Category: 3. Business

(Reuters) -India’s Adani Group plans to invest up to $5 billion in Alphabet-owned ​Google’s India AI data centre project, an executive ‌said on Friday, as it seeks to cash in on booming demand ‌for data capacity in the world’s most populous nation.

In October, Google said it would invest $15 billion over five years to set up an artificial intelligence data centre in the southern state ⁠of Andhra Pradesh, its ‌biggest investment in India.

AI requires enormous computing power, pushing demand for specialised data centres that enable ‍thousands of chips to be linked in clusters.

Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder Singh said the Google project could mean an investment of up to $5 billion ​for Adani Connex – a joint venture between Adani ‌Enterprises and private data centre operator EdgeConneX.

“It’s not just Google, there are a lot of parties that would like to work with us, especially when the data centre capacity goes to gigawatt and higher,” Singh told reporters on ⁠Friday.

Google has committed to spending about $85 ​billion this year to expand data ​centre capacity as tech companies invest heavily in infrastructure to meet the booming demand for AI services.

Indian billionaires ‍Gautam Adani and ⁠Mukesh Ambani have also unveiled investments in building data centre capacity.

The data centre campus in the port city of Visakhapatnam ⁠will have an initial power capacity of 1 gigawatt.

($1 = 89.3660 ‌Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi and Dhwani ‌Pandya; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Insider Brief

• Abu Dhabi’s TII and Honeywell are collaborating to develop quantum-secure satellite communication systems using quantum key distribution technology.
• The partnership integrates Honeywell’s QKDSat platform with TII’s Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station to test end-to-end satellite-to-ground QKD links.
• The initiative aims to build global quantum-resilient networks for government, security, and commercial use as traditional encryption faces quantum threats.

PRESS RELEASE — The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), and Honeywell have launched a joint initiative to develop quantum-secure satellite communication systems designed to protect sensitive information across global networks.

As quantum computing capabilities continue to evolve, traditional encryption methods are coming under increasing pressure. Quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a future-proof solution by using the quantum properties of light to generate encryption keys that are inherently immune to interception and secure against emerging computing threats.

Under this collaboration, Honeywell’s ‘QKDSat’ platform will be integrated with TII’s ground-based infrastructure – the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) – to establish and test end-to-end QKD links between satellites and terrestrial quantum networks. The initiative represents a key step toward building quantum-resilient communication infrastructure capable of safeguarding critical data for government, security, and commercial applications.

Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, said: “This collaboration is a significant step toward building global quantum-secure networks in the UAE and beyond. It brings together Honeywell’s track record in aerospace innovation and TII’s expertise in quantum technologies to address one of the most pressing challenges of the digital era: how we protect our most critical information in a quantum-powered future.”

Quantum-resilient infrastructure said: “Turning quantum science into operational capability requires proven space engineering. Honeywell’s heritage in secure satellite systems allows us to take these concepts from laboratory testing to real-world missions. Teaming up with TII ensures that together we’re advancing technologies that can deliver trusted, quantum-secure communications on a global scale.”

Developed and operated by TII, ADQOGS is a versatile optical ground station designed to support a range of satellite-based quantum communication experiments – methods used to encode information onto particles of light so they can transmit encryption keys securely between space and Earth. Its integration with Honeywell’s QKDSat platform will allow experts to test and validate quantum-backed encryption methods under realistic satellite operating conditions, demonstrating long-distance QKD links and overcoming the distance limitations of fiber-based quantum networks – opening the door to truly global quantum communication that is not constrained by terrestrial infrastructure.

The collaboration underscores both organizations’ commitment to developing trusted, quantum-secure communication systems, and highlights Abu Dhabi’s growing role in shaping the future of global cybersecurity innovation.

For more information about ADQOGS, visit https://www.tii.ae/publications/adqogs-versatile-optical-ground-station-satellite-based-quantum-key-distribution.

For more information about QKDSat, visit https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/products-and-services/product/services/quantum

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) just put two of its own services under Europe’s microscope, telling regulators that Apple Ads and Apple Maps now meet the thresholds set by the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

That disclosure kicks off a formal review by the European Commission, which now has 45 working days to decide whether to label either service a gatekeeper. If that happens, Apple would get 6 months to comply with rules designed to make markets more open and easier for users to switch services.

Apple is already pouring cold water on the idea that it wields real market power here. The company told Reuters its ad business is small in Europe compared with Google, Meta, and Microsoft. And when it comes to maps, Apple says its usage trails far behind services like Google Maps and Waze.

The gatekeeper label brings heavier oversight and tighter rules. Bottom line is that Apple says it qualifies on paper, not in practice, and now Brussels decides what comes next.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) climbed about 8% at Thursday’s open, despite news that Taiwanese authorities searched the home of its executive Wei-Jen Lo. Officials are investigating whether Lo, formerly of Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM), may have taken sensitive technology related to advanced semiconductor processes.

During the raid, prosecutors seized computers and other materials. A court order also froze some of Lo’s assets, including real estate, as part of the inquiry. Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM) has launched legal action, claiming Lo violated non-compete agreements and trade secrets regulations before leaving the company.

Lo joined Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) as vice president of research and development after retiring from Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM) in July, where he held a senior role in corporate strategy and advanced node technology development.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan rejected the allegations, telling Bloomberg they are speculation and emphasizing the company’s commitment to intellectual property rights.

The investigation comes as Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) navigates new risks tied to a recent $11.1 billion U.S. government stake, highlighting the company’s ongoing challenges in global semiconductor expansion.

On the positive side, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple (AAPL) is closer to choosing Intel as a foundry partner, boosting optimism around Intel’s 18A process and future chip orders.

The report suggested Apple has tested Intel’s design tools and is waiting for the next software release, raising investor expectations that Intel could secure a major foundry contract and strengthen its position in semiconductor manufacturing.

The following agreements were announced:

Air Europa

• 80 Trent XWB-84 powering 40 Airbus A350-900

Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “Air Europa is already a valued customer, so it’s extremely exciting to deepen that relationship as we welcome them into the Trent XWB family.

“The continued popularity of the Airbus A350-900 powered by the Trent XWB-84 is important to us and we look forward to working with Air Europa as they embark on their fleet renewal.”

AviLease

• Joined our newly-launched LessorCare+ service

Rob Watson, President, Civil Aerospace, said: “It’s testament to the quality of our offering and the strength of our partnerships that we are seeing AviLease come on board with LessorCare+ at Dubai. There’s clearly demand among lessors for even greater insights into their asset holdings and we’re in the best position to offer that through LessorCare+.”

Rolls-Royce is investing £1 billion across our modern Trent engines to increase their durability by an average of 80%, with a significant portion being delivered in 2025. For the Trent 7000 the time on wing enhancement package has tripled time on wing in some cases, with a further up to 30% to come in 2026.

Emirates

• 16 Trent XWB-84 power 8 Airbus A350-900
• Joining our global MRO network (Trent 900) in 2027

Paul Keenan, Director – Commercial Aviation Aftermarket Operations, Rolls-Royce, said: “Today’s announcement marks another milestone in our journey to significantly increase our global MRO capacity and capability by 2030. Our global network combines a strong mix of Rolls-Royce owned facilities, joint ventures and strategic collaborations with industry partners. We are delighted to welcome Emirates to that mix ahead of the new facility opening in 2027.

“The agreement will allow for additional capacity in the entire Rolls-Royce network and further reinforces our commitment to deliver both excellent products and services to our global customer base.”

Ethiopian Airlines

• 12 Trent XWB-84 powering 6 Airbus A350-900

Eithad Airways

• 30 Trent 7000 powering 15 Airbus A330 Neo
• 14 Trent XWB-97 powering 7 Airbus A350-1000
• 20 Trent XWB-97 powering 10 Airbus A350F freighters

Rob Watson, President, Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “Our Middle Eastern customers continue to perform strongly on the global stage, and we are investing in our engines and services to match that ambition.

“We’re excited to continue our long-term partnership with Etihad, driven by confidence in the Trent XWB-97, where our investment will double time on wing in Middle East environments from 2028.”

Silk Way West Airlines

• 4 Trent XWB-97 powering 2 Airbus A350F freighters

The Trent 7000 is the latest addition to the Rolls-Royce Trent family of engines and exclusively powers the Airbus A330neo. After entering service at the end of 2018, the Trent 7000 has flown more than three million hours, delivering exceptional reliability, sustainable performance and proven versatility.

The Trent XWB-84 is the best widebody engine in the world. It’s designed, engineered, and optimised specifically for the Airbus A350 – delivering the lowest fuel consumption of any widebody engine and chosen by the world’s most profitable airlines.

The Trent XWB-97 has proven its reliability and durability over seven years of service and more than three million engine flying hours. It has received the first two of its three phases of durability enhancements, which are already delivering a 60% increase in time on wing. The third phase, which will enter service in 2028, will total a doubling of time on wing in challenging environments; and provide 50% improvement in benign conditions.

Canada’s economy grew at a much faster pace than expected in the third quarter as crude oil exports and government spending boosted economic activity, data shows, even as business investments and household consumption disappointed due to the lingering uncertainty over United States tariffs.

Third-quarter annualised gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.6 percent, Statistics Canada said on Friday, escaping what could have been a technical recession after a contraction in the previous quarter of a downwardly revised 1.8 percent.

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The data strengthened economists’ view that the Bank of Canada will not cut interest rates on December 10.

The quarterly GDP reading is calculated based on income and expenditure, unlike the monthly GDP, which is derived from industrial output.

The statistics agency said the third-quarter number could be subjected to a larger-than-normal revision in February because foreign merchandise trade data was not available due to the recent US government shutdown.

Analysts polled by the Reuters news agency had forecast annualised growth of 0.5 percent in the third quarter and monthly GDP growth of 0.2 percent in September.

On a month-over-month basis, the economy matched analysts’ predictions following a deceleration of an upwardly revised 0.1 percent in the prior month, StatsCan said, primarily driven by a 1.6 percent expansion in manufacturing output.

However, an advance estimate showed GDP might decline by 0.3 percent in October, signalling a negative start to the fourth quarter.

“Headline growth was flattered by a large drop in imports which masked underlying weakness in domestic demand as households and businesses spent less,” Tony Stillo, head of Canada Economics at Oxford Economics, and senior economist Michael Davenport, said in comments emailed to Al Jazeera.

“We still think the Canadian economy is in a fragile position and expect it will struggle to grow in the near term amid US tariffs, elevated trade policy uncertainty, and much slower population growth.”

Tariff hit

US tariffs on critical sectors have hit Canadian exports hard. They have resulted in job losses, dampened hiring and subdued business and consumer sentiment, leading to forecasts of a near-recessionary environment.

But a 6.7 percent increase in crude oil and bitumen exports, along with a 2.9 percent increase in government capital investments, helped cushion some of the impact, and higher crude oil exports also helped boost corporate income in the third quarter, StatsCan’s data showed.

An increase in spending on weapon systems and nonresidential structures, such as hospitals, led the jump in government investments.

A rise in residential resale activity and renovations also helped.

The report “should quash recession chatter for now”, Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a note.

The Bank of Canada said last month that it will keep its key interest rate on hold at 2.25 percent and take action only when there is a significant change in the economic outlook.

The underlying impact of tariffs, however, continues to be reflected in business and consumer sentiment, the GDP data showed.

Business capital investment was unchanged in the third quarter, and household final consumption expenditure dropped 0.1 percent.

New residential construction also declined 0.8 percent in the period, StatsCan added.

“Overall final domestic demand was flat in Q3, so the stronger-than-expected rebound in headline GDP more so reflects a mathematical boost from falling imports rather than underlying economic strength,” warned Stillo and Davenport.

Accelerating a Great Australian Family Story

One of Australia’s premium charcoal chicken brands, El Jannah, today announced a  bold national expansion strategy to quadruple its number of restaurants from 50 to  almost 200 in the coming years. 

From a humble charcoal chicken shop opened by Lebanese migrant couple Andre and  Carole Estephan in Western Sydney in 1998, El Jannah has quickly developed into an  Australian cultural institution. 

Serving charcoal-grilled chicken platters with family hospitality and warmth, El Jannah  has built a loyal and growing base of customers across Australia, with a reputation for  serving fresh, high-quality and affordable food. 

Since 2020, El Jannah has grown its number of restaurants from five to 50, with 160,000  transactions occuring every week across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong  and the Southern Highlands. 

Mr Estephan said his dream was for millions of Australians to be able to enjoy El  Jannah’s unique Middle Eastern chicken offering for the first time. 

“From the day Carole and I opened our first restaurant in Granville, our dream was  simple — to share the flavours and hospitality we grew up with in Lebanon,” he said. 

“We built El Jannah with our family for Australian families. We now want to carry that  dream into its next generation, while keeping our culture, values and identity exactly  where they belong — at the heart of the business. 

“Our dream is to offer our customers more locations and more convenience, allowing  more people to discover the brand Australians already love. We want to share our authentic flavours and recipes, our renowned service reflecting Lebanese warmth and  our cultural soul that has defined us from the beginning.” 

As part of its next growth chapter, El Jannah intends to open more than 25 restaurants in  the following locations in the next 12 months: 

• NSW – Cranebrook, Cronulla, Emerald Hills, Maroubra, North Rocks, Ropes  Crossing, Rozelle, Rutherford (Hunter Valley), Sydney CBD and Warringah Mall.
• Victoria – Armstrong Creek, Ashburton, Box Hill, Carrum Downs, Corio,  Cranbourne East, Cranbourne West, Hawthorn, Ivanhoe, Lilydale, Roxburgh  Park, South Yarra, Sunbury, Wollert and Wyndam Vale. 
• ACT – Woden. 

The brand’s future growth is being made possible because of a significant investment  from General Atlantic, a leading global investor.  

Founded in 1980, General Atlantic specialises in partnering with innovative businesses  around the world. General Atlantic has a strong track record of supporting founders and  management teams to accelerate growth, including through domestic and international  expansion and development of digital capabilities. 

General Atlantic has invested in a range of high-growth food and beverage companies  globally, including Joe & The Juice, as well as distinguished Australian brand  Zimmermann. 

El Jannah CEO Brett Houldin will continue to lead the business, supported by the  Estephan family and General Atlantic. 

Mr Houldin said the company’s signature charcoal chicken, its unmistakable garlic  sauce, and the warmth of Lebanese family hospitality were part of its soul and DNA  created by the Estephans. 

“Our partnership with GA means we can explore selective international expansion for  the first time, including the possibility of exporting our unique Australian-Middle Eastern  flavour profile back to the Middle East, and into other high-potential markets,” he said. 

“That will be the ultimate proof of the Australian migrant success story. We are  committed to preserving the soul of the brand the Estephan family built, while  accelerating our next phase of growth. With General Atlantic beside us, we are  positioned to grow our Australian footprint, deepen our digital and guest experience  capability, and explore selective international opportunities.” 

Neal Kok, Managing Director and Head of Southeast Asia & Australia at General Atlantic, said: “El Jannah is one of the most distinctive and exciting restaurant offerings we have  seen in Australia. Its combination of authentic food and amazing community following  are core to what has made it an incredible success. We are privileged to support the business in its next leg of expansion and proud to partner with Brett and the Estephan  family as they bring El Jannah to more communities across Australia and, in time,  internationally.” 

Media enquiries: 

El Jannah  

Adam Connolly, Apollo Communications, +61 (0)417 710 084 

General Atlantic 

Jess Gill [email protected]
Scott Schuberg [email protected]
Jonathan Buxeda [email protected] 

About El Jannah 

El Jannah is a family-owned Lebanese-Australian restaurant brand renowned for its  legendary charcoal chicken and famous garlic sauce. Founded in 1998 in Granville,  Sydney, by Andre and Carole Estephan, the business has grown from a humble  neighbourhood eatery in western Sydney into one of Australia’s most beloved restaurant  brands. Today, El Jannah is celebrated for its Lebanese hospitality with generous  portions, fresh ingredients, and commitment to bringing people together over authentic,  shareable food. With 50 locations expanding across the country, El Jannah continues to  uphold its family values and heritage while delivering a unique dining experience to  generations of loyal fans. 

About General Atlantic 

General Atlantic is a leading global investor with more than four and a half decades of  experience providing capital and strategic support for over 830 companies throughout  its history. Established in 1980, General Atlantic continues to be a dedicated partner to  visionary founders and investors seeking to build dynamic businesses and create long term value. Guided by the conviction that entrepreneurs can be incredible agents of  transformational change, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon, and a deep understanding of growth  drivers to partner with and scale innovative businesses around the world. The firm  leverages its patient capital, operational expertise, and global platform to support a  diversified investment platform spanning Growth Equity, Credit, Climate, and  Sustainable Infrastructure strategies. General Atlantic manages approximately $118 billion in assets under management, inclusive of all strategies, as of September 30,  2025, with more than 900 professionals in 20 countries across five regions. For more  information on General Atlantic, please visit: www.generalatlantic.com.

Space may soon find itself populated with data centers from Earth and at the forefront of this achievement may be Google. “Obviously, it’s a moonshot,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on the “Google AI: Release Notes” podcast this week.

Pichai acknowledged that the notion seems “crazy” today, but “when you truly step back and envision the amount of compute we’re going to need, it starts making sense and it’s a matter of time.”

A data center is a specialized facility that houses computer systems, storage devices, and networking equipment used to store, process, and manage digital data. It contains servers, storage systems, routers, switches, and security devices, all supported by reliable power supplies and cooling systems to ensure continuous operation. 

Data centers power cloud services, websites, streaming platforms, enterprise IT operations, and big data analytics, making them the backbone of modern digital infrastructure. They can be owned by a single company (enterprise), rented out as colocation space, or operated by cloud providers like Amazon, Google, or Microsoft. 

READ: US tech firms hesitant to lease large data centers in India (October 6, 2025)

Essentially, data centers are the physical “engine rooms” of the internet, enabling organizations and individuals to access and process data reliably and at scale.

Pichai was referring to “Project Suncatcher,” a new long-term research bet that Google announced in November. “Maybe we’ll meet a Tesla Roadster,” he quipped.

Other tech giants have also chimed in on this with Tesla CEO Elon Musk writing in an X post, “Starship should be able to deliver around 300 GW per year of solar-powered AI satellites to orbit, maybe 500 GW. The ‘per year’ part is what makes this such a big deal.”

“I do guess that a lot of the world gets covered in data centers over time,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told comedian and podcaster Theo Von in a July interview. “But I don’t know, because maybe we put them in space. Like maybe we build a big Dyson sphere on the solar system and say, ‘Hey, it actually makes no sense to put these on Earth.’”

“The lowest cost place for data centers is space,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff wrote in a post on X earlier this month, referring to a video clip of Musk touting the benefits of orbital AI at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum earlier this month.

READ: GMI Cloud to build AI data center in Taiwan for $500 million with Nvidia chips (November 17, 2025)

“The sun only receives roughly one, two billionth of the sun’s energy,” Musk said at the event. “So, if you want to have something that is, say, a million times more energy than Earth could possibly produce, you must go into space. This is where it’s kind of handy to have a space company.”

The discussions by tech leaders suggest that the future of computing and data centers could extend far beyond Earth, reflecting both the increasing demand for computational power and the creative approaches companies are exploring to meet it. Concepts such as orbital or lunar data centers, solar-powered AI satellites, and even megastructures like Dyson spheres illustrate how space may become a frontier for innovation in digital infrastructure, though their feasibility remains highly speculative. 

While these ideas may seem ambitious or speculative today, they highlight the pressures driving technological advancement on Earth and the lengths companies are willing to explore for scalable, low-cost, and energy-efficient solutions. At the same time, this vision underscores the continuing importance of conventional data centers, which remain the backbone of current cloud services, enterprise computing, and digital operations. Whether on Earth or in space, the timeline, scale, and practical impact of such space-based data centers remain uncertain.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) just got a loud new critic, and it happens to be one of Wall Street’s most famous bears. Michael Burry (Trades, Portfolio), the investor made famous by The Big Short, is once again sounding the alarm, this time about the AI frenzy and Nvidia’s place at the center of it. The stock is up more than 1,000% over the past 3 years and recently crossed a $4 trillion market value, but Burry says the excitement has started to run ahead of reality.

He’s not just talking. Recent filings show Burry has taken big put positions against Nvidia and Palantir, betting at least some of the hype unwinds. He’s also questioned how companies are accounting for expensive AI chips, arguing that longer depreciation schedules could be making financial results look better than they really are. In his view, some AI demand may be fueled more by investor cash than by real customers.

The debate spilled into public view when Palantir CEO Alex Karp called Burry’s concerns crazy, prompting a sharp reply. when a high-profile short seller speaks up, it can change how investors think. rally continues, but the AI debate is only getting louder.