India and the European Union (EU) hope to finalise their Free Trade Agreement when officials from both sides meet in a fortnight, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday. Notably, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will be chief guests at India's Republic Day parade. They'll attend the India-EU Summit on January 27.

A private company in Bengaluru has sparked backlash on social media after a job posting specifically stated a preference for candidates who do not speak Kannada or Marathi. Many social media users, especially from Karnataka and Maharashtra, condemned the move as offensive and exclusionary. The company has now issued a public apology, stating, "We will be cautious...in future."

Logistics services provider Shadowfax will launch its ₹1,900-crore IPO next week, targeting a valuation of ₹7,400 crore, PTI reported. The company is expected to announce the price band of its maiden public offering this week. The proposed IPO will reportedly comprise a fresh issue of shares worth ₹1,000 crore and an offer for sale of ₹900 crore by existing shareholders.

French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, which makes the Rafale fighter jets, is leading a $200 million (over ₹1,800 crore) funding round in startup Harmattan AI. The collaboration will support the development of AI capabilities in Dassault Aviation's future air combat systems, including drones, the firms said. Notably, Dassault is working on a new version of its Rafale, the Rafale F5.

Corporate mobility solutions provider PumPumPum has raised ₹18 crore in a pre-Series A round led by LC Nueva with participation from Mufin Green Finance and Anupam Finserv. The company will use the new funds to boost its fintech platform, expand leasing partnerships, strengthen OEM and dealer networks, deepen presence across metro cities and scale tech, sales and customer service teams.

Apple has deployed senior executives to South Korean hotels to secure critical mobile DRAM from Samsung and SK Hynix. Faced with soaring costs and AI-driven shortages, the tech giant is pursuing long-term supply deals for upcoming iPhones. This face-to-face negotiation strategy highlights a global memory war where manufacturing access is now a vital strategic priority.

Krystal Integrated Services secured three waste management contracts from Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation worth ₹275 crore over five years. This adds to a massive order book, including a ₹168 crore hospital sanitation deal and a ₹370 crore housekeeping contract including diversifying subsidiaries and 25.6% Q1 FY26 revenue growth.

Mumbai-based Edgistify has raised $1.4 million in a pre-Series A round led by NB Ventures and Rajesh Ranavat, with backing from Prateek Maheshwari and angels. The capital will fuel its AI-led EdgeOS platform, expand fulfilment in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and support fast-growing consumer brands across India.

Modern software development prioritises modular architecture, continuous delivery, and cross-functional collaboration. These approaches break systems into manageable components, reduce deployment risk, and enable frequent, reliable releases. As products and teams grow, such frameworks improve iteration speed, support scalability, and help organisations adapt faster to business requirements.

Software platforms are evolving towards modular architectures, integration-first design, and automation. Solutions that reduce operational complexity and decision friction scale faster across teams and use cases. In contrast, rigid, tightly coupled systems struggle to adapt as business needs, data sources, and operating models continue to change.