ET NEWS

New Delhi: Artificial intelligence will make telecom networks self-healing and improve customer services, telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal said on Saturday. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2025, Mittal said that the government is trying to keep up pace with the fast-evolving technological landscape and come up with the organised response as a country along with ITU (International Telecommunication Union) to see the manner in which AI and telecom developments can be harmonised for good. "As we move from 5G to 6G, There is a tremendous role for AI to improve the intelligence in the networks, make them self-healing, move from generative AI to agentic AI, where both in the front end, deep in the network, and in the middle part of the network, there will be a lot of functions which AI will replace, make the customer service better," Mittal said. According to telecom industry players, 6G trials are expected to start in 2028 and commercial deployment will take some more time. Mittal said while AI is being used for good, there is also risk associated with AI for its bad usage and hence there is need to remain vigilant about the use of technology. "I look after telecoms in the Government of India. We are able to see how artificial intelligence aided tools are leading to deep fakes, they are leading to cloning of voice, leading to financial fraud, bypassing voice signatures, bypassing even videos to establish identities and therefore we have to be very vigilant about what the telecom network will look like with artificial intelligence," Mittal said. The Department of Telecom has developed an AI-based fraud risk indicator tool using which payments app PhonePe and Paytm have claimed to protect citizens from fraud worth Rs 200 crore and blocked more than 48 lakh suspicious transactions. "We feel that the AI for good, the foundational pillars of innovation, skills capacity building, governance and standards should lead to trusted, impactful and accessible solutions for everybody. India is advancing the AI for good vision to a USD 1 .25 billion India AI mission by investing in research, startups, and scaling to advance the goals of a secure and inclusive AI ecosystem," Mittal said. He said that India continues to shape the AI fairness and governance agenda through leadership at the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) and contributions to the ITU's AI standardisation framework.

India's trade landscape marked a historic milestone as the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), signed on March 10, 2024, officially came into effect on October 1, 2025.According to a government release, this is India's first Free Trade Agreement with four developed European nations: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. It also promises to bring in USD 100 billion in investments and create one million direct jobs over the next fifteen years.Under the agreement, the EFTA nations have pledged to attract USD 50 billion in investments within the first ten years and an additional USD 50 billion over the next five years. These investments are expected to focus on sectors such as renewable energy, life sciences, digital transformation, and engineering. To facilitate these, a dedicated India-EFTA Desk has been set up as a single-window platform for investors.The TEPA provides balanced market access between both sides. EFTA has offered tariff concessions on 92.2 per cent of tariff lines, covering 99.6 per cent of India's exports. In return, India has granted access on 82.7 per cent of tariff lines, representing 95.3 per cent of EFTA's exports, while protecting sensitive sectors like dairy, soya, coal, and select agricultural products.In services, where India already holds a strong global position, the pact offers wider access in 105 sub-sectors. The agreement also includes Mutual Recognition Agreements in key professions, such as nursing, accountancy, and architecture, which will facilitate the easier movement of skilled workers and professionals between India and EFTA countries.The pact's intellectual property provisions reaffirm both sides' commitment to innovation while maintaining India's flexibility to protect affordable medicines. The release noted that this balance strengthens trust and cooperation between "India's skilled workforce and Europe's technology ecosystems".Agriculture, marine products, and manufacturing are expected to experience significant growth under the agreement. Indian exports of coffee, tea, machinery, and processed foods are likely to see a boost, as EFTA countries eliminate or reduce tariffs on most of these goods. Engineering, textiles, electronics, and chemical industries will also benefit from improved market access and simplified trade procedures.The release stated that TEPA is more than just a trade deal; it is a partnership founded on confidence and mutual growth. By combining India's expanding industrial base with EFTA's technological expertise, the pact is poised to usher in a new era of cooperation centred on sustainability, innovation, and job creation. The release said this is the first time any FTA signed by India includes binding commitments on investment and job creation.

Investors poured record money into gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in September, as the inflows in gold ETFs rose fourfold to Rs 8,363 crore, marking the highest-ever monthly inflow in the category. Mutual fund experts attribute the surge to strong recent performance and a growing investor preference for safety and diversification.“Precious metals, particularly gold and silver, have performed very well in the last couple of months. Flows into gold nearly quadrupled in September, rising from about Rs 2,000 crore in August to around Rs 8,300 crore. This surge was largely driven by strong performance as well as investors seeking safety and diversification. In the same vein, multi-asset funds saw strong flows within the hybrid category,” said Anand Vardarajan, Chief Business Officer, Tata Asset Management.Also Read | Gold funds vs ETFs: Where should mutual fund investors place their bets now?Another expert, while citing reasons for investors preference for gold mentioned that this surge in inflows in gold ETFs reflects a combination of global risk aversion and tactical positioning ahead of major central bank policy reviews.“Gold ETFs witnessed a resurgence in safe-haven demand in September 2025, reflecting a combination of global risk aversion and tactical positioning ahead of major central bank policy reviews. Investors turned to gold as a reliable store of value amid heightened geopolitical tensions, volatile markets, and a stronger U.S. dollar,” Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst – Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India said.The inflow in gold ETFs in September is the all-time high level in the category and the highest monthly addition so far in the current fiscal. On a monthly basis, the inflows in gold ETFs witnessed a surge of nearly 282% from an inflow of Rs 2,189 crore in August to Rs 8,363 crore in September.In comparison to an inflow of Rs 1,232 crore in September 2024, the inflows on yearly basis increased by 578%, according to the data released by Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).According to Nehal Meshram, the strong momentum underscores gold’s growing relevance as both a strategic portfolio diversifier and a hedge against macro uncertainty and domestically, investors increasingly viewed gold as an effective counterbalance to equity exposure, especially amid mixed global growth signals and currency fluctuations.Also Read | Silver shines with 60% rally in 2025. Should MF investors buy at current levels or wait for dips?The total assets under management (AUM) for gold ETFs went up by nearly 24% to Rs 90,135 crore in September compared to Rs 72,495 crore in August. On a yearly basis, the jump in AUM is by nearly 126% from Rs 39,823 crore in September 2024.With cumulative net inflows exceeding INR 19,830 crore in FY2025, Gold ETFs have firmly re-established themselves as a preferred choice for portfolio stability and inflation protection, highlighting their role in preserving wealth during uncertain times, Nehal said.Other ETFs which include silver based ETFs attracted an inflow of Rs 8,150 crore in September compared to Rs 7,244 crore in August.Passive ETFs have also seen growth, with gold ETFs maintaining momentum and other ETFs rising from about Rs 1,500 crore last month to more than Rs 8000 crore now. Silver ETFs are catching attention too, as some investors are building allocations while others are chasing returns. We see interest in gold and silver continuing to persist unless there is a sharp correction,” said Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India).Recently Kotak Mutual Fund announced that it has temporarily suspended lumpsum/switch in subscriptions in its silver ETF Fund of Fund with effect from October 10.This move came in response to domestic silver currently trading at a significant premium compared to international prices due to acute scarcity in India's physical silver market.According to the fund house, the premium has increased from approximately 0.5% in early September 2025 to 5.7% as of October 9, 2025 and the intraday premium on October 9 peaked at 12% before closing at 5.7%. Current market conditions show a buying premium of approximately 10% and a selling premium of approximately 3%.Also Read | Silver ETF: Kotak MF temporarily halts lumpsum and switch-in subscriptions in FoFAccording to Kartik Jain, MD & CEO, Shriram AMC, “The September data underscores the increasing role of precious metals in long-term wealth diversification. For investors, it’s a reminder that balancing traditional equity and debt hybrid strategies along with strategic asset allocation to metals can strengthen portfolios against economic uncertainties, while tapping into avenues for long term growth."