Daily Strategic Briefing

AI chatbots that butter you up make you worse at conflict, study finds

Top AI models keep saying you’re right, and that’s the problem State-of-the-art AI models tend to flatter users, and that praise makes people more convinced that they're right and less willing to resolve conflicts, recent research suggests.…

Hacking contest kerfuffle over copied rules pits Wiz against ZDI

'Seems like you should at least run that through ChatGPT to reword it' A new hacking contest has caused a social media kerfuffle over allegations of rule copying and plagiarism.…

Hacked Ford screens put anti-RTO slogan above CEO’s face

Carmaker confirms screen hijack, says probe underway Conference-room screens at Ford's Dearborn HQ were briefly hijacked on Thursday to display a protest image in an apparent swipe at the carmaker's return-to-office policy.…

India's tech talent pipeline is sputtering

AI and new wave of offshoring mean graduates can't get gigs Feature  Shubh Kumar graduated from IIT Patna, one of India's famed Institutes of Technology – universities that attract millions of applicants but admit only 18,000 undergraduates.…

ICE plans to scour Facebook, TikTok, X, and even defunct Google+ for illegal immigration leads

Draft solicitation calls for nearly 30 contractors to mine social media and other open-source data US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking contractors to trawl social media and other open-source data for potential immigration enforcement leads, assuming public posts can yield actionable intelligence.…

California’s new AI safety law shows regulation and innovation don’t have to clash 

Summary:

“Are bills like SB 53 the thing that will stop us from beating China? No,” said Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI. “I think it is just genuinely intellectually dishonest to say that that is the thing that will stop us in the race.”

OpenAI and Jony Ive may be struggling to figure out their AI device

Summary:

OpenAI and Jony Ive reportedly face significant technical challenges as they work to develop a screen-less, AI-powered device.

The Reinforcement Gap — or why some AI skills improve faster than others  

Summary:

AI tasks that work well with reinforcement learning are getting better fast — and threatening to leave the rest of the industry behind.

If you’re not an AI startup, good luck raising money from VCs

Summary:

New PitchBook data illustrates how dramatically AI is dominating startup investment, with 2025 on-track to become the first year when AI accounts for more than half of all VC money invested.

Instacrops will demo its water-saving, crop-boosting AI at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Summary:

Agriculture consumes a vast amount of water, and some countries are under more stress than others. Instacrops pivoted to AI to help farmers cut water use by 30%.

Hyderabad-based fintech Zaggle to raise nearly Rs 60 Cr through warrants

Enterprise fintech company Zaggle had raised Rs 595 crore through a QIP in December 2024, with the state-owned Bank of India emerging as the largest buyer.

VC funding into Indian startups down 18% in 9 months of 2025

The current VC funding trends reveal that the total amount likely to be raised in 2025 is unlikely to cross the 2024 levels.

Hocco secures Rs 115 Cr in funding at Rs 2,000 Cr valuation led by Sauce.VC

Since its launch less than two years ago, Hocco has expanded quickly, gaining traction through product innovation, quality, and a modern approach to distribution.

Dharana Capital leads Rs 137 Cr funding round in Petpooja

Restaurant management software startup Petpooja will use the capital to bolster its product portfolio, accelerate AI-driven automation, and improve customer support.

GreyLabs AI bags Rs 85 Cr to scale its voice AI platform for BFSI clients

GreyLabs AI plans to use its Series A fundraise to launch its Voice AI Agent Platform and expand R&D and sales teams as it bets big on autonomous voicebots for BFSI.

Shilpa Medicare OKs 1:1 Bonus Issue

Shilpa Medicare approves 1:1 bonus share allotment, issuing 9.78 cr fully paid shares. Paid-up capital doubles from Rs 9.78 cr to Rs 19.56 cr; bonus shares rank equally. Source: ScoutQuest

Tata Capital IPO Opens Oct 6; Backed by Morgan Stanley, Goldman, Nomura

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Nomura invest in Tata Capital IPO. Tata Capital IPO opens for public subscription on Oct 6. Source: Business Standard

PNB Housing Outperforms Sensex, Peers

PNB Housing Finance adjusts valuation, showing competitive metrics in housing finance. It delivers strong 3-year returns, outperforming the Sensex and industry peers. Source: Marketsmojo

TANFAC Doubles Solar Acid Capacity to 10,000 TPA

TANFAC Industries doubles Solar Grade Dilute Hydro Fluoric Acid capacity to 10,000 TPA. Second 5,000 TPA phase commissioned in Oct 2025; product caters to solar energy customers. Source: ScoutQuest

National Fittings Q2 Profit Jumps 25%, Revenue Up 7%

National Fittings' revenue rose 7.2% QoQ to Rs 635.47 crore. Net profit grew 25.2% to Rs 27.36 crore; EBITDA margin hit 12.5%. Source: ScoutQuest

Indonesia Stocks Reach Record High in Morning Trade

Country: Indonesia, Description: The IDX Composite rose 13 points, or 0.2%, to 8,131 in a choppy Monday morning session, marking its third straight gain. The index tracked broader gains in Asian markets following Sanae Takaichi’s victory in Japan’s ruling party leadership race, positioning her as the next prime minister. Meanwhile, US stock futures edged higher as traders shrugged off concerns over the government shutdown. However, gains were capped by caution ahead of key domestic economic data due later this week, including foreign exchange reserves, consumer confidence, and retail sales. Caution also prevailed ahead of the release of the US Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes, which could offer clues about the central bank’s future policy path. Raw material stocks led the gains, followed by technology, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Among the early gainers were Sumber Alfaria (up 1.8%), Perusahaan Gas (1.6%), Unilever (1.4%), Mayora Indah (0.5%), and Astra International (0.4%).

Heating Oil Rises Over 1%

Country: Commodity, Description: Heating oil futures in the US rose over 1% to around $2.26 per gallon, rebounding from a six-week low after OPEC+ opted for a modest output increase. Following a virtual meeting on Sunday, the group said it would raise production by 137,000 barrels per day in November, matching October’s hike. It cited a stable global outlook and healthy market fundamentals but noted that adjustments could be paused or reversed if conditions shift. Still, most analysts expect a supply glut in late 2025 and into 2026 amid slowing demand and rising US output. Reinforcing those concerns, EIA data showed US distillate inventories rose by 0.58 million barrels last week, defying forecasts for a 1 million-barrel draw. Heating oil stocks increased by nearly 113 thousand barrels, while refinery runs fell by 308 thousand barrels per day, with utilization at 91.4%, pointing to softer demand or exports for middle distillates.

Gasoline Gains on Modest OPEC+ Output Increase

Country: Commodity, Description: US gasoline futures rose more than 1% to $1.88 per gallon on Monday after OPEC+ agreed to a smaller-than-expected production increase. The group said on Sunday it would raise output in November by 137,000 bpd, the same modest hike as in October, amid persistent worries over a looming supply glut. The group clearly remains intent on reclaiming market share from non-OPEC producers. Additionally, Russia last week extended its gasoline export ban until the end of the year and imposed a partial ban on diesel exports after Ukrainian drone strikes hit its oil refineries. Despite Monday’s gains, gasoline prices remain weak and is not far from an over one-year low touched on Friday, weighed down by a gloomy global economic outlook and its potential drag on fuel demand. The latest EIA data showed that product supplied for motor gasoline fell by 441 thousand barrels from the previous week to 8.5 million for the period ending September 26, signaling softer consumption.

Vietnam Tourist Arrivals Climb 19.5% YoY in September

Country: Vietnam, Description: International arrivals to Vietnam increased by 19.5% year-over-year to 1.52 million in September 2025, following a 16.5% growth in the previous month. Visitors from Asia rose 17.4%, led by strong gains from China (40.2%), Japan (14.7%), Malaysia (41.6%), Cambodia (47.0%), and the Philippines (84.1%). Arrivals from America grew 2.6%, driven mainly by Canada (7.0%). Meanwhile, European tourists surged 57.0%, with notable increases from Russia (240.5%), the UK (20.3%), France (22.2%), and Germany (12.9%). Visitors from Australia gained 6.5%, while those from Africa went up 4.3%. For the first nine months of the year, total international arrivals climbed 21.5% to 15.44 million.

FDI into Vietnam Up 8.5% in January-September

Country: Vietnam, Description: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam rose 8.5% year-on-year to USD 18.80 billion from January to September 2025, marking the highest level for a nine-month period since at least 2008. Meanwhile, FDI pledges, which indicate future disbursements, climbed 15.2% to USD 28.54 billion. Vietnam’s overseas investment also surged, with 134 new projects worth USD 709.3 million and 23 projects adding USD 137.5 million in capital, bringing total investment to USD 846.8 million, 4.5 times higher than a year earlier. At the same time, realized social investment capital was estimated at VND 1,100.1 trillion in Q3, up 13.3% year-on-year, and VND 2,701.8 trillion for the January–September period, an 11.6% increase from the previous year.

Freeport confirms 7 dead in Grasberg mine disaster

Summary: The world's second-largest copper mine won't return to pre-disaster production levels until 2027 after a catastrophic mud flow trapped workers., Description: Freeport-McMoRan confirmed Sunday that all seven workers missing after a catastrophic mud flow disaster at Indonesia's Grasberg copper and gold mine have been found dead, marking the tragic conclusion to a nearly month-long search and rescue operation that has shuttered one of the world's largest mining operations. The mining giant announced that the bodies of five workers were recovered on...

Government shutdown hits day five as Trump threatens mass layoffs

Summary: Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over healthcare subsidies, with roughly 800,000 federal employees furloughed and another 700,000 working without pay., Description: The federal government shutdown entered its fifth day on Sunday with President Donald Trump threatening mass layoffs of federal workers as Republicans and Democrats remained deadlocked over healthcare subsidies, showing no signs of progress toward reopening government operations. President Trump told reporters that federal worker dismissals were already underway, stating "It's happening right...

US stock futures rise as markets shrug off shutdown

Summary: S&P 500 futures climbed 0.3% Sunday evening, extending a record-breaking rally despite a government shutdown disrupting key economic data releases., Description: US stock futures climbed Sunday evening as Wall Street extended its record-breaking rally, with investors largely shrugging off concerns about a government shutdown that has now entered its second week and disrupted key economic data releases. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 6,782 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.4% to 25,084 points and Dow Jones futures advanced 0.2% to 47,144...

France's new PM Lecornu faces no-confidence vote threat

Summary: The 39-year-old centrist appointed a largely unchanged cabinet, bringing back Bruno Le Maire as defense minister amid France's worst fiscal crisis in decades., Description: France's new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a largely unchanged cabinet on Sunday, bringing back political heavyweight Bruno Le Maire as defense minister while retaining most key positions from the previous administration, as the minority government braces for parliamentary opposition that could topple it within days. The 39-year-old centrist, France's seventh prime minister under...

Israeli, Hamas negotiators gather in Cairo for talks

Summary: Trump dispatched Kushner and envoy Witkoff to Egypt as both sides pursue hostage-prisoner exchange deal after nearly two years of war., Description: Israeli and Hamas negotiators converged on Cairo Sunday for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year Gaza war, as President Donald Trump intensified pressure on both sides to finalize a hostage-prisoner exchange deal that could mark a breakthrough in the devastating conflict. The high-stakes negotiations, set to begin Monday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, follow Hamas's...