Tech giants Apple and Samsung have sent legal notices to Xiaomi after the Chinese smartphone maker ran advertisements directly comparing its latest flagship with their premium devices.

According to people familiar with the matter, both companies have issued cease-and-desist notices, objecting to what they see as ‘disparaging content’ in Xiaomi’s campaign.

A cease-and-desist notice is a formal legal document that asks a company to immediately stop a certain activity considered unlawful or damaging.

Job posting activities in India remain 70 per cent above pre-pandemic levels in July, highlighting the resilience of formal hiring despite the slowdown, a report said on Thursday.

High-skilled roles continue to lead the hiring momentum. Over the past three months, job postings for data and analytics grew by 15.4 per cent, followed by logistic support (14.3 per cent), therapy (13.7 per cent), and dental (13.6 per cent), a report from Indeed Hiring Lab said.

According to the report, software development, while not the fastest growing, remained consistent with postings up 9.2 per cent in the last three months.

Meanwhile, the formal job market softened in the month, with job postings on global matching and hiring platform Indeed declining 5.8 per cent after two consecutive months of growth.

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has announced the rollout of its first made-in-India electric vehicle - the e-Vitara SUV - in a major boost to the green segment from its upgraded Gujarat plant, which is now set to become one of the world's largest automotive manufacturing hubs with a projected annual capacity of one million units.

Crucially, this facility will serve as Suzuki's global production base for electric vehicles (EVs), exporting to over 100 countries, including advanced markets in Japan and Europe, which is aligned with India's vision of becoming a global auto manufacturing hub.

Suzuki's decision to double down on India comes as global EV sales slow and competitive pressures rise in established markets, particularly China. For multinational automakers, India's combination of affordability, scale, and rising technological sophistication, ranging from 5G-enabled smart vehicles to indigenous battery manufacturing, offers not just growth potential but an opportunity for leadership in the global value chain, according to an article in India Narrative.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day Japan visit is set to begin, both nations have accelerated trade and economic ties, with over 170 MoUs signed in two years representing more than $13 billion in committed investments.

PM Modi will travel to Japan from August 29-30 to take part in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba.

From steel plants in Gujarat to biogas projects in rural India, from Assam's gateway role to Tokyo's advanced Research and Development labs, from farmers in rural India to AI engineers in Bengaluru and Tokyo, from semiconductor fabs to academic exchanges, the India–Japan MoUs are building the bridge to a new era of cooperation.

The Adani Portfolio EBITDA reached Rs 90,572 crore on a trailing 12-month basis for the first time -- up 10 per cent year-on-year -- with Q1 FY26 EBITDA also reaching a record high at Rs 23,793 crore, the Adani Group said on Thursday.

Core infrastructure businesses (utility, transport, and incubating infra businesses under Adani Enterprises) accounted for 87 per cent of total EBITDA in Q1 FY26.

"Incubating Infra assets (airports, solar and wind manufacturing, and roads) crossed Rs 10,000 crore EBITDA for the first time,” the Adani Group said in a statement.

India's manufacturing sector experienced strong growth in FY24 as Gross Value Added (GVA) increased by 11.89 per cent, up from 7.3 per cent in the previous year, according to data from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) released on Wednesday.

The industrial output of the country rose by 5.80 per cent from April 2023 to March 2024, said the report from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Employment in the manufacturing sector rose by 5.92 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in FY 24, the report said, adding that the manufacturing sector has added over 57 lakh jobs in the last decade. As many as 1,95,89,131 workers were engaged in factory jobs during FY 24.

The top five industries that contributed to GVA growth were basic metals, motor vehicles, chemical products, food products, and pharmaceuticals. Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka led in employment rankings, giving the highest number of factory jobs.

As part of the stepped up drive to push exports amid the US tariff turmoil, India will launch outreach initiatives in 40 countries, with priority markets in Europe such as the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. These efforts will include trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and sector-specific promotional campaigns, according to a senior official.

Other nations include the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Belgium, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

India's merchandise exports are facing pressure amid geopolitical tensions and the 50 per cent punitive hike in US tariffs that kicked in on Wednesday.

The Commerce Ministry is set to hold a series of consultations with exporters this week as part of this renewed push to diversify India's export basket and strengthen its presence in global markets, a senior official confirmed.