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M3M Foundation focuses on worker upliftment

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Dr. Payal Kanodia is a Trustee in M3M Foundation, a philanthropic arm of M3M India — one of the leading real-estate companies in India.

The prime focus of the M3M Foundation has been on health, education, disaster management and socio-economic development to transform rural lifestyle. As one of the promoters in M3M India, Payal also supports business.

A doctor by qualification, Payal has been conferred the Grand Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations & Diplomacy from International University of Fundamental Studies, St. Petersburg Russia and is a Diplomatic member of CDI. She has pursued her entrepreneurship from HBS, Boston.

Speaking to IANS, Payal said, “At M3M Foundation, we believe in sustainable change and making the beneficiaries responsible. There is so much to be done in India and I believe that while we retain our focus on what we would like to emphasize through our Foundation, we should also be supporting State and Central Government in their mission to make a better India.”

Payal has been a keen observer throughout. While visiting construction sites of M3M India, she observed that many workers and labourers have left their small children at home — most of them unattended, and these children certainly needed proper attention and care.

Payal says, “I observed that the children of workers & labourers were generally left at home and when I interacted with our workforce, I realised that they were quite worried about the well-being of their children, their education and future. As a responsible Company, we had to do something for their children. And with this thought, M3M Foundation launched project — iMpower, an Initiative for Maximising Potential of Workforce through Ensuring Resources. Through our collaboration with national and international organisations and foundations, we are now able to provide education & good health to these children, and also ensuring skill enhancement for the women workforce. Very soon we shall be setting-up skill development centres for these women. The whole effort is to build a life of dignity for them.”

Recently, M3M Foundation’s project “iMpower” has been recognized as the “Most Innovative Community Engagement Project 2021” during the India CSR Leadership Awards held in Bengaluru.

Payal also passionately described the contribution of M3M Foundation during the pandemic times. “I always believe that most of the companies do have a strong focus on philanthropy and they execute programs through their Foundations. I also understand that since we all work for the betterment of the society and the nation, such Foundations should also be seen as an extension of philanthropic arm of the Government. We are too partners in prosperity. With this focus, during the Covid pandemic lockdown, we aligned with the Government of Haryana and brought together corporate entities, real estate groups, business entities, NGOs, religious bodies and individuals, and were able to support more than 2 lakh needy people for food, health and hygiene. We named this initiative as — ‘Kartavaya’, and indeed it was an immense responsibility shared by all of us,” she said.

In order to promote employability-based training and to fight unemployment, M3M Foundation has signed an MoU with Government of Haryana to help about 50,000 meritorious students and align them towards online preparations for Government jobs. The Foundation has named this initiative as “SAKSHAM UDAAN”.

Payal gives most of her time to the Foundation’s activities. Her passion and involvement has certainly strengthened the vision of M3M Foundation.

Business

Govt asks Meta to review Facebook and Instagram recommendation systems

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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked technology giant firm Meta to review the content recommendation and ranking systems that power Facebook and Instagram, stepping up regulatory scrutiny of how social media algorithms amplify information in India, according to multiple reports.

In an advisory issued to the company, the ministry had asked Meta to ensure that its recommendation systems do not lead to the disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives and instead provide greater access to diverse, relevant and credible information, according to them.

The ministry also directed Meta to strengthen mechanisms for rapidly identifying, reviewing and escalating content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems when such material has the potential to contribute to public confusion, violence or disruption of public order.

Apart from that, the US-based company has been asked to implement the measures immediately and inform the government of the action taken.

The advisory specifically highlights photographs, videos and graphics related to ongoing public events where the authenticity, timing, location or surrounding circumstances may be unclear.

It calls for additional context where old or unrelated visuals are presented as current, where footage has been selectively edited or where unverified claims are made regarding emergencies, police action or other official measures.

Additionally, this marks the latest escalation in the government’s scrutiny of Meta’s moderation and recommendation systems.

Earlier in August, government officials questioned Meta executives over content recommendation algorithms, deepfakes, synthetic media and safeguards against unlawful content.

Meta has separately tightened content and advertising safeguards following concerns related to child sexual exploitation material.

The company said earlier this month it deployed new AI-driven advertising review systems and removed 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content in India during January-June 2026, with more than 98% detected proactively.

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Business

Sensex, Nifty open flat amid mixed global cues

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Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a flat note on Monday tracking mixed global cues and momentum from last week’s gains.

Sensex opened at 74,849.30, up 120.03 points or 0.16 per cent, while Nifty began trading at 23,150.85, up 4.70 points or 0.02 per cent.

Sectorally, Nifty PSU Bank led gains and rose over 1 per cent, followed by Nifty Oil & Gas which surged 0.6 per cent.

In contrast, Nifty Private Bank, Nifty IT and Nifty Chemicals dropped up to 1 per cent.

Market experts said momentum from Nifty’s 2.8 per cent surge last week and good results from banking majors after better-than-expected IT earnings could keep the market resilient.

“However, escalation of tensions in Hormuz and consequent surge in Brent crude to $109 will act as a strong headwind,” according to them.

They further said that attractive large-cap valuations and rupee appreciation turned FII stance slightly positive, though unlikely to sustain at high crude prices. Large-caps outperforming mid and small-caps is likely to continue, with stock-specific action on Q2 results.

For Nifty, immediate support is placed at 22,950–23,000, while resistance is seen at 23,250–23,300, the experts said and added that RSI strengthened to 52.81 above its average of 34.70, while PCR stood at 1.08.

In the previous session on October 16, FIIs turned net buyers after 15 straight sessions of selling, buying equities worth about Rs 1,166 crore, while DIIs ended their 45-session buying streak with net sales of around Rs 3,661 crore.

On commodities, Brent crude traded nearly 2 per cent lower at around $107.76 per barrel, while US WTI declined about 1 per cent to $100.43.

In Asia, markets were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei traded 0.84 per cent lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and South Korea’s KOSPI rose up to 0.83 per cent. Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite fell over 5 per cent.

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India-EFTA trade pact opens new opportunities for Norwegian investment across key sectors

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India’s strong economic growth trajectory and the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) are creating significant opportunities for Norwegian investors, particularly in manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, financial services and the digital economy, according to industry insights.

With GDP growth projected to remain around 6.5 per cent annually through 2030, India is widely expected to become the world’s third-largest economy by the end of the decade, according to EY India report.

Analysts attribute this outlook to strong domestic consumption, rising investments, ongoing infrastructure development and reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business.

The India-EFTA TEPA, which came into effect in October 2025, is being viewed as a major milestone in India-Norway economic relations.

The agreement seeks to promote trade liberalisation, facilitate investment flows and deepen cooperation in areas such as innovation, sustainability and advanced technologies.

The pact includes investment commitments of $100 billion over 15 years and is expected to support the creation of one million direct jobs in India, aligning with the country’s broader goals of expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening its position in global value chains.

Industry experts believe the agreement creates a strong framework for Norwegian companies to expand their presence in India by combining Norway’s expertise in technology, sustainability and capital-intensive industries with India’s large market and growth ambitions.

Several sectors have been identified as priority areas for collaboration, including manufacturing, renewable energy, oil and gas, maritime services, seafood processing, information and communication technology (ICT), fintech and financial services. These industries are expected to benefit from increasing bilateral cooperation under the TEPA framework.

The rapid expansion of India’s digital economy and digital payments ecosystem is also creating opportunities for Norwegian companies seeking exposure to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.

At the same time, India’s policy measures aimed at attracting foreign investment are expected to provide a supportive environment for long-term investors, as per the report.

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