LIC warned on Rajesh Exports before SEBI probe, HCLTech bets $150M on Sarvam AI

Life Insurance Corp., holding 10.8% of Rajesh Exports, voted against 17 of 23 resolutions from 2021‑2026 and repeatedly flagged inadequate disclosures and misclassification of interest income. These concerns predate SEBI’s June 2026 order on alleged revenue inflation, suggesting earlier governance red flags were ignored.

HCLTech plans to invest $150 million in Bengaluru AI startup Sarvam AI, leading a $300 million funding round that values the company at $1.5 billion. The deal marks a significant shift for the Indian IT services giant, betting on home‑grown foundational AI models tailored for the Indian market.

AirTrunk, backed by Blackstone and CPPIB, announced a plan to invest over $30 billion in India through 2030, targeting more than 5 GW of hyperscale data centre capacity across multiple states. The move positions India as a key hub for AI and cloud infrastructure and promises jobs and economic growth.

The finance ministry plans a new PPP framework that will let private‑equity firms, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds bid directly on greenfield projects in power, rail, airports and other sectors, expanding early‑stage capital beyond highways. This shifts investors from post‑construction stakes to development‑phase participation, aiming to unlock long‑term financing for the $15 trillion infrastructure pipeline.

Washington announced a 12.5% tariff on Indian imports under Section 301, citing forced‑labour and excess capacity investigations. The move comes as the US‑India bilateral trade agreement is reportedly 99% finalized, with experts warning the tariff is a pressure tactic rather than a trade‑policy necessity.

Economic Advisory Council member Shamika Ravi downplayed worries that the rupee could slip to 100 per dollar, saying the rate is just a number. She urged focus on managing global supply‑shock impacts rather than defending a specific exchange rate, citing India's domestic‑demand‑driven resilience.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the central bank is preliminarily evaluating a proposal to introduce polymer currency notes in India. The move aims to address durability and cost concerns of paper notes, revisiting a pilot from 2014. A decision is still pending.

India’s total fertility rate has dropped to 1.9, slipping under the replacement threshold for the first time. The rapid decline could curb labour force growth, strain the economy’s demographic dividend, and force policymakers to rethink social and economic strategies.

On May 1 India curtailed roughly 27 GW of solar generation, about one‑sixth of its 150 GW capacity, as low demand and transmission constraints forced the grid controller to cut supply, driving spot prices to zero. The episode underscores grid‑integration challenges that could spook renewable investors.