In July, Google paired up with Tata Trusts to launch an initiative to provide rural women in India with internet literacy. Named “Internet Saathi,” the initiative will use “internet cycle carts” (bicycles, basically) to reach rural villages and educate women on the basic benefits of using the internet.

Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart today announced that it launched Ping, which is designed as a fun new way to shop with friends. With this move, the seven-year-old start-up is attempting to make online shopping a more social affair.

“Shopping is primarily a social activity and going for it with friends and family has been the norm since time immemorial. Online shopping, on the other hand, has largely remained a solo experience. Ping aims to transform online shopping by allowing users to talk to each other [in] real-time in order to make decisions and decide on what to buy,” said Flipkart’s chief product officer, Punit Soni.

The National Green Tribunal today flayed Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for running its air conditioned buses without passengers for a major part of the day.

Irked at improper maintenance of the DTC buses, the green panel also issued notice to the Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland, which supply buses, and directed their senior-most official to be present on next date of hearing.

Microsoft said today its Cortana virtual assistant software was available to users of Android mobile devices.

Microsoft Cortana is tech giant’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now, which respond to voice commands on mobile devices.

Shares of power generation companies are trading at multi-year lows on the bourses.

Reliance Power (Rs 33) and Adani Power (Rs 20) are trading at lifetime lows, while state-owned power major NTPC is quoting at Rs 107, its lowest level since July 2006.

Shares of small-sized companies continue to reel under pressure, with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) S&P BSE Smallcap index hitting 52-week lows today.

S&P BSE Smallcap index was down 2.19% or 232 points at 10,355, also its 52-week lows, compared to a 0.64% decline in the S&P BSE Sensex at 25,577 points.

Shares of DLF were up over 3% at Rs 100, in an otherwise weak market, after the realty major said it has raised Rs 375 crore through issue of non-convertible debentures.

DLF has allotted 12.25% privately placed fully-paid non-convertible debentures of a principal amount of Rs 375 crore (comprising the second tranche out of an overall shelf limit of up to Rs 1,375 crore), redeemable for cash at par in separate series within a period of 4 years 11 months adn 18 days from the date of allotment, the company said in a release.

The Power Transmission & Distribution Business of L&T Construction has won orders worth Rs 1,563 crore in both the international and domestic markets in July and August.

As a strategic breakthrough in the ASEAN market, the company has received order from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 500 kV double circuit transmission line in Malaysia. This is one of the three packages of the 500 kV overhead double circuit transmission line for TNB from Yong-Peng to Lenggeng in Peninsular Malaysia which will be critical for evacuating power from the power plants in the Johor state.

Domestic giant ITC Ltd today said it has not received any communication from the UP government regarding presence of excess lead in its instant noodle brand Sunfeast Yippee.

It said the company manufactures Yippee noodles to the highest standards of safety, hygiene and quality.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday paved the way for the merger of the markets regulator with the Forward Markets Commission (FMC). According to a press release issued by Sebi, its board has cleared the norms for commodity exchanges and brokers.

“Major compliances include norms related to net worth, shareholding, composition of the board, corporatisation and demutualisation and setting up various committees, turnover and infrastructure,” Sebi said.

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