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The shockingly tense relationship between Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton is explained by a royal source. Prince William has reportedly been preparing for his eventual accession to the throne, causing drama with King Charles , who is reportedly envious of his son's popularity, according to a report by Cosmopolitan. According to Us Weekly, Queen Camilla desires that her husband hold onto the reins for as long as possible. The Queen loves her responsibilities and has always wanted to be queen, so she doesn't want to let it go so fast. Camilla is apparently not happy about giving Kate Middleton her responsibilities either, as the two have always had a tense relationship. Also Read : Half Man: HBO and BBC drama show’s cast, storyline and production team According to the report, Queen Camilla's role in the monarchy may be reevaluated when William ascends to the throne, but it's likely that she will still participate in royal engagements in some capacity. Finance Financial Literacy for Non-Finance Executives By - CA Raja, Chartered Accountant | Financial Management Educator | Former AVP - Credit, SBI View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program The heir is preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens, which brings us full circle to Wills and Charles's awkward dynamic. He takes success in the royal role very seriously, just like his father did. Charles and William are rivals when it comes to work, and Charles's jealousy of William's fame is similar to how he feels about Diana. Also Read : Vanderpump Rules Season 12: Everything we know so far FAQs Why is there tension between Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton? According to sources, Queen Camilla values her current royal responsibilities and is hesitant to give them up, which has contributed to a tense relationship with Kate Middleton. How might Queen Camilla's role change once William becomes king? Queen Camilla's responsibilities may be reassessed once William ascends to the throne, but she is expected to continue with royal engagements in some capacity. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle
IT Assessment and Optimization Market Is Booming So Rapidly | Major Giants IBM, EY, PwC, Capgemini 12-24-2024 05:42 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Pvt. Ltd. IT Assessment and Optimization Market HTF MI recently introduced Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market study with 143+ pages in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status (2024-2032). The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence. Some key players from the complete study are IBM, Deloitte, PwC, Capgemini, Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Infosys, EY, KPMG, BMC Software, ServiceNow, VMware, Rackspace, Dynatrace, SolarWinds. Download Sample Report PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/4108586-it-assessment-and-optimization-market-1?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash According to HTF Market Intelligence, the Global IT Assessment and Optimization market is expected to grow from 16 Billion USD in 2024 to 40 Billion USD by 2032, with a CAGR of 12% from 2024 to 2032. The IT Assessment and Optimization market is segmented by Types (Performance Analysis, Cost Reduction, Workflow Optimization, Security Assessments), Application (BFSI, Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing) and by Geography (North America, LATAM, West Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, MEA). Definition: This market includes services to evaluate and enhance IT systems' efficiency. Businesses optimize IT infrastructure, reduce costs, and align technology with strategic objectives. Dominating Region: • North America Fastest-Growing Region: • Europe Market Trends: •Automation Tools, Real-Time Analytics, Unified Dashboards Market Drivers: •Cloud Migration, IT Cost Optimization, Security Needs Market Challenges: •Complexity in Legacy Systems, Cost of Consulting, Change Resistance Have a query? Market an enquiry before purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/4108586-it-assessment-and-optimization-market-1?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: In-depth analysis of IT Assessment and Optimization market segments by Types: Performance Analysis, Cost Reduction, Workflow Optimization, Security Assessments Detailed analysis of Tank Container Shipping market segments by Applications: BFSI, Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate of the following regions: • The Middle East and Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Egypt, etc.) • North America (United States, Mexico & Canada) • South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc.) • Europe (Turkey, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) • Asia-Pacific (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia). Buy Now Latest Edition of IT Assessment and Optimization Market Report 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=4108586?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash IT Assessment and Optimization Market Research Objectives: - Focuses on the key manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. - To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks). - To analyze the with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market. - To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. - To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies. FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: In order to better understand market conditions five forces analysis is conducted that includes the Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, and Threat of rivalry. • Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies) • Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates) • Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles) • Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development) • Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions) • Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability) Get 10-25% Discount on Immediate purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/4108586-it-assessment-and-optimization-market-1?utm_source=Akash_OpenPR&utm_id=Akash Points Covered in Table of Content of Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market: Chapter 01 - IT Assessment and Optimization Executive Summary Chapter 02 - Market Overview Chapter 03 - Key Success Factors Chapter 04 - Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market - Pricing Analysis Chapter 05 - Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market Background or History Chapter 06 - Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application) Chapter 07 - Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide IT Assessment and Optimization Market Chapter 08 - Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market Structure & worth Analysis Chapter 09 - Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges Chapter 10 - Assumptions and Acronyms Chapter 11 - IT Assessment and Optimization Market Research Methodology Key questions answered • How Global IT Assessment and Optimization Market growth & size is changing in next few years? • Who are the Leading players and what are their futuristic plans in the Global IT Assessment and Optimization market? • What are the key concerns of the 5-forces analysis of the Global IT Assessment and Optimization market? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? • What are the different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global IT Assessment and Optimization market? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, Europe, Japan, Australia or Southeast Asia. Nidhi Bhawsar (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Phone: +15075562445 sales@htfmarketreport.com About Author: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting is uniquely positioned to empower and inspire with research and consulting services to empower businesses with growth strategies. We offer services with extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events, and experience that assist in decision-making. This release was published on openPR.Christopher Nolan is following his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” with a true epic: Homer’s “The Odyssey.” It will open in theaters on July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures said Monday. Details remain scarce, but the studio teased that it will be a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology.” It will also be the first time that an adaptation of Homer’s saga will play on IMAX film screens. Nolan has been an for years, going back to “The Dark Knight,” and has made his last three films exclusively using large format film and the highest resolution film cameras. For “Oppenheimer,” the first black-and-white IMAX film stock was developed. Nolan hasn’t said specifically what the new technology for “The Odyssey” will be, but earlier this month that they’re in an intensive testing phase with IMAX to prepare for the new production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” Nolan said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” “The Odyssey” will be Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal Pictures following “Oppenheimer,” which earned nearly $1 billion at the box office and won the filmmaker his first Oscars, including for and . Rumors about his next project have been swirling ever since, with near-daily speculations about plot — none of which turned out to be true — and casting. While there are many reports about actors joining the ensemble, none has been officially confirmed by the studio.
24kV Loadbreak Elbow Surge Arrester in Medium Voltage NetworksNEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell broadly on Friday as Wall Street closed out a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the “Magnificent 7”, which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. The S&P 500 fell 66.75 points, or 1.1%, to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 298.33 points, or 1.5%, to 19,722.03. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 2.1%. Microsoft declined 1.7%. Each has a market value above $3 trillion, giving the companies outsized sway on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market, with a loss of less than 0.1% as crude oil prices rose. “There’s just some uncertainty over this relief rally we’ve witnessed since last week,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. Despite Friday's drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish . The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank's target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market’s path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Amedisys rose 4.7% after the home health care and hospice services provider agreed to extend the deadline for its sale to UnitedHealth Group. The Justice Department had sued to block the $3.3 billion deal, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The move to extend the deadline comes ahead of an expected shift in regulatory policy under Trump. The incoming administration is expected to have a more permissive approach to dealmaking and is less likely to raise antitrust concerns. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury remained at 4.33% from late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.Kansas City (14-1) at Pittsburgh (10-5) Wednesday, 1 p.m., EST, Netflix. BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2. Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8; Steelers 10-5 Series record: Steelers lead 25-14. Last meeting: Chiefs beat Steelers 42-21 in the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City. Last week: Chiefs beat Texans 27-19; Steelers lost to Ravens 34-17 Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (11). Chiefs defense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (17), scoring (3). Steelers offense: overall (19), rush (11), pass (25), scoring (12). Steelers defense: overall (11), rush (8), pass (20), scoring (7). Turnover differential: Chiefs plus-4; Steelers plus-16. WR Marquise Brown, who hurt his shoulder on the first play of the preseason and landed on injured reserve, made an impressive regular-season debut against Houston last week. “Hollywood” caught five passes for 45 yards, including an early 13-yarder that converted a fourth down and led to an eventual touchdown. But perhaps most importantly, Brown's mere presence kept Houston from double-teaming Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce all afternoon. LB T.J. Watt. The perennial All-Pro is dealing with an ankle injury and had a quiet game in the loss to Baltimore, finishing with just four tackles and didn’t have a single hit against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh's best chance at pulling the upset relies heavily on disrupting Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes at every turn. To do it, Watt will need to do some Watt-like things. The 30-year-old leads the NFL in forced fumbles for a defense that thrives on takeaways. Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris against the Chiefs rush defense, which is ranked third in the NFL and allowing just 91.4 yards per game. The Chiefs held the Texans' Joe Mixon to just 57 yards rushing last week, the latest in a season-long trend of shutting down top running backs. The Browns' Nick Chubb had 41 yards the previous week, and the Ravens' Derrick Henry, the Falcons' Bijan Robinson and the Saints' Alvin Kamara are among those who have similarly struggled against Kansas City. Chiefs: LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and CB Chamarri Conner (concussion) are likely to miss a second straight game. DT Chris Jones (calf) and RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) are iffy after getting hurt against Houston. Steelers: WR George Pickens (hamstring) should return after missing the past three games. S DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) may also be back after sitting the past two weeks. Starting CB Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and backup wide receiver/special teams ace Ben Skowronek (hip) are out. The Steelers have dominated the series, leading 23-14, but the Chiefs have won the past three games. That includes a 42-21 rout in their most recent matchup in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022 — the last game played by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Prior to the Chiefs' three-game win streak, the Steelers had won three in a row, including an 18-16 victory in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017, that they won despite not scoring a touchdown. Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye with a win over the Steelers, or if the Bills lose or tie when they play the Jets on Sunday. ... Pittsburgh has dropped two straight, but can still earn its first AFC North title since 2020 by winning its last two games. ... The Chiefs can set a franchise record for regular-season wins with their 15th by beating Pittsburgh or Denver in their regular-season finale, breaking a tie with the 2020 and ‘22 teams. ... The Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes needs three TD passes to break Peyton Manning’s record of 244 for a QB's first eight seasons. Mahomes did not start as a rookie and has played just 111 games while Manning played 128 over that span. ... Mahomes has dominated the Steelers so far in his career, throwing 14 touchdowns without a pick while leading Kansas City to three victories in as many tries. ... Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins has an NFL-leading 177 straight games with a catch. TE Travis Kelce is second with 173. ... Kelce has 76 TD catches, tied with Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce has 79 total TDs, four shy of Priest Holmes' franchise record. ... WR Xavier Worthy has five TD catches, tied for the sixth most by a rookie in Chiefs history. Worthy also has three TD runs, and the eight total is also tied for sixth most in franchise history. ... Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie has intercepted a pass in back-to-back games. He did not have a pick in his first 48 games. ... This is the 12th game in Steelers history to be played on Wednesday and the first since 2020, when a showdown with the Ravens was repeatedly postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Pittsburgh is 5-6 all time on Wednesdays. ... A healthy Pickens will likely give the Steelers passing game a serious boost. QB Russell Wilson is averaging just 167.7 yards per game in Pickens' absence, down from 271 yards per game with Pickens in the lineup. ... This is Pittsburgh's first regular-season game against a team with 14 wins. ... The Steelers have five wins against the defending Super Bowl champions since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. ... Pittsburgh is 26-12 in Weeks 17 and 18 since the start of the 1990 season, the second-most wins in the NFL over that span behind Green Bay (28). ... The Steelers have won seven straight games and 12 of their past 13 the week following a loss of at least 17 points. ... Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 31 takeaways. and has forced at least two turnovers 11 times. It might be championship week in your league, so why not turn to a championship quarterback. Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt even in a “down” season by his standards and with Pittsburgh missing its top cornerback and the pass rush slowed of late, give Mahomes a start against a team he has toyed with in his career. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflCollaborative seeks to change children's lives through genetics
Given India’s strong position in the equities market compared to other global markets, experts believe that the IPO market is expected to stay bullish overall with the total worth of public offerings surpassing $20 Bn as against $16 Bn in 2024 In Q3 2024 alone, India saw 27 IPOs, marking a 29% surge from the corresponding quarter of the previous year Within the tech startup ecosystem, at least 23 companies are gearing up for public listings next year, which would further add to the new-age tech stocks baskets for potential investors India’s new-age tech IPO market saw a massive upswing in 2024, driven by increased investor confidence and a favourable macroeconomic environment. What does 2025 have in store for startups looking to join the IPO spree and enter the big leagues? As many as 13 new-age tech startups made it to the public markets in 2024, cumulatively raising over INR 29K Cr ($3.4 Bn). And in 2025, this number is expected to double with at least 23 new-age tech startups eyeing a public listing, and looking to raise more than INR 55K Cr ($6.4 Bn) cumulatively. As predicted in the beginning of the year, the general elections in 2024 played a pivotal role in the IPO numbers. In fact, in the startup ecosystem, only five startups got listed before the elections while the rest hit the market once there was more stability post the election results. In 2025, while no such major events are due, ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties like GDP downfall might make the public market volatile from time to time. However, given India’s strong position in the equities market compared to other global markets, experts believe that the IPO market is expected to stay bullish overall with the total worth of public offerings surpassing $20 Bn as against $16 Bn in 2024 . In Q3 2024 alone, India saw 27 IPOs, marking a 29% surge from the corresponding quarter of the previous year. These companies cumulatively raised $4.27 Bn or close to INR 35,000 Cr, registering a 142% increase year-on-year (YoY). With that, the domestic market commanded a 36% share of total listings in Q3 2024, surpassing the US, which held a 13% share. To be noted, some of the top IPOs of this season included Swiggy, Bajaj Housing Finance, Ola Electric, FirstCry and India’s largest-ever IPO, Hyundai Motor India. The new year is expected to be more eventful as the highly anticipated public offerings of companies such as Flipkart, PhysicsWallah, Ather Energy, Zepto, HDFC Credila, and even the Indian arm of consumer electronics giant LG are expected to go to the public markets. Lightspeed India managing director Anuj Bhargava believes that the public markets trends of 2024 will continue well into 2025 and the momentum is expected to be strong. “Though we have seen some recent softening, which was expected, fundamentally, nothing has changed. Domestic capital inflows remain strong and are getting stronger. While foreign investment inflows have been sporadic, I think that was also expected. And the market today is held together, in large parts, by domestic institutions, which was not the case a couple of years ago,” said GFC’s Bhargava. In 2025, Lightspeed is looking to book profits from some of its high-profile portfolio startups such as PhysicsWallah, OYO, Zepto, and Zetwerk. Besides Lightspeed, a number of other VCs would be hoping for similar outcomes in 2025. Peak XV Partners managing partner Ishaan Mittal, for example, said that the VC major continues to be excited about the opportunity in the public markets given the trends are extremely positive both on the supply side of securities and the demand side. “On the supply side of securities, which includes the companies going public, we have just seen the tip of the iceberg as we speak. Many market-leading, exciting companies are yet to go public in every sector – whether consumer brands or consumer internet companies like Meesho, fintech companies like Groww, or payments companies like Pine Labs and Razorpay. In the next 12-18 months, many of these companies will go public,” he added. Mittal believes that domestic capital and foreign capital investors are showing great interest in IPOs and their keenness to participate in the Indian public markets is evident from the reception for some stocks. Within the tech startup ecosystem, at least 23 companies are gearing up for public listings next year, which would further add to the new-age tech stocks baskets for potential investors. The list includes Ather Energy, BlueStone, CarDekho, CaptainFresh, Ecom Express, Fractal, Infra Market, IndiQube, ArisInfra, Innoviti, OfBusiness, Ola Cabs, Pure EV, Physics Wallah, Ullu, Smartworks, among several others. These startups are set to raise more than $6 Bn cumulatively in the process of fundraising via IPOs, as things stand. Depending on the market conditions, some of these companies might decide to trim the size of their IPOs. Of this, already nine startups have filed their respective DRHPs with the Securities and Boards of India (SEBI). Coworking space provider Smartworks and logistics startup Ecom Express have already received the market regulator’s approval to file an IPO. Unlike the past three years, when startups that made the public market debut were largely tech companies, in 2025, there is a big wave of tech-enabled startups eyeing public listings. For instance, BlueStone is a D2C jewellery brand with an online presence as a part of its business model. PhysicsWallah, looking to become the first Indian edtech platform to public, is also offline-heavy at the moment. Even though the startup has a major student base online, a significant 40% of its total revenue is from offline coaching centres. Similarly, the coworking space providers Smartworks, IndiQube, ArisInfra, DevX as well as WeWork and Table Space (also preparing for listing within a year or two), are platforms that use technology to enable their business processes, but in terms of the business model, they are largely similar to their traditional counterparts. Pointing to this trend, Aakash Agrawal, associate director, digital and new-age business at brokerage firm Anand Rathi, said that it will be important for the public market investors to be able to differentiate between pure-play tech companies and tech-enabled companies as that would be essential in deciding the valuation premium they can claim and growth opportunities they have. “Take the example of OfBusiness. While it’s a solid company with good profitability, we must also appreciate that it is essentially a trading company with a tech aspect to it. So, what kind of multiples does it find for itself? How does it price its IPO given it’s a technology company as well? These factors are going to be very interesting to see next year,” said Agrawal. Meanwhile, it is also interesting that there is a sudden surge in coworking space IPOs after Awfis made its successful public market debut in 2024. The market is attributing this trend to an increasing demand for flexible workspaces. A CEO at one of the leading coworking space provider companies told Inc42 earlier this year that India’s growth narrative, coupled with a commercial real estate boom, is creating a conducive environment for flexible workspace startups. However, as the market gets cluttered, it would be interesting to see if all the impending coworking space IPOs emerge victorious in their IPOs in the coming months. Speaking on the matter, Amit Ramani, CMD at Awfis, said that as coworking spaces prepare to enter a potentially crowded public market over the next 12–18 months, their success in securing favourable investor responses will hinge on several key factors, including financial health and profitability with investors focusing on companies that demonstrate sustainable revenue streams, robust growth trajectories, and resilience to market fluctuations. “Differentiation will play a critical role, with coworking spaces standing out by offering unique value propositions such as advanced technology integration, premium amenities, sustainable features, and services tailored to specific industries... Scalability and market penetration will be vital; companies with a diversified geographical presence and the capacity to scale seamlessly are likely to be viewed as more viable. Lastly, adaptability to evolving work trends – such as hybrid and remote work – through flexible offerings and innovative solutions will be crucial,” Awfis’ Ramani told Inc42. With the tech startup IPO boom, profitable exits are becoming super critical for VC funds and PEs. After the 2021 IPO boom, 2024 brought a deja-vu moment for the PEs and VCs in India as the total gross exit value was $1.8 Bn in 2024, close to $2.3 Bn in 2021. Amid a global IPO market slump that had also adversely affected India’s stock market, the total gross exit value dipped to $700 Mn in 2022 and $1 Bn in 2023. Next year, top private investors including the likes of Lightspeed, PeakXV, Accel, and SoftBank are eyeing far more gains by offloading stakes in both pre-IPO rounds and during the IPOs. Even though some VCs and PEs might sell some stakes at a loss, it will be compensated by high returns from other portfolios. “Our focus is to continue to invest with a strong belief that we, in the venture capital industry, now have a very viable path to exit, not just a very strong IPO market about that, but also a strong pre-IPO market,” added Lightspeed’s Bhargava. The concept of pre-round IPO is also undergoing a shift. As Bhargava pointed out, traditionally this term was narrowly defined and it was a financing round just ahead of a company’s IPO to set a benchmark for the eventual IPO. “Now anything up to two years before an IPO is also a pre-IPO round. In addition to traditional crossover funds, lots of new pre-IPO funds have come up. We’ve seen family offices and HNIs being exceptionally active in this market. We expect this trend to continue,” he said, adding that the firm will certainly use pre-IPO rounds as an opportunity to exit some of its portfolio startups. Meanwhile, the Lightspeed MD also noted that several technical and fundamental dynamics decide the VC firms’ decision around partial and complete liquidation. “I think investors largely use IPOs as a partial liquidity sort of event, and then gradually exit over time. Similarly, on the pre-IPO side, people look to monetise also because we don’t want to go into an IPO with a very large shareholding from one shareholder. It places a bit of an overhang on the stock,” he added. Besides, it’s important to note that in most cases, these VCs are also reaching the end of their fund cycles and they have to realise profits to give return to their investors. With the successful IPOs of Hyundai and Swiggy in 2024, which were two of the largest IPOs in the history of the Indian equity market, the trend of large-sized IPOs are set to persist in the new year. Anand Rathi’s Agrawal said that while the small and mid-sized IPOs will be more frequent, there will also be 10-20% of the companies, which are eyeing large IPOs such as PhysicsWallah, Infra.Market and OfBusiness. “We think the IPO market will have secular growth next year. And these companies that will have large IPOs are private equity backed, raised a lot of private capital, and scaled up significantly, which warrants a large IPO,” he added. Even though it was evident this year that many new-age tech startups, including ixigo, FirstCry, Ola Electric, MobiKwik reduced their respective IPO sizes from earlier planned, Peak XV’s Mittal believes that the scale of offering have no bearing on the success or failure of IPOs if the fundamentals are strong. The verdict of the market is clear when it comes to profitability – become profitable ahead of the IPOs or show a clear path to profitability in the near term. This sentiment is not going to change in 2025. However, the recent IPOs of MobiKwik, Ola Electric and Swiggy (to some extent) have proven contrary to these expectations. Some investors believe that sometimes household names, clear growth opportunities, and exposure to niche market segments might cause such exceptions but largely, profitability and strong unit economics are a must for the public market. Peak XV’s Mittal said that profitability must be and will continue to be key for companies going IPO, however, this factor also needs to be contextualised. “This is a good time where founders and investors alike are focusing on profits. They are able to generate those profits without hurting the core of the business or without taking away from the future of the business. While profitability is important, we don’t want to compromise on the future potential of the company to optimise for short-term profits, we would rather optimise for long-term profits.” Taking a slightly different perspective, Lightspeed’s Bhargava argued that unlike in the US where companies with less than $10 Bn or $15 Bn in valuation do not receive much attention in the IPO market, Indian investors are open to much smaller valuations. “Promoters, founders, and early-stage investors are also conscious that you cannot price an IPO where you bring nothing to the table near term for incoming investments. At the same time, the IPOs cannot be very small because the companies need institutional investors following, index inclusion, liquidity in the market. But the point is, you also do not need to be a billion-dollar company to list in India,” Bhargava said. On the other hand, it goes without saying that profitable companies can command a premium in terms of the valuation. “Ultimately it boils down to growth, free cash flow, and profitability. Wherever there is an opportunity to grow, we will see promising valuations. Sometimes valuations might be slightly steep given that they are accounting for a future market opportunity and scalability. Zomato has been an example of it earlier. Swiggy too cashed on that,” said Anand Rathi’s Agrawal. As per various publicly available data, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold a net of INR 1.14 Lakh Cr in October 2024, the highest selling in a month so far, surpassing the numbers of Covid-19 pandemic period in March 2020. Amid many currently seeing the Indian market as overvalued, rising inflation, and a few other global macroeconomic factors, in 2024, FIIs have been the biggest sellers. Even though this has caused volatility in the market, the Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) kept buying. In October alone they made the highest purchase of more than INR 1 Lakh Cr. The market experts believe that FIIs selling will not impact the upcoming IPOs of 2025 as DIIs will remain strong and mutual funds are booming. Even retail investors are expected to show continued support even to the new-age tech startup IPOs given these investors now have an improved understanding of the peculiarities of these businesses. “If FIIs stop deploying capital, then it causes a larger problem. But currently, there’s no sign of that. And in fact, India is looked at as a sweet spot in the developing world,” Agrawal said. Sector-focussed policies play an important role in driving stock performances and even the companies going public. Devang Kabra, fund manager at Wallfort PMS, said that the policies the government tabled in the winter session of the Parliament will be one of the areas to watch out for. “For example, there is an Insurance Amendment Bill proposing 100% FDI, allowing relaxations for net worth requirements for companies to become insurance companies is tabled. Once it passes, we will see many big insurance brokers turning themselves into insurance companies and coming out with IPOs,” Kabra said. He said that once a policy decision happens, it impacts several other industries down the line. This Insurance Amendment Bill might lead to IPOs of more hospitals. To quote global brokerage Bernstein, “Trump’s return through high-profile US elections added new layers of complexity to inflation dynamics and geopolitical assessments... How will global inflation pan out with Trump at the helm, and will export be a more critical area to focus on than domestic cycles?” It is important to note that Trump’s win strengthens US’ “China+1” strategy, which is expected to give India a boost in its manufacturing sector. JM Financial said in a research report that China, Mexico and Canada will likely attract higher tariffs, which could provide India with the benefits in a number of manufacturing segments — chemicals, auto components, electrical components, solar panels and solar cells, tiles and other categories. Wallfort PMS’ Kabra also believes that the manufacturing sector will now pick pace further and there will be stronger ground built for their IPOs. However, domestic IT companies now might have to deal with stronger immigration rules in the US. Plus, there is higher inflationary pressure and increasing pressure on the Indian rupee. These volatile situations are less likely to impact the IPO sentiment in the long run in 2025, however, some short-term cautiousness is likely to linger in the early months. As the domestic market braces for a record year in the history of public markets, as predicted by market experts, it will also be key for the companies, especially new-age tech startups, to ensure transparent governance and clear strategic vision. After all, public markets are sensitive to these core factors. The recent incident of hoards of complaints against Ola Electric’s products and services and the negative impact of it on its stock is a case in point. While many believe that startups are riding the IPO boom without being ready enough to function in a public market, Gautham Srinivas, Partner, capital markets at Khaitan & Co., said that all the companies preparing to go public have the utmost checks in place to meet the regulatory requirements. “Public issues are not a one-month process. To file DRHP, a company needs two to three months. So, an absolutely thorough check gets done. All the upcoming new-age companies are equipped to handle a public issue from a regulatory point of view given the standards of governance they already maintain,” Srinivas added. Edited By Nikhil SubramaniamCapricorn Daily Horoscope Today, December 28, 2024 predicts a productive love affair
The army on Friday traced terrorist attacks in Pakistan to Afghan soil, saying that militant groups were being given "sanctuaries, support, and freedom" to operate unrestrained within Afghan territory. Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief military spokesperson, emphasised at a news conference in Rawalpindi that Pakistan would leave no stone unturned to dismantle terrorist networks, and ensure the safety of its citizens. "The army chief holds a clear and firm stance that Pakistan has concerns over the safe havens, facilitation, and unrestrained activities of proscribed organisations operating from the Afghan soil," Lt-Gen Chaudhry, the director general of the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), told the news conference. The military spokesperson said that terrorist groups based in Afghanistan were carrying out attacks in Pakistan and emphasised that "Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to dismantle terrorist networks and ensure the safety of its citizens." He said that for the first time ever, there was a clear and comprehensive policy on Afghanistan. He warned that status quo was no more acceptable. "Afghanistan will have to choose its bilateral relations with Pakistan over Fitna Alkhawarij," he stressed. This ISPR statement came amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. The Foreign Office on Thursday confirmed an intelligence-based operation against militants near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but refrained from specifically mentioning the operation was carried out inside Afghanistan. Earlier this week, the Afghan government summoned a senior Pakistani diplomat in Kabul to record a formal protest. Against this backdrop, the DG ISPR made it clear that Pakistan would do whatever it could to ensure security of its citizens. During the press conference, a journalist raised a question mentioning former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's criticism of Pakistan's Afghan policy, suggesting that issues should be resolved through dialogue. In response, the ISPR chief stated, "Pakistan has been engaging with the Afghan interim government for the past two years, directly asking them to prevent their soil from being used for terrorism." Without directly naming the former government or Imran, he remarked, "When the backbone of terrorists was broken in 2021, who decided to resettle them through negotiations? We are all paying the price for those decisions." He added: "It is now evident who insisted in 2021 on negotiating with these militants, and Pakistan, especially Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is bearing the consequences of that stubbornness." Defending the verdict of the military court in relation to the May 9, 2023 cases, Lt-Gen Chaudhry termed the violent protests by the PTI as "political terrorism," and said that those protests, along with the 2014 attack on parliament and other government buildings, as well as the violent events of May 9, were part of a "cycle of negative politics and violence." Without directly naming the PTI, he referred to its protests of last month as a "November conspiracy", which he said, were driven by a mindset of political terrorism. "November 26 riots were the November Conspiracy and it was political He stated that the military court had completed sentencing all those involved in the riots based on evidence and testimonies, adding: "Pakistan will take its decisions independently, undeterred by any foreign pressures." He stated that the perspective of the armed forces on May 9 was crystal clear. "This is not just the military's case; it is the nation's case. If an armed or violent group tries to impose its will and thinking without being stopped according to the Constitution, where will this society be headed?" he asked. The ISPR chief emphasised that the cases related to May 9 in anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) should also reach their logical conclusion, and the "planners and heinous characters" behind those acts must be punished. Lt-Gen Chaudhry also said that this "negative politics" in the country was being fuelled by "fake news". He highlighted the example of May 9 being labelled as a "false flag operation" or holding the military and other institutions responsible for it. When asked about the court martial of former Inter-spymaster Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, he described the trial of former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as a true example of the army's accountability system. The system, he said, was "unparalleled and unique and doesn't care for the rank and stature" while dispensing justice. "If anyone works for his own interests in army, this accountability system comes into play no matter what." He stressed that army had professional relationship with every government and it should not be given any political colour. "It's positive development that political parties are engaging in talks on the issues with each other." During the press conference, the chief military spokesperson also addressed the country's overall security situation, ongoing security operations, border issues, as well as answered political questions posed by journalists. At the beginning of the news conference, he discussed the security operations conducted this year. "This year, security forces and the law-enforcement agencies [LEAs] have conducted a total of 59,775 successful intelligence-based operations [IBOs] against terrorists and their facilitators," he said. "During these successful operations, 925 terrorists, including members of the Khawarij faction, were killed, while hundreds were arrested." He added that more militants were eliminated this year than in the past five years, including 73 high-value targets and 27 Afghan extremists. During the press conference, the spokesperson also highlighted that in Balochistan, militants were "indoctrinating innocent people and using young boys and girls for armed rebellion against the state, which is a shameful act." He further said that 383 officers and LEA personnel were also martyred during these operations across the country. He described the ongoing situation in ?the Kurram district as a "clear example of misplaced priorities and a case of bad governance, weak legal system and lack of interest by provincial government on administrative issues of the province. "The K-P government has to focus on resolving this issue," he stressed. Regarding India, the military spokesperson said, "We are fully aware of the threats posed by India on the eastern border." He mentioned that this year, India committed 25 ceasefire violations, engaged in 564 incidents of unprovoked firing, and violated Pakistani airspace 61 times. (With inputs from news desk) COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourLiverpool is 100% on top of the Champions League after dumping title holder Real Madrid into an almost unbelievable 24th place in the 36-team standings on Wednesday. No one felt the embarrassment of Madrid’s 2-0 loss at Anfield more than Kylian Mbappé, the superstar added in the offseason by the storied club that also was European champion against Liverpool in the finals of 2022 and 2018. Mbappé had a penalty saved in the second half and was earlier dumped on his behind by Conor Bradley’s superb tackle in an instant viral moment. Only Liverpool has started the new Champions League format with five wins and first-year coach Arne Slot's team is two points clear of Inter Milan. Barcelona is third, trailing Liverpool by three points. Madrid is, remarkably, with three rounds left just one place above being eliminated. The top eight teams at the end of January go direct to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a round of two-leg playoffs in February. “(This) doesn’t change much, because even with a win it was going to be tough to secure a top-eight finish,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. ”It was a fair result." Monaco missed a chance to go second in the table, giving up a lead playing with 10 men from the 58th minute in a 3-2 loss at home to Benfica. Swiss forward Zeki Amdouni scored the winning goal in the 88th. Borussia Dortmund, the beaten finalist against Madrid in May, is up to fourth place after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0. Champions League standout Jamie Gittens now has four goals in five games, curling a rising shot in the 41st to open the scoring in Croatia. The best comeback was at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team trailed Shakhtar Donetsk by two goals in the 87th minute before a 3-2 win was sealed by United States forward Ricardo Pepi’s goal deep in stoppage time. US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers scored an embarrassing own goal for Celtic — playing a no-look pass far beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel — in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge. “One of those things,” Schmeichel said. “Cam gets pressed and he hasn’t heard me shout that I’m not in (goal).” Congo teammates Ngal’Ayel Mukau and Silas impressed in wins for Lille and Red Star Belgrade. Mukau scored twice in 12th-place Lille’s 2-1 win at Bologna and Silas leveled for Red Star in a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart, though he barely celebrated his goal. Silas is on loan with the Serbian champion from Stuttgart. Aston Villa's 0-0 draw with Juventus was preserved by an excellent save by Emiliano Martinez , the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper, diving low to push away a header from Francisco Conceição. Liverpool’s stand-in right back Bradley was a standout Wednesday, denying Mbappé at high speed in a signature defensive play in the 32nd. The 21-year-old Northern Ireland defender, deputizing for fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold, joined the attack in the 52nd to play a key pass returning the ball to Alexis Mac Allister who scored the opening goal. After Mbappé’s penalty was pushed away by goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 61st, Liverpool star Mo Salah missed with his spot-kick in the 70th, before substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the win with a header in the 77th. Madrid now has lost three of five games after defeats at Lille and at home to AC Milan. The record 15-time European champion has another tough trip next, at fifth-place Atalanta on Dec. 10. On the same date, Liverpool is at 30th-place Girona and looks to be cruising into the round of 16. “You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times," Liverpool coach Slot said of Madrid. “They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too.” Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz ended four-game losing runs to get their first points and wins. Red Star rallied against Stuttgart after the German team led in the fifth minute. The 1991 European Cup winner’s goal to level the game in the 12th was scored by on-loan Silas. He held up his hands as if in apology as part of a low-key celebration. Sturm Graz won 1-0 against Girona, the Spanish newcomer to European competitions. It was the Austrian champion’s first Champions League game since coach Christian Ilzer left to join Hoffenheim. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer