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1.Amazon launches 10-minute delivery in Delhi, expands quick commerce play: Bloomberg
Amazon has rolled out its 10-minute delivery service, Amazon Now, in New Delhi—marking a major step forward in its quick commerce ambitions. The launch comes after a successful pilot in three Bengaluru pin codes last month, according to a report by Bloomberg.
With this move, Amazon enters direct competition with India’s leading quick commerce players—Zomato-owned Blinkit, Swiggy’s Instamart, and Zepto—who currently dominate the sub-15-minute delivery market. These platforms offer a wide range of essentials, from groceries and fresh produce to gadgets and cosmetics.
Traditionally known for same-day or next-day deliveries, Amazon’s foray into 10-minute logistics reflects a larger pivot to meet shifting consumer expectations and tap into the growing demand for near-instant service among urban shoppers.
2.India Eyes $18 Billion From New Listings in Second-Half Rebound - Bloomberg
India's primary market is set for a strong rebound after a slow start to the year, with up to $18 billion expected to be raised through initial public offerings in the second half of 2025, according to Jefferies Financial Group.
Among the most anticipated listings is Tata Capital Ltd., which is gearing up for a $2 billion IPO. Other high-profile names in the pipeline include ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co., National Securities Depository Ltd. and LG Electronics India, reflecting a lineup spanning financial services, consumer goods, and capital market infrastructure. In the first half of the year, Indian IPOs raised about $5.3 billion, according to Primedatabase.com.
The surge in offerings puts India’s primary market on course to extend a blockbuster 2024, when companies raised $21 billion through first-time share sales. The rebound is being driven by a buoyant stock market, with the strong debut of HDB Financial Services Ltd. after its $1.5 billion offering — the nation’s largest this year — further boosting risk appetite.
3.Indian-origin billionaires top Forbes list of richest US immigrants: Business Standard
Indian immigrants are driving wealth, innovation, and influence across the United States, says the latest Forbes 2025 list of America’s Richest Immigrants. The report confirms that Indian-origin entrepreneurs and professionals are not just thriving in the US, but significantly enriching its economy.
According to Forbes, India has now overtaken Israel in terms of the number of foreign-born billionaires in the United States, leading with the highest number of billionaires this year. India stands at the top with 12 billionaires, followed by Israel and Taiwan with 11 individuals making the list in 2025.
Full list of Indian-origin billionaires on Forbes 2025
Jay Chaudhry – $17.9B – Security software
Vinod Khosla – $9.2B – Sun Microsystems, venture capital
Rakesh Gangwal – $6.6B – Airline
Romesh T. Wadhwani – $5.0B – Software
Rajiv Jain – $4.8B – Finance
Kavitark Ram Shriram – $3.0B – Google, venture capital
Raj Sardana – $2.0B – Technology services
David Paul – $1.5B – Medical devices
Nikesh Arora – $1.4B – Cybersecurity, SoftBank, Google
Sundar Pichai – $1.1B – Alphabet
Satya Nadella – $1.1B – Microsoft
Neerja Sethi – $1.0B – IT consulting
4.Demat accounts rise by 2.5 million in June, near 200 mn milestone: Business Standard
Domestic markets added 2.5 million new dematerialised (demat) accounts in June. The highest monthly addition since January has taken the total accounts tally within kissing distance of 200 million milestones.
June also marked the second consecutive monthly increase after a steady decline from January to April. This surge brings the total number of demat accounts nationwide to 199.14 million. The demat tally doesn’t represent the unique investor count, which is pegged at 120 million, as an individual is allowed to open multiple demat accounts.
The latest growth in demat accounts coincides with robust equity market performance, with the benchmark Nifty rising 3 per cent in June, while broader markets saw even stronger gains.
5.India tops global fast payments race, UPI processes over 18 billion transactions per month: IMF report: Mint
India now leads the world in fast payments, thanks to the rapid growth of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), while the use of other payment methods like debit and credit cards is falling, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Today, UPI handles over 18 billion transactions every month, making it the most widely used digital payment system in India.
"India now makes faster payments than any other country. At the same time, proxies for cash usage have fallen," the note said.
6.Kenya’s leader ordered police to shoot anti-government demonstrators, as ongoing unrest marks his biggest challenge to date.
“Don’t kill them but ensure their legs are broken,” President William Ruto said, vowing to protect businesses from the ongoing protests. Kenya’s biggest cities have been roiled for days by protesters demonstrating against stagnating growth, soaring inequality, and police brutality.
A police crackdown over the past week has killed dozens, while hundreds have been arrested. The economic conditions in Kenya — youth unemployment stands at 67%— have turned the country into a tinderbox, with some vowing to protest until Ruto is removed from power.
7.Why memento mori is the ultimate life hack: Big Think
Confronting our mortality can help clarify what truly matters beyond superficial achievements.
Memento mori, a reminder that you will die, can motivate us to live more fully.
A memento mori practice can include writing your eulogy, imagining your 90-year-old self’s best life, and considering life from a cosmic perspective.
8.OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome: Reuters and others
OpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The browser is slated to launch in the coming weeks, three of the people said, and aims to use artificial intelligence to fundamentally change how consumers browse the web. It will give OpenAI more direct access to a cornerstone of Google's success: user data.
9.A European defense-tech startup flew an artificial intelligence-piloted fighter jet and said autonomous combat aircraft could be deployed on the continent this decade: Financial Times
Helsing conducted two Saab Gripen missions over the Baltic, each with a human safety pilot as backup. AI pilots can “get to superhuman performance quickly,” a company executive said.
The system gained a million hours’ experience in just three days, 200 times what a human pilot could gain in a lifetime. The world’s militaries are working on “loyal wingman” uncrewed aircraft to accompany piloted planes, and Helsing thinks human pilots will still be important for decades. But humans react slowly, and sometimes pass out or even die during extreme maneuvers, meaning AI will likely replace them in future.
The trend represents “a paradigm shift in air combat worldwide”, according to US Air Force Colonel Kevin Anderson, who wrote about the latest developments in a recent article for the Joint Air Power Competence Centre, a Nato think-tank.
10.Max Changed Back to HBO Max
Warner Bros. Discovery has settled on a date to reskin the Max streamer back to HBO Max. The flip won’t happen simultaneously, but customers will see “HBO Max” on the apps that formerly said “Max” across the streamer’s territories on July 9. The switch back has happened 2 years after the change.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the first series pickup for the newly re-renamed HBO Max, whose changeover from Max went live. The show is another spin-off from The Big Bang Theory.
