Increasing Zinc Demand, TATA Motors Investments, Gold Loan Sector Booming, EV Policy & Tesla, Etc.

Main Briefs

Zinc Demand in India to Double in 5-10 Years:

Overview:

• Zinc demand in India is set to double due to infrastructure investments, especially in the steel sector.

• Current demand stands at 800 to 1,000 tonnes per annum.

Key Points:

• Market Growth: Predicted doubling of zinc demand in the next 5-10 years.

• Infrastructure Investments: Huge investments in steel capacity and galvanising lines contribute to increased zinc usage.

• Low Zinc Consumption: India's per capita zinc consumption at 0.5 kg, significantly lower than the global average of 4 kg.

Outlook:

• Opportunities in Green Energy: Growth in solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy creates opportunities for zinc usage.

• Protective Role: Zinc essential for protecting steel supports and towers in green energy infrastructure.

Expert Insight:

• Martin Van Leeuwen, International Zinc Association Global Director: Foresees strong growth in zinc demand driven by infrastructure development and green energy projects.

Briefs, You Can’t Miss:

1. Zee CEO Punit Goenka says the company may reduce content acquisitions and focus on cost-cutting measures.

2. Reliance is seeking access to ATF pipelines and storage facilities owned by public sector oil firms.

3. Tata Motors plans to invest Rs 43,000 crore in new products and technologies during FY25.

4. Titan Company CFO announces plans for retail expansion and implementing omnichannel strategies.

5. The gold loan sector is booming despite increased regulatory scrutiny.

6. Non-fintech online payment aggregators might reconsider their business models.

7. PNB Housing Finance anticipates a 17% loan growth in FY25, driven by an expanded branch network.

8. Amitabh Kant states that India will not alter its EV policy specifically to accommodate Tesla.

World Briefs

• Red Hat CEO Matt Hicks says India's growing enterprise base and technical innovation are a great match for the company.

• Elon Musk and the Indonesian health minister launched Starlink for the health sector; Indonesia is the third Southeast Asian country where Starlink will operate.

• China allocates billions of dollars to support its struggling property sector.

• Pakistan's Foreign Minister says trade ties with India are suspended due to heavy duties.

• A think-tank reports that Japanese automakers are the least prepared for the EV transition.

• Attero plans to invest over Rs 8,000 crore in the next five years to increase its e-waste and battery recycling capacity.

AI Briefs

• MeitY's Abhishek Singh reveals that only 10 Indians are among the 300 globally who can train AI models from scratch, according to AI Alliance NCR.

• Prafulla Dhariwal heads the Omni team at OpenAI, and the introduction of GPT-4o signifies their initial venture into natively multimodal models.

• Microsoft is poised to present its vision for AI-powered PCs at the Build developer conference.

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a prominent entertainment and sports talent agency, aims to lead in providing AI protection services for celebrities in Hollywood.

Company Of The Day

Company Name: ZOHO

• Founder: Sridhar Vembu

• Year Of Foundation: : Mar 17, 1996

• Headquarter: Pleasanton, California, United States

• Industry:

  Zoho provides a suite of applications for business, collaboration, and productivity.

• Why Is It in the News?

  Indian software giant Zoho is contemplating a $700 million investment in chip manufacturing, with a focus on producing compound semiconductors for specialised applications.