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The sixth Indian Institutional Quant Conference took place on July 17 at the Taj City Centre in Gurugram. Experts discussed how Agentic AI, alternative data, and Specialised Investment Funds are changing how people invest. Pankaj Mani said, "The growing role of artificial intelligence, alternative data and SIFs took centre stage."
Anthropic announced that its Claude Fable 5 model will become a permanent part of highest-tier subscriptions starting July 20. Max and Team Premium users get the model indefinitely, capped at 50% usage. The company said, "We know this has been frustrating, and we want to give you more certainty."
Beijing-based startup Moonshot released its Kimi K3 AI model on Friday, challenging US giants like ChatGPT. “This may be the single biggest release of the year,” said CEO Anastasios Angelopoulos. The model showed strong coding skills, marking a major step for Chinese tech as global competition in AI continues to grow.
Gold prices remained in focus on Saturday, July 18, 2026, across major jewellery brands. Tanishq kept its 22k gold rate at Rs 13,110 per gram. Meanwhile, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Joyalukkas, and Kalyan Jewellers saw prices fall to Rs 13,065 per gram from the previous day’s rate of Rs 13,135 per gram.
The 8th Pay Commission is working on revising salaries for central government employees. Since House Rent Allowance is a percentage of basic pay, any increase in salary will raise HRA. Estimates for Level 4 employees show HRA could rise significantly depending on the fitment factor used by the government soon.
India built 283 GW of renewable energy capacity, but solar farming remains a challenge. The PM-KUSUM scheme, running from 2019 to March 2026, added 10,203 MW of power. While solar pumps helped many, the total target fell short. Now, agrivoltaics could boost farmer earnings, yet only 50 pilot installations exist today.
Shyam Metalics and Energy on Thursday started an aluminium foil facility at its Sambalpur plant in Odisha. The unit has an annual production capacity of 18,000 tonnes. Chairman Brij Bhushan Agarwal said, "we are well-positioned to serve high-growth economic segments." The company also plans to launch flat products by September.
Apple overtook Nvidia on Friday to become the world's most valuable company. Apple reached a $4.88 trillion valuation as Nvidia fell to $4.86 trillion. Toni Meadows said, "The re-rating reflects confidence in earnings durability rather than speculative AI upside." Investors now see Apple as better positioned to monetize AI services.
The Union Cabinet approved the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, or ISM 2.0, with a new outlay. This phase supports the supply chain around chip plants, including machinery, chemicals, and gases. Experts said the programme could help local suppliers if it forces deeper participation in the domestic chip ecosystem.
Indian restaurants, pubs, and television makers expect a spending surge for the FIFA World Cup final this Sunday. Advance bookings doubled, and large-screen TV demand jumped 40% since the semi-finals. "We are rolling out additional cashback and EMI offers for the weekend as the craze for large-screen TVs gathers pace."
EPFO stopped UAN activation and new generation on its portal, moving these services to the Umang app. Users now need Aadhaar-based Face Authentication to get started. The agency said this change follows a major database consolidation and software upgrade, which is aimed at making its online services faster and more reliable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train on the Jind-Sonipat section on Friday. The train features a powerful 3,200-horsepower engine and ten coaches. Modi said, "India has successfully demonstrated its prowess by running a hydrogen train with ten full coaches straightaway." This project promotes clean energy nationwide.