25, Mar 2026
AceCloud Launches Cost-Efficient GPU Spot Instances for AI Workloads
Gurugram, Mar 25: AceCloud (a brand of RTDS), a leading provider of cloud computing solutions to global organizations across industries, today announced the launch of GPU Spot Instances on its cloud platform vailable across AceCloud regions in India and the United States. This new offering enables customers to access high-performance GPU computing at significantly reduced costs, making advanced AI and machine learning workloads more accessible and economical.
GPU Spot Instances provide customers with a flexible and cost-effective way to leverage GPUs for workloads that can tolerate interruptions. By availing GPUs through Spot Instances, customers can get cost savings of up to 50% compared to standard on-demand GPU pricing, without compromising performance.
GPU Spot Instance prices will be accessible to customers via a live pricing graph on AceCloud’s website. The graph will showcase real-time prices based on various parameters such as time of the day/week, instance type, current demand, etc. Customers can use this tool to monitor pricing trends and make informed decisions about when and how to use GPU Spot Instances to get the best possible value. By leveraging this dynamic pricing model, users can significantly reduce their operational costs, particularly for non-critical AI tasks or those that can be scheduled for off-peak periods.
Speaking about the launch, Mr. Vinay Chhabra, Co-Founder & Managing Director, AceCloud, a brand of Real Time Data Services, said, “As AI and high-performance computing adoption accelerates, organizations are looking for ways to scale GPU-intensive workloads without significantly increasing costs. With the introduction of GPU Spot Instances, we are extending the benefits of flexible GPU pricing, enabling customers to optimize spend while continuing to innovate. This offering is particularly well suited for checkpointing batch and other workloads where flexibility and cost efficiency are key considerations.”
Ideal for AI and machine learning workloads such as model training, fine-tuning, inference benchmarking and experimentation, data analytics and rendering, customers can avail GPU Spot Instances directly through the AceCloud’s console while launching new GPU resources. They also benefit from AceCloud’s round-the-clock technical support and tools designed to monitor usage, manage capacity and minimize the impact of potential interruptions.
In addition to cost savings, GPU Spot Instances provide businesses and startups with greater flexibility to scale their resources based on evolving workload requirements. By combining GPU Spot Instances with on-demand GPU instances, customers can balance performance, availability and cost, enabling them to respond quickly to changing demands without overcommitting resources. This adaptable approach ensures organizations have access to the GPUs they need, while maintaining control over cloud spend.
- 0
- By Neel Achary
25, Mar 2026
Study shows Hong Kong insurers are leading the region in investment risk appetite, and betting on technology to deliver it
Mar 25: More than nine out of 10 (92%) of insurers in Hong Kong plan to boost risk profiles over the next two years and are turning to automation and advanced technology to manage the consequence, new research from Clearwater Analytics, the most comprehensive technology platform for investment management, shows (please see the attached press release).
Its study with insurance asset management executives at Hong Kong firms with total assets under management of $1.31 trillion found that 52% said the risk profile of their investments had increased over the past two years. By comparison, in Singapore the research found 84% said risk profiles had increased in the past two years.
Automation was identified as the key method for managing risk, well ahead of measures such as increased regulation and stricter capital controls.
The regulatory environment is a key catalyst for that technology investment. When asked to identify the main drivers of increased technology spending on asset liability management, insurers point to regulatory demands, including heightened requirements for stress testing, solvency reporting, and risk disclosures.
The specific asset class driving Hong Kong’s risk escalation is unmistakable. A striking 80% of Hong Kong insurers expect private equity and venture capital risk/reward levels to increase significantly over the next 12 months — far ahead of any other asset class and the highest such expectation recorded across the three markets surveyed. It is this pursuit of private market returns that is pushing risk profiles higher and demanding better technology to match.
25, Mar 2026
Aditya Rikhari, Kutle Khan and Ravator Set the Tone for Coke Studio Bharat Season 4 with Ae Ajnabee
Mar 25: Coke Studio Bharat, the platform celebrating India’s diverse musical heritage, kicks off Season 4 with its first track, Ae Ajnabee, a song about the one feeling that never goes out of style: longing. Featuring the warm, effortless charm of Aditya Rikhari alongside the evocative artistry of folk maestro Kutle Khan and Ravator’s production, the track is a conversation between eras, between the love that was written in letters and the love that lives in unsent messages.
Ae Ajnabee explores the simple yet universal truth, that while the language of love has changed, the ache beneath it remains the same. From the quiet of stolen glances and handwritten poetry to the restlessness of late-night texts and almost-confessions, the song traces longing across time without choosing sides. It doesn’t romanticize the past or rush toward the present, it lets both coexist, breath by breath.
Musically, the track mirrors this emotional bridge. Folk-rooted melody and contemporary pop find each other naturally here, shaping a track that carries tradition while breathing in the present. Rikhari anchors the song in the relatable and the real, while Kutle Khan brings a local depth and soulfulness that feels as old as longing itself. Ravator ties these worlds together, giving the track a finish that feels new, while keeping everything that matters intact. The result is a song that sits comfortably with someone who grew up on soulful melodies and someone discovering love for the very first time.
Shantanu Gangane, IMX (Integrated Marketing Experience) Lead, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said,
“Indian music today is not confined to one lane. Listeners move between folk, indie, electronic and many more genres. With Ae Ajnabee, Coke Studio Bharat bridges generations, cultures and sonics.
We are excited to have opened the season with the extremely talented teen heartthrob Aditya Rikhari whose fandom combined with folk maestro Kutle Khan’s roots celebrates the very core of Coke Studio Bharat. DJ Ravator has done an amazing job at bringing these 2 diverse worlds into one melting pot that marks the start of Coke Studio Bharat 4.”
Aditya Rikhari said, “Ae Ajnabee captures a feeling many of us have experienced. Wanting someone, missing someone, and not always having the words for it. What stands out to me is that the song doesn’t try to over-explain that emotion; it simply allows it to exist. Coke Studio Bharat gave us the space to approach it honestly and believe that truth is what listeners will respond to.”
Kutle Khan said, “Folk music has always carried the history of longing, it is built from it. With Ae Ajnabee, we weren’t trying to recreate something old, we were letting something old speak in a new voice. That, to me, is what music should do, and Coke Studio Bharat created a space where that conversation is possible.”
Ravator said, “This song felt very instinctive from the start. For me, the approach to production was simple. Protect the emotion at the centre of the track. Aditya and Kutle Khan brought so much feeling to it that I just followed that energy. It was about listening carefully and building around what was already there.”
In opening with Ae Ajnabee, Season 4 reminds listeners that while sounds evolve, emotions endure. The journey ahead continues to explore those shared truths through voices that define today and traditions that shaped yesterday.
25, Mar 2026
Greenply Speciality Panels Private Limited Breaks Ground for Second MDF Line at Vadodara Plant
Mumbai, Mar 25: Greenply Speciality Panels Private Limited, wholly owned subsidiary of Greenply Industries Ltd. one of India’s leading interior infrastructure companies, today announced the groundbreaking of its second Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) production line at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. The expansion marks a significant step in the company’s growth journey, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening domestic manufacturing and addressing the rapidly growing demand for MDF across India.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Mr. Rajesh Mittal, Chairman & Managing Director and Mr. Sanidhya Mittal, Joint Managing Director along with over thirty-five dealers and channel partners from across the region who joined the leadership team to commemorate this important milestone.
The second MDF line at the Vadodara facility represents an investment of ₹425 crore and is expected to become operational by Q2 FY2028. The expansion is set to generate substantial employment opportunities across the value chain, supporting livelihoods and contributing to regional economic growth. Once commissioned, the new line will significantly enhance the company’s production capacity, enabling Greenply to better serve rising market demand while further strengthening its leadership position in the MDF category.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajesh Mittal, Chairman & Managing Director, Greenply Industries Ltd., said, “The groundbreaking of our second MDF line at Vadodara reflects Greenply’s continued commitment to strengthening India’s manufacturing capabilities and supporting the evolving needs of the interior infrastructure sector. As demand for MDF products continues to grow across residential, commercial, and modular furniture segments, this expansion will enable us to scale our operations while maintaining our strong focus on efficiency, quality, and long-term value creation for our partners and customers.”
With this expansion, Greenply continues to strengthen its manufacturing footprint through strategic investments that enhance operational capabilities and future readiness. The Vadodara expansion aligns with the company’s long-term vision of building advanced manufacturing infrastructure and strengthening its MDF product portfolio.
25, Mar 2026
Zalos raises $3.6M to build Computer Agents that operate finance systems the way humans do
Finance teams have spent years implementing and customizing ERPs, which carry career risk if they fail, yet still require sizable internal and outsourced teams to conduct manual, repetitive work across disconnected systems. Zalos is changing that by using Computer Agents that log into systems and automate end-to-end workflows, without CFOs needing to replace the systems that they have built their operations around.
San Francisco, California – Mar 25; Modern finance teams run on a fragmented stack of ERPs, CRMs, spreadsheets, email, and banking platforms that were never designed to talk to each other. APIs between these systems are often missing or incomplete, which means finance teams become the human API themselves, manually stitching data across systems to complete billing cycles, close the books, and produce reporting their business depends on. Zalos was built on the belief that the next leap in productivity will not come from replacing that stack, but from agentic software that can operate it the same way humans do and understands the deep business context.
Today Zalos, the leader in Computer Agents for Finance Operations, announced a $3.6 million seed round to realize this vision. The funding round was led by 14 Peaks with participation from Cohen Circle, 20VC and notable angels.
Computer Agents are the defining AI technology for 2026. 2023 was generative AI, 2024 brought multi-modal, and in 2025, AI learnt reasoning. Now AI will take over our computers. OpenAI and Anthropic have both moved into the space with generalist Computer Agents, but Zalos is purpose-built for finance operations, where the stakes of getting it wrong are categorically higher. Finance teams cannot operate on 90% accuracy, the agents need finance specific skills, and they need every automated action logged in a format auditors can follow. The Computer Agent market is still in its early stages; comparable to where large language models were at GPT 3.5. Zalos’s purpose-built infrastructure and evaluation systems are designed to push reliability to the accuracy levels that CFOs need to automate finance operations at scale.
“Finance teams have the systems, but they are still doing the work manually because the stack is not connected,” said William Fairbairn, CEO and co-founder of Zalos. “We built Zalos on the belief that CFOs should not need to rip out their existing stack to adopt the latest in AI, we want to start by sitting on top of what is already there. Computer Agents that can log in and run the workflow end to end are the fastest path to real transformation in finance operations.”
Zalos converts screen recordings of finance workflows into Computer Agents that log in, navigate screens, enter data, and check against controls across ERPs, Excel, email, and internal tools. The platform works inside NetSuite, Sage, and SAP S/4HANA today, with no heavy integrations required. Every agent action is captured in an auditable log, and the platform is built to enterprise security standards including SOC 2 Part II certification, enterprise single sign-on, role-based access controls, and on-premise deployment options. Use cases being most actively used by clients include billing automation across multiple systems, month-end reconciliations, and cross-system KPI reporting across multiple ERP instances.
The company was founded by CEO William Fairbairn and CTO Hung Hoang after intersecting paths led them to the same conclusion. Fairbairn spent years at Agicap speaking with hundreds of CFOs, and heard the same frustration consistently: ERP implementations take more than twelve months, deliver limited upside when they go well, and carry real career risk when they go wrong. Hoang left Apple Pay after five years and became focused on Computer Agents specifically because they avoid the API problem that has stalled so many automation efforts in finance. The two began building Zalos last October after joining Y Combinator, with a focus on specialized agents that emulate how finance teams actually operate inside their tools.
Hung Hoang, CTO and co-founder of Zalos added “The opportunity Zalos is addressing reflects a structural reality in enterprise finance. Legacy ERPs’ speed of innovation has stalled, leading to growing manual work in the place of transformative automation. AI-native ERPs may offer a credible alternative for companies that have not yet committed to a system. But for the majority of midmarket and enterprise finance teams, replacing an embedded ERP is not an attractive option; years of processes have been built around it, and too many painful system implementations remain fresh in memory.
The rise of reliable Computer Agents creates a third path: automation that sits on top of the existing stack and operates it as a human would. These agents are trained once with screen recordings, then the process is automated forever, never taking a holiday, and at a speed and consistency a person cannot match.”
Emanuele Larocca, Principal at 14 Peaks: “Finance operations is one of the last areas where the complexity and embeddedness of the underlying systems have made it genuinely hard for CFOs to unlock the ROI promised by AI. What Zalos has built sidesteps that problem entirely. By operating the systems as a human would, training agents with screen recordings, they deliver the true power of finance transformation without losing any domain expertise or asking CFOs to rip out systems they have spent years configuring.”
Nate Pontician, Vice President at Cohen Circle: “Zalos is redefining what software means for the CFOs. Zalos’ computer agents don’t just assist; they log in, navigate systems, and complete workflows end-to-end. They’re giving finance professionals back hours lost to repetitive tasks so they can focus on what actually moves the business forward. It’s not a copilot… it’s a colleague.”
Looking ahead, Zalos plans to expand beyond the major midmarket ERPs where it already has customers and into enterprise ERPs and on-premise systems. By building a wide-reaching context graph across the finance stack, the company aims to help CFOs deploy a swarm of agents and drive a step-change in their finance team’s impact.
Notable angels included: Mike Lenz (CFO Fedex), Ian Sutherland (CFO Tide), Long Dinh (CFO Ada), Nancy Casey (Global Vice President, Oracle, SAP), Paul Forster (Founder, Indeed), Henri Stern (Founder, Privacy), Ed Woodford (Founder, zerohash), James Beshara (Founder, Tilt Payments), Long Lu (Founder, Misa Accounting), Catherine Dahl (Founder, Beanworks Accounts Payable), Pablo Palafox (Founder, Happy Robot), Hasan Sukkar (Founder, 11x), Chris Smoak (Founder, Atrium), Ooshma Garg (Gobble), Minh Pham (Head of Browser Infra, Perplexity), Jon Langbert (Founder, Alight), Mandeep Singh (Founder, Trouva), Thai Duong (Founder, Calif), Ash Rush (Founder, Sterling Road), Jake Klamka (Founder Insight Data Science), Jonathan Meeks (Board, TA Associates).
25, Mar 2026
Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Join Reform Framework for Rural Water Supply Under JJM 2.0
New Delhi, Mar 25 (BNP): The Centre on Tuesday signed reform-linked memoranda of understanding with Andhra Pradesh and Odisha under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 to strengthen sustainable and community-driven rural drinking water systems.
The agreements aim to advance structured reforms focused on transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability of water supply services in rural areas.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil said the next phase of the mission will prioritise bridging infrastructure gaps, ensuring reliable water supply, and strengthening community-led management systems.
He highlighted the need for proper handover of completed schemes to local communities and emphasised women’s participation in water quality monitoring through field test kits.
The MoU with Andhra Pradesh was signed in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated virtually during the signing of the agreement with his state.
Both states reaffirmed their commitment to achieving universal household tap water coverage and improving service delivery through community participation and sustainable operation and maintenance systems.
Officials said the reform framework includes measures to strengthen infrastructure, improve monitoring through digital platforms, and enhance citizen engagement through local committees and grievance redressal systems.
The agreements are part of the Centre’s broader push under JJM 2.0 to ensure adequate and quality drinking water supply to every rural household, aligned with the goal of long-term water security and improved living standards.
The development was announced by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in a statement.
25, Mar 2026
CapEx by Heavy Industry CPSEs Rises to Rs.577 Crore in FY25
New Delhi, Mar 25 (BNP): Capital expenditure by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries rose to ₹577.41 crore in 2024–25, reflecting increased investments in new projects, expansion, and modernisation.
According to data shared in Parliament, total CapEx by these CPSEs stood at ₹340.58 crore in 2022–23 and ₹388.94 crore in 2023–24, indicating a steady upward trend over the past three financial years.
Among the CPSEs, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) accounted for the largest share of investment, with CapEx rising from ₹262 crore in 2022–23 to ₹536 crore in 2024–25.
Other enterprises, including Cement Corporation of India Ltd and Sambhar Salts Ltd, also recorded notable investments, though at a smaller scale.
The investments were primarily aimed at setting up new plants and machinery, expanding production capacity, and manufacturing new products, officials said.
Several CPSEs, however, reported relatively modest or declining capital expenditure over the period, reflecting varied operational and investment cycles across entities.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
25, Mar 2026
AI Tools, Digital Platforms to Strengthen Cancer Screening Ecosystem
New Delhi, Mar 25 (BNP): The government has launched a series of initiatives to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer screening, diagnostics, and care under the India AI Mission, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
A key initiative, the Cancer AI & Technology Challenge (CATCH) grant programme, has been launched in partnership with the National Cancer Grid to support development and validation of AI-based solutions across the cancer care continuum.
Under the programme, selected projects are eligible for pilot funding of up to ₹50 lakh, with additional support of up to ₹1 crore for scale-up based on clinical readiness.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also introduced the ‘Strategy for AI in Healthcare in India’ (SAHI), a framework to ensure safe, ethical, and evidence-based adoption of AI, along with the ‘Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI’ (BODH) for testing and validating AI solutions before large-scale deployment.
Officials said digital health infrastructure is being strengthened to support AI integration. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) provides a sandbox environment and integration toolkits for developers to deploy AI-based applications, including screening tools.
In addition, the National NCD Portal under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases enables digital screening, referrals, and continuity of care for cancers such as breast, cervical, and oral, with integration of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs.
The government said funding under the programme has increased steadily, with approvals rising from ₹60,659 lakh in 2021–22 to ₹1,30,288 lakh in 2025–26.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
25, Mar 2026
DPIIT Signs MoU with Blue Star to Boost Manufacturing, Startup Ecosystem
New Delhi, Mar 25 (BNP): The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with air conditioning major Blue Star Ltd to support startups and strengthen India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.
The partnership aims to promote product startups working in areas such as HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain innovation, officials said.
Under the collaboration, startups will receive mentorship from industry experts, access to R&D laboratories and testing facilities, pilot opportunities, and market linkages to help scale industry-relevant solutions.
DPIIT said the initiative will enable startups to achieve key milestones including product validation, proof-of-concept development, and integration into industry value chains.
Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Sanjiv, said the partnership would help foster industry-driven innovation by enabling startups to work on real-world challenges and scale solutions with tangible outcomes.
As part of the initiative, DPIIT and Blue Star will also explore organising innovation challenges and hackathons under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, focusing on HVAC, digital technologies, and manufacturing sectors.
Selected startups will be offered opportunities for pilot deployment and further engagement through structured proof-of-concept programmes.
The MoU was signed by Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, T.L.K. Singh and Managing Director of Blue Star Ltd, B. Thiagarajan, in the presence of senior officials.
Officials said the collaboration is expected to strengthen linkages between startups and industry while enhancing innovation capacity in key manufacturing sectors.
25, Mar 2026
India’s Exports Rise to $714.73 Billion in Apr–Jan FY26
New Delhi, Mar 25 (BNP): India’s total exports of merchandise and services rose to $714.73 billion during April–January of FY 2025–26, registering a growth of 5.26 per cent over $679.02 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the government said on Tuesday.
The data reflects continued resilience in India’s trade performance despite global uncertainties, supply chain disruptions, and volatile commodity prices.
Over the longer term, exports have shown steady growth, rising from $497.90 billion in 2020–21 to $828.25 billion in 2024–25, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent.
The government said it is strengthening the export ecosystem through policy support, digital infrastructure, and financial incentives, with a focus on enhancing global competitiveness, especially for MSMEs.
The Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 continues to play a key role, supported by schemes such as Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) and the recently approved Export Promotion Mission (EPM), which has an outlay of ₹25,060 crore.
As part of efforts to mitigate risks arising from geopolitical disruptions, the government has also launched a time-bound “RELIEF” scheme under the Export Promotion Mission, to be implemented through the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC).
Officials said digital platforms and trade facilitation measures have improved efficiency, transparency, and access to global markets for exporters.
India is also expanding its global trade footprint through free trade agreements, with 19 FTAs in place and several others under negotiation, including with the EU, UK, and New Zealand.
The government said the integrated approach combining policy reforms, digital systems, and market access initiatives is aimed at building a resilient and future-ready export ecosystem.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
