NewsBytes

AI chipmaker Nvidia is first $5 trillion company

Nvidia has become the first $5 trillion company, just three months after the Silicon Valley chipmaker was first to break through the $4 trillion barrier. Hitting the new benchmark puts more emphasis on the upheaval being unleashed by an artificial intelligence craze that's widely viewed as the biggest tectonic shift in technology since Apple co—founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 18 years ago. Apple rode the iPhone's success to become the first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion, $2 trillion and eventually, $3 trillion. But there are concerns of a possible AI bubble, with officials at the Bank of England earlier this month flagging the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst. The head of the International Monetary Fund has raised a similar alarm. On Tuesday Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang disclosed $500 billion in chip orders. The company also announced a partnership with Uber on robotaxis and a $1 billion investment in Nokia, with the two planning to work together on 6G technology.

Goyal to visit New Zealand next week for trade pact talks

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said he will visit New Zealand next week to hold discussions on the proposed free trade agreement between the two countries. The FTA was formally launched on March 16, 2025. "We are going to New Zealand next week to try and conclude substantially close negotiations for a free trade agreement," Goyal told reporters here. The third round of negotiations for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) concluded on September 19 in Queenstown, New Zealand. India's bilateral merchandise trade with New Zealand stood at USD 1.3 billion in 2024-25, registering a growth of nearly 49 per cent over the previous year. The proposed FTA is expected to further boost trade flows, promote investment linkages, strengthen supply chain resilience, and create a predictable framework for businesses in both countries.

India, EU to continue talks on steel, auto, carbon tax issues under FTA negotiations

India and the European Union have agreed to continue discussions on issues pertaining to steel, auto and carbon tax, as these areas carry higher sensitivities, under the proposed free trade agreement, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday. India has also pitched for ensuring redressal of both tariff and non-tariff barriers in the pact, besides creating transparent and predictable regulatory frameworks to boost bilateral trade, it said. These issues came up for discussions during the three-day visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Brussels. He met EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and gave an impetus to the ongoing negotiations. The minister's official visit concluded on October 28. "They also agreed that issues related to steel, auto, CBAM (carbon border adjustment mechanism), and other EU regulations still require further discussion, as these issues have higher sensitivities," the ministry said. The EU has announced regulations such as CBAM and EUDR (Deforestation Regulation) which have been strongly objected to by India. Under CBAM, Indian exports of steel, aluminum, and cement to the EU could face tariffs of 20-35 per cent.

Docs seek ban on carbide guns as AIIMS-Delhi gets eye injury cases due to these for first time

For the first time, AIIMS-Delhi has received cases of eye injuries caused by carbide guns during Diwali festivities, as experts demanded a ban on the manufacture, sale and purchase of such chemical firecrackers. According to doctors, the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS recorded a notable spike in firecracker-related eye injuries this year. It received 190 eye injury cases, of which 18-20 were due to carbide guns, they said. Last year, 160 people had sought treatment for eye injuries at the premier national referral institute for ocular trauma, during the Diwali period, said Dr Radhika Tandon, the chief of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences. These crude homemade guns are made using a PVC pipe and calcium carbide, which produces acetylene gas after reacting with water and explodes upon contact with a spark. Plastic fragments ejected from the pipe act like shrapnel and can cause serious injuries. Dr Tandon explained that these guns cause powerful blasts and release metal hydroxide fumes.