1.Divisions aside, Tata Trusts keen to keep Tata Sons private: Mint

Tata Trusts has made it clear it isn’t budging on its decision to keep Tata Sons private. This comes as the debt-laden Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group publicly demanded a listing to sell its 18.37% stake and ease its financial strain.

Trustees told Mint that an IPO would weaken the Trusts’ control over Tata Sons, India’s largest conglomerate with a $300-billion valuation, by diluting voting rights and limiting influence on key decisions. Tata Trusts, which owns nearly two-thirds of the company, said it remains open to giving the SP Group an orderly exit, but only on mutually acceptable terms.

The SP Group, invoking founder Jamsetji Tata’s legacy, called a public listing a “moral and social imperative” that would unlock value for shareholders. But legal experts note the group had already agreed to Tata Trusts’ buyout rights under Tata Sons’ Articles of Association, making its IPO demand more symbolic than practical.

However, according to Economic Times, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran will continue at the group for another five years. ET has reported that based on information from sources that the Tata Trusts have approved a third executive term for Chandrasekaran, in the first ever departure from the Tata Group's retirement policy. Chandrasekaran will be 65 when he ends his second term in February 2027. Under group rules, executives are expected to step down from such roles at 65 although they can remain in non-executive capacities until 70. A source told ET that the Trusts' resolution was sent to Tata Sons, which will decide the matter.

2.India's retail inflation slows to eight-year low: Reuters

India's annual retail inflation slowed to 1.54% in September, an eight-year low, government data showed on Monday, leaving room for the central bank to cut rates one more time.

It was 2.07% in August, and below a Reuters poll of 1.7%.The figure has also dropped below the Reserve Bank of India's 2%-6% tolerance band for a second time in three months. It had eased below 2% in July.

3.EQT scraps Zelestra India sale, brings in O2's Parag Sharma to lead $600 mn push: Mint

European alternative asset manager EQT has dropped the plan to sell renewable developer Zelestra’s India operations and instead transferred it to its Asia Pacific infrastructure team headed by Hong Kong-based partner Ken Wong.

EQT will also invest around $600 million to develop the portfolio and has brought in Parag Sharma, former chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of EQT—and Temasek-backed O2 Power, to head the company, replacing incumbent CEO Sajay K.V., said four people aware of the development.

The new plan is to carve out Zelestra India as a separate company and build it on similar lines as O2 Power, which was sold to JSW Neo Energy in December last year for an enterprise value of $1.47 billion.

4.Foxconn to invest ₹15,000 cr in Tamil Nadu, create 14,000 engineering jobs: Business Standard

The world’s largest electronics contract manufacturing firm, Foxconn Group, will invest around ₹15,000 crore in Tamil Nadu and create 14,000 high-value engineering jobs as part of its next phase of expansion in the state, state industries minister TRB Rajaa said on Monday. The new investments will primarily focus on artificial intelligence-led advanced tech operations, value-added manufacturing, and research and development integration.

A source confirmed that the investment will be made at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu.

A delegation of top Foxconn officials met Chief Minister M K Stalin in Chennai and announced the establishment of the first-ever “Foxconn Desk” in India at Guidance Tamil Nadu — the state’s nodal agency for investment promotion. The desk will help ensure faster coordination, investor facilitation, and mission-mode engagement across projects.

5.Hamas releases all 20 living hostages: Financial Times and others

Hamas handed over all 20 living Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire deal, as US President Donald Trump arrived in the Middle East in a bid to strengthen a fledgling truce. News of the hostage release was met by scenes of jubilation in Israel, which was to release Palestinian prisoners Monday. Analysts are skeptical over whether the peace agreement — which calls for a full disarmament of Hamas, among other vexing issues — will be fully implemented, but its initial phase looked to be unfolding as hoped. The exchange came ahead of an address by Trump to Israel’s parliament that was under way as Flagship hit your inboxes. The American leader wrote in the Knesset’s guest book: “A new beginning “.

6.Afghanistan-Pakistan Clashes

The Taliban say they captured 25 Pakistani army posts Saturday night. The group also claimed responsibility for killing 58 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 30 others, calling the attacks a response to Pakistani military operations in Afghanistan.

The Taliban blame Pakistan for two nonlethal bombings Thursday: one in Afghanistan's capital and a market blast in the eastern province of Paktika. Pakistan has not acknowledged carrying out the strikes, but has previously conducted military operations in Afghanistan targeting militants of the banned Pakistan Taliban group. Following the Taliban’s announcement yesterday, Pakistan said it destroyed Afghan checkpoints and killed 200 Taliban and affiliated militants. The claim could not be independently verified as of this writing.

The cross-border attacks come months after a separate May 2025 border conflict between India and Pakistan that killed dozens of people.

7.Chaos looms over EU entry points as new border checks take effect: Politico and others

The European Union began implementing its new border screening process yesterday. The updated protocol involves taking non-EU passengers’ photographs and fingerprints upon arrival, and will replace manually stamping passports beginning April 10.

Twenty-nine countries are adopting the new system: most Schengen area countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The process involves passengers using a kiosk to register biometric information (children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting). The data will be kept for three years by default and can be shared with other countries or international organizations under certain conditions. Passengers who refuse to participate will be denied entry.

Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic have begun applying the new system to all passengers, with other countries updating their protocols in a phased process.

8.Three Share Nobel in Economics for Work on How Technology Drives Growth: New York Times and others

The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded on Monday to Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University, Philippe Aghion of INSEAD and the London School of Economics and Peter Howitt of Brown University for their work on how innovation drives economic growth.

The three economists shared the prize for research that explains the relationship between technological progress and sustained economic growth that has improved living standards, health and quality of life for people around the world. The prize committee said that their work would help ensure that growth was maintained and could be steered in the direction to support humankind.

For most of human history, there was very little economic growth, John Hassler, the chair of the prize committee, said in a ceremony announcing the award. Despite important discoveries that improved living conditions, growth leveled off. But over the past two centuries, that changed. “Sustained economic growth, driven by a continuous stream of technological innovations and improvements, has replaced stagnation,” Mr. Hassler said.

Mr. Mokyr was awarded half the prize for his work in explaining how sustained growth became the norm.

9.Inside Apple’s Pivot From a ‘Vision Air’ Headset to Meta-Like Smart Glasses: Mark Gurman in Bloomberg

Apple Inc. may be one of the world’s richest companies, with tens of thousands of engineers, unmatched manufacturing capabilities and more cash than it knows what to do with. But even Apple doesn’t do everything at once.

That helps explain why the company is scaling back plans for a cheaper and lighter Vision headset to focus instead on smart glasses — a move that’s left some observers puzzled. How could a company with Apple’s vast resources struggle to develop both a mixed-reality headset and next-generation glasses, especially when rivals like Meta Platforms Inc. manage to do so?

The answer lies in Apple’s DNA. Despite its immense wealth, Apple is disciplined and selective — even frugal. It doesn’t invest heavily in products that lack the potential to become mainstream hits.

The shift to glasses suggests Apple no longer views the Vision Pro approach — a fully enclosed headset — as a viable mass-market platform, at least not anytime soon. The company doesn’t chase niche markets. Its biggest successes — the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and AirPods — sell in the tens or hundreds of millions of units.

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