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Abu Dhabi’s IHC Backs Adani Group Amid US Indictment; Sri Lanka & Tanzania Reaffirm Ties

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New Delhi: Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC), one of the largest sovereign funds that manages assets close to USD 100 billion, has reaffirmed its support to the Adani Group, saying its outlook on investments in the group remains unchanged despite the US indictment of the conglomerate’s founder chairman Gautam Adani.

“Our partnership with the Adani Group reflects our confidence in their contributions to the green energy and sustainability sectors,” IHC, one of Adani Group’s key foreign investors, said in a statement.

“As with all our investments, our team continues to evaluate relevant information and developments. At this time, our outlook on these investments remains unchanged.” IHC had, in April 2022, invested about USD 500 million each in the renewables arm Adani Green Energy and power company Adani Transmission and a further USD 1 billion in the group’s flagship Adani Enterprises. Later, it sold its 1.26 per cent stake in AGEL and 1.41 per cent in ATL, now called Adani Energy Solutions Ltd, but hiked its stake in Adani Enterprises Ltd to over 5 per cent.

The IHC statement comes soon after Adani group emphasised that its chairman and his aides have not been charged under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act but faced three other charges, including securities and wire fraud that are punishable with monetary fines.

About The US Department Of Justice’s Indictment Filed In New York Court

The US Department of Justice’s (US DoJ) indictment filed in a New York Court last week does not mention Gautam Adani, founder chairman of the ports-to-energy conglomerate, his nephew Sagar or Vneet Jaain in any count related to conspiracy to violate the FCPA, AGEL – the firm at the heart of allegation of USD 265 million bribes allegedly being paid to Indian officials to secure solar power sale contracts that could benefit bring in USD 2 billion of profits over 20 year period to the firm, had said in a filing to the stock exchange.

The three, who are executives at AGEL, have only been charged with securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and securities fraud, the company said. In general, the penalties for such charges are less severe than bribery.

Gautam and Sagar also face a civil complaint over violation of sections of the Securities Act and aiding and abetting Adani Green to violate the Act, the company had said.

Adani Group last week denied all allegations as baseless and said it would seek legal recourse to defend itself.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Expresses Its Confidence In Its Partnership With Adani

Meanwhile, other international partners have also expressed their continued support. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has expressed its ongoing confidence in its partnership with Adani, as the Indian group plays a vital role in expanding the country’s port infrastructure.

With USD 1 billion investment in the Colombo terminal, the project is poised to be the largest foreign direct investment in Sri Lanka’s port sector.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Admiral Sirimewan Ranasinghe (Retd) has reportedly stated that there are no discussions regarding the project’s cancellation. The project will be operational in the next couple of months.

Tanzanian Govt Reaffirms Its Commitment

Also, the Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to its agreements with Adani Ports, as it feels that there are no concerns regarding the ongoing projects and that all contracts fully comply with Tanzanian law.

In May 2024, Tanzania and Adani Ports finalised a 30-year concession agreement to operate Container Terminal 2 at Dar es Salaam port.

Additionally, Adani Ports acquired a 95 per cent stake in Tanzania International Container Terminal Services, a state-owned entity, for USD 95 million.

Business

2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 Unveiled: India Launch Expected Next Year

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Ducati has revealed the 2025 Multistrada V2, set to go on sale internationally in January 2025. The updated model is lighter by 18 kg, features a new engine, and boasts a refreshed design. Available in two variants, V2 and V2 S, the new Multistrada V2 will be offered in Ducati Red and Storm Green colours. With a focus on lightness, handling, and ease of riding, the redesigned sport tourer sets new standards for mid-size twin-cylinder motorcycles. The model is expected to be launched in India sometime next year.

2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 comes with design updates, including a sharper, shorter beak, a taller windscreen, and a redesigned rear section. The new Storm Green colour adds to its appeal. The rider and passenger seats have been revamped, offering improved passenger room. Additionally, the seat height is adjustable between 850 mm and 830 mm, allowing riders to touch the ground more easily for better stability. These changes focus on enhancing comfort and practicality for everyday use.

2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 is powered by an 890cc 90-degree L-Twin engine, which also powers the Streetfighter V2. This engine produces 114 hp at 10,750 rpm and 92.1 Nm of torque at 8,250 rpm, with more than 70% of the torque available from 3,500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and features a bi-directional quick-shifter as standard, offering smooth and responsive gear shifts for enhanced performance.

The 2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 is equipped with a redesigned frame, rear subframe, and swingarm, contributing to an 18 kg weight reduction compared to the previous model. The new aluminium monocoque frame uses the engine as a stressed element, while the rear subframe is made of steel trellis and the swingarm is cast aluminium. The V2 weighs 199 kg, with the V2 S version at 202 kg due to its semiactive suspension. Both variants feature a 19-inch front wheel, 17-inch rear wheel, Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres, and 170 mm of suspension travel. The Brembo braking system includes twin 320 mm front discs and a single 265 mm rear disc.

The bike is also equipped with a 5-inch TFT display, providing a new multilingual interface for managing the full electronics package, including five riding modes: Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro, and Wet. These modes adjust engine power, cornering ABS, traction control, and other settings. Standard features include cruise control and a USB charging port.

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Business

MAS Slaps Penalty Of SGD 2.4 Million On JP Morgan Chase Bank For Misconduct By Relationship Managers In 24 Bond Transactions

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The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a civil penalty of SGD 2.4 million on JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPM), according to a media release issued by the central bank of Singapore. The penalty was for JPMorgan Chase Bank failing to prevent and detect misconduct committed by its relationship managers (RMs).

The media release said: “In 24 over-the-counter (OTC) bond transactions, the RMs had made inaccurate or incomplete disclosures to clients, resulting in the clients being charged spreads that were above the bilaterally agreed rates.” These transactions took place between November 2018 and September 2019, said MAS.

Explaining that the RMs of JPMorgan Chase Bank had misled the clients into paying more than what they should have paid, MAS said that “JPM did not establish adequate processes and controls to ensure that its RMs adhered to pre-agreed spreads with clients when executing OTC bond transactions on their behalf”.

The central bank “sampled OTC bond transactions conducted by JPM’s RMs” and found that in the 24 transactions, the RMs had “either misrepresented the price components or omitted material information that the spreads charged were above the agreed rates”. The phrase “price components” refers to the executed interbank price and/or spread charged.

MAS said that this misrepresentation and omission by the RMs was “in contravention of sections 201(c) and 201(d) of the Securities and Futures Act (SFA)”.

Informing that the private bank had accepted these violations and its responsibility for what the relationship managers did, MAS said: “JPM has admitted liability under section 236C of the SFA for its failure to prevent or detect the misconduct by its RMs and has paid MAS the civil penalty. The bank has refunded the overcharged fees to affected clients.”

At the same time, JPMorgan Chase Bank has taken measures to prevent a repeat of this. “The bank has also enhanced its pricing frameworks and internal controls to prevent the recurrence of such misconduct,” said MAS. “Separate reviews into the individual RMs involved in the misconduct are ongoing.”

What is the MAS civil penalty?

“A civil penalty action is not a criminal action and does not attract criminal sanctions. The civil penalty regime, designed to complement criminal sanctions and provide a nuanced approach to combat market misconduct, became operational at the beginning of 2004,” said the MAS media release.

“Under section 232 of the SFA, MAS may enter into an agreement with any person for that person to pay, with or without admission of liability, a civil penalty for contravening any provision of Part 12 of the SFA. The civil penalty may be up to three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided by that person as a result of the contravention, subject to a minimum of USD 50,000 (if the person is not a corporation) or $100,000 (if the person is a corporation).”

Under section 201(c) of the SFA, no person shall, directly or indirectly, in connection with the subscription, purchase or sale of any capital market products, make any statement he knows to be false in a material particular.

● Section 201(d) of the SFA
Under section 201(d) of the SFA, no person shall, directly or indirectly, in connection with the subscription, purchase or sale of any capital market products, omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

● Section 236C of the SFA
Under section 236C of the SFA, a corporation which fails to prevent or detect a contravention of any provision in Part 12 of the SFA that is committed by an employee or officer for its benefit and attributable to its negligence, commits a contravention and shall be liable to an order for a civil penalty.

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Business

Zypp Electric Crosses 20.5 Million Zero-Emission Deliveries Milestone

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Zypp Electric, a leading EV-as-a-service platform in India, has reached a significant milestone by completing over 20.5 million zero-emission deliveries in the last year. With a focus on sustainable logistics, Zypp plays a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of last-mile delivery and currently handles 15-20% of quick commerce orders in the Delhi-NCR region.

The quick commerce sector in India, valued at $60-70 billion, is witnessing rapid growth and is expected to expand to $25-55 billion by 2030. Companies like Zypp Electric are driving this transformation by improving delivery efficiency, lowering business churn rates, and promoting eco-friendly logistics solutions to meet the demands of this booming market.

Zypp Electric has significantly reduced carbon emissions through its strategic partnerships with major quick commerce players like Zepto, Blinkit, Big Basket Now, and Instamart. The company has helped cut 2.5 million kilograms of carbon emissions over the past year. With Zepto, Zypp completed 10.4 million deliveries, saving 11.95 lakh kg of carbon, while Blinkit achieved 7.19 million deliveries, reducing emissions by 8.29 lakh kg.

Big Basket Now contributed 2.76 million deliveries, resulting in a 4.22 lakh kg reduction in carbon, and Instamart’s 2.15 lakh deliveries helped cut over 72,000 kg. Zypp is not only advancing eco-friendly logistics but also providing substantial earning opportunities for delivery partners, with top earners during the festive season reaching Rs 99,949 per month, demonstrating the platform’s impact on both the quick commerce and gig economy sectors.

Akash Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO of Zypp Electricsaid, “I remember when we had our 1st meeting with all our amazing quick commerce partners Zepto, Blinkit, BB Now & Swiggy Instamart, we were sure that this sector will revolutionize the delivery market. This achievement is not just a number; it signifies our relentless pursuit of sustainability in quick commerce. At Zypp Electric, we believe that quick and sustainable logistics is the future of e-commerce. Our partnerships have shown that we can break the myth that speed and sustainability are mutually exclusive. As we move forward, we are excited to lead the charge in making electric deliveries the norm in India, and I would personally cherish delivering the 21st million delivery landmark myself with my leadership team.”

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