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  • Tamil Nadu Govt Hikes DA by 2 pc for Employees and Teachers

    Chennai, May 14 (BNP): The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday announced a 2 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and teachers with retrospective effect from January 1, 2026.

    According to an official statement, the DA has been revised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent, benefiting nearly 16 lakh government employees, teachers, pensioners and family pensioners across the state.

    The government said the decision would place an additional financial burden of around ₹1,230 crore on the state exchequer. The administration stated that government employees and teachers play a crucial role in implementing welfare-oriented programmes and ensuring effective public service delivery.

    The move is expected to provide financial relief to employees and pensioners amid rising living costs and inflation.

     

  • Empower India on Urgent GST Inverted Duty Structure Fix

    New Delhi, May 14: India’s small businesses are facing a compounding crisis. While global markets reel from West Asia disruptions and the Prime Minister calls on the nation to practise economic prudence, a structural flaw in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework is quietly draining the working capital of millions of small sellers and manufacturers across the country.

    The Inverted Duty Structure (IDS) – a condition where the tax rate on inputs is higher than the tax rate on finished goods – is systematically trapping billions of rupees in unrefunded Input Tax Credits (ITC), creating a liquidity crisis that no amount of operational efficiency can overcome. Empower India, a public policy think tank, is urging the GST Council to act at the earliest opportunity to correct this structural distortion.

    The Numbers: What the Data Shows

    The financial toll is no longer theoretical. Data from multiple independent sources points to a systemic crisis:

    • 13% of working capital locked for months: Manufacturers purchasing raw materials at 18% GST and selling finished goods at 5% face a persistent tax gap recoverable only through government refunds – refunds that routinely take months despite the promised 30-day timeline. 

    • ₹30 lakh crore MSME credit gap: India’s MSME sector, contributing 30% of GDP and employing over 110 million people, faces an estimated ₹30 lakh crore credit gap, compounded by blocked ITC and delayed refunds. 

    • GST 2.0 deepened the problem: The September 2025 rate rationalisation, while simplifying slabs, has intensified inverted duty structures in food processing, FMCG, and pharmaceuticals, creating fresh backlogs of unusable credits. 

    • Billions trapped in unrefunded ITC: Across sectors, the IDS forces SMEs to absorb costs or pass them on to consumers, creating a systemic liquidity crisis that undermines competitiveness.

    Speaking on this, Mr. K. Giri, Director General, Empower India, said,

    “India’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy – and they are being slowly asphyxiated by a tax structure that punishes production. In a world already destabilised by the West Asia crisis, with supply chains under pressure and input costs rising, the burden of trapped ITC is not a bureaucratic inconvenience: it is an existential threat. The Prime Minister himself has asked the nation to be prudent with every rupee. Fixing the Inverted Duty Structure is exactly that kind of prudence – it returns capital to the hands of those who create jobs and drive growth. Every month of inaction is a month stolen from India’s small sellers.”

    Where the Inversion is Most Acute

    • Food Processing: Finished products taxed at 5%; packaging, cold storage, and logistics services attract 18% GST. The 2025 rate rationalisation has shifted more products to the 5% slab, deepening the inversion.

    • E-Commerce Sellers: Over 1.4 million small sellers on marketplace platforms bear 18% GST on platform fees, logistics and packaging, while many product categories (garments, food, handicrafts) are taxed at 5%. The asymmetry is structurally embedded in the e-commerce cost model.

    • Renewable Energy: Solar and wind components carry a 5% output rate while steel, glass, and engineering services remain at 18%, directly adding to the cost of India’s energy transition.

    • Pharmaceuticals & FMCG: Pharmexcil (May 2026) has warned of reduced manufacturing capacity, supply disruptions, and employment instability following post-GST 2.0 inversions in the sector.

    The Structural Flaw

    Under Section 54(3) of the CGST Act, ITC refunds are permissible only where inversion is attributable to inputs (goods). Input services and capital goods – which form a growing share of costs in services-intensive industries, particularly e-commerce and food processing – are excluded from the refund scope. This exclusion significantly limits the efficacy of the relief mechanism.

    A small seller on an e-commerce marketplace paying 18% GST on platform fees, logistics, and packaging while selling garments or food items at 5% faces a permanent 13-percentage-point cost disadvantage. No amount of operational efficiency bridges this gap.

    Empower India’s Recommendations to the GST Council

    • Broaden ITC refund scope to include input services and capital goods, not only inputs (goods).

    • Redefine ‘Net ITC’ to reflect the full spectrum of input costs, delivering meaningful and complete relief rather than partial mitigation.

    • Rationalise GST rates to correct structural inversions deepened by the September 2025 reforms, particularly in food processing, FMCG, and pharmaceuticals.

    • Streamline and expedite refunds for MSMEs through automated processing and reduced procedural burdens to improve working capital access.

    • Establish an IDS monitoring mechanism to identify and flag emerging inversions before they accumulate into systemic crises.

    The Urgency

    This is not a policy inconvenience. It is an economic emergency. Every month of inaction means more working capital trapped, more small factories shutting down, more sellers exiting the formal economy. In manufacturing clusters across Punjab, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, small units are forced to halt operations periodically because working capital is tied up in unrefunded ITC claims. 

    India cannot build a $5 trillion economy on the backs of broken small businesses. The GST was designed to liberate commerce, not strangle it. The Inverted Duty Structure represents an unfinished reform that demands urgent completion.

    Empower India urges the GST Council to take corrective action at its next meeting. The cost of delay is measured not in policy papers – but in shuttered factories and lost livelihoods.

  • CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

    SYDNEY, May 14 – Global power protection specialist CyberPower Systems has enhanced its Power Distribution Units (PDUs) range in Australia with new models designed to meet growing demand for reliable, high‑density rack power distribution in today’s data‑driven environments.

    CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

    The new PDU41004, PDU41005, PDU44004 and PDU44005 models extend CyberPower’s rack power portfolio providing practical, scalable solutions for IT managers, systems integrators, managed service providers and data centre operators looking for dependable and cost‑effective rack power that integrates seamlessly alongside CyberPower UPS infrastructure.

    CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

    CyberPower PDUs are designed for today’s high‑density, high‑demand environments. As server racks become more densely populated and edge computing deployments expand, modern IT environments need dependable, space‑efficient power delivery that minimises complexity. The new PDU models address this directly, offering reliable rack power for comms rooms, network cabinets and data‑centre racks.

    CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

    CyberPower Systems Oceania GM ANZ Robert Hartvigsen said, “Our new PDU models deliver dependable, consistent rack power that just works. They are engineered for simplicity, reliability and seamless integration with UPS systems, giving IT teams confidence in their rack infrastructure.”

    CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

     The four new PDU models provide a trusted solution for growing equipment density, pairing compact design with single‑phase input support and durable metal construction.

    For scalable operations, new 32‑amp variants offer higher load capacities across wider network deployments.

    CyberPower expands rack power portfolio with PDU models for modern IT infrastructure

     Key features and advantages
    The PDU41004, PDU41005, PDU44004 and PDU44005 are suited for professional rack installations from SMB through to enterprise systems.

    Core specifications include:

    • Rack‑mountable design optimised for space efficiency

    • Multiple IEC output sockets for server and network hardware

    • Robust metal housing for durability

    • Reliable single‑phase power distribution

    • Compatibility with the CyberPower UPS ecosystem

    • Support for higher‑capacity 32‑amp configurations for scaling environments

     

    Product features and highlights include:

    • Seamless pairing with CyberPower UPS solutions

    • Reliable distribution for business‑critical equipment

    • Compact and rugged rack design

    • Strong value without compromising quality

    • Ideal for comms cabinets, data centres and edge sites

    Customers across professional IT, MSP and enterprise environments are facing increasing rack equipment density and tighter turnaround expectations. These PDUs provide simple, dependable power distribution which is ideal when intelligent switching is unnecessary but quality and operational reliability are critical. Also, by aligning with CyberPower’s UPS range, the new models enable standardised, end‑to‑end rack power infrastructure, simplifying procurement and long‑term maintenance.

    For systems integrators and resellers, the family also broadens the ability to offer complete rack power packages under a single, trusted brand, strengthening CyberPower’s position in the power ecosystem.

    For CyberPower, the new models strengthen its reputation as a complete rack power infrastructure provider, not just a UPS vendor.

    In short, for customers, the new PDUs mean more consistent, reliable rack power distribution, simplified sourcing and deployment, scalable 32‑amp options for higher‑load environments and confidence in globally recognised power protection technology.

    Robert Hartvigsen concluded, “By combining trusted reliability with scalable design, our PDUs help partners and customers build better‑performing, more consistent infrastructure.”

    The new CyberPower PDU41004, PDU41005, PDU44004, and PDU44005 are available now through authorised CyberPower distributors and resellers.

  • CM Yogi Urges Ministers to Use Public Transport, Cut Fuel Consumption and Adopt Austerity Measures

    New Delhi, May 14: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called upon members of the state Cabinet to use public transport at least one day a week and conveyed the message of developing a new work culture in governance based on austerity, energy conservation, and exemplary public conduct.

    He also urged ministers to reduce their vehicle fleets by up to 50 percent. Along with this, the Chief Minister directed all ministers and senior officials of the state government to avoid foreign travel for the next six months except under unavoidable circumstances.

    Addressing the first meeting of the expanded Cabinet held after the Cabinet expansion, the Chief Minister issued several important directives aimed at making governance and administration more accountable, disciplined, and resource-sensitive.

    He said, “Under the current global circumstances, fuel conservation is not merely an economic necessity but also a national responsibility.”

    Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to minimize the consumption of petrol and diesel, the Chief Minister said, “The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet should itself set an example.”

    The Chief Minister said that ministers should use facilities such as the metro, buses, e-rickshaws, carpooling, or bicycles on a designated day each week so that a positive message reaches society and inspires the public.

    Stressing the maximum use of digital and virtual platforms in governance and administrative work, he directed that inter-district meetings, training programs, and meetings of the standing committees of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council should, as far as possible, be conducted in hybrid mode.

    The Chief Minister directed that air conditioners and lifts in the Secretariat and Directorate offices should be used strictly based on necessity. He instructed that AC temperatures be maintained between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius and emphasized maximizing the use of natural light.

    He also stressed promoting public transport, rail travel, and carpooling, along with adopting work-from-home arrangements at least two days a week in institutions employing more than 50 people.

    Describing energy conservation and environmental balance as priorities of governance, the Chief Minister directed the wider use of solar energy and the expansion of public awareness campaigns to residential colonies, schools, and colleges. He also emphasized the need for a new policy to promote electric vehicles and encourage clean and energy-efficient transport systems.

    The Chief Minister also conveyed the message of austerity and support for the local economy in social events. He said, “Domestic venues should be prioritized for weddings and other ceremonies to curb unnecessary expenditure and promote local employment.”

    Stressing the need to implement the spirit of ‘Vocal for Local’ in practice, he said that ministers should use only those items as gifts that are manufactured in Uttar Pradesh.

    He added, “Under the ‘One District One Product’ scheme, the state offers a rich range of high-quality local products that should be given preference.”

    The Chief Minister directed that PNG connections be prioritized over LPG cylinders and said that the necessary policy changes should be implemented immediately.

    He also emphasized the need to connect commercial LPG users with PNG.

    Calling for minimal use of imported goods, the Chief Minister stressed the need to promote oilseed production, natural farming, and balanced use of chemical fertilizers. He also called for reducing edible oil consumption and increasing public awareness on the issue.

    Alongside this, he appealed for discouraging unnecessary imports of gold and turning rainwater conservation into a mass movement.

    At the beginning of the meeting, the Chief Minister formally introduced the new ministers inducted into the Cabinet. He said, “Public representatives carry the highest level of accountability within the system of governance and that people evaluate the work of leaders and ministers every day.”

    He remarked that the conduct of a public representative itself becomes the biggest message for the public.

    Addressing the newly appointed ministers, the Chief Minister said that they have been entrusted with a major responsibility and that comparatively little time remains before the upcoming Assembly elections. Therefore, all ministers will have to deliver outstanding performance within a limited period.

    He advised the new ministers to maintain regular dialogue with senior and experienced ministers to learn and develop an effective working style. He also directed Cabinet ministers to take the views of their junior ministers into consideration on departmental policy matters.

  • Amul Hikes Milk Prices by INR 2 Per Litre, Consumers Feel Inflation Heat !

    Vadodara,May 14 (BNP): Dairy major Amul has increased the prices of its packaged milk variants by ₹2 per litre, with the revised rates coming into effect from May 14 across the country.

    Amul Hikes Milk Prices by INR 2 Per Litre, Consumers Feel Inflation Heat !

    The price hike applies to popular variants including Amul Gold, Amul Shakti, Taaza, Cow Milk and Slim & Trim. Following the increase, a 500 ml pouch of Amul Gold will now cost ₹35, while Amul Shakti and Slim & Trim are priced at ₹32 and ₹26 respectively in Gujarat.

    The move has triggered concern among consumers in Vadodara, where residents said the rising prices of essential commodities are putting additional pressure on household budgets. Many homemakers and middle-class families expressed worry over managing daily expenses, stating that milk is an essential item consumed in almost every household.

    The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul products, said the increase amounts to nearly 2.5 to 3.5 per cent and marks the first hike in milk prices since May 2025.

  • ENTECH 2026 ready to roll with new attractions

    SYDNEY, 14 May 2026 – ENTECH, Australia’s longest-running AV trade roadshow and the only event for AV and entertainment technology professionals that visits every major population centre, is back for 2026. Starting next week it will tour five cities across the country with a packed one-day program of seminars, hands-on demonstrations and its new Tech Train.

     

    Entech

    ENTECH Roadshow to Experience event

    The ENTECH Roadshow kicks off in Sydney on Tuesday 19 May followed by Brisbane on Thursday 21 May, Melbourne on Tuesday 26 May, Adelaide on Thursday 28 May and wraps up its Australian tour in Perth on Tuesday 2 June.

    A highlight of every city stop, the Tech Train runs three times daily departing at 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm from the NW Group ENTECH Theatre. Hosted by Keils, the guided floor walk takes attendees through exhibitor stands to see the latest products and technologies in action.

    ENTECH CEO Kate McKenzie explained, “The Tech Train is the fastest way to get across what’s new without missing a thing.”

    This year ENTECH also introduces two brand-new interactive demo zones, an Audio Demo Zone and a Tech Demo Zone, running back-to-back 15-minute sessions throughout the day.

    McKenzie added, “Both zones offer attendees a close-up look at new systems from leading manufacturers, with audio sessions running from 11:30am and Tech sessions from 12:30pm.”

    The Keynotes will be in the NW Group Theatre with hot topics at midday including Electrical Compliance to which McKenzie added, “Here our industry will detail the current hot mess of state-by-state regulations, Test and Tag and the dreadful new electrical Certificate of Compliance risk. Australia and New Zealand are the only places on earth that do Test and Tag in such a shambolic manner, and the eCoC is real: ENTECH will meet it at one of our venues.”

    Immediately after the keynote, attendees can join Susan Twartz as she seeks to unify the challenging induction regimes, with some solid examples of a unified venue approach. Sessions run all day in the Theatre and like all ENTECH experiences, they are free.

    The main event is the trade show itself which features most major distributors across pro audio, lighting, staging and vision for the entertainment and installation markets. With 60 stands the floor is bust and all attractions are contained within the show so it is easy and efficient to navigate, making even the most time poor people happy.

     

    ENTECH CEO Kate McKenzie

    Kate McKenzie concluded, “Running since 1994, ENTECH is a one-day trade event designed for integrators, AV designers and end-users who want direct access to top suppliers and manufacturers. The compact format keeps things sharp, so exhibitors focus on key and new products only and conversations on the floor are worth having. With 30% of attendees carrying annual budgets of $100K or more, it’s a quality crowd.”

    After the Australian ENTECH the roadshow is staged fresh in NZ, opening at the new Auckland International Convention Centre on Tuesday 28 July then rolling Thursday 30 July into Lower Hutt Events Centre in Wellington, and crossing the straight to Te Pae in Christchurch for Tuesday 4 August.

    Attendance is free for trade guests.

  • AVer and Lightware Launch Global Collaboration to Enhance AI-Powered Video Experiences

    AVer and Lightware Launch Global Collaboration to Enhance AI-Powered Video Experiences

     

    Taipei, Taiwan – May 14: AVer Information Inc. , an award-winning provider of AI audio-video solutions, today announced a worldwide collaboration with Lightware Visual Engineering. This joint effort brings together AVer’s AI-powered camera technology and Lightware’s premier signal management solutions to address the growing demand for high-quality video in modern hybrid environments.

    By featuring AVer’s Pro AV and USB video conferencing lines alongside the Lightware Taurus UCX, Taurus TPX, Taurus TPN, and USB20 Extender Family, the two companies are providing a comprehensive visual and connectivity portfolio for global enterprise and education markets.

    Focusing on the User Experience

    This collaboration is centered on providing users with a streamlined approach to “Bring Your Own Meeting” (BYOM) setups. By utilizing AVer’s AI-driven imaging designed— for intelligent tracking and framing — together with Lightware’s signal delivery platforms, organizations can create professional grade meeting spaces that are easy to navigate and operate.

    “At AVer, we are constantly looking for ways to enhance how people connect through our AI audio-video solutions,” said David Kuo, President of AVer Information Inc. “Collaborating with Lightware allows us to showcase our professional cameras within a world-class connectivity environment. We are excited to define a new benchmark for the Pro AV community, illustrating how our combined portfolios advance modern collaboration.”

    “Lightware is excited to join forces with AVer to highlight the power of high-quality imaging combined with world-class signal management,” said Gergely Vida CEO at Lightware. “The combination of the Taurus product family and AVer’s camera solutions creates the ideal foundation for a professional meeting space.”

    See the Solutions in Action

    The highlight of this collaboration is the ability for partners and customers to see these solutions working side-by-side in real-world scenarios. AVer and Lightware are inviting the industry to explore these setups at dedicated training and experience hubs.

    • Düsseldorf: The Lightware Düsseldorf Training Center is now featuring AVer’s AI tracking cameras as part of its live demonstration environment.
    • Dubai & London: Additional showcases are coming soon to the Lightware Dubai and London Experience Centres, providing regional hubs for professionals to see these solutions paired together in person.

    A Shared Vision for the Future

    As leaders in their respective fields, AVer and Lightware are dedicated to enhancing the professional AV and video conferencing landscape. By aligning AVer’s AI-driven visual technology with Lightware’s world-class signal management, this collaboration offers a forward-thinking approach to modern, flexible workspaces. Together, the two companies are focused on making professional grade collaboration more accessible and effective for users worldwide.

  • Spendflo Launches Flo AI: An Autonomous Procurement Workforce for Mid-Market Companies

    Flo AI runs the full intake-to-pay lifecycle autonomously, giving lean procurement teams the capacity to operate as a much larger function without the headcount to match.

    San Francisco, CA – May 14: Spendflo has launched Flo AI, an autonomous procurement workforce designed for mid-market companies. Flo AI runs the complete procurement lifecycle: intake, approvals, vendor management, contract review, and accounts payable, as a single connected system. It does not assist procurement teams. It acts on their behalf.

    Most companies at this stage run procurement with a small team, often one to five people, managing a volume of requests, renewals, and vendor relationships that a larger operation would handle with a dedicated department. Flo AI was built for exactly this: giving lean procurement functions the capacity to operate at a speed and scale that was previously out of reach.

    Three agents. One connected system.

    Flo is made up of three purpose-built agents, each covering a distinct phase of the procurement lifecycle.

    • Flo Procure handles every purchase request from first submission to approved purchase order. It routes requests, checks budget and policy, collects vendor documentation, and drives approval workflows to completion. Requests no longer wait on a procurement manager to coordinate them through the process.
    • Flo Contracts reads, redlines, and tracks vendor agreements. It surfaces non-standard clauses, extracts key commercial terms, and flags upcoming renewals before they slip through. Every contract processed through Spendflo informs how Flo Contracts handles the next one.
    • Flo AP (Accounts Payable) matches incoming invoices against purchase orders and contracts, routes exceptions for human review, and processes payment. Because Flo AP shares context with Flo Procure and Flo Contracts, it verifies invoices against what was actually agreed at sourcing, not just what the vendor submitted.

    The three agents work as one system. Context carries forward at every stage. What Flo Procure learns about a vendor informs how Flo Contracts reads their agreement. What Flo Contracts extracts from the agreement informs how Flo AP handles the invoice. This continuity is what separates Flo from the point solutions most procurement teams are stitching together today.

    The problem Flo AI was built to solve

    Mid-market companies face a specific procurement challenge. They have outgrown informal processes but have not yet built the procurement infrastructure that larger organisations rely on. The gap is filled by small teams doing high volumes of manual work: chasing approvals, reconciling invoices, managing renewals, and fielding requests from across the business.

    The tools available to them have not kept up. Most procurement software was designed either for large enterprise deployments with dedicated implementation teams, or for early-stage companies with simpler needs. Point solutions for intake, contracts, and accounts payable exist in abundance. What has been missing is a system that connects them, one that carries the context of a purchase request all the way through to the payment that closes it.

    Flo was built on that full context from the ground up. Since founding, Spendflo has processed more than $3.2 billion in total spend across invoices, purchase orders, and contracts on its platform. That data informs how Flo categorises spend, identifies exceptions, and understands what efficient procurement looks like across different industries and company sizes.

    Siddharth Sridharan, CEO, Spendflo commented: “The companies we work with are not looking for more software to manage. They are looking for a procurement function that runs. Flo handles intake, approvals, contracts, and accounts payable. What remains for the procurement team is the work that actually requires their judgment: vendor strategy, commercial negotiation, and the decisions that move the business forward. We are starting to see a new kind of procurement professional emerge at these companies. Someone who thinks in systems, sets the strategy, and lets the agents execute. That is the direction this is heading.”

    The rise of the procurement engineer

    With this launch, Spendflo is introducing a new role it believes will define the next generation of procurement operations: the procurement engineer.

    The procurement engineer is not a coordinator. They do not spend their days chasing approvals, tracking down documents, or manually reconciling invoices. They configure and orchestrate an AI agent workforce to run procurement operations end to end. They design the workflows Flo executes. They own the vendor strategy Flo acts on. They set the policies Flo enforces. Their time goes to the work that requires human judgment: negotiations, vendor relationships, commercial strategy, and the systems thinking that makes procurement a lever for the business rather than a cost centre behind it.

    This is a structural shift in what procurement functions look like. Most procurement teams today are built around coordination and process management. People spend the majority of their time moving information between systems and stakeholders. As AI agents take over that operational layer, the procurement function reorganises around a smaller, more senior profile: one person with strong commercial instincts and deep systems thinking, running an agent workforce that executes on their behalf.

    The analogy is the GTM engineer, a role that emerged when revenue teams realised that configuring and orchestrating go-to-market tooling required a distinct skill set closer to systems design than sales execution. Procurement is undergoing the same shift. The procurement engineer is the person who makes Flo smarter and more precisely tuned to their organisation over time. They are not replaced by AI. They are the ones who run it.

    For mid-market companies, lean procurement is not a constraint. It is the operating model. One procurement engineer orchestrating an agent workforce will run procurement with more speed, more intelligence, and more commercial impact than a headcount-heavy team running manual processes.

    Availability

    Flo is available now. It is designed for mid-market companies between $50 million and $1 billion in revenue, and connects to existing ERP, finance, and contract infrastructure without requiring organisations to replace current systems.

     

     

  • NIIT Limited announces consolidated results for Q4 and Financial Year 2025-26

    New Delhi, May 14: NIIT Limited (Ticker Symbol: NIITLTD), a leading skills and talent development corporation, announced its consolidated results for the quarter and financial year ended March 31, 2026.

    In Q4 FY’26, the company recorded Net Revenue of Rs. 997 million, up 16% YoY. EBITDA was near breakeven at Rs. (0.2) million.

    During the financial year, NIIT recorded consolidated Net Revenue of Rs. 3,902 million. EBITDA was Rs. (40) million. Profit after tax was Rs. 53 million, and EPS stood at Rs. 0.39. 

    The results were taken on record at the meeting of the Board of Directors held on May 14, 2026. 

    The Board recommended a final dividend of Rupees One per equity share.

    In FY’26, NIIT made significant investments to strengthen its enterprise offerings, while broadening its go-to-market strategy across Technology as well as BFSI & Other programs. The company also introduced a slew of new offerings to serve both early-career learners and working professionals. 

    Vijay K Thadani, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, NIIT Limited, said, “FY’26 marked a year of strategic transformation for NIIT, as we strengthened our enterprise portfolio, expanded AI-first offerings, and accelerated the integration of AI across our ecosystem. Even as we continue to invest in long-term capability building and new growth areas, the momentum in enterprise learning and technology programs reinforces the growing demand for outcome-driven skilling solutions.” 

    In Q4, the Consumer business which grew 21% YoY and contributed 37% to overall revenue for the quarter. Enterprise business saw steady growth of 13% YoY and contributed the balance 63%.

    During the quarter, Technology Programs grew 22% YoY, contributing 70% of total revenue. Revenue from BFSI & Other programs grew 4% YoY, contributing the remaining 30%. Broad basing of customers, focus on upskilling of working professionals, and investments in new product offerings helped the business achieve growth.

    Pankaj Jathar, CEO, NIIT Limited, said, “We have delivered structured growth this year, driven by strong momentum across enterprise learning, BFSI, and technology programs. Our expanding partnerships across mobility, energy, and financial services, along with the growing adoption of AI-led skilling, reflect the increasing demand for outcome-driven capability building at scale.” 

    The company continued to strengthen its AI-led skilling portfolio during the year through new GenAI programs, enterprise capability-building initiatives, and the acquisition of iamneo, an AI-powered deep-skilling SaaS platform. 

    “As AI reshapes the future of work, building practical, scalable, and industry-aligned capabilities will remain central to creating a future-ready workforce,” said Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman and Co-Founder, NIIT Group. 

    The 8th edition of the annual customer conference, NIIT Confluence 2026, a flagship platform in the Learning and Development (L&D) landscape, was held in February 2026. The conference brought together a distinguished lineup of industry leaders, learning professionals, and business executives from leading organizations across sectors. The event witnessed participation from 82 delegates representing 60 companies. 

    NIIT launched the NIIT India Skills Gap Report 2026 in partnership with YouGov, based on insights from 3,500 respondents across students, professionals, recruiters, CXOs and academia. The report highlighted the growing importance of digital, data, cybersecurity and AI-related skills, alongside the increasing shift towards skills-first hiring, certifications and continuous upskilling.

    NIIT also strengthened its AI learning portfolio with the launch of four new GenAI programs: GenAI Spark Program for Students, GenAI Spark Program for Educators, GenAI Applied Program for No-Code Apps and GenAI Applied Program for Practitioners. The programs were designed to help students, educators and professionals build practical AI skills through hands-on learning across areas such as content creation, workflow automation, no-code applications and real-world AI adoption. 

    iamneo, an NIIT venture, launched Agent Smith, a unified AI assistant that consolidates intelligence across coding practice, placement automation, and hiring workflows within its edtech and hiring platform. Agent Smith delivers code suggestions, an advanced debugger, and end-to-end platform integration, from early-career learning through placement, to keep developers in flow and reduce context-switching. The company also initiated a Work Integrated Learning Program (WILP) to build scalable, high-quality talent pipeline aligned with industry needs.

    Other Highlights 

    • During Q4 FY’26, NIIT released two position papers “AI, Work and the Future of Talent in Indian IT” and “The Experience Age Imperative: Composable CRM, Real-Time Orchestration and Governed GenAI in the Flow of Work.” The papers explored how AI is reshaping talent requirements and operating models in the IT industry, while also highlighting the need for more structured and governance-led approaches to AI adoption in customer experience and CRM environments.
    • NIIT Ltd partnered with Sporting Club Delhi as Associate Sponsor and Official Skilling Partner for Season 12 of the Indian Super League (ISL).
    • NIIT trained 900 POs and 500 clerical recruits for a PSU bank, while IFBI partnered with banks, NBFCs, insurers, and broking firms for training across Wealth Advisory, Gold Loans, Channel Sales, and employee upskilling in sales, compliance, and digital capabilities
    • As part of its continued focus on AI-led capability building, NIIT launched the Building Agentic AI Systems program. The program is designed to equip engineers with the skills required to build, deploy, and manage autonomous and agentic AI systems.
    • StackRoute, an NIIT venture, hosted the third edition of the Digital Architect Conclave (DAC) 2025, a dedicated platform for digital architects to engage, exchange insights, and explore emerging trends in enterprise architecture. It also hosted BAL&NCE Bengaluru, an invitation-only leadership forum that brought together senior industry leaders to discuss engineering excellence, enterprise transformation, and AI-led capability building.
    • StackRoute secured repeat renewals and new wins across consulting, technology, and financial services enterprises, while expanding multi-geo engagements across GenAI, cloud, data, DevOps, and cybersecurity. The business trained over 6,100 learners and enrolled 270 participants in transformation programs, achieving an NPS of 70.
    • StackRoute further strengthened its mentor ecosystem across AI, cloud, DevOps, SRE, data engineering, and enterprise architecture through certification-led upskilling across platforms including Azure, AWS, NVIDIA Generative AI, GitHub Copilot, and enterprise architecture.
    • RPS Consulting, an NIIT subsidiary, advanced its GenC program through large-scale AI and Copilot initiatives and earned APAC recognitions from VMware by Broadcom and Google Cloud for training and upskilling excellence
    • RPS Consulting trained 2,000+ learners across AI and deepened its enterprise AI footprint through large-scale engagements, including programs for a BFSI-focused GCC
    • The company partnered with a leading global beverage company to strengthen frontline sales capabilities through structured learning interventions
    • NIIT expanded its enterprise portfolio across mobility, energy, and cybersecurity through transformation initiatives with leading automotive, oil & gas, and global technology organizations
    • NIIT launched 10 globally benchmarked AI and technology certification programs across AI, cloud, and cybersecurity
    • NIIT IFBI also added a new partner campus to expand residential training capacity and accelerate deployment of BFSI talent
    • During FY’26, NIIT acquired 70% stake in iamneo, a Coimbatore-based, AI-powered deep-skilling SaaS platform. This acquisition has expanded NIIT’s ability to deliver outcome-oriented skilling solutions at scale across Universities, Global System Integrators (GSIs), and Global Capability Centers (GCCs).

  • Air India Announces Major Summer Flight Cuts Due to Fuel Prices and Airspace Restrictions !

    New Delhi, May 14 (BNP): Facing mounting financial pressure amid the ongoing fuel crisis and geopolitical tensions, Air India has announced a major reduction in its international summer flight operations, suspending and scaling down services on several key routes till August 2026.

    Air India Announces Major Summer Flight Cuts Due to Fuel Prices and Airspace Restrictions !

    According to the revised schedule, the airline will operate nearly 37 per cent fewer international flights between June and August compared to April operations. Monthly international departures are expected to drop significantly as rising aviation turbine fuel prices, restricted airspace due to the West Asia conflict and declining route profitability continue to impact operations.

    Several major routes connecting India with North America, Europe, Australia and Asia have been affected. Services on routes such as Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Shanghai and Chennai-Singapore have been temporarily suspended, while flight frequencies on destinations including Paris, Melbourne, Singapore and Kathmandu have been reduced.

    Air India, however, said it will continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month during the affected period. The airline has offered affected passengers options including alternative flights, free rescheduling and full refunds if the revised schedules are not suitable.

    The operational changes come at a time when the Tata Group-owned airline is battling heavy financial losses, rising fuel costs and global travel disruptions. Industry experts believe the airline is prioritising cost control and operational stability as part of its ongoing turnaround strategy.

    Air India has also reportedly initiated several internal cost-cutting measures, including curbing discretionary spending and reviewing operational expenses, as it attempts to navigate one of the toughest phases for the aviation sector in recent years.