The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced that launching Dated Brent Crude Oil (Platts) futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment after receiving approval from Sebi. Trading in these contracts will begin on April 13, 2026.According to an NSE circular, the contracts will be introduced with monthly expiries extending up to 2027. They will be based on the S&P Global Energy (Platts) Dated Brent assessment and will trade under the symbol “BRCRUDEOIL”.The exchange said that the launch is aimed at expanding its commodity derivatives offerings and giving market participants a tool linked to a global crude oil benchmark. The Platts Dated Brent assessment tracks international crude oil prices, and the contracts are expected to help improve price discovery and support hedging in line with global markets.Each contract will have a trading unit of 100 barrels, with a maximum limit of 10,000 barrels. A 6% daily price limit will apply at first. If this limit is crossed, trading will pause for 15 minutes, after which the limit can be widened to 9%.“In case price movement in international markets is more than the maximum daily price limit (currently 9%), or if the international price is beyond the maximum daily price limit range (after appropriate currency conversion) when compared with the previous day’s closing price on the domestic exchange, the same may be further relaxed in steps of 3% beyond the maximum permitted limit, by giving appropriate notice to the market,” the circular noted.The contracts will be cash-settled. The final settlement price will be based on the monthly simple average of the Platts Dated Brent assessments in rupee terms.The NSE circular states, “Final Settlement Price shall be the monthly simple average price, in Indian rupees, of the S&P Global Energy’s (Platts) Dated Brent assessments (midpoint of the high and low) for the respective contract month. The monthly simple average RBI USD/INR reference rate of the respective contract month will be used for conversion. The price so arrived at will be rounded off to the nearest tick.”The NSE said the move will help Indian market participants access global crude benchmarks, improve hedging for refiners, importers and institutional traders, and strengthen price discovery by linking domestic markets with international prices. It is also expected to increase liquidity and participation in the segment.Further details on risk management, clearing and settlement will be issued separately by NSE Clearing Ltd.

The holiday-shortened trading week took a toll on the country’s top companies, with seven of the ten most valued firms collectively losing Rs 1.75 lakh crore in market capitalisation. Reliance Industries saw the largest share of the erosion, mirroring the broader weakness in equities. The downturn in stocks was reflected in the benchmark indices, with the BSE Sensex falling 949.74 points, or 1.27%, and the NSE Nifty slipping 294.9 points, also down 1.27% over the week. According to Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, the market witnessed significant fluctuations throughout the period. “Markets ended the week on a weaker note, reflecting heightened volatility amid fluctuating global cues and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The week was marked by sharp swings, with early losses driven by concerns over energy supply disruptions, a weakening rupee, which touched a record low, and rising volatility,” he said. He added that sentiment briefly improved mid-week on expectations of a temporary easing in tensions between the US and Iran. “However, renewed selling pressure on Friday erased the gains, dragging indices lower,” Mishra said. Reliance Industries saw its valuation shrink by Rs 89,720.3 crore to Rs 18,24,515.62 crore. HDFC Bank also posted a steep decline, with its market capitalisation dropping by Rs 37,248.59 crore to Rs 11,64,018.69 crore. State Bank of India followed with a loss of Rs 35,399.42 crore, bringing its valuation to Rs 9,41,569.15 crore. ICICI Bank’s market cap fell by Rs 8,121.76 crore to Rs 8,83,551.30 crore, while Bharti Airtel declined by Rs 2,480.42 crore to Rs 10,50,413.33 crore. Hindustan Unilever registered a fall of Rs 2,091.13 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 4,87,540.19 crore, and Tata Consultancy Services saw a marginal dip of Rs 271.35 crore to Rs 8,64,668.65 crore. On the other hand, Larsen & Toubro recorded gains of Rs 18,051.68 crore, lifting its market capitalisation to Rs 4,90,536.19 crore. Bajaj Finance added Rs 8,680.36 crore to reach Rs 5,25,395.48 crore, while Infosys rose by Rs 6,245.3 crore to Rs 5,15,034.67 crore. Reliance Industries remained the most valued company during the week, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Infosys, Larsen & Toubro and Hindustan Unilever.

Vinod Khosla has proposed changes to the US tax system to address concerns about job losses linked to artificial intelligence (AI). He suggested eliminating federal income tax for Americans earning less than $100,000 and managing the revenue by increasing taxes on capital gains. Khosla said taxing capital gains at the same rate as income could allow around 125 million lower- and middle-income Americans to avoid paying federal income tax without reducing government revenues. The American venture capitalist and one of OpenAI’s early investors has argued that American policymakers need to respond to growing public anxiety and has outlined the need to rethink how income and capital are taxed as AI reshapes the economy.Speaking at a forum in Washington, Khosla told the Financial Times, “When I talk to people, the biggest thing is fear of AI taking their job by far,” adding that this would be “the single biggest issue” in the 2028 US presidential election cycle.The report notes that AI has moved higher on voters’ list of concerns this year, as its effects on areas such as jobs, the economy, mental health and warfare have become more visible. The Trump administration has opposed attempts by individual states to introduce stricter rules. However, there are signs of a divide within, as some supporters are calling for tighter controls on AI.

What Vinod Khosla said about the current US AI policy

Khosla, who was a major Democratic donor in recent election cycles, said the Trump administration had “generally done a pretty good job” on AI policy, the FT report noted.He pointed to AI and crypto tsar David Sacks and senior State Department official Jacob Helberg, who co-hosts this week’s Hill and Valley Forum. Helberg is married to Keith Rabois, a managing director at Khosla’s firm.At the same time, he said Trump has a “complete lack of values of any sort” and a “negotiating style that destroys credibility”.Khosla added that he had not decided who to support for president in 2028. He criticised two frequently discussed Republican contenders: vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio for tolerating Trump’s “values”.He also criticised Democrats, saying the party’s weaker fundraising ahead of the November midterm elections reflects donor “frustration with going too far left”.He said he had spoken “briefly” with California governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, about AI but was looking for a “surprise” presidential candidate to emerge, the report added.“Democrats are too focused on the wrong thing, which is job preservation, not providing security to those who are displaced. Those are fundamentally different things. So, we’ll see who comes out in the middle. My view is every election cycle we have a surprise. Obama was a surprise. Trump was a surprise . . . So I’m hoping we’ll have a surprise,” Khosla added.

Helium isn’t something most people think about, unless you’re in a lab, running an MRI, building chips, or inhaling it for that squeaky balloon voice. But what if the world suddenly runs out of this invisible gas? As exaggerating as the question may sound, it’s exactly what’s raising concerns right now. As tensions in the Middle East shake up supply chains, helium has quietly floated into the middle of a global crisis, one that could affect everything from hospital scans to high-tech factories in ways few expected.Earlier this month, the global helium supply chain took a big hit. Iranian drone and missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial city, the world’s largest hub for helium production, forced a shutdown that knocked out nearly one-third of the global supply overnight. The disruption was further compounded by Tehran’s tightened grip on the Strait of Hormuz to Western commercial shipping, forcing vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing transit times and losses.While this already sounds like a problem, it’s even worse for liquid helium, which has to be kept at extremely low temperatures and can’t easily survive long journeys without significant “boil-off” losses. As a result, the ongoing crisis, often referred to as “helium shortage 5.0,” has moved beyond a theoretical risk to become a systemic global supply disruption.

How is Helium used

Non-essential uses: The luxury of levityThe most common non-essential use of helium is in the party and floral industry for filling decorative balloons. While culturally popular, this application is a primary source of “waste,” as the gas eventually leaks into the atmosphere and escapes into space, never to be recovered. Similarly, its use in advertising blimps and parade floats is considered non-essential because these functions can be served by alternative technologies like drone displays or, in some cases, hydrogen gas. Additionally, using helium for minor leak detection in household appliances is often deemed non-critical, as cheaper “forming gas” (nitrogen-hydrogen mixes) can often perform the same task without depleting the world’s rare helium reserves.Essential uses: The superfluid backboneHelium is indispensable in healthcare, specifically for MRI machines. It is the only element capable of cooling superconducting magnets to -269°C, a temperature required to keep the magnets operational for life-saving diagnostic scans. Beyond medicine, it is critical in semiconductor manufacturing and fiber optics. Its inert nature and high thermal conductivity allow it to cool components rapidly and prevent chemical contamination during the production of the microchips that power our global digital infrastructure. Meanwhile in aerospace, helium is used to purge and pressurize rocket fuel tanks, as it remains a gas even at the extreme cryogenic temperatures of liquid oxygen and hydrogen.This raises an important question, especially as countries rush to secure their energy supply: why can’t this element simply be replaced?

The chemistry of scarcity — Can’t we just make more Helium?

To understand why this shortage is so critical, it is essential to understand helium’s unique physical properties. Although helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, it is extremely rare on Earth. Unlike nitrogen or oxygen, it cannot be extracted from the atmosphere. Instead, helium is a non-renewable by-product formed over billions of years through radioactive decay deep within the Earth’s crust. It becomes trapped in natural gas reservoirs and is recovered during gas processing.Once released into the atmosphere, helium is effectively lost forever. Being extremely light, it escapes Earth’s gravitational pull and drifts into space. There is no known method to manufacture helium at scale, nor any viable substitute for its unique properties. Every unit consumed, whether in industrial applications or even party balloons, is permanently depleted.The impact of the helium crisis is already being felt across major economies. Countries such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China, among Qatar’s largest importers of helium, are facing growing uncertainty over supplies as disruptions in the Middle East ripple through the global market. Even North American consumers, despite domestic production, remain partly dependent on Gulf helium, highlighting the truly global nature of the supply chain strain.

Hormuz trouble hits Helium bubble

This widespread impact has laid bare the structural vulnerability of the global helium market, which remains heavily concentrated in a handful of regions. Historically, supply has rested on a “tripod” of the United States, Qatar and Russia, with Qatar alone contributing around for over 30% of global production, most of it centred in the Ras Laffan industrial complex. At the same time, United States remains the largest producer globally, generating around 81 million cubic metres, over 40% of total supply.

A key reason behind the crisis lies in how helium is produced. It is not extracted independently but as a by-product of liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing, making its availability directly proportional to the stability of gas infrastructure.“The global helium market has a considerable degree of exposure to the Middle East, mainly on Qatar which accounts for somewhere between 30% to 35% of global helium supply,” said Sourav Mitra, partner – oil and gas at Grant Thornton Bharat. “The majority of its output is concentrated in the Ras Laffan industrial complex,” the expert told TOI.Mitra highlighted that helium’s dependence on maritime logistics adds another layer of risk. “Considering that helium is a low-density gas that must be shipped in specialized cryogenic containers, it relies entirely on stable maritime trade routes. Any conflicts that threaten the Strait of Hormuz… create immediate global shortages,” he said. Unlike crude oil, there are no significant global strategic reserves of helium that can cushion such disruptions.The situation has been further complicated by damage to LNG infrastructure. “Helium is obtained as a by-product of gas processing… if the LNG ecosystem slows or shuts down, helium production automatically halts,” Mitra explained.Reports indicate that around 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity has been damaged, sidelining approximately 12.8 million tonnes of production for the next three to five years. This is expected to translate into a 14–15% reduction in liquid helium exports. Pranav Master, senior practice leader and director at Crisil Intelligence, told TOI that global helium production, estimated at around 190 million cubic metres annually, is highly concentrated, led by the United States at approximately 43% and Qatar at about 34%.“Qatar’s exports are reliant on the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently a critical chokepoint… recent disruptions in LNG infrastructure, particularly at Ras Laffan, can lead to constrained global supply,” he said, adding that sectors such as semiconductors, MRI systems and other cryogenic applications are particularly vulnerable. He also pointed to the 2017 Qatar blockade as a precedent, when similar disruptions led to production halts and price spikes.

No Helium, try replacing it?

Despite its critical role, helium has no easy substitute, which makes the current crisis even more severe.Helium is a non-renewable resource formed over billions of years through radioactive decay deep within the Earth’s crust. It is trapped in natural gas fields and released during extraction. Once it escapes into the atmosphere, it is lost forever, as its extremely light atoms drift into space.

This means existing reserves are all that humanity currently has to meet demand. Unlike other industrial gases, helium cannot be manufactured in a lab at scale, nor can it be easily replaced in applications that require its unique properties, such as ultra-low temperature cooling and inert environments.The ongoing crisis has accelerated efforts to diversify helium supply and develop alternatives.New “primary helium” exploration projects are being pursued in countries such as Tanzania, Canada and the United States, where helium is extracted as the primary resource rather than as a by-product of natural gas.Russia’s Amur gas processing plant, designed to be a major global supplier, is expected to expand capacity with an additional production train by the third quarter of 2026. However, geopolitical tensions and sanctions complicate its accessibility for many countries.In India, Engineers India Limited has signed an agreement to establish the country’s first helium recovery demonstration plant in Kuthalam, Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, researchers at NIT Durgapur are exploring helium extraction from geothermal hot springs in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where concentrations are significantly higher than typical gas fields.Technological innovation is also underway. Companies such as Siemens and Philips are developing low-helium or helium-free MRI systems using closed-loop cooling technologies. However, these systems currently account for less than 5% of the global installed base, limiting their immediate impact.

The 2026 crisis has therefore highlighted a deeper issue, not just scarcity, but the lack of alternatives. As supply chains tighten and disruptions continue, industries across healthcare, semiconductors and advanced technology are left grappling with a resource that is both essential and irreplaceable.

What Helium supply crunch could mean for India

For India, the helium crisis may result in tangible consequences. As the country heavily relies on imports from Qatar for this non-renewable gas used to cool MRI magnets, hospitals and imaging centres are preparing for tighter supplies as inventories stay low and global logistics grow increasingly uncertain. According to Master, “key downstream industries which may get affected due to restricted helium supply include semiconductors, MRI/medical, other industries requiring helium as cryogenic coolant. Consequently, geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East can affect helium supply across critical high-tech and healthcare industries.”Healthcare impact: What will happen to MRI scannings?India’s healthcare system is heavily dependent on helium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each MRI scanner requires approximately 2,000 litres of liquid helium to maintain superconducting magnets at around 4 kelvin (-269°C).As of March 2026, helium spot prices in India have surged by 70–100%, forcing diagnostic centres to reassess costs and operations. There are growing concerns about “quenched” magnets, a failure that occurs when cooling is lost, causing superconductivity to break down and resulting in expensive repairs.

“Helium is not only a technical requirement for MRI systems; it is also important to keep the magnet superconductive and the machine functional,” Dr. Kamlesh Kumar, associate consultant, radiodiagnosis at Regency Hospital told TOI.“Any prolonged shortage or disruption… can create serious operational challenges for hospitals… leading to higher maintenance costs, delays in servicing, rescheduling of non-emergency scans and pressure on diagnostic infrastructure,” the doctor further added.He added that in India, where timely diagnosis often determines treatment outcomes, even temporary disruptions can significantly affect patient care. While newer MRI technologies are becoming more helium-efficient, a large installed base still depends on stable supply chains.India’s semiconductor sector The helium shortage also threatens India’s semiconductor ambitions at a critical juncture. Back in August 2025, the government approved four semiconductor manufacturing units with investments worth Rs 4,600 crore.Helium plays a vital role in semiconductor production. It is used for wafer cooling during high-temperature processes, maintaining inert environments to prevent contamination, and detecting microscopic leaks in high-vacuum systems due to its extremely small atomic size.Without a steady supply of ultra-high-purity helium, these processes cannot function reliably, raising concerns about delays and disruptions in the country’s efforts to become a global chip manufacturing hub.

Global tech ecosystem faces bottlenecks

The impact of the helium shortage is being felt across the global technology ecosystem.High-capacity data storage devices, particularly hard drives above 10 terabytes, rely on helium-filled enclosures to reduce internal friction and improve efficiency. Manufacturers have already indicated that production capacity for 2026 is fully allocated, leaving limited room for additional demand.Helium is also used in advanced cooling systems for large-scale data centres and high-performance computing clusters, including those used to train next-generation artificial intelligence models.In the semiconductor sector, major manufacturers such as those in South Korea depend heavily on Qatari helium supplies. With limited inventory buffers, prolonged disruptions could lead to production slowdowns, potentially affecting the global supply of consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops.

Bottom line: Is the world running out of Helium?

And the answer is no, technically. However, logistically and economically, it is almost a strong yes.It all comes down to the nature of the element itself. The Earth isn’t about to run out of helium completely. it is still being produced slowly over time through the radioactive decay of elements like uranium and thorium, which release alpha particles that form helium-4. There are also known reserves in places like Tanzania, Canada and the United States.But here’s the catch: that’s all we have. Helium cannot simply be manufactured in a lab or scaled up on demand, let alone the little element takes million of years to form. Once it’s used and released, it’s gone for good. So while a total wipeout isn’t on the cards, shortages very much are, and already happening.So the world is not really running out of Helium, but scrambling with Helium shortage. The real issue isn’t just how much helium exists, but how fragile the system is that delivers it.Helium production, liquefaction and transport run on a tightly choreographed, just-in-time setup with almost no room for error. The Middle East crisis has shown just how quickly things can fall apart when key infrastructure is hit or critical trade routes are disrupted.And unlike oil, there’s no big emergency stash to fall back on. That leaves industries. from hospitals and chipmakers to AI labs, surprisingly exposed to a tiny, invisible gas that the world can’t afford to lose.

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey has now made it clear that his company’s arms sales will always align with US government policy even if it that meant selling weapons to North Korea, according to a report by Fortune. “If the U.S. asks me to, yes,” Luckey told Fortune at the Singapore Airshow in February. He added: “I’m never going to promise to do something the US wouldn’t do.”Parlmer Luckey founded Anduril in 2017 after his departure from Facebook. His defense startup quickly became America’s most closely watched defense startups. Anduril’s products include the Fury drone, designed to fly alongside fighter jets, and the Ghost Shark submarine, already contracted by Australia for $1.1 billion. The company is riding a global defense spending boom, with revenues projected at $4.3 billion this year and a potential valuation of $60 billion in upcoming funding rounds.

Anduril to align with US policy

Luckey’s stance that arms markers should act as extensions of US foreign policy which places him at the centre of debates about alliance politics in Asia, the rise of Chinese military hardware, and the role of tech billionaires in matters of war and peace. He also emphasise that Anduril will not act independently of Washington, “If a country asks me ‘commit to supporting this even if the U.S. doesn’t want to,’ all I can say is no. I’m not willing to go to prison to sell you spare parts.”

Anduril’s global expansion plans and pushback

For the uninitiated, Anduril has signed deals with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan moves which prompted Beijing to sanction both the company and Luckey personally. While allies see Anduril as a partner in strengthening defense, critics worry about the Implications of a private tech firms wielding such influence over military supply chains.Luckey has also reportedly warned that the US risks falling behind China in defense manufacturing. He also stresses on the fact that China focuses on mass producible, easily repairable systems which mirrors America’s World War II strategy, while the U.S. today builds “exquisite systems without regard for manufacturability.” To counter this, Anduril is building a 5-million-square-foot “Arsenal-1” factory in Ohio to mass-produce drones and weapons by 2026.

Luckey’s views reflect a broader shift in Silicon Valley

The latest comments made by Luckey highlight the broader shift in Silicon Valley, where companies are increasingly embracing defense work. He has criticized rivals like Anthropic, which refused Pentagon requests to loosen restrictions on its AI, saying: “At the end of the day, you have to believe…that our imperfect constitutional republic is still good enough to run a country without outsourcing the real levers of power to billionaires and corpos.”

A month into the Middle East conflict, global crude markets remain under strain, with prices rising nearly 50% since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering a strong response from Tehran. Oil prices had earlier surged to as high as $119 per barrel amid heightened tensions involving Iran, before easing to around $100 per barrel. The ripples have now hit fuel prices and supplies across the globe.India, which meets about 88% of its crude oil demand and nearly half of its natural gas needs through imports, much of it routed via the Strait of Hormuz, faces growing pressure as elevated prices and supply concerns ripple through global energy markets. At the same time, neighbouring nations like Nepal, Sri Lanka and others have also introduced measures to deal with the supply crisis.India:The Centre stepped in to cushion both consumers and oil companies from the sharp rise in crude prices, lowering excise duty on petrol and diesel, a decision expected to cost the exchequer Rs 1.3 lakh crore. Fuel retailers such as IndianOil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum are currently incurring losses of about Rs 24 per litre on petrol and Rs 30 per litre on diesel.To ease this burden, the government cut the special additional excise duty on both fuels by Rs 10 per litre. At the same time, it imposed export duties of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to curb windfall gains.The government has said alternative arrangements are in place to reduce dependence on imports, especially from the Middle East. India imports nearly 90 per cent of its crude oil, about 60 per cent of LPG, and over half of its natural gas. While the country has reserves for up to 74 days, current availability is around 60 days.Nepal: Kathmandu saw a fresh round of fuel price revisions, with the Nepal Oil Corporation increasing petrol and diesel/kerosene rates by Rs15 per litre. The move comes less than two weeks after the previous revision on March 15.Petrol now ranges between Rs 184.50 and Rs 187 per litre across categories, with Kathmandu at the top end. Diesel and kerosene are priced between Rs 164.50 and Rs167 per litre. The corporation cited rising international purchase costs behind the price hikes, noting that petrol prices rose by Rs 76 per litre and diesel by Rs143 per litre between March 1 and 24.Bhutan:Bhutan is considering fuel-saving steps such as work-from-home arrangements and targeted rationing to conserve supplies as global prices rise. Authorities have said existing reserves are sufficient for now but may roll out stricter measures if the situation worsens, with a focus on prioritising essential services and limiting consumption.Pakistan:Pakistan has increased kerosene prices by PKR 4.66 per litre to PKR 433.40, while keeping petrol and diesel cost PKR 321.17 and PKR 335.86 per litre. Authorities said the decision aims to shield consumers, with the government continuing to absorb part of the cost burden by compensating oil marketing companies. Pakistan’s recent fuel price increases, along with earlier rises in petrol and diesel rates, have added to cost-of-living pressures, driving up transport fares and the prices of everyday essentials such as fruits and vegetables.Aviation fuel prices also surged, with jet fuel reaching PKR 476.97 per litre after repeated hikes. The rise has pushed up airfares, with both domestic and international ticket prices increasing amid supply constraints. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has raised fuel prices by around 25%, marking its second increase in a week and third since March 1. Diesel, petrol, and kerosene have all recorded sharp rises, bringing prices close to levels seen during the 2022 economic crisis. The increase has raised concerns among transport operators, with private bus owners warning of large-scale disruptions. The country also introduced a midweek public holiday for schools, universities and non-essential workers to conserve fuel. Alongside this, it reinstated the QR-based National Fuel Pass system, enforcing strict weekly limits on fuel purchases.China:China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, has expanded its coal capacity in recent years to boost energy security and continues to depend on it even as it scales up clean energy.Myanmar:In Myanmar, rising fuel prices have led to shortages and restrictions, including limits on private vehicle use based on licence plate numbers. Petrol stations have seen long queues, while railway stations are witnessing increased footfall as commuters shift to trains. Additional train services have been introduced to manage the demand. Bangladesh: Meanwhile, as the energy supply crunch is sending ripples across the globe, Bangladesh has moved to step up diesel imports from India, with plans to bring in an additional 45,000 tons by April. Initial shipments have already arrived, with more expected after procedural formalities are completed. Supplies are being transported via the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline from Numaligarh Refinery Limited to the Parbatipur depot. Imports through the pipeline had briefly halted but have now resumed. Meanwhile, universities, foreign curriculum schools and coaching centres have shifted to online classes. The situation has also led to five-hour rolling blackouts and the shutdown of most fertiliser plants due to gas shortages.Countries like Venezuela, Egypt, Vietnam and others have also stepped in to protect consumers while balancing the supply chain disruptions with measures like work from home, electricity cuts, oil rationing etc. As Iran tightens its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital 29-nautical-mile-wide passage linking key regional waters, global energy flows remain at risk. The route carries nearly 20 million barrels of oil daily, making up about a quarter of global seaborne trade. Any disruption has widespread impact, prompting countries to respond through a mix of price hikes and tax measures to manage supply pressures and shield consumers.

Meta isn’t just talking about going “AI-native”—it’s putting numbers on it. Internal documents reviewed by Business Insider reveal that the company has set specific targets for how much of its engineers’ code should be written with AI assistance, with some teams expected to hit as high as 75%. The push comes as Meta lays off hundreds of employees and doubles down on artificial intelligence across its operations.The targets vary by division. Meta’s creation org—the team behind core experiences like Messenger, WhatsApp, and Facebook—has set a first-half 2026 goal requiring 65% of its engineers to write more than 75% of their committed code using AI coding tools. The Scalable Machine Learning team, which handles AI models and infrastructure, had a February 2026 target of 50% to 80% AI-assisted code. A companywide Q4 2025 goal for central products called for 55% of software engineers’ code changes to be “agent-assisted.“

Meta wants 80% of mid-to-senior engineers using AI tools like Gemini and Metamate

It’s not just about code volume. The company also set a target for 80% of mid-to-senior-level engineers to adopt AI tools like DevMate, Metamate, and Google’s Gemini. The focus here, according to the document, is on tool adoption rather than raw output percentages. A Meta spokesperson told Business Insider that the company’s performance programme rewards impact from AI tools, not just usage.Whether these AI adoption targets are formally tied to performance reviews remains unclear. But the direction is unmistakable. Last November, Meta’s head of people Janelle Gale told employees in an internal memo that “AI-driven impact” would become a core expectation starting 2026. Workers were told to highlight their AI wins in self-reviews, and Meta rolled out an “AI Performance Assistant” to help employees write their own reviews.

Meta Reality Labs restructured into small AI ‘pods’ with new job titles

The coding targets are one piece of a larger organisational overhaul at Meta. A separate leaked memo showed that a 1,000-person division within Reality Labs has been reorganised into small “pods,” with every employee now holding one of three titles—AI Builder, AI Pod Lead, or AI Org Lead. The structure is designed to flatten hierarchies and push cross-disciplinary work, with engineers potentially taking on design tasks depending on the project.Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth has also taken direct charge of the company’s “AI for Work” initiative, which drives internal AI tool adoption company-wide.

The push comes as Meta cuts hundreds of jobs

All of this is happening against a backdrop of job cuts. Meta laid off hundreds of employees this week across Reality Labs, recruitment, and other divisions. The company said the restructuring and the layoffs are unrelated—but the optics are hard to ignore. Meta is simultaneously shrinking headcount and demanding that the engineers who remain lean harder on AI to pick up the slack. CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself framed 2026 as the year AI begins to replace what once required large teams with one “very talented” person.