Business

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while protecting privacy, on Monday expanded to users in India.

Apple Intelligence features are now available in more languages, including localised English for Singapore and India, as well as French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified).

With the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarise text with Writing Tools, or respond with a tap using Smart Reply, and for users who communicate across multiple languages supported by Apple Intelligence, these features adapt to the language they’re writing in.

Users can also remove distracting objects from images with Clean Up, explore creative new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, and create the perfect emoji for any moment with Genmoji. Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence helps iPhone users learn about their surroundings.

With ChatGPT integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, users can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise without having to switch between apps, helping them get things done faster and easier than ever before, Apple said in a statement.

“Apple Intelligence marks an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI. It starts with on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power Apple Intelligence run entirely on the device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence,” the company said.

Deeply integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Writing Tools allow users to refine their language by rewriting, proofreading, and summarising text virtually everywhere they write, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written and adjust the tone — professional, concise, or friendly — to suit the audience and task at hand.

Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. Users can also select text and have it summarised in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.

In addition to the options to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text with Writing Tools, users can specify the change they’d like to make using the Describe Your Change option.

The Photos app is even more intelligent with many new capabilities. Natural language search gives users the ability to search for just about anything by simply describing what they are looking for.

The Memories feature now gives users the ability to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description. Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out photos and videos based on a user’s description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc.

The Image Playground experience allows users to easily create fun and unique images, with concepts like themes, costumes, accessories, and places. Users can add their own text descriptions, and can even create images in the likeness of a family member or friend using photos from their photo library.

“The experience is integrated right into Messages, making it easier than ever to create images for conversations, as well as into apps like Freeform, Keynote, and many others. Image Playground is also available as a dedicated app,” said Apple.

Apple Intelligence also helps users prioritise and stay in the moment with notification summaries that allow users to scan long or stacked notifications with key details right on the Lock Screen, such as when a group chat is particularly active.

—IANS

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Seoul, March 30 (IANS) The government here on Sunday proposed a supplementary budget worth at least 10 trillion won (US$6.8 billion) to support the economy hit by political uncertainties and destructive wildfires.

In an emergency economic ministers' meeting, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said the government plans to push for an extra budget of some 10 trillion won, which he said is a "must" to help resolve the most urgent pending issues.

The supplementary budget will be spent to respond to disasters and accidents, strengthen trade and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and provide financial support for people's livelihoods, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The most destructive wildfires ever to hit the country are almost contained but have burned about 48,000 hectares of land, equivalent to over 2,600 football fields.

At least 30 people have died from wildfires in the southeastern areas of the country.

On top of post-wildfire recovery efforts, the government needs to inject funds to ride out uncertainties triggered by the Donald Trump administration's sweeping tariffs and compete for leadership in the rapidly changing AI industry, said Choi, who is double-hatted as deputy prime minister for economy.

Political uncertainties remain a major uncertainty for the economy following the imposition of short-lived martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3.

The government will draw up a detailed supplementary budget plan and submit it to the National Assembly before the end of next month if the ruling and opposition parties offer bipartisan support for the plan, the minister said, according to the report.

"Given the urgency of efforts to handle wildfire damages, respond to external challenges and stabilise the livelihoods of the people, it is very important (for both parties) to pass the supplementary budget within April," Choi added.

—IANS

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Seoul, March 30 (IANS) The average monthly income of single-parent families stands at only about 60 percent of the average for all households, a government report showed on Sunday.

The average income of single-parent families with children under the age of 18 came to 2.94 million won ($2,003) in 2024, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

The amount amounts to 60.3 percent of the average for all households, which came to 4.89 million won for the year, reports Yonhap news agency.

The average debt owed by single-parent families stood at 47.2 million won last year, over a twofold increase from the 18.52 million won tallied in 2021. The ministry publishes the report on single-parent households every three years.

Over 50 percent of single-parent households surveyed cited housing expenses as the biggest reason for their debts, while 40.7 percent cited living expenses, according to the ministry.

Single-parent households spent an average 580,000 won in child-rearing expenses each month, but 71.3 percent of the respondents said they have never received child support from their spouse.

Asked what they deemed as the most urgent policy to secure child-rearing expenses, 71 percent pointed to expanding government support of urgent child support fees and introducing an advanced payment system for child support, said the Yonhap report.

The advanced payment system, set to go into effect in July, will have the government provide single parents with child-rearing expenses upfront and then recoup the money from divorced spouses, according to the report.

"We will make sure single-parent families can go to work without having to worry about caring for their children by prioritizing the provision of child care services," a ministry official said.

—IANS

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New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from May 1-4, is set to highlight India’s growing creative talent in the cosplay and entertainment industry, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Sunday.

The Ministry, in collaboration with Creators Street, Epiko Con, the Telangana Government, ICA Indian Comics Association, MEAI, and TVAGA, has announced the WAVES Cosplay Championship, which is being called India’s most prestigious cosplay competition.

The event aims to promote self-expression, creativity, and innovation in India's expanding entertainment and AVGC-XR sector.

The championship will bring together India’s most skilled cosplayers, who will compete in a grand event that showcases their talent in costume design, performance, and character portrayal.

The categories will cover Indian mythology, pop culture, anime, manga, DC, Marvel, and more, giving participants the opportunity to gain global recognition.

Participants will be judged by renowned industry experts, international guests, and professional cosplayers.

Contestants will undergo a jury selection process, with the top performers advancing to the live finale.

The winners will be crowned based on key judging criteria, including craftsmanship, creativity, and performance.

Earlier in the month, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian government will establish a $1 billion fund to support the creators' economy

Speaking at a high-level session on WAVES 2025 on March 13, Vaishnaw emphasised the importance of providing a platform for content creators to develop high-value content.

He highlighted how the intersection of creativity, media, and technology is reshaping the global media landscape.

“The intersection of creativity, media and technology is transforming the media landscape of the world and reaching a new level of convergence," Vaishnaw said.

He said the WAVES summit would serve as a key forum for discussions, collaborations, and innovation within the media and entertainment industry.

“WAVES will serve as a pivotal platform for fostering discussions, collaboration, and innovation for the Media and Entertainment industry," added Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar on March 13.

--IANS

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Seoul, March 27 (IANS) Hyundai Steel, South Korea's second-biggest steelmaker by sales, said on Thursday it will temporarily shut down one of its three domestic steel reinforcement bar (rebar) plants due to lower demand.

The rebar plant in Incheon, just west of Seoul, will be suspended for the entire month of April, a company spokesperson said, adding the two other rebar plants will remain operational, reports Yonhap news agency.

"This is not a regular maintenance closure but a production cut due to a deteriorating market condition," the spokesperson said. "We have made the decision to help normalise the rebar market even if we have to suffer immediate losses."

Hyundai Steel produces rebar and steel sections at the Incheon plant, with an annual production capacity of about 1.5 million tons and 2 million tons, respectively.

The temporary shutdown of Hyundai Steel's rebar plant will help ease an oversupply in the market where steelmakers suffer from declining product prices amid tougher competition, the spokesperson said.

On March 14, Hyundai Steel entered an emergency management mode in response to growing challenges, including the recent imposition of steel tariffs by the Trump administration and ongoing strife with unionised workers.

All company executives took a 20 percent pay cut effective March 13, while the company began reviewing a voluntary retirement program for employees.

The company has been locked in prolonged wage talks with its union since September. The union has conducted multiple strikes disrupting production.

On Feb. 24, it already suspended its cold-rolled steel facility in Dangjin, about 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul, in the wake of a monthslong strike by its workers demanding pay hikes.

The pickling line/tandem cold mill (PL/TCM) facility is a key part of the company's integrated steel mill in Dangjin.

The company's situation has been exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports to America, including goods from South Korea.

—IANS

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Seoul, March 27 (IANS) South Korea's financial regulator on Thursday asked Hanwha Aerospace to submit a revised filing over its plan to raise 3.6 trillion won (US$2.5 billion) in capital through a stock sale, citing insufficient information for investors.

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it found the filing by the South Korean defence equipment manufacturer lacking in key areas, including the rationale for the rights offering, communication with shareholders and the intended use of the proceeds.

The FSS said it will thoroughly assess the revised registration once submitted to ensure the requested changes are fully reflected, reports Yonhap news agency.

In a regulatory filing a week ago, the company said the stock sale was part of its broader global investment plans in future growth sectors. The announcement triggered a sharp decline in the company's share price due to concerns over dilution of existing shareholders' stakes.

Market observers have noted that Hanwha Aerospace's investment direction is promising but criticized its choice of capital increase amid the company's already strong financial position.

Hanwha Aerospace said it intends to fully cooperate with the authorities' request, adding that it understands it as being a procedure for a capital increase.

Hanwha Aerospace’s abrupt decision to raise $2.5 billion through a stock sale sent shock waves through the local financial market, sparking criticism over its funding strategy for future investments. In a regulatory filing the previous day, the company said the stock sale was part of its broader global investment plans in future growth sectors.

The proceeds will be used to acquire strategic production bases in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the United States as it expects more opportunities amid a rearmament push in Europe and U.S. efforts to bolster its shipbuilding industry, it said.

Despite the company's growth prospects, investors reacted negatively to the announcement. Experts said Hanwha Aerospace's investment direction is promising but criticised its choice of capital increase despite the company's strong financial position.

—IANS

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New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The government on Tuesday announced to discontinue the medium term and long term government deposit (MLTGD) components of the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS), effective from March 26.

The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that banks may continue their short term gold deposit schemes (1-3 years).

About 31,164 kilograms of gold have been mobilised under GMS (till November 2024).

“Based on the examination of the performance of the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) and evolving market conditions, it has been decided to discontinue the Medium Term and Long Term Government Deposit (MLTGD) components of the GMS w.e.f. March 26, 2025,” said the ministry.

Accordingly, any gold deposits tendered at the designated Collection and Purity Testing Centre (CPTC) or GMS Mobilisation, Collection and Testing Agent (GMCTA) or the designated bank branches under the said components of GMS shall not be accepted with effect from March 26, 2025.

“However, the existing deposits under MLTGD shall continue till redemption as per extant guidelines of GMS,” it added.

The Gold Monetisation Scheme was announced on September 15, 2015, with the objective to reduce country's reliance on the import of gold in the long run, and mobilise gold held by households and institutions in the country to facilitate its use for productive purposes.

Further, the Short-Term Bank Deposits (STBD) offered by the banks under GMS shall continue at the discretion of the individual banks based on the commercial viability as assessed by them.

“The detailed guidelines of Reserve Bank in this regard shall follow,” said there government.

The GMS comprised of three components: Short Term Bank Deposit (1-3 years); Medium Term Government Deposit (5-7 years), and Long-Term Government Deposit (12-15 years).

Gold is widely considered a safe-haven asset, gaining traction during times of geopolitical and economic instability. The metal has already hit 16 record highs in 2025, surpassing the $3,000 per ounce mark on four occasions.

—IANS

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New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) India has made significant strides in enhancing its social protection coverage through a comprehensive data-pooling exercise in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The initiative has utilised encrypted Aadhaar as a unique identifier across 34 major Central schemes such as MGNREGA, EPFO, ESIC, APY, and PM-POSHAN to process over 200 crore records to identify unique beneficiaries, the Ministry of Labour announced on Tuesday.

This exercise revealed that 92 crore people, comprising 65 per cent of India’s population, are covered by at least one social protection benefit (cash and in-kind both), with 48.8 per cent receiving cash benefits.

India’s social protection coverage, thus, doubled from 24.4 per cent in 2021 to 48.8 per cent in 2024 as per the ILO’s World Social Protection Report (WSPR) 2024-26, which includes existing Central social protection schemes that hadn’t been considered earlier.

According to the Labour Ministry, India's present social protection coverage assessment by the ILO at 48.8 per cent is still an underestimation, as it does not account for in-kind benefits provided to the citizens of the country, such as food security and housing benefits, and social protection schemes administered by the states. The actual social protection coverage of India is expected to be much higher after this data is taken into account, the Labour Ministry said.

In this context, the Ministry has been consistently following up with ILO Headquarters on this matter through a focussed high-level dialogue. In a bilateral discussion held between the Secretary (L&E) and the DG, ILO during the 353rd ILO Governing Body meeting in Geneva last week, the ILO shared that housing and food security are part of a set of extended indicators (based on United Nations-Sustainable Development Goals) adopted by them. Therefore, such schemes and related data will also be considered by the ILO.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment is actively collaborating with state governments and the ILO for a national social protection data pooling exercise to obtain a holistic picture of social protection coverage in India. Labour Departments of state governments are playing the nodal role in compilation of respective state-specific data and sharing the same with the Central government for further consolidation, verification and de-duplication, the official statement said.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment kick-started Phase 1 of India’s Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise on March 19, in a hybrid meeting organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. For Phase 1, the Ministry has identified selected states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Gujarat, for data consolidation at the Central level.

This data pooling exercise will not only strengthen India’s global reputation as a social protection pioneer but also facilitate the Central government, states and UTs to optimise welfare spending and move closer towards sustainable financing of social protection. It will help the states in identifying unique beneficiaries under state-specific social protection schemes, according to the official statement.

The exercise will also reinforce India’s position in negotiating trade and social security agreements with other countries, and reflect India's commitment to promoting decent work in global value chains, the statement added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) GAIL (India) Limited and Coal India Limited on Tuesday announced the formation of a joint venture, Coal Gas India Limited, to expand the use of synthetic natural gas.

The company has been set up with an authorised share capital of Rs 11 crore, as per a notification to the stock exchanges.

Coal India will hold a 51 per cent stake in the venture, while GAIL will own the remaining 49 per cent.

The main objective of this collaboration is to develop and enhance the necessary infrastructure for processing coal into synthetic natural gas.

This includes captive coal mining, coal beneficiation, coal imports, equipment procurement, and setting up related facilities.

The move comes at a time when global coal policies are evolving. Recently, US President Donald Trump expressed his support for coal-based energy and stated that his administration would encourage the use of "clean coal."

However, environmental regulations in the US have led to the planned shutdown of 120 coal-fired power plants over the next five years, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, the CIL and the GAIL signed a joint venture agreement last year to set up a Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) plant in West Bengal.

The Ministry of Coal announced the partnership in August, calling it a significant step towards India’s energy security and sustainability goals.

The new plant was to be established in the Raniganj area of Eastern Coalfields Limited.

In Q2, the CIL reported a net profit of Rs 8,491.22 crore. However, this was a 17.5 per cent decrease compared to the Rs 10,291.71 crore profit reported during the same period last year.

The company also rewarded investors by declaring an interim dividend of Rs 5.6 per equity share for the financial year 2024-25.

This dividend was approved by the Audit Committee of CIL and will be paid to shareholders who hold equity shares on the record date, which was set for January 31, 2025.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) In an effort to combat telecom fraud, the government on Friday said it has disconnected more than 3.4 crore mobile phones while blocking 3.19 lakh IMEI numbers to date through the Sanchar Saathi portal.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said that with the help of AI and Big Data, it also disengaged 16.97 lakh WhatsApp accounts.

Over 20,000 bulk SMS senders were also blacklisted as part of DoT's ‘Sanchar Saathi initiative, said Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Through the Sanchar Saathi portal, the government facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communications on Chakshu facility.

DoT then carries out several analysis and takes action on such telecom resources that have been found linked to misuse, said the minister.

Rather than acting on individual reported suspected fraud communications, DoT uses the crowd sourced data to carry out analysis and to zero down on misuse of telecom resources.

The Department uses AI based tool and big data analysis to identify suspected mobile connections taken on fake documents.

Further, DoT and telecom service providers (TSPs) have devised a system for near real time identification and blocking of incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers that appear to be originating from India, said the minister.

Meanwhile, telecom service providers have blacklisted 1,150 entities/individuals and disconnected more than 18.8 lakh resources.

The actions led to a significant reduction in the complaints against unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) -- from 1,89,419 in August 2024 to 1,34,821 in January 2025.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) amended the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018 on February 12.

A customer can now make a complaint about spam/unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) within seven days of receiving spam as compared to earlier three-day time limit.

The time limit for taking action by the access providers against the UCC from unregistered senders has been reduced from 30 days to 5 days, according to the amendments.

To ensure prompt action against the senders of UCC, the criterion for taking action against them has been revised and made more stringent.

—IANS

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