As the unemployment rate falls in the US but hiring slows down as Federal Reserve gears up for a rate cut this month, the developments are likely to push foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) increase their investments in India, market experts said on Saturday.

Early September witnessed buying by FPIs mainly due to the resilience of the Indian market.

FPIs invested Rs 9,642 crore in equity through the exchanges and Rs 1,388 crore through the ‘primary market and others’ category till September 6.

According to Sunil Damania, Chief Investment Officer, MojoPMS, flows from FPIs are influenced by a complex interplay of factors beyond bond inclusion.

The Indian startup ecosystem raised more than $348 million in funding this week, as the growth momentum for the industry continued for a second consecutive week.

The Indian startups collectively secured $348 million across 19 deals this week, compared to $466 million raised by 16 startups in the previous week.

The week was led by ride-sharing platform Rapido which raised $200 million in its Series E funding, taking its valuation to over $1.1 billion. The funding round was led by WestBridge Capital. The company said it will use funds to expanding its operations across India and scaling its technology platform to enhance service delivery.

Rapido plans to grow its operations across all categories, including bike-taxis, three-wheelers, and taxi-cabs.

The advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery and associated components manufacturing sector in India is likely to attract a cumulative investment of $9 billion (Rs 7.5 lakh crore) in next 5 years, according to latest industry data.

The ACC manufacturing industry has the potential to create 50,000 direct jobs during this period, according to the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).

The IESA has been seeking parity of policy between ACC-PLI bid winners and non-PLI companies for issuing business visas to foreign experts for the installation and commissioning of ACC factories in India.

The soon-to-be-launched Apple Watch Series 10 is likely to feature an upgraded ECG sensor that can help detect sleep apnoea, according to media reports.

Sleep apnoea is a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. People suffering from the condition repeatedly take pauses in breathing, as well as snort and gasp -- all while in sleep. This lowers blood oxygen levels, making the condition potentially fatal.

The reports noted that using the sleep tracking feature, the new Apple Watch Series 10 will be able to detect sleep apnoea in users. It can then alert the user and recommend further tests.

Other key health features include a change in the processing of the health data collected by these sensors.

Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Ltd (TNGECL) will serve as the nodal agency for implementing the new small hydel power projects of the state government.

As per the new small hydel power project policy of the government small units of 5 MW each can be developed which can lead to an increase in energy production in the state.

This will lead to minimal environmental impact while providing a reliable and sustainable energy source for the state and will support private developers to establish small hydel projects.

An official said that this would lead to attracting private sector participation through incentives and supportive measures, driving the growth of small hydel infrastructure in the state.

Meta has announced plans to allow third-party services in WhatsApp and Messenger for users in the European Union, who will soon be able to put messages in the same inbox as third-party chats or keep them separate.

Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta is making major changes to WhatsApp and Messenger to enable interoperability with third-party messaging services.

“We’ll continue to build new features including expanding to groups in 2025 and calling in the 2027,” said the company.

As required by the DMA, people using WhatsApp and Messenger in Europe have the option to connect with people using third-party messaging services that have chosen to make their apps interoperable.

Grappling with several issues, Byju’s has found itself in new controversy as its auditor BDO resigned with immediate effect, highlighting multiple issues with the embattled edtech firm, including significant delays in financial reporting and inadequate management support.

Last year, Byju’s previous auditor Deloitte resigned, citing governance issues at the company.

In the resignation letter, BDO subsidiary MSKA said that there has been “inadequate support from the management of the Company in providing us the books of account, information and explanations sought by us and sufficient appropriate audit evidence to enable us to complete the audit for the Financial Year 2022-23.”

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday imposed monetary penalties on Godrej Housing Finance Ltd, Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd, and Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd over non-compliance.

The central bank imposed a fine of Rs five lakh each on Godrej Housing Finance and Aadhar Housing Finance, and Rs 3.5 lakh on Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

The penalties have been imposed in the exercise of powers conferred on the RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

The statutory inspection of the Godrej Housing Finance was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as of March 31, 2022.

The Centre on Friday made the Digi Yatra facility available at nine more airports in the country, taking the total to 24 airports where the digital platform has simplified the cumbersome task of managing multiple documents for millions.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport and virtually launched the facility for eight other airports at Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Patna, Raipur and Bhubaneshwar.

Aviation Minister highlighted how Digi Yatra simplifies the process by managing boarding passes, ID proofs and luggage tags while navigating the airport crowd.

“The airport entry time for a passenger has reduced from an average 15 seconds in manual process to 5 seconds. Over 55 lakh users have already downloaded the app, and more than three crore passengers have used Digi Yatra to travel,” Minister Naidu informed.

IPO-bound food delivery platform Swiggy has disclosed that a former junior employee allegedly embezzled more than Rs 33 crore over a period of time from one of its subsidiaries.

As per reports, the Zomato rival initiated a probe with an external team and has filed a legal complaint against the individual whose name was withheld in its annual report for the financial year 2023-24.

“The Group, during the current year, identified embezzlement of funds in one of the subsidiaries by a former junior employee amounting to INR 326.76 Mn over the past periods.,”