Mint Delhi
Can more FDI in e-retail lift India MSMEs’ exports?
Eyeing more exports from its 90 million registered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through online retail, India has opened the inventory-based e-commerce export model to foreign capital. Can the move help India’s small businesses become...
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Who is liable for unsafe food sold by e-comm firms?
Karnataka’s food safety regulator earlier this week ordered the suspension of the food licences of major e-commerce platforms after officials found highly toxic datura fruits and seeds being listed and sold online as food products. explains the...
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CRAFT IN A NEW AGE
For Raghavendra Rathore, Indian craft does not need rescuing—it needs opportunity. He makes the case for design, partnerships and new markets that can make traditional skills relevant while keeping regional identities.
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How much sugar is used for ethanol?
What caused the hike in sugar prices? Sugar output fell in 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons due to drop in yields and adverse weather. Sugar season runs from October to September, in line with cane harvesting and crushing timelines. Last year, the crop was...
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What are the new H-1B and L-1 visa rules?
The US has sharply raised costs and scrutiny for H-1B and L-1 visas, which will impact Indian IT and consulting firms. This will force companies to ramp up offshore delivery models and rethink global talent strategies. decodes The latest US visa...
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SC’s ‘industry’ ruling: What it means for labour
Last week, the Supreme Court’s nine-judge Constitution Bench, by a 6:3 majority, held that pending labour disputes under the old Industrial Disputes Act will continue to be decided using “industry” definition laid down by the court in 1978. explains...
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Can India crack the smartphone brand game?
India’s IT ministry, which formally notified its ₹62,500-crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) on 21 August, has proposed to offer incentives to build a homegrown smartphone brand. Is a major homegrown phone feasible in the country today? Mint...
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Why SC is pushing for front-of-pack junk food labels
On 13 August, the Supreme Court slammed India’s food regulator for delaying front-of-pack labels on junk food and asked the Centre to take a final call in a fortnight. explains why the order matters for tackling childhood obesity and rising rates of...
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THE PATHOS OF PARTITION
Gurvinder Singh’s feature films have been long-form dissections of the political turmoil Punjab has been subjected to. In ‘Rehmat’, he traces its turbulent past and its enduring capacity for compassion through three stories.
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How RBI’s draft loan rules could impact fintechs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently floated two draft rules that could change how fintech firms offer small loans. One sets a common loan-pricing framework, while the other would restrict lending of nonbanking financial companies (NBFCs) to term...
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Sebi’s settlement revamp: what is likely to change?
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed a revamp of its settlement framework to make the process simpler for entities. It has suggested changes to how settlement amounts are calculated and interest on disgorgement is charged....
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What is being probed and what follows next?
What does the initial report say? At 04:02:44 GMT (09:32:44am IST), the aircraft recorded low pressure in its Green hydraulic system, one of the three systems that provide power to move flight controls. Within a second, the two other hydraulic...
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Can India sustain its consumption revival in Q2?
Retail consumer sector had a mixed growth in April-June. While the period saw unprecedented raw material price hikes amid West Asia war, GST cuts managed to boost consumption. Mint explains how retailers fared in the quarter and what the next quarter...
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Fortune favours the informed.
Take a step back, and get a second opinion from
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BEHIND TYEB MEHTA’S GENIUS
Tyeb Mehta drew from the world around him to make sense of violence, loss and labour. A new book brings together essays and images that trace the ideas, influences and experiences behind his work.
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Commit to memory
In 2021, India officially designated 14 August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. As the name indicates, it marks a solemn event in Indian history, even if its nine-syllable length doesn’t lend itself to easy recall. As the generation afflicted by...
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Why the Centre is against states taxing minerals
On Monday, the Union government introduced a Bill in Parliament that seeks to bar states from taxing minerals. If passed, the law will provide a welcome relief to the mining sector. Mint explains how minerals have been historically taxed and the...
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Will price hikes reduce festive season cheer?
Global chip shortages, costlier imports due to a weaker rupee and a shift in demand towards artificial intelligence (AI) chips are making consumer electronics, including laptops and smartphones, more expensive. The situation is unlikely to improve soon...
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How will new RBI measures change loan recovery?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 August announced its final loan recovery guidelines. The measures, aimed at preventing harassment in the pursuit of defaulters, will take effect from January 2027, three months later than the original deadline. Mint...
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Zee’s copyright cases raise red flags for brands
Zee Entertainment has sued Blinkit and Nykaa, alleging the brands used copyrighted content in social media campaigns without permission. The cases may force marketers to review the line between cultural references and copyrights. explains why it...
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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE AT 75
J.D. Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ remains fresh and resonant, much more than a coming-of-age story. You may like or dislike the book’s young and caustic hero, but you can’t deny that there is a sliver of Holden Caulfield in all of us.
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Why food labels are under the FSSAI scanner
Recent FSSAI bans on Dabur’s misleading claims and select United Spirits products have triggered court challenges and sent Dabur’s shares tumbling. The food safety regulator’s intensifying crackdown is increasingly pulling major FMCG brands into legal...
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Inside India’s ₹84,000-crore offshore oil bet
The Union cabinet last week approved the ₹84,000-crore Samudra Manthan scheme for five-year offshore deepwater exploration. Aimed at reviving domestic output and cutting India’s nearly 90% crude import dependency, unpacks the initiative. Why is India...
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Tariffs in the dock
President Donald Trump’s Section 301 tariffs face internal resistance, with 25 Democratled states challenging them in the US Court of International Trade. The coalition has argued that these re-impose the same sweeping tariffs that earlier failed...
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Why the IBC ruling is a win for homebuyers
Promoters of insolvent real estate firms can no longer use the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to fend off homebuyers’ legal action. The Supreme Court has ruled that the IBC moratorium protects only the company, not promoters or directors. Mint...
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Can India catch up in sodium-ion battery race?
China’s battery makers are commercializing economical sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS). India backs it too, but commercial progress has been limited. What does China’s leap mean for India’s EV...
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PORTRAITS OF INDIA
Emily Eden’s portraits and lithographs, on view in Delhi, offer a female perspective on 19th-century India. The exhibition examines royal courts and everyday communities, serving as a visual record shaped by her travel.
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Smarter steels for people and planet
For two decades, we’ve grown by pushing steel further – safer, smarter, more sustainable. Grounded in quality. Driven by innovation and our people. Building the infrastructure, industries and icons of modern life.
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India’s monsoon challenges are far from over
The monsoon has made up ground in July. However, intense rain has also led to massive loss of life and property. Besides, a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean, forecast to be the strongest in history, means India’s weather troubles are not over...
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Why Sebi wants to revamp online dispute redressal
The markets regulator wants to speed up investor grievance redressal by shifting the administration of conciliation and arbitration from private online dispute resolution (ODR) institutions to exchanges, depositories and other market infrastructure...
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Can technology fix India’s paper leak problem?
Even as the Centre steps up efforts to stop paper leaks—from a Nandan Nilekani-led reform panel to stricter laws and heftier fines—attention has turned to technology. Can encrypted digital delivery, biometric authentication or AI surveillance secure...
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Can drugmakers weather Trump’s generics tariff?
Trump’s proposed phased tariffs on generic drugs aim to reshore manufacturing, but the plan faces scepticism over its viability. If implemented, Indian drugmakers face huge losses. Mint unpacks the stakes, the market’s importance, and mitigation...
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MYTHS ABOUT MASCULINITY
As powerful men obsess over testosterone levels or what “real” masculinity entails, women and fandoms celebrate male beauty in all its varied forms—with joy, admiration and no desire to police anyone.
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Why the green H2 journey may be a long one
Earlier this month, India joined Japan, Germany, the US and China as it flagged off a hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana. This comes three years after the ₹20,000-crore National Green Hydrogen Mission’s launch. Mint examines the...
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Can India mop up $50 bn via NRI deposit scheme?
Banks have raised over $17 billion since the RBI’s 5 June special drive for foreign currency non-resident (bank) [FCNR (B)] deposits, fuelling hopes of eclipsing 2013’s ‘taper tantrum’ haul. With the window open until 30 September, can India reach $50...
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India’s private space race takes off. What’s next?
On Saturday, India’s first space unicorn Skyroot Aerospace completed its maiden orbital space mission. India now joins the US and EU as the only countries with an operating private rocket. But how far is India from building a scaled-up private space...
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What the new CAFE norms may mean for India
The government unveiled the latest draft of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) 3 norms on 16 July, setting off a debate over the stringent emission standards for auto firms. As carmakers scramble to meet the norms, Mint unpacks the details...
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So, will TCS, HCLTech’s peers also take cue?
How much will TCS and HCLTech spend on it? TCS plans to invest $6–7 billion over the next decade to build 1GW of data centre capacity through its AI-focused venture, HyperVault. HCLTech is committing ₹3,500 crore (around $360 million) to build up to...
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STIRRING UP THE HOT CHOCOLATE
Unlike coffee, which is largely for grown-ups, everyone loves hot chocolate. New cacao cafés have turned bean-to-bar chocolate into a craft beverage, adding new flavours and even spices to tap into nostalgia while creating something new.
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How Semicon 2.0 helps fulfil India’s chip ambitions
With a ₹1.27 trillion outlay for Semicon 2.0, the Centre is shifting focus from attracting chip factories to building a complete semiconductor ecosystem—from design and research to equipment, materials and gases central to the chip industry. Will that...
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China in slow gear
Is China’s economic slowdown simply a sign of its economy’s maturity? Large economies do tend to grow slower and its GDP was placed at almost $20 trillion in 2025, roughly two-thirds of America’s. Yet, Beijing isn’t very used to seeing numbers fall...
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How Aera wants to change airport passenger fees
Airports recover the costs of building new infrastructure from flyers and airlines even before the project is complete. India’s airport tariff regulator, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Aera), wants to change this practice. Mint...
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Trade pressure
With war clouds strengthening headwinds from tariff turmoil, Indian exports have been under pressure. This shows in trade figures for June released on Monday. As recorded by the government, India’s outward shipments fell to $40.4 billion last month...
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Why is the ethanol fuel push sparking consumer fury?
The Centre has defended its ethanol blending programme just as discussions gain momentum to push the blend beyond 20%. The defence comes as consumers express renewed anxieties over potential damages and costs of higher ethanol mixing. Mint examines the...
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HOW INDIA FAILS FOOTBALL
Sunil Chhetri’s extraordinary career mirrors the paradox of Indian football: a nation overflowing with passion for the game, yet held back by weak grassroots sports, poor governance, and decades of administrative neglect.
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Why the fuss over India’s high power Wi-Fi plan
Behind our Wi-Fi are invisible radio waves carrying internet signals. India has opened the 6GHz spectrum for licence-free Wi-Fi. Should it now allow high-power Wi-Fi in the band? Telcos see a broadband boost from it in the remote areas. So, what’s at...
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Why delivering fashion instantly hasn’t worked
While the promise of delivering trendy fashion in under an hour has attracted investors, turning that into a sustainable business has proved to be far more difficult. Is quick fashion facing structural challenges, or is the category simply too early in...
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Why India is doubling down on regional air
Jodhpur’s new Rajputana-style airport terminal went viral after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on Saturday. But the event also saw the formal launch of UDAN’s next phase—the ₹28,840-crore Viksit UDAN. Why expand a scheme with a mixed...
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Tractor dumping puts India-China trade ties to test
The Indian government has launched an investigation into the alleged dumping of electric tractors from China. Mint explains why the probe matters—and why it could become a broader test of India-China business ties, with implications beyond electric...
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How no-egg meal shortchanges India’s children
Children in Kolkata’s government schools won’t get eggs in mid-day meals as the new West Bengal government has entrusted meal preparation to a religious organization that shuns non-vegetarian foods. explores whether India’s children can afford the...
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HOW ‘AJRAKH’ IS TIMELESS
An exhibition on ‘ajrakh’—a craft that has travelled across geographies and generations —highlights how fashion designers and artists are experimenting with the textile without losing sight of the craft’s roots.
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Why Indian IT is betting big on European assets
Recent acquisitions by Indian IT services companies signal a shift from their earlier reluctance to buy European assets to viewing the region as a key growth market. Several factors are driving this growing appetite for Europe. Mint takes a look. Why...
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Positive signals
In spite of significant external disruptions, India’s economic activity seems to be holding up well. This shows in June’s gross goods and services tax (GST) mop-up, which climbed 14% from a year earlier to ₹1.95 trillion. This pace was the fastest in...
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Why Zerodha wants to be a merchant banker
Broking platform Zerodha wants to add another business to its growing financial services portfolio: investment banking. Can a discount broker carve out a niche in a business dominated by established investment banks? Mint explains. Are merchant...
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Why is quantum computing the new global race?
Quantum computing was long seen as a technology stuck in the future with unstable qubits and high error rates. Leaps by Google, Microsoft, IBM, etc. now challenge the view and governments see it as a strategic capability with economic and security...
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A HEADY MIX IN MUMBAI
Mumbai’s drinks landscape has always been varied, with dives being as plentiful as high-end hotel bars, and over the last few years, standalone craft cocktail bars have been on the rise. Lounge traces the evolution of its bar scene.
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Data centres and water: is there a way out for India?
India is racing to become a global AI data centre hub, offering tax breaks to attract vast investments. However, these facilities consume vast amounts of water for cooling, raising concerns in water-stressed states. Can India strike a balance?...
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Will cyberattacks hurt Tata Group’s global ambitions?
After a 2025 ransomware attack on Jaguar Land Rover that cost an estimated £260 million, Tata Electronics, another Tata Group company, has faced a cyberattack. Mint explains the latest attack, and what such developments could mean for Tata’s global...
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What US waiver on Iran oil sales means for India
The US has waived sanctions on Iran’s petroleum sales for 60 days as talks continue on a final peace deal, a move seen boosting global energy supplies. Given Iran’s proximity to India and its importance to major buyers such as China, Mint assesses what...
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How has the monsoon progressed? Is India facing a rainfall deficit this year?
An El Nino year typically brings weak rain activity in the tropical regions. After a late arrival in Kerala on 4 June, the progress is only getting only slower, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In India’s commercial capital Mumbai,...
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What Telegram ruling means for digital platforms
The Delhi High Court’s ruling upholding the Centre’s temporary ban on Telegram has put India’s digital platform regulation framework under the spotlight. Experts say the ruling raises concerns about the scope of executive powers. Mint explains: Why...
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THINK Fine-dining at airport lounges
The unsurprising intersection of craft and queer lives
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What will it take for India to build its own SpaceX?
SpaceX completed its record public listing in the US on 12 June, and became the fifth-largest company in the world. In many ways, SpaceX remains an outlier—its reusable rocket technology is unmatched at its scale. Can India become just as big one day?...
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Record exports in May warrant a cautious reading
India’s merchandise exports rose to a record $45.2 billion in May, up 18% year-on-year, but the headline number masks a more complex picture: the role of commodity price inflation, especially in petroleum products. explains. Export growth, which...
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What a strong El Niño may have in store for India
Forecasters have confirmed the arrival of El Niño, the warming of the equatorial Pacific that is known to disrupt weather patterns worldwide. This year’s El Niño is expected to be among the strongest in decades and could persist into early 2027. Mint...
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What US curbs on Anthropic’s AI mean for India
On Friday, the US asked Anthropic to deny access to foreign nationals to its powerful new AI models. Stakeholders in India are alarmed. Some believe India is missing the bus on foundational models, with others underlining the criticality of sovereign...
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SATRAPI’S SWAY OVER INDIA
From chronicling revolution through a child’s eyes to reimagining the grammar of comics, Marjane Satrapi, who died last week, influenced a generation of comics creators and graphic novelists in India and the world.
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Why are central banks starting to raise rates again?
On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised benchmark interest rates, joining a number of central banks tightening their monetary policies. Mint explains how this shift will impact India’s economy, markets, and borrowing costs. How have global...
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What if AI equals human talent in India’s IT sector?
Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) could soon deploy as many AI agents as human employees, signalling a major shift in the IT industry. The sector faces a pivot from labour arbitrage to AI arbitrage. How will it cope? How...
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Flex-fuel vehicles hit the road, but it’s a long journey
The launch of a flex-fuel Maruti Suzuki car and a Hero MotoCorp motorcycle has sparked intense debate over these vehicles’ near-term prospects. Alongside the inauguration of first E85 fuel pump in New Delhi, it marks India’s most aggressive flex-fuel...
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India’s big local solar cell push: what it means
India’s push for a solar manufacturing ecosystem entered a new phase this month. Large, government projects must now use locally-made solar cells. While the move is seen boosting manufacturing, it may also influence costs, project timelines and power...
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MEET THE NO-SHOPPERS
As no-buy challenges and mindful shopping catch on, a section of people is slowly but steadily reassessing not just what they purchase but why they buy in the first place. Their purchases are shaped less by trends and more by intentionality.
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Why has the US proposed fresh tariffs on India?
At a time when India and the US are reportedly close to clinching a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), the latter has mooted a fresh set of tariffs, which could kick in this month or early July. Mint examines if the move would hold legally and why the...
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India has a big fat problem. And it has a high cost
The National Family Health Survey fact sheet, released last week, shows obesity rising among adult Indians. This is linked to higher diabetes and cardiac disease risks. Mint unpacks the reasons for the obesity rise and its economic impact. And don’t...
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How companies are using workers to train robots
Companies are now recording workers going about their tasks to train humanoid robots that might later replace them. The row over Pronto filming workers at customer homes flags concern over surveillance, consent and whether India’s laws are prepared....
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