India’s exports to the United States saw a sharp 28.5% fall between May and October 2025 as aggressive tariff hikes by Washington hit key sectors. According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), shipments dropped from $8.83 billion to $6.31 billion during the period, coinciding with US duties rising from 10% in April to 25% in early August and then to 50% by late August.GTRI said the sudden escalation made Indian goods among the most heavily taxed in the US market. By comparison, China faced tariffs of about 30%, while Japan’s stood near 15%. The think tank categorised exports into three segments. Tariff-exempt goods such as smartphones, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products accounted for 40.3% of October exports but still slipped 25.8%, falling from $3.42 billion in May to $2.54 billion.Uniform global tariff items — mainly iron, steel, aluminium, copper and auto parts — formed 7.6% of shipments and fell 23.8%, dropping from $629 million to $480 million. The steepest damage came in labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, solar panels, textiles, garments, chemicals and seafood, which alone faced the 50% rate. Exports in this group sank 31.2%, erasing nearly $1.5 billion.GTRI noted that even tariff-free categories could not escape the impact. Smartphone exports, India’s biggest product line to the US, plunged 36% from $2.29 billion in May to $1.50 billion in October. Monthly shipments tumbled sharply over the five months before showing a mild rebound in October. Pharmaceutical exports dipped 1.6%, while petroleum products fell 15.5%.The think tank said the fall in metals and auto parts was linked more to weak US industrial demand since tariff treatment was uniform for all suppliers. Against this backdrop, it urged the government to operationalise the Export Promotion Mission and push the US to remove an additional 25% Russia-related duty on Indian products.GTRI said the Mission — announced in March and approved on November 12 — “still exists only on paper,” arguing that delays in schemes and disbursals could undermine its goals. ‘Nearly eight months into the fiscal year, no schemes are operational, while long-running programs such as the Market Access Initiative and the Interest Equalisation Scheme have made no payments this year,” GTRI noted.The initiative has an outlay of Rs 25,060 crore for 2025–26 to 2030–31 and aims to support MSMEs, first-time exporters and labour-intensive sectors. The think tank said removing the extra tariff would halve the effective US burden to 25%, giving critical relief to Indian exporters.

Nasa has, for the first time, found signs of ‘mini-lightning’ on Mars after its rover accidentally recorded tiny “zaps” during the planet’s frequent dust storms. Scientists have argued for years about whether electrical sparks could happen in Mars’ dusty atmosphere, but they never had solid proof.Now, a study titled “Detection of triboelectric discharges during dust events on Mars” published in Nature reports that NASA’s Perseverance rover, on Mars since 2021, recorded these sounds inadvertently while conducting other experiments.“ Its microphone picked up faint crackles of what appear to be dust-driven electrical discharges, offering the clearest evidence yet of electrical activity on the red planet.” These are unlike the dramatic bolts seen on Earth, are faint, centimetre-scale zaps generated by the planet’s constant dust storms.Researchers from the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology in France analysed 28 hours of microphone data captured by Perseverance’s SuperCam instrument over two Martian years (1,374 Earth days). According to Reuters, the team found that the electrical discharges were typically associated with dust devils and dust-storm fronts, caused by fast-moving grains of dust and sand rubbing together and generating charge.The Times reported that the breakthrough was made not through a camera but through a microphone. Perseverance’s microphone picked up 55 unusual events: each began with a sharp electronic disturbance detected by the microphone’s circuitry, followed milliseconds later by a faint acoustic pulse. In several cases, researchers could estimate the spark’s distance by measuring the delay between the electromagnetic and acoustic signatures. One strong event was recorded when an intense dust devil passed directly over the rover, possibly causing the rover itself to build up static and then discharge it into the ground.According to The New York Times, the phenomenon resembles the tiny static shock you might feel after walking across a carpet, rather than Earth-style lightning. Kenneth Chang wrote that lead researcher Dr Baptiste Chide described the centimetre-scale sparks as “mini-lightning”, noting that one event occurred roughly six feet from the rover, while other smaller discharges happened within inches of the microphone. It further quoted Dr Chide saying, “What we are seeing are tiny sparks — but on Mars, even tiny sparks can tell us a lot about the atmosphere.”However, the Nature commentary noted some scientific caution. Particle physicist Dr Daniel Pritchard wrote that while the recordings “provide persuasive evidence of dust-induced discharges”, the fact that they were heard but not yet seen means “some doubt will inevitably remain as to whether this really was Martian lightning”.While the tiny shocks would not endanger astronauts, they could disrupt or damage electronic equipment or spacesuits over time. Reuters added that the researchers hope future Mars missions will carry more sensitive cameras and dedicated instruments to confirm and further study these discharges.

Black Friday-to-Cyber Monday sales in India are seeing strong traction this year, with retailers and company executives reporting a 20–25% increase compared with last year. The surge started early, as brands began their promotions a week before Black Friday and plan to keep offers running beyond Cyber Monday. Platforms such as Tata CLiQ, Nykaa, Flipkart, Croma, and Samsung rolled out early deals, indicating that consumer demand remains strong even weeks after the Diwali shopping season.Vijay Sales director Nilesh Gupta said sales have risen 20–25% from last year’s Black Friday period. “However, as a standalone event, Black Friday is yet to become a big one like Republic Day or Independence Day when sales spike two-three times compared to a regular day,” he said, as quoted by ET. “In the case of Black Friday, the spike is around 50% over a regular day. It will take another two-three years for this to become a major sale event.“Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which originated in the US, have grown beyond electronics and beauty in India. Retailers say the week-long event is helping sustain the strong sales momentum seen during Navratri and after this year’s GST cuts.

More planned and premium purchases

Nishank Joshi, chief marketing officer at Nexus Select Malls, said, “What began as a single-day flash sale has now evolved into a full-fledged shopping week for many brands, signalling not just consumer enthusiasm, but the maturing of India’s retail landscape.” He added that the November boost helps when Diwali falls in October.Tanu Prasad, CEO–malls at Oberoi Realty, said shoppers are “seeing far more planned purchases, towards premium products and a rise in family-oriented outings.”Categories such as fashion, accessories, luggage and household goods are also seeing greater uptake. Tanisha Jatia, founder and brand lead at Urban Jungle, said, “We have seen a very real step-change through Black Friday, and we’re tracking at a little over three times our regular week for Urban Jungle,” as quoted by ET.High demand on ecommerce platforms led to temporary stockouts in some categories. “Stocks were an issue with some models getting sold out, but sellers are now fast replenishing stocks after seeing healthy demand,” said Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO at Super Plastronics, the maker of Kodak, Thomson and Blaupunkt TVs. He said large-screen TV sales are up 20% over last year, helped by the GST cut from 28% to 18%.

Retailers extend hours, deals to capture demand

Retailers are using extended store hours and special events to keep customers coming in. Croma held a late-night shopping window offering extra deals across select stores. Bhartiya Mall in Bengaluru said its Black Friday offers cover fashion, beauty, accessories, footwear and even food chains such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell.With Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions now stretched across nearly a week, retailers expect strong sales to continue through the end of the event.

Airbus has issued an urgent global alert to A320-family operators, instructing them to immediately fix a newly identified software problem that could affect flight-control systems on thousands of aircraft. The directive which takes effect Saturday evening (US Eastern time) was triggered after Airbus determined that “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.” The warning follows a JetBlue A320 incident on October 30, when the jet “unexpectedly pitched downward without pilot input.”

India to ground over 350 jets for 2–3 days

In India, more than 350 A320-family aircraft operated by IndiGo and the Air India group will be grounded for the required fix. The upgrade is expected to be completed within 2–3 days, with normal operations likely by Monday or Tuesday.“Inspection and/or Modification on the following subject is mandatory. Please make necessary amendment in below mentioned Mandatory Modification List. This is to be ensured that no person shall operate the product which falls under the applicability of this Mandatory Modification except those which are in accordance with the compliance to requirement of Mandatory Modification (s)/ applicable Airworthiness Directive(s)…” the DGCA said in a notification issued on Saturday.Globally, the issue affects around 6,000 aircraft, although Airbus says not every A320 is impacted. Most jets can be repaired quickly by reverting to an older software version. About 1,000 older planes will need hardware changes, which will take longer, the company said.The grounding is significant because Airbus and its main rival Boeing together control over three-quarters of the world’s commercial aircraft fleet, meaning any large-scale recall has an immediate and widespread impact on global air traffic.

Why Airbus issued the emergency update?

The rare safety directive on Friday follows an October 30 incident involving a JetBlue A320 that “unexpectedly pitched downward without pilot input” while flying from Cancun to Newark. The aircraft suffered a sudden, uncommanded drop in altitude, forcing an emergency diversion to Tampa, where 15–20 passengers were taken to hospitals. The un-commanded drop in altitude prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation.The US National Transportation Safety Board said the sudden drop “likely occurred during an ELAC (flight control computer) switch change.” Airbus has since disclosed that a recent incident showed solar flares can corrupt flight-control data, a risk that prompted the company to rush out immediate repair instructions.

What is intense solar radiation risk?

Investigators have found that ELAC B hardware running software version L104 may be vulnerable to intense solar flares. In extreme cases, this interference could cause the aircraft’s elevators to move unexpectedly, potentially pushing the jet beyond its structural limits, according to Aerospace Global.Solar radiation refers to the stream of energetic particles and electromagnetic waves emitted by the sun, including visible light, ultraviolet rays, and charged particles such as protons and electrons.In aviation, heightened solar activity — such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections — can interact with an aircraft’s electronic systems. This can disrupt sensitive components, including navigation, communication and flight-control data, making solar radiation an important factor in aircraft design, system hardening and overall airspace safety.

List of disrupted A320 operators

Airlines worldwide brace for disruptions

The sweeping recall, one of Airbus’ largest, mandates immediate repairs to 6,000 A320-family jets, affecting more than half the global fleet. The timing has rattled airlines during one of the busiest US travel weekends of the year and is causing disruptions worldwide.Earlier, a Finnair passenger reported nearly an hour’s delay as pilots verified their aircraft’s software version. American Airlines, the largest A320 operator, initially identified about 340 of its 480 jets for the update. “Though we expect some delays as we accomplish these updates, we are intently focused on limiting cancellations, especially with customers returning home from holiday travel,” the airline said in a statement.“Still, our overriding priority will always be the safety of our operation. It’s all hands on deck across our airline to address this Airbus software issue and take care of any customers whose flights are affected” it added.Delta, the fifth-largest A320 operator with 305 aircraft, said it will fully comply with the directive and anticipates only limited impact, with fewer than 50 A321neos requiring the fix. These updates are expected to be completed by Saturday morning. easyJet, meanwhile, has already finished its software upgrades.Colombian carrier Avianca, which has over 70% of its fleet impacted, has paused ticket sales through December 8. Air France is cancelling 35 flights, while Air New Zealand and Volaris are also expecting delays and cancellations.Europe’s aviation regulator, EASA, has instructed airlines to implement the fix “before their next flight,” warning that “These measures may cause short-term disruption to flight schedules and therefore inconvenience to passengers.” “However, as is always the case in aviation, safety is paramount,” it added.

Airlines race to complete fixes that takes hours but…

According to airlines and maintenance experts, the update takes roughly two hours per aircraft, but repair shops are already strained due to ongoing engine-related groundings and labour shortages.The order has triggered one of the biggest software-related recalls in Airbus’s history and arrives at the height of the US holiday travel season, with Sunday and Monday expected to be among Thanksgiving’s busiest flying days. Still, many aircraft are expected to be updated during overnight checks or between scheduled flights.Despite the pressure, many carriers are expected to complete the fix during overnight maintenance windows or in the gaps between scheduled flights. The update itself is straightforward, essentially a rollback to an earlier software version, but must be installed before the aircraft can return to service, except when repositioning to repair centres, according to a bulletin shared with airlines, Reuters reported.Airbus said a recent incident revealed that solar flares can corrupt data essential to flight-control operations, prompting the urgent recall. Industry sources warn that temporary groundings could stretch longer for some carriers, as more than 1,000 affected jets may also require accompanying hardware replacements.Introduced in 1984, the A320 was the first major commercial jet to adopt “fly-by-wire” computerised flight controls. Its closest rival, Boeing’s 737 MAX, was grounded worldwide for an extended period after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 linked to flawed flight-control software.Globally, about 11,300 A320-family jets are currently in service, including 6,440 of the mainline A320 model, which has been flying since 1987.This latest setback is shaping up to be one of the largest recalls in Airbus’ 55-year history. When the company issued the bulletin to more than 350 operators, about 3,000 A320-family aircraft were airborne, underscoring the scale and urgency of the update.

MUMBAI: SoftBank-backed e-commerce startup Meesho will focus on making online shopping affordable for more consumers and build the value segment of the market where the opportunity is large rather than going after the quick delivery space, said Vidit Aatrey, co-founder and CEO at the company which is set to get listed on the bourses next month. A lot of people in India are still not online and for those who use e-commerce platforms, the frequency of usage is lower compared to other emerging markets, giving room to players such as Meesho to expand growth. A public listing will give the company more credibility, allow it to attract better talent and get more sellers on its platform which competes with Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart even though an IPO will also bring forth new responsibilities, said Aatrey. The company’s Rs 5,421 crore IPO opens for bidding on Dec 3. Meesho is raising up to Rs 4,250 crore through a fresh issue of shares while a clutch of investors including Peak XV Partners, Elevation Capital and Y Combinator are collectively selling 10.5 crore shares. At the upper end of the IPO price band set at Rs 111 per share, the implied valuation of Meesho is $5.6 billion (Rs 50,096 crore), lower than its initial targets pegged at close to $10 billion and only marginally higher than its peak valuation of $5 billion. “It’s much easier for a listed company to go, offer esops to employees to come on board compared to a private company. We believe that the business has also reached a place where we have enough predictability, there’s enough data that people can look at for the last few years, analyse and project something. We felt we are in the right place,” Aatrey said in an interview. Founders Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Kumar who launched Meesho a decade back will hold about 18% in the company post IPO. Meesho operates in the value e-commerce segment that targets price conscious consumers with smaller budgets and its core proposition is lower, affordable pricing. Unlike Flipkart and Amazon, the company doesn’t charge commission to its sellers and has also built its own logistics platform Valmo which allows it to control its logistics costs.

NEW DELHI: Air travel will get majorly impacted in India and across the globe with the world’s largest selling single aisle — Airbus A320 family of planes — going to be grounded this weekend for a software upgrade. In India, over 350 A320 family planes of IndiGo and Air India Group will be grounded for this upgrade that is expected to be over in 2-3 days. They are expected to resume flying by next Monday or Tuesday. Globally about 6,000 aircraft are likely to be impacted.The upgrade is in wake of an American low cost carrier JetBlue’s A320 operating from Cancun to Newark on Oct 30, 2025, “unexpectedly pitch(ing) downward without pilot input.” The uncontrolled descent “likely occurred during an ELAC (flight control computer) switch change,” according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The aircraft diverted to Tampa, where some passengers were hospitalised.Tackling this issue requires a software upgrade. For the new A320 family planes, the work requires about half an hour on each plane through “loading facility.” On older A320s, some hardware upgrade will also be required and hence the overall work will take longer.In India, almost all IndiGo A320 family planes are the new variants. The older A320s are in single digits. So IndiGo, which has over 350 A320 family planes in its fleet, upgrade on the required 250 aircraft should be over by Monday or Tuesday, said sources. Air India, which has about 120-125 A320 family planes, should also have the same situation, with over 100 impacted, sources added.Airbus said in a statement: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted. Airbus has worked proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an alert operators transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly. This AOT will be reflected in an emergency airworthiness directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).”Airbus “acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers” and apologised “for the inconvenience caused”. The European airspace major said it “will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority.”

The Adani Group on Friday said it is targeting a consolidated debt level of Rs 1 lakh crore by 2030, stressing that its long-term growth strategy aims to minimise reliance on fresh capital raising.Speaking at the Trust Group’s 5th India Debt Capital Market Summit 2025, Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder (Robbie) Singh said the group believes Indian infrastructure must be primarily owned by India, and its balance-sheet strategy is aligned with that approach, PTI reported.“About Rs one lakh crore is our target,” Singh said when asked about the group’s debt plans. “Ideally it should be by 2030… but certainly by 2030,” he added.Singh said the company is working with banks and its internal treasury to address structural issues in India’s debt markets.“Today, there is depth in the availability of funds, but there is no depth in market making. So we need to create that depth. Initially we will have to help ourselves, but we will do it,” he said.He emphasised that the group wants to avoid dependence on capital markets for executing its expansion plans.“From a risk perspective, we want to be in a position where our growth plan is not dependent on us accessing any capital… roughly, we will invest new assets of Rs 1.5 lakh crore a year over the next six years,” he said.On Adani Group’s proposed interest in distressed Sahara Group assets, Singh said “We are hardly involved in any court case whatsoever… but we are very much interested because some of the assets are tailored and of real estate continuous nature. It will make sense for us.” He noted, however, that pathways must be found as the assets remain under litigation.According to sources, the Adani Group’s existing debt of Rs 2.6 lakh crore is supported by Rs 90,000 crore in annual operating profit and Rs 60,000 crore in cash.