Best of the Week: A Parade, A Stamped, A Lesson | Mint

If you happened to be in Bengaluru on Tuesday, June 3 and unaware of the cultural phenomenon that is the Indian Premier League (IPL), you would have been a shock at about 23:30. Just when Shashank Singh of Punjab Kings Josh Hazlewood finished for a six of the long time, the IT capital of India broke out of joy. The city’s beloved team-Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)-has just sounded their first IPL title after a nearly two decade guard. There was no holding back. Bengalureans of all walks from houses, offices, bars and bars – wherever they watched the game – to flood the streets. They only had one mission: to celebrate their heroes. For once, Bengaluru’s notorious traffic was not a headache. It was a joyous, impromptu parade. It felt like Diwali in Bengaluru. Firecrackers lit the air, strangers danced on the streets, and the whole city came alive with celebration. In the ten years I lived here, I have never seen the city celebrate. Now RCB has a slightly complicated relationship with its fans. Despite the massive support the team receives year after year, it is incredibly difficult to get tickets for a home game at Chinnaswamy Stadium. If you’ve ever tried, you’ll know how quickly they sold out – or disappear. I even looked at it in the previous issues of this newsletter. And unfortunately, not much has changed. Then came the tragedy. A day after the historic victory, 11 people lost their lives in a bumps outside the stadium. What a proud, happy moment must have been, something unthinkable. And the truth is, it could have been avoided. The Victory Parade does not have to happen the next day. The team knows how big his fan is. It could have waited, better planning and ensuring that everyone stays safe. RCB fans always appear on match days, during bad seasons, and to celebrate a long-awaited victory now. All we ask for in return is that the team also shows us up with better planning and more care. Because celebrations should not come at the expense of lives. Bengaluru earned a perfect end – it doesn’t have to be nightmares. To the best of Mint’s work of this week: Can Ai be legally involved? An American court allowed an unlawful death action against Character.AI and Google claiming that their chatbot contributed to a 14-year-old suicide. The judge rejected free speech defense and said chatbot answers are not protected expression and can be treated as Products Act as Products Act. The teenager, Sewell Setzer III, became deeply attached to fictional bots like Daenerys Targaryen before he took his life in February 2024. This is the first US case that tests legal liability for AI -ChatBot damage. This primer explains who is legally responsible as a AI -ChatBot tackle suicide. A resource war is on the horizon that has entered the US China rumble, with artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors turning into strategic power weapons. US Vice President JD Vance recently compared the AI ​​race with a ‘arms race’, with both countries considering technological dominance as the key to global supremacy. The US has tightened restrictions on Chinese technical firms, blocking access to advanced chips and tools. In response, China has its grip on critical minerals, such as gallium, graphite and rare earths, which are essential for chips, electric vehicles and defense systems. In a world where markets make way for geopolitics, one question is great: Who will control the building blocks of the future? The Hindujas Eye A larger Indusind Stake Indusind International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the promoter of Indusind Bank, is in early discussions with sovereign and pension funds to raise capital via a new share issue, sources said. The funds will help IIHL to increase its stake in the bank and repay some debt from its £ 9.650 Crore acquisition of Reliance Capital, which was completed earlier this year. IIHL currently has a 12.06% stake in Indusind Bank and has the RBI’s principle button to increase it to 26%. The move came when Indusind Bank a £ 2,100 crore-derived accounting crisis, top level resignations and a 9% drop since March. Hunting to the next billion cricket league, the IPL, the 13th largest sports league in the world, with a valuation of more than $ 16 billion, ended this week. The tournament has become an embodiment of everything that represents T20 cricket. With 17 active T20 leagues, the format is now the commercial engine of the sport. England is the hundred, Australia’s BBL, and the US MLC is quickly chasing valuations and audiences. Saudi Arabia’s Global League plans and New Zealand’s MLC Investment Show Rising Stakes. Still, the IPL tunes above. As more leagues compete for players, fans and calendar space, the global T20 ecosystem stares at a: in a crowded market, who survives and who fades? Big Four feels the heat as India Inc. Again in spending, the Big Four – Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC – are pruning promotions, delaying salary increases and reducing new partners. Deloitte’s India promotions fell 8% this year, while new partner numbers were halved. EY and KPMG also give an indication of caution, referring to global windwinds and cuts in the client, especially from it. With hikes likely to fall to 5-7%, even high performers can feel the pinch. Slaan growth, regulatory pressure and AI-powered restructuring over sectors-from startups to technical giant pressure professional services firms to catch the belts and to have a slim time in the midst of economic uncertainty. Whisper from the orchard what happens if the ‘Queen of Fruit’ has to take care of herself? In Bihar’s famous orchards of Samastipur and Muzaffarpur, the once-servant Shahi-Litchi struggles before ripening, sprayed with harmful chemicals and sold cheaply by emergency farmers. “Lychis is a happiness,” says a farmer who exchanges trees for lemons. Despite a GI label and a rich heritage, neglect and climate extremes pushed lychis into a downward spiral. Can better logistics, reasonable prices and research revive the lost glory? Read more. But who really owns the phone? Did you know that although more than 76% of rural women in India use cell phones, only 48% own one? Who really holds the power if the phone is not in your hands? A new government’s survey reveals that many rural women, although digitally active – make payments and send attachments – still borrow phones, often from male family members. This is progress, but with a side of patriarchy. In countries such as Western Bengals and Madhya Pradesh, this ownership gap is even Starker. Still, hope runs hard: Thanks to UPI and cheap data teach women online. Read more. Who will move the power of the power? What happens if the annual revenue of £ 50,000 meets a fierce private ambition? Uttar Pradesh is ready for the largest Discom Privatization of India-which sells 51% in the Purvancal and Roofshinanchal power distribution companies. The Who’s Who Of India Inc. – Adani, Tata Power, Torrent, Renew, Greenko, and more – are already standing up. But can they turn two tools driven by the loss with rising AT&C losses? Will this privatization of the Odisha style create real efficiency? With RFPs expected by July and Diwali sealed, the game is high. Read more. Q4 Earnings Wrap has India Inc. Really shone in the second quarter or just cut costs on the way to glory? While Nifty EPS grew by 4.9%, the actual pressure came from margin gains, not the question. Is the recovery truly sustainable with the revenue growth slowing for the 8th term? Outside of the top -50, Smids stumbled – profitable organizations fell to 9% last year from 24%. Wage growth also hit after the advanced lows. If cost -levers remain maximum and consumption, especially in urban markets, where are we going from? Analysts now see that Tempered Nifty EPS is growing at 12% for FY26. Read more. Lower palm oil prices to generate FMCG sales boom! FMCG businesses hope for your favorite soap and snacks to get cheaper! With input costs such as palm oil, wheat and maize cooling and importing taxes on edible oils, the manufacturers of the best packaged goods in India are moving gears – from price increases to volume pressure. Brands such as Parle, Bikaji and Joy Personal Care consider it a chance to increase advertising and grab market share. But here’s the catch: Although some costs soften, others like milk, cocoa and tea still hold. Read more. It’s all for this week, I hope you have a pleasant weekend! If you have feedback, want to talk about food, or have something else to say about our journalism, write to my atsiddharth.sharma1@htdigital.in or answer this email. You can also write tofeedback@livemint.com. Best, Siddharth Sharma Community Editor Subscribe Experience Team