaction value stayed near ₹24.9 lakh crore, up 21% YoY. Daily volume averaged 654 million. PhonePe and Google Pay led with 915 crore and 706 crore transactions. NPCI plans EMI-on-UPI, while RBI flags long-term sustainability, suggesting minimal charges may be needed.