5, Dec 2025
WeSchool to Host 8th Smart India Hackathon Grand Finale in December 2025
Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai, WeSchool, is proud to announce its commitment to host the 8th edition of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) National Level Grand Finale on December Monday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 9, 2025. We have been hosting the grand finale of SIH since its inception in 2017, and this year marks our eighth consecutive participation in this prestigious event
Ministry of Education and AICTE, guided by none other than PMO- with PM Shri Narendra Modi as the chief patron- steer the event. Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is a flagship national initiative that empowers students to tackle real-life challenges through innovation and problem-solving. Designed to cultivate a culture of creativity and practical thinking, SIH offers a dynamic platform for students to ideate, develop, and present solutions to pressing issues faced in everyday life. By fostering critical and innovative thinking, the hackathon helps bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application.
There are 80 hardware and 191 software problem statements currently listed for SIH 2025. Over time, the hackathon has involved 6,497 institutes across India. The 2024 edition seems to be the largest ever so far, with a sharp jump in internal hackathons, high institute-level engagement (86,000 teams), and large national-round turnout (49,000 teams). This year, the SIH promises to be more grand with the sharpest, brightest young minds coming together.
The themes cover crucial areas such as Healthcare, Sustainability, and Emerging Technologies, aligning perfectly with national priorities. WeSchool is committed to providing a platform for students to innovate and contribute to the nation’s growth. This year, we are hosting close to 100 participants working on Problem statements with respect to problems faced by citizens, such as traffic, women’s safety, to name a few. Through collaboration and creative problem-solving, we aim to empower the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
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- By Neel Achary
5, Dec 2025
Renault Launches ‘Discovery Days’ for New Triber & Kiger Test Drives
Mumbai, Dec 5: Renault India, the wholly owned subsidiary of French automaker Renault Group, today announced the nationwide rollout of its flagship customer campaign ‘Discovery Days’.
Scheduled from December 10 to December 22, 2025, the initiative invites customers to discover Renault’s new lineup, including the new Triber and new Kiger, through a series of engaging experiences at dealerships across the country.
Discovery Days has been designed as an opportunity for customers to interact with Renault’s cars in a festive, carnival‑like setting. Over two consecutive weekends, dealerships will host themed activites, immersive brand experiences, and personalized interactions, creating a welcoming environment for exploration and engagement.
To make the campaign lucrative car buyers can also get the following benefits:
- 0% Rate of Interest / Interest free financing on all models
- 50% waiver on processing fees
o Exchange benefits of up to INR 35,000 over and above the old car value
o Cash Benefits of up to INR 25,000 on new cars
Venkatram Mamillapalle, Managing Director of Renault India, said: “At Renault, our priority is to create meaningful experiences for our customers. ‘Discovery Days’ is not just about offers but about giving people the chance to explore the new Kiger and new Triber in a celebratory atmosphere. By combining engaging showroom activities with exclusive advantages, we aim to make every visit memorable and enjoyable.”
With the introduction of the new Kiger and new Triber, supported by GST benefits, Renault India has seen strong growth, with sales rising by 21% in October and 30% in November 2025 year on year.
5, Dec 2025
RBI Cut Sets Stage for Lower Yields, Stronger Growth
By – Amit Somani, Deputy Head – Fixed Income, Tata Asset Management.
RBI delivered a 25bps policy rate cut and kept the stance as Neutral. One member, Prof. Ram Singh, was in favor of changing the monetary policy stance from Neutral to Accommodative. FY26 CPI Inflation outlook has been further revised down and is now projected to be at 2.0% from 2.6% in earlier policy. GDP Forecast for FY26 has been revised upwards to 7.3% from 6.8% earlier.
CPI Inflation has been coming lower than the Market as well as RBI’s estimates throughout the year and is now estimated to reach the lower bound of target range for this fiscal. Current downward revision is attributable to higher Kharif production, healthy Rabi sowing, adequate reservoir levels creating favorable prospects for food prices. GDP growth outlook, on the other hand, has been further revised higher on account of agricultural prospects, continued impact of GST rationalization, benign Inflation and congenial monetary and financial conditions.
With inflation outlook firmly under control and Fiscal consolidation continuing, we believe Monetary policy will continue to remain in Growth supportive mode over foreseeable future. In this regard, RBI announced immediate measures to improve Liquidity conditions while also supporting liquidity on an ongoing basis. This includes USD 5 BN Buy/Sell Swap for 3 years and Rs.1,00,000 crore of OMOs in December month itself. We expect such measures will continue in the seasonally busy last quarter of the year.
We feel Growth supportive Monetary Policy, to have favorable ground for short-term as well as long-term yields. RBI assured keeping banking system liquidity in sufficiently positive zone. Further Liquidity operations will be conducted in a way that will keep overnight rate closer to the policy rate. We expect 10-yr G-sec to trade in 6.30% – 6.50% range and drift lower as OMO measure unfolds. Short-term yields are likely to come down on account of a rate cut; however, advance tax outflows should keep 1-year CDs in 6.40%-6.50% range.
5, Dec 2025
Empowering Students with Future-Ready Education, My School My Startup Bus Inauguration at DAV Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Dec 5: DAV Bilaspur marked a significant step toward innovation-driven education with the inauguration of the MSMS (My School My Startup) Future-Ready Education Bus on 1st December 2025. The initiative, sponsored by SECL and powered by Codevidhya, was unveiled in the presence of an esteemed panel of dignitaries: Chief Guest Shri Biranchi Das, Director (Personnel), SECL, Guest of Honour Shri Shyamlal Rao, GM (Welfare), SECL, Shri Vivek Singh, Personnel Manager, SECL, and Shri K. Parthipan, Principal, DAV Bilaspur.
The MSMS Education Bus, conceptualised as a handy mobile learning van, is designed to provide students with transformative, skill-based digital education, aligning directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a Viksit Bharat powered by technology, innovation, and youth empowerment. PM Modi has repeatedly emphasised the importance of equipping the next generation with future-ready skills such as digital literacy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The MSMS initiative brings this vision to life by enabling students to learn, explore, and build their ideas within a modern, mobile innovation environment.
Supported by SECL’s educational CSR initiatives, the project aims to strengthen the region’s academic ecosystem by making modern learning more inclusive and accessible. With Codevidhya as the knowledge and technology partner, the MSMS model integrates coding, computational thinking, AI readiness, and innovation-based education into everyday learning.
The inauguration at DAV Bilaspur signifies a step forward in integrating mobile innovation labs within schools, ensuring that students receive exposure to emerging technologies at an early age. This move supports the goals of the NEP 2020 by encouraging experiential and hands-on learning.
In line with PM Modi’s vision of Digital India, Skill India, and Viksit Bharat@2047, this mobile education bus stands as a transformative step toward nurturing a generation that is technologically empowered, future-ready, and globally competitive.
Following the launch, students toured the MSMS Bus and participated in interactive demonstrations, experiencing firsthand the tools and modules included in the van. The initiative has been well-received by the school community for making advanced learning accessible while inspiring students to explore technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
This launch stands as a strong reflection of collaborative efforts toward building a progressive education ecosystem aligned with India’s growth vision.
5, Dec 2025
LG to Showcase “Innovation in Tune With You” at CES 2026
SEOUL, Dec 5: LG Electronics (LG) invites global audiences to join the LG World Premiere press conference on January 5 at 08:00 (PST) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Under the banner of its CES 2026 theme, “Innovation in Tune With You,” LG will share its vision for elevating daily life through Affectionate Intelligence – delivering harmonized and seamlessly connected customer experiences.
With global media in attendance, LG will unveil a portfolio of AI-powered solutions that combine world-class devices and solutions with advanced AI core technologies. LG is evolving its products into intelligent solutions designed to expand meaningful connectivity between devices, people and spaces. This evolution extends from the home to mobility and urban environments, enabling a more seamless and elevated life journey.
The groundbreaking products revealed and demonstrated during LG World Premiere will be on show throughout CES 2026 at LG’s booth. Along with the latest products and solutions from LG, visitors will be able to explore and enjoy a variety of unique, AI-fueled innovation experiences and immersive, interactive installations aligned with the company’s customer-centered vision and exhibition theme.
5, Dec 2025
RBI’s 25bps Cut Boosts Luxury Homebuyer Confidence, Mumbai Market Gains: CCI Projects
By:- Mr. Rohan Khatau, Director, CCI Projects pvt. ltd on RBI MPC repo rate cut announcement.
“The steady increase in demand for luxury homes indicates clearly the buyer’s preference for the premium category, as a sizeable portion of sales is concentrated in the ₹1 crore-and-above price category. The 25 bps cut in the repo rate by the MPC to 5.25% comes at a very opportune time and will add to buyer confidence-especially for the luxury and upper-mid categories. This sentiment is also reinforced by India’s robust economic growth, which reached a six-quarter high of 8.2% in Q2. Integrated townships are attracting greater interest as homebuyers look increasingly toward self-sufficient, amenity forward communities assuring convenience, lifestyle upgradations, and long-term value. In Mumbai, this trend is growing exponentially, and with easier lending norms, this momentum in the premium and township-led housing market of the city is sure to gain further steam.”
5, Dec 2025
Edvoy Launches Full-Stack Study Abroad App for Seamless Admissions
Edvoy’s Latest Full-Stack Study Abroad App Unifies the End-to-End Admissions Journey for International students
Edvoy has launched a fully integrated app that replaces the traditional agent-driven and paperwork-heavy admissions process with a single digital workflow. Built for scale, the platform unifies course search, documentation, counselling, accommodation and education finance, creating a category that did not exist until now.
The launch arrives at a critical moment where more than 1.8 million Indian students are preparing to move overseas in 2025, yet most still navigate their journey through scattered agents, WhatsApp threads, bank portals and manually uploaded documents that increasingly fail compliance checks. Edvoy’s app consolidates the entire journey in one place, supported by multi-stage verification, real-time tracking and access to more than 75,000+ courses across 750+ universities.
The product is shaped by the experience of Edvoy’s Founder and CEO, Sadiq Basha, who grew up in Chennai before moving to the United Kingdom as a first-generation international student.
His experience was shaped not by administrative gaps, but by being mis-sold a university place, an issue he later discovered was common among international students. In resolving his own situation and supporting others, he recognised the need for a solution grounded in integrity and transparency. This became the foundation of Edvoy, a platform designed to simplify the application journey and provide students with clear, trustworthy guidance at every stage.
Speaking about the launch, Sadiq Basha said,
“I have lived the challenges of studying abroad and know how stressful and confusing the journey can be. International education unlocks opportunities, but the process leading up to it should not feel overwhelming. We built this app to bring everything into one place and to guide students with clarity, transparency and faster responses. Our aim is to make studying abroad simpler and more accessible for every learner.”
Despite rapid growth in student mobility, the current study abroad process remains fractured. Students often move between agents, email threads, WhatsApp messages, bank portals and university websites. The Edvoy app replaces this patchwork with a single interface where students can explore more than 75,000 courses across 750 institutions, compare programmes and complete a 100 per cent paperless document upload.
All submitted documents undergo Edvoy’s multi-stage compliance review. The workflow detects fraudulent activity and prepares students for CAS and integrity checks, which are now mandatory in major destinations. Students can track the status of their applications in real time, reducing uncertainty and ensuring transparency at every stage.
A standout feature of the app is Genie, Edvoy’s AI course matching tool. Genie analyses academic history, English language scores, study gaps, budget and regional rules, then categorises results into three tiers and provides a predictive score for admission likelihood. This helps students identify realistic options within seconds and understand how their profile aligns with institutional requirements.
The app also offers Express Offers for decisions from select institutions within 24 hours. Students can access one-to-one expert counselling, chat instantly with advisors or book video sessions in under a minute. Continuous guidance is available throughout the application, financial and accommodation stages.
To simplify financial planning, the platform supports secure deposit and application fee payments. Students can compare education loans from more than 15 banks and NBFCs, check eligibility instantly and complete the application fully online. Approvals can be obtained in as little as three days.
For accommodation, the app provides access to verified properties across more than 700 university cities. Students can compare options and pre-book their stay directly through the platform.
The new app serves as a single destination for the entire international admissions lifecycle, covering course search, documentation, counselling, financial planning and housing. It also includes a referral programme that rewards users with GBP 250 for every successful enrolment from their referral.
The Edvoy app is now available for download on Google Play and Apple Store. Students, parents and counselors can access the full suite of study abroad tools by installing the application today.
5, Dec 2025
Rate Easing in Line With Projections; One Final 25 bps Cut Still Possible
By – Mr. Vikram Chhabra, Senior Economist, 360 ONE Asset
The RBI’s decision to cut the repo rate by 25 bps is broadly in line with our expectations. Inflation has consistently printed below the RBI’s projections, indicating that there was adequate room for policy easing. Although GDP growth has been higher than the RBI’s forecasts, it is expected to moderate to 6.5-7 per cent in the coming quarters. This still leaves room for pursuing a higher and, as the Governor has previously described, more aspirational growth trajectory.
That said, we believe the rate-cut cycle is now nearing its end. If the growth and inflation dynamics remain supportive, there may still be room for one more 25 bps cut in this cycle, but that would likely mark the end of this cycle. In addition, we expect the RBI to maintain a comfortable liquidity surplus to ensure swift transmission to the deposit and credit markets, and to deploy further OMO purchase auctions or FX swaps if required.
5, Dec 2025
RBI’s 25 bps Rate Cut Strengthens Liquidity for NBFCs, Boosts Microfinance Access & Credit Expansion
By,Mr. Rohit Garg, CEO, Olyv
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.25% with immediate effect is a welcome move in monetary policy at a time when the economy is doing well and inflation is under control. GDP growth accelerated to 8.3% because of strong spending during the festival, reduction in GST rates, changes in Income Tax limits, good monsoon etc. The steps taken by RBI to provide sufficient liquidity will help to provide credit at competitive rates.
In the Microfinance Industry, risk based pricing has been introduced after revised Regulations. The Microfinance borrowers having good Credit Bureau score and clean repayment track record have started getting the benefit of lower interest rates. This has also helped to send the message to the borrowers that they should keep their Credit Bureau score protected by repaying the loans on time. The reduction in RBI policy rate will help these borrowers with further reduction in interest rate. The reduced cost of funds will also help us in providing affordable credit to our SME customers and Housing Finance borrowers.
The lower borrowing cost combined with improved access to credit will help to support a strong general consumer sentiment. The RBI has set the stage for continued credit expansion over time, allowing for sustained economic growth and allowing lenders to have confidence in planning for the future. As a result of this monetary policy change, lower EMIs can be expected in the near future as lenders begin to transmit the benefit of reduced borrowing costs to their customers. Today’s actions will provide an opportunity for the broader economy to experience an infusion of credit without compromising its overall stability.
5, Dec 2025
RBI Cuts Repo Rate by 25bps, PHDCCI Sees Boost for Growth and Domestic Production
RBI Policy repo rate reduced by 25BPS; will strengthen India’s growth trajectory and domestic production: PHDCCI
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25BPS to 5.25% and continue with the neutral stance. This decision was made on the back of robust growth (real GDP growth at 8.2% Q2 FY 2026), buoyed by strong spending during the festive season, rationalisation of the goods and services tax (GST) rates, softer crude oil prices, and benign inflation (headline inflation at 0.3% in October 2025), to support the growth momentum” said Mr. Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI.
Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands at 5% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate at 5.50%.
Moreover, enhanced consolidation of the banking system, strengthened regulatory framework and healthy investment activity, especially of the private sector, have contributed to economy’s enhanced resilience, he added.
However, evolving geopolitical conditions, divergent inflation paths and trade environments globally, continue to weigh on the outlook, he said.
In its announcement today, the MPC decided to conduct Open Market Operation purchases of government securities of ₹1,00,000 crore and a 3-year USD/INR Buy Sell swap of USD 5 billion this month in view of the evolving liquidity conditions and outlook. These measures will ensure adequate durable liquidity in the system and further facilitate monetary transmission, said Mr. Juneja.
“It is worth noting that, although high-frequency indicators suggest that domestic economic activity is holding up in Q3 FY 2026, but there are some emerging signs of weakness in few leading indicators. PMI Manufacturing has moderated to a 9-month low of 56.6 in November 2025, accompanied with moderated growth of Index of Industrial production at 0.4% in October 2025 from 4.6% in September 2025,” said Mr Juneja.
Merchandise exports face some headwinds as they declined sharply in October amid subdued external demand, accompanied by softer services exports, he said.
Overall, India’s external sector remains resilient, as on November 28, 2025, India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at US$ 686.2 billion, providing a robust import cover of more than 11 months, he added.
The MPC projected real GDP growth at 7.3%, with CPI inflation at 2% for 2025-26. The underlying inflation pressures are even lower as the impact of increase in price of precious metals is about 50 bps, said Mr. Juneja.
“We appreciate RBI’s focus on improving customer services and their proposal to hold a two-month campaign from 1st January next year with an aim to resolve all grievances pending for more than a month with the RBI Ombudsman. This will further boost ease of doing business and reduce the cost of doing business,” said Mr Juneja.
The RBI’s commitment to remain proactive, objective and consistent amidst the downside risk of softening growth and external uncertainties despite, underlying inflation pressures staying lower, and upside potential of speedy conclusion of various ongoing trade and investment negotiations, is instilling confidence among industry, says CEO and Secretary General, PHDCCI, Dr. Ranjeet Mehta
