Cognizant to acquire tech firm Astreya for $600mn

Bengaluru: In a bid to strengthen its AI infrastructure capabilities, Cognizant is acquiring Astreya, a tech firm specialising in AI infrastructure and data centre services, in a deal valued at about $600 million – its third-largest acquisition after Trizetto and Belcan. Astreya manages over 500,000 end users and supports nearly 30% of the world’s data…

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Biz men, HNIs, rural customers top bank branch visits; students least reliant

Mumbai: Indian bank branches continue to draw their heaviest footfall from entrepreneurs, rural customers and affluent clients, while younger, digital-native users remain the least likely to walk in, according to a report by EY, which also noted that 55% of customers want better digital support across apps, websites and chatbots.The report finds that middle-age entrepreneurs…

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Inside Malaysia’s Snake Temple where venomous vipers live among prayer halls and people worship alongside them |

On the southern edge of Penang Island in Malaysia stands a temple unlike almost any other in the world. Visitors who step inside expecting a typical place of worship are often surprised to find live venomous snakes coiled around wooden beams, resting near shrines and draped across branches placed throughout the temple. Known simply as…

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Asian stocks today (March 18, 2026): Markets trade in green amid Middle East conflict; HSI remains flat, Nikkei gains over 3%

Asian equities mostly inched higher on Wednesday, tracking a pause in the recent rally in oil prices, even as investors remained cautious amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and awaited signals from the US Federal Reserve on interest rates.As of 9:15 am, Japan’s Nikkei was up 1,245.87 points or 2.32% to 54,946. South Korean…

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Limited economic impact? Here’s how the Middle East crisis is impacting job market and your household bills – for now

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has triggered ripples for economies and sectors across the globe. Even so, India’s economy still appears firm, with only a few early signs of pressure, according to a recent report by HDFC Bank’s treasury research team.The report, Macro Billboard: 40 Charts, Early Signals dated April 20, 2026, says…

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‘The goal is to win the IPL trophy’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi targets Rajasthan Royals glory | Cricket News

Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo) U-19 World Cup sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who first made headlines at 14, is now turning his focus to the Indian Premier League, aiming to deliver a title-winning season for Rajasthan Royals.Sooryavanshi left fans in awe during IPL 2025 as the youngest centurion in the tournament, and earlier this year,…

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