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Relief for Vodafone Idea as SC allows Centre to reconsider AGR dues issue

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New Delhi, Oct 27: In a relief for Vodafone Idea, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Centre to reconsider the issue of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues worth Rs 9,450 crore to ease the burden of the loss-making telecom company. The court reasoned that this matter falls in the Union’s policy domain.

The Supreme Court noted that the decision was made keeping in mind the interest of 20 crore consumers of the telecom company.

In a landmark 2019 verdict, the Supreme Court endorsed the Centre’s definition of AGR and allowed the Centre to collect dues worth Rs 92,000 crore which came as a huge setback for telecom majors such as Vodafone and Bharti Airtel.

Vodafone’s latest petition flagged a fresh AGR demand of Rs 9,450 crore raised by the Department of Telecommunications. The petition contended that a substantial portion of the demand pertained to the pre-2017 period, which had already been settled by the Supreme Court.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the court that “there is a huge change in circumstances” of the case because the government has infused equity in Vodafone.

“The government’s interest is public interest. There are 20 crore consumers. If this company is to suffer, it would lead to issues for consumers,” he said.

The Supreme Court noted in its order that the Centre is willing to examine the issue. “The government is also willing to reconsider and take an appropriate decision if the court permits. In the peculiar facts, we see no impediment in government reconsidering the issue. We clarify that this is a matter of policy, there is no reason as to why the Union should be prevented from doing so,” the apex court said.

AGR refers to a fee-sharing mechanism under which telecom operators must share a part of their revenue with the Centre as licensing fees and spectrum usage charges. There was a longstanding dispute between telecom companies and the Centre over the definition of AGR. While the telecom giants stressed that AGR should be based just on core services, the Centre argued it should also factor in non-telecom services provided by the telecom giants.

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Kutch Copper Ltd’s ‘Adani Copper’ becomes London Metal Exchange-registered brand

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Ahmedabad, July 7: Kutch Copper Limited (KCL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, has earned London Metal Exchange (LME) certification for ‘Adani Copper,’ according to a statement issued by the company on Tuesday.

“Approval by the world centre for the trading of industrial metals validates KCL’s manufacturing excellence and responsible sourcing practices against strict global benchmarks, enabling Adani Copper cathodes to be delivered with warrants eligible for issuance against LME Copper futures contracts from July 10, 2026,” the statement said.

For the Adani Group, LME’s listing of Adani Copper as a Good Delivery brand for ‘Copper Grade A’ contracts places the brand alongside the world’s leading copper brands, conferring international recognition and market credibility on the Group’s entry into the metals sector and its emergence as a globally competitive producer of refined copper.

“Copper is the backbone of the global energy transition. Achieving LME brand status places Adani among the world’s leading copper producers and strengthens India’s role in building a resilient, responsible supply chain for this vital metal. Kutch Copper’s world-class infrastructure and ESG standards make this recognition both timely and well-deserved. It will enhance the global acceptance of Adani Copper. Apart from reinforcing India’s growing stature in the international metals industry, the registration is a landmark step towards self-reliance in refined copper,” Adani Enterprises’ CEO, Natural Resources, and Kutch Copper Ltd Managing Director Dr Vinay Prakash said.

An LME-brand certification is a rigorous process involving superior quality assurances — covering chemical composition, shape and weight — alongside strict responsible sourcing protocols. The LME listing enables Adani Copper cathodes to be placed on warrant in LME-approved warehouses, strengthening financing flexibility as LME-listed metal is recognised as a highly liquid asset that can be used as collateral. For the LME, the addition of Adani Copper broadens the exchange’s deliverable base with high-quality cathode from a major new production hub, deepening the liquidity and geographic diversity of the global copper market.

The $1.2 billion Kutch Copper facility with production capacity of 0.5 million tonnes — one of the world’s largest single-location custom copper smelting complexes, designed with state-of-the-art technology, advanced process automation, and sustainability-led design principles embedded across operations — strengthens domestic supply, reduces the nation’s dependence on imported copper, and advances India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ ambitions in a metal central to electrification, renewable energy and the energy transition, the Adani Group statement added.

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Sensex, Nifty trade higher in early deals amid positive global cues

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Mumbai, July 7: Indian equity benchmark indices traded higher on Tuesday amid positive global cues and crude oil prices hovering around the $70-a-barrel mark.

Sensex jumped as much as 0.27 per cent or over 200 points to hit an intraday high of 78,504 in early trade, while Nifty was trading around 60 points or 0.23 per cent higher at 24,488.

Sectorally, IT, banking and financial stocks led the gains. Nifty IT rose 1.28 per cent, followed by Nifty PSU Bank which gained 0.45 per cent.

In contrast, Nifty Metal was the worst performer, falling 0.86 per cent, followed by Nifty Media, which declined 0.38 per cent. Nifty Chemicals and Nifty FMCG slipped up to 0.30 per cent.

Among the Nifty stocks, Trent was the biggest loser, plunging 8.81 per cent, followed by Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which declined about 1 per cent each. Meanwhile, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) fell 0.88 per cent, while Coal India slipped 0.84 per cent.

According to market experts, there are distinct signs of an uptrend in the market.

They noted that two factors weighing on Indian markets — the crude price hike and sustained FPI selling — are now behind us and have reversed. Crude prices are back to their pre-war levels, while FPIs have turned buyers. Although FPI buying is not yet a strong trend, the fact that foreign investors have stopped selling and turned buyers marks a significant shift that is likely to be sustained, supported by strong fundamentals.

Technically, the Nifty’s breakout above its 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) for the first time since February has strengthened the market’s bullish structure, according to analysts.

They expect the 24,600 level to act as the immediate resistance, with a sustained move above it potentially paving the way towards 24,800, while the 24,400-24,300 zone is likely to provide near-term support.

International benchmark Brent crude rose about 1 per cent to $72.77 a barrel. Similarly, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 1.12 per cent to $69.32 a barrel.

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WhatsApp keeps ‘username feature’ launch on hold; wins more time to respond to govt notice

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Meta-backed messaging platform WhatsApp has assured the Indian government it will not roll out its proposed username feature in the country until ongoing consultations with authorities are completed, sources familiar with the matter said.

The Meta‑owned messaging platform has also been granted an additional three days to respond to the government notice seeking clarification on the feature. The original deadline for WhatsApp’s reply had lapsed on Friday.

WhatsApp had proposed a username option which would allow users to communicate on WhatsApp without sharing their phone numbers.

The Central government issued a formal notice last week expressing concerns that such a move could heighten risks of online fraud, phishing and impersonation. The government asked WhatsApp to keep the feature on hold until discussions address its security and consumer‑protection concerns, and a Meta delegation met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Friday to discuss the matter.

Earlier this week, WhatsApp reiterated that several safeguards have been built into the username feature to prevent impersonation, scams and unwanted contact as it prepares for a wider rollout later this year.

The messaging platform addressed a series of frequently asked questions on microblogging platform X after concerns were raised over the feature, including by the government, which has asked the company to defer its rollout in the country pending consultations.

The company said users will not be required to create a username and that existing Instagram and Facebook usernames, along with those of public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta Verified accounts, have been reserved so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners.

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