Daily Strategic Briefing

Google porting all internal workloads to Arm, with help from GenAI

YouTube and Gmail already running on both x86 and homebrew Axion silicon, 70,000 more apps in the conversion queue Google has revealed it’s ported around 30,000 of its production packages to the Arm architecture and plans to convert them all so it can run workloads on both its own Axion silicon and x86 processors.…

OpenAI releases bot-tom feeding browser with ChatGPT built in

Why experience the web for yourself when there's so much privacy to surrender? In a bid to grab even more eyeballs, OpenAI has finally released Atlas, its long-teased, ChatGPT-powered web browser. Surfing the web may never be the same now that a bot is doing it for you – while training itself at the same time.…

Fake home invasion vid lands woman in real trouble

And got arrested instead of earning a viral TikTok A Maryland woman who allegedly used AI to fake a home invasion was arrested and charged with making false statements after telling police that the ersatz intruder was part of a prank gone wrong.…

AI eats leisure time, makes employees work more, study finds

Rise and grind, robot overlords demand AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT have been pitched for potential productivity gains, but their effect has been to make people work more while benefiting less from their labor.…

MCP attack abuses predictable session IDs to hijack AI agents

The vuln affects the Oat++ MCP implementation A security flaw in the Oat++ implementation of Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows attackers to predict or capture session IDs from active AI conversations, hijack MCP sessions, and inject malicious responses via the oatpp-mcp server.…

Netflix goes ‘all in’ on generative AI as entertainment industry remains divided

Summary:

Netflix is using AI for special effects and pre-production, but CEO Ted Sarandos that Netflix “not worried about AI replacing creativity.”

Open source agentic startup LangChain hits $1.25B valuation

Summary:

As TechCrunch previously reported, the maker of a popular open source framework for building AI agents has officially become a unicorn.

Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raises $250M and launches beta

Summary:

Former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe’s new startup, Sesame, is building AI-powered smartglasses with natural, humanlike voice interaction. Backed by Sequoia and Spark, the company also launched an invite-only iOS beta to preview its conversational AI.

OpenAI’s new browser is a broadside shot at Google 

Summary:

OpenAI’s new browser announcement made it clear exactly how much Google has to lose in the AI era.

Sources: Multimodal AI startup Fal.ai already raised at $4B+ valuation

Summary:

Fal.ai announced its previous round at a $1.5 billion valuation in July.

E-bus maker EKA Mobility raises Rs 500 Cr from NIIF’s India-Japan Fund

The company will use the newly raised funds to increase its manufacturing capacity, advance R&D efforts and improve its supply chain infrastructure.

Pidilite Ventures doubles down on education-focused Imagimake, invests Rs 34 Cr

The latest funding — a mix of primary and secondary capital — will help Imagimake expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen R&D, and deepen its global distribution network.

L Catterton invests in Pune-based healthcare chain Healing Hands Clinic

The deal will give Healing Hands access to L Catterton’s global experience in building consumer healthcare businesses and support its plans to expand beyond its current network of 36 clinics across 14 cities.

Zepto raises $450M led by CalPERS, now valued at $7B

The round was led by US-based pension fund CalPERS). Existing investor Avenir, Avra, Lightspeed, Glade Brook, The Stepstone Group and Nexus Venture Partners have also participated.

FableStreet parent raises Rs 50 Cr to support its offline store rollout

FS Life, the parent company of FableStreet, plans to use the fundraise to support its offline expansion.

Steelco Gujarat Sets Oct 25-31 AGM, E-Voting Cut-Off on Oct 24

Steelco Gujarat Ltd announces book closure from Oct 25-31, 2025 for its 35th AGM via VC/OAVM. Cut-off date for remote e-voting is set as Oct 24, 2025, per SEBI regulations. Source: BSE

India's Data Centre Capacity to Surge 9x by 2032 with $50B Investments

India's data centre capacity to grow from 1GW to 9GW by 2032 via $50B investments by global hyperscalers and local firms. AWS, Meta, Google, Reliance, AdaniConnex, and others drive growth, with AI, localisation, and infra needs fueling expansion. Source: The Economic Times

Core Sector Growth Slows to 3% in Sept, Hits 3-Month Low

Core sector growth in September slowed to 3%, a 3-month low, impacted by contraction in 4 of 8 segments. Annual growth of 3% was lower than 6.5% in August but higher than 2.4% last year. Source: The Times of India

NMDC Updates Iron Ore Prices Effective 22 Oct, Baila Lump at ₹5,550/Ton

NMDC Ltd revises iron ore prices effective 22 Oct 2025. Baila Lump at ₹5,550/ton, Baila Fines at ₹4,750/ton, incl. royalty. Source: ScoutQuest

TCS's AI Strategy Stands Out Among Peers

TCS's AI breakout strategy differentiates it from peers integrating AI into existing service models. Source: ScoutQuest

Japan Pledges Continued Support as Inflation and Tariffs Bite

Country: Japan, Description: Japan’s new economics minister, Minoru Kiuchi, vowed to prop up the economy amid higher U.S. tariffs and domestic inflation. “It is undeniable that the recovery in personal consumption still lacks strength amid continued inflation,” he said Wednesday, adding that “until real wages rise strongly enough, the government must continue to firmly support the economy". Kiuchi emphasized that the government will monitor U.S. trade policy and assist affected companies, including financial aid for small firms. On monetary policy, he said the government will work closely with the Bank of Japan to achieve stable 2% inflation, stressing that “it is very important for the BoJ to steer monetary policy to realize both strong economic growth and price stability.” The comments come as new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi orders her cabinet to prepare an economic stimulus package to ease household cost burdens.

Offshore Yuan Steady

Country: China, Description: The offshore yuan held steady around 7.12 per dollar on Wednesday, as markets remained cautious amid developments in US-China trade negotiations. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about securing a favorable deal with Beijing, though he acknowledged that a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may not occur. Similarly, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are scheduled to meet in Malaysia this weekend in a bid to ease bilateral tensions. Their talks are expected to focus on several contentious issues, including China’s restrictions on rare earth exports and Trump’s threat to impose substantially higher tariffs. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party’s Fourth Plenum, which runs through Thursday, is set to chart the country’s next five-year economic development plan. The meeting will also address key internal matters, notably the formal expulsion of Party members who were ousted last Friday on corruption charges.

China Youth Jobless Rate Hits 3-Month Low

Country: China, Description: China’s urban youth unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding students, declined to 17.7% in September 2025, down from August’s 18.9%, which was the highest level since December 2023, and slightly above 17.6% a year earlier. This marked the lowest level since June, when industrial production expanded by 6.5% year-on-year in September, the strongest increase in three months. The unemployment rate for workers aged 25 to 29, excluding students, was 7.2%, unchanged from August and the highest since March this year. Meanwhile, the jobless rate for 30- to 59-year-olds stood at 3.9%, remaining steady for the third consecutive month. The overall urban unemployment rate across all age groups edged down to 5.2% in September from August’s six-month high of 5.3%. China’s statistics bureau suspended the release of youth unemployment figures in June 2023, after the rate hit a record 21.3%, before resuming with the updated methodology later that year.

IDX Dips Ahead of Bank Indonesia Rate Decision

Country: Indonesia, Description: Indonesia's IDX Composite fell 32 points, or 0.4%, to 8,205 in Wednesday morning trade, reversing gains from the prior two sessions amid growing geopolitical risks. A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly put on hold, while uncertainty lingered over a potential Trump-Xi Jinping meeting. Traders also adopted a cautious stance ahead of Bank Indonesia's interest rate decision later today. The central bank is expected to cut borrowing costs for the fourth straight meeting, but concerns emerged that the move may have limited impact amid slow monetary transmission and potential rupiah depreciation. Healthcare, consumer services, and non-energy minerals led losses, with major decliners including big caps like Barito Renewables Energy (-0.8%), Bank Central Asia (-1.2%), and Chandra Asri (-2.1%). Telkom Indonesia slipped 2.7% after reports of a conditional spin-off of its wholesale fiber business with subsidiary, Telkomsel.

Silver Holds Losses After Sharp Selloff

Country: Commodity, Description: Silver held below $49 per ounce on Wednesday after tumbling around 7% in the previous session as a wave of profit-taking gripped the market following this year’s strong rally. The drop marked the steepest one-day fall since September 2011, leaving the metal down roughly 10% from record highs hit last week. Safe-haven metals also faced pressure as risk appetite improved, supported by easing US-China trade tensions and hopes for an end to the US government shutdown. US President Donald Trump said he expects to reach a favorable trade deal with China but cautioned that his anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may not happen. Traders now await Friday’s key US inflation report ahead of a widely expected Federal Reserve rate cut next week.

US and China race to establish lunar bases by 2030s

Summary: Both nations target the Moon's south pole for water ice that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel for future missions., Description: The United States and China are locked in an accelerating race to establish permanent settlements on the Moon, with both superpowers targeting the lunar south pole in what experts describe as the most consequential space competition since the Cold War. NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy announced this week that the agency is reopening the Artemis III lunar lander contract to additional...

ICE raids Canal Street vendors, sparking NYC protests

Summary: Federal agents detained up to 40 vendors in Chinatown, drawing hundreds of protesters who surrounded vehicles and clashed with officers., Description: Federal immigration agents conducted a controversial raid on Canal Street in New York City's Chinatown on Tuesday afternoon, targeting street vendors and sparking chaotic confrontations with hundreds of angry New Yorkers who surrounded agents, chanted "ICE out of New York," and attempted to block arrests. The operation, which began around 3 p.m. between Centre and Canal Streets, resulted in the...

Arizona sues House speaker over delayed swearing-in

Summary: State attorney general alleges Mike Johnson is illegally blocking Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, leaving 800,000 voters without congressional representation for a month., Description: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday demanding House Speaker Mike Johnson swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, escalating a month-long constitutional standoff that has left over 800,000 Arizona voters without congressional representation. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., alleges Johnson is illegally refusing to administer the oath...

India, US near trade deal to cut tariffs from 50% to 15%

Summary: Agreement expected at next week's ASEAN Summit would ease duties on Indian exports hit by 37.5% decline since August tariffs., Description: India and the United States are nearing completion of a significant bilateral trade agreement that would slash US tariffs on Indian imports from the current 50 percent to 15-16 percent, with an announcement expected at next week's ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The deal, centered on energy and agriculture sectors, could provide substantial relief to Indian exporters who have faced steep declines...

Russian drones kill four in Ukraine's Chernihiv

Summary: Moscow launched 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones at a town near the Russian border, wounding seven including a 10-year-old girl., Description: Russian forces launched a devastating drone assault on the northern Ukrainian town of Novhorod-Siverskyi on October 21, killing four civilians and wounding seven others, including a 10-year-old girl, as Moscow intensifies its campaign targeting civilian infrastructure ahead of winter. The daylight attack involved approximately 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones that struck the town located just 32...