Nestle India's net profit fell marginally to Rs 899 crore in the second quarter (Q2) this fiscal, from Rs 908 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, according to the company’s quarterly financial results on Thursday.

The FMCG company reported revenue from operations at Rs 5,104 crore, compared to Rs 5,037 crore a year ago, a rise of 1.3 per cent.

The company saw continued accelerated growth by almost 38 per cent in the quarter, primarily driven by quick commerce and fuelled by brands such as Kitkat, Nescafe, Maggi, and Milkmaid. The company said that the growth was supported by premiumisation, new user acquisition, festive participation and targeted digital communications.

Nestle India Chairman and Managing Director Suresh Narayanan said that despite a challenging external environment with muted consumer demand and high commodity prices, especially for coffee and cocoa, "we remained resilient in our pursuit to deliver growth".

More than five in 10 (55 per cent) of organisations in the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector have successfully implemented artificial intelligence (AI) at full scale for select use cases, according to a report on Thursday.

While 32 per cent of organisations are currently in the process of gradually scaling their AI initiatives and 13 per cent are still in the initial planning stages of adopting AI technologies, according to the report by KPMG in India launched at the ‘India Mobile Congress 2024.’

About 55 per cent of respondents anticipate that 30-50 per cent of their product or solution portfolios will be AI-led, with expectations that these AI-driven offerings will contribute 10-30 per cent of incremental revenue, the findings showed.

“The TMT industry stands at the cusp of a remarkable transformation, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence. As the global landscape rapidly embraces a digital-first future, AI is emerging as a transformative force, reshaping not just the TMT industry but all other industries,” said Akhilesh Tuteja, Partner and National Leader–TMT, KPMG in India.

Leading automaker Hyundai Motor said on Thursday it has released a revamped version of the company's entry-level mini SUV, Casper.

The new Casper builds on the iconic design of the previous model, enhancing the SUV's rugged appearance with a more sophisticated exterior and premium interior design, reports news agency.

Hyundai Motor said the model features newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels and redesigned rear lamps. It also offers improved aerodynamic efficiency by optimising the design of the radiator grille and wheels to minimise air resistance.

The company has also enhanced noise and vibration reduction in the engine compartment, resulting in better overall quietness and refinement compared to the previous model.

Delhi police's special cell in a joint operation with Mathura Police arrested another shooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hashim Baba gang on Thursday in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old gym owner, officials said. The gym owner, identified as Nadir Shah, was shot dead in full public view in South Delhi on September 12.

According to the Delhi police, the accused Yogesh was the main shooter in the murder of gym operator Nadir Shah on 12 September in Greater Kailash, Delhi. "Accused Yogesh was shot in the leg before he was arrested. The encounter took place on Mathura Highway," the police said. Earlier on October 13, Delhi Police arrested another accused in connection with the case.

Mumbai customs arrested two people for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 1.25 crore, according to officials. "Mumbai Customs Seized Gold having Net weight of 1.725 Kg valued at Rs 1.25 crores across 02 cases. Said goods were found concealed inside the body cavity of passengers as well as recovered from Airport staff," read a statement from Mumbai customs.

According to customs officials, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) trailed a passenger arriving from Dubai in Mumbai and was departing to Bangkok. "In a significant operation at Mumbai Airport on the night of October 15, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers, acting on specific intelligence, discreetly trailed a transit passenger arriving from Dubai and departing to Bangkok.

The passenger, along with an airport staff member, was seen entering a washroom, raising suspicions," the statement added. The officials seized three pieces of 24 carat gold dust in wax form, around 1.725 kgs, provisionally valued at Rs 1.25 crores. The officials said that the pieces were concealed in the body cavity and in the undergarments of the passenger.

A group of South Korean scientists has discovered electronic crystallites in a solid material for the first time in the world, which is expected to help make progress in studies on high-temperature superconductivity, the science ministry said on Thursday.

A research team, led by Professor Kim Keun-su at Yonsei University in Seoul, posted a paper, titled "Electronic rotons and Wigner crystallites in a two-dimensional dipole liquid," in Nature, a prominent science journal, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

This marks the world's first experimental discovery of the structure, theorised by Hungarian American physicist Eugene Wigner in 1934, news agency reported.

Wigner crystal refers to a solid or crystalline formation of a gas of electrons enabled by strong repulsion between electrons at low electron density. Normally, a crystal formation is understood as an attraction between atoms.

In a massive embarrassment for Canada, the country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday admitted that Ottawa only provided some intelligence inputs and no hard proof before accusing India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Testifying before the country's foreign interference inquiry, Trudeau admitted that New Delhi had demanded the sharing of proof -- something that India has been insisting on till date -- after the allegations.

"At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof," the Canadian PM admitted in an on-camera hearing before the committee.

As he harped on having "credible evidence" on India's involvement, Trudeau also spoke on the alleged role of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Nijjar's killing.

Sea traffic in the Bosphorus Strait, one of the busiest waterways in the world, was suspended due to heavy fog, authorities said.

According to a statement from Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry on Wednesday, ship traffic in the strait has been suspended in both directions due to "limited visibility" caused by heavy thick fog, news agency reported.

In another statement from City Lines, which operates ferries commuting across the strait between the Asian and European sides, it was announced that many services have been suspended due to "adverse weather conditions".

Visibility has deteriorated significantly in some places, especially on bridges across the Bosphorus, leading to traffic congestion and an increased risk of accidents.

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Fannie Masemola has said that four suspects responsible for a mass shooting in the Eastern Cape province late last month have been arrested.

The mass shooting, which left 18 people dead, happened on September 28 in the town of Lusikisiki, news agency reported on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, the SAPS published the pictures and names of the suspects, alleging that they were linked to the incident.

In a statement issued by the police on Wednesday morning, Masemola said that in less than 24 hours from the time the SAPS issued an alert on the wanted suspects, communities rallied together and informed the police of their whereabouts.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday appointed three party leaders as All India Congress Committee (AICC) Senior Coordinators for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in Jharkhand.

In a statement, the Congress mentioned that party President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed B.K. Hariprasad, Gaurav Gogoi and Mohan Markam as AICC Senior Coordinators for the Assembly polls in Jharkhand for which voting will be held on November 13 and November 20.

There are a total of 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly.

The state is going to the polls against the backdrop of Chief Minister Hemant Soren walking out of jail to retain his CM position again.

Soren was jailed in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to a land scam matter.