One Thing Today in Tech
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Apple to continue with Qualcomm modems for now; Meta's India head leaves for Snap; Wipro names new COO from Capgemini
Apple will continue to source modem chips from Qualcomm for the 2023 iPhone 15 lineup, MacRumors reports, citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Meta Platforms's India chief Ajit Mohan has stepped down and will join rival social networking company Snap, Economic Times reports. Wipro yesterday named Amit Choudhary, a former Capgemini executive, as a chief operating officer and member of the Bengaluru IT services company's executive board
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Tata Group to add 45,000 workers to win Apple iPhone orders — report; Freshworks faces class action lawsuit
India's Tata Group is planning to multiply the number of employees at its electronics factory in southern India that makes iPhone components, adding tens of thousands of workers as part of a push to win more business from Apple, Bloomberg reports. And India's SaaS darling Freshworks is facing a class action lawsuit in the US, for allegedly withholding information about obstacles to its business in the lead-up to its IPO last year
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Google temporarily halts enforcing billing system in India; Freshworks grows 37 pct in Q3, raises full-year forecast
Google has temporarily halted enforcing its Google Play app store rule that developers use its proprietary billing system in India after the country's Competition Commission ruled the practice anti-competitive, last month. Freshworks beat its guidance for fiscal Q3 revenue with a 37 percent increase in constant currency. The company raised its full-year projection, although the December quarter growth is expected at a slower, 27-28 percent range
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India to set up grievance appellate committees for social media; Twitter to revise user verification, may charge for it
India will set up multiple grievance appellate committees to oversee content moderation decisions of social media platform providers in the country, as the government looks to reign in content it deems unlawful. At Twitter, which is in a legal battle with the Indian government over orders to take down various accounts and tweets, new owner Elon Musk has plans to form a council to oversee content moderation, CNBC reports. Twitter may also charge a fee for user verification, according to the tech newsletter Platformer
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Apple bucks tech slowdown, but Spotify says it is 'choking competition'; EU investigating Google Play; Meta's rout continues
Apple's restrictive app store rules might be the reason that audiobooks are no longer available for purchase on Spotify's iOS app, a month after the music streaming company launched them in the US, The Verge reports. Meanwhile, European anti-trust regulators are investigating Google's Play Store, Reuters reports. And Meta has lost more than two-thirds of its value this year, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg chases the Metaverse, Bloomberg points out
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Rishi Sunak reimposes UK's fracking ban; Apple confirms USB-C for iPhones; IBM India head warns against moonlighting
UK's new prime minister Indian-born Rishi Sunak reimposed the government's ban on fracking, which had been lifted by his predecessor, Liz Truss, in her short-lived premiership, The Guardian reports. Apple has confirmed future iPhones will be equipped with USB-C charging ports after the EU made it a common standard, Wall Street Journal reports. And IBM's India head has warned staff against moonlighting, according to Economic Times
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India joins EU in finding Google anti-competitive; 'competitors never stood a chance,' finds landmark decision
The Competition Commission of India has imposed a penalty of a little under Rs. 1338 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem, apart from issuing a cease-and-desist order. The Commission, which has been investigating Google's market practices since 2019, also directed Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline, according to a statement on the competition authority's website. Google cannot restrict consumers from uninstalling its apps, the authority noted
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IBM beats expectations; CCI fines MMT, Oyo; Persistent hits $1 bln revenue run rate, KPIT raises forecast
IBM yesterday beat analysts' estimates for its fiscal third quarter across software, consulting and infrastructure segments, and raised its growth projection for the full year, CNBC reports. The Competition Commission of India has pulled up MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and Oyo for anti-competitive behaviour, fining them $47 million in total; and mid-sized Indian IT services companies are reporting strong growth
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Apple launches new iPads; Microsoft is laying off some staff; Accel says cloud startup funding fell 42 percent in Q3
Apple yesterday released a new iPad with its A14 chip, and an iPad Pro running on its M2 processor. Microsoft is laying off some staff, Wall Street Journal reports, and the company is planning a new data centre in India, according to Economic Times. Cloud startup funding in Europe, the US and Israel fell significantly in the September quarter, global VC firm Accel said in a report. And electric scooter maker Ather Energy has raised more money
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Reliance Jio selects Nokia for 5G gear; Cognizant taps senior execs from Infosys, Accenture; Flipkart launches a metaverse space
Reliance Jio Infocomm, the wireless business of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries and the country's biggest mobile carrier, has chosen Nokia as a major 5G supplier, the Finnish telecom equipment maker said yesterday, Reuters reports. Biocon is looking to tap a $700 million market via a Japanese alliance for two of its biosimilar products. And Flipkart is launching a metaverse space called Flipverse in partnership with Polygon-incubated eDAO
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India opens 75 digital banking units to boost inclusion; Meta's Horizon falling short — report; Avataar, Alteria raise funds
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday, launched 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in 75 different districts across the nation, as the government moves to bring banks to the doorsteps of citizens in far-flung areas. These units are brick-and-mortar outlets that will offer a variety of services to customers—all digitally. They will also inculcate digital financial literacy and awareness of cyber security in digital financial transactions. A self-service mode will be available round the clock at these outlets