OPINION, P10 WELL BEING FE LINES HOW AI IS ENHANCING DIAGNOSIS, AIDING DOCS Who is singing, who is dancing? The human cost of AI Digital platforms becoming more companion-like, sans regulation, can have tragic consequences Page 6 AI is no longer just a future promise in India’s healthcare system; it's already at work Page 9 ACROSS THE AISLE, P CHIDAMBARAM VOL.NO.XIII SL.NO.142 SPOTLIGHT Follow us on Twitter & Facebook. App available on App Store & Play Store WWW.FINANCIALEXPRESS.COM CRYPTO REINCARNATED P U B L I S H E D FINANCIAL EXPRESS ON SUNDAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2025 F R O M : A H M E D A B A D , B E N G A L U R U , WHAT'S INSIDE C H A N D I G A R H , VAISHALI DAR New Delhi, September 6 FOR YEARS, THE Indian office lunch break was defined by dabba services, hurried canteen meals, or the occasional takeaway. But that landscape is rapidly transforming.With India’s growing corporateworkforce demanding healthier,faster,and more Transcending tradition From wheelchair ramps at pandals to medical kiosks and biodegradable decorations, Durga Puja is evolving into a more inclusive celebration ■ WORDS WORTH, P4 When the machines rise An argument for the need for humans to reinvent themselves in the age of AI WITH GOLD PRICES hitting record highs almost every day, returns from the yellow metal have surged 40% in 2025 so far—the highest in 25 years. Silver has also delivered strong gains, with returns touching a five-year high of 43.5%. On Compiled by Kishor Kadam 43.5 39.6 Gold 2020 2025* MCX spot prices 27,830 39,439 29,252 38,350 31,566 38,270 39,076 46,595 50,005 67,281 47,899 61,764 54,556 67,780 Gold (` per 10 gm) Silver (` per 1 kg) *up to Sep 5 62,939 73,019 75,913 85,851 1,05,967 1,23,238 Return (in %) 50 40 11.3 30 19.6 20 10 0 10Silver 202016 Friday, MCX spot gold prices hit an all-time high of `1,05,967 per 10 gm, while MCX spot silver was at `1,23,238 per kg, marginally below Thursday’s record of `1,23,335. 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025* H Y D E R A B A D , K O C H I , K O L K A T A , L U C K N O W , ■ Swiggy launches DeskEats, curated specifically for working professionals ■ Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi Cafe, launches cloud kitchen Salad Life to offer healthy eats ■ Elior India takes majority stake in tech-led cafeteria management company Platos to elevate institutional dining personalised food experiences, both tech disruptors and traditional food services giants are racing to redefine ■ Rebel Foods leveraging cloud kitchens to deliver variety & novelty to office-goers ■ Razorpay partners with Manipal Hospitals to transform employee meals from nutritionist consultant what and how professionals eat at work. Swiggy recently launched DeskEats, a curated food experience designed specifically for working professionals across 30 cities, spanning 7,000 tech parks and busi- Modi,Trump warm up to 'special relationship' ●Fully reciprocate positive assessment of ties by Potus: PM PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA Modi on Saturday reached out to US President DonaldTrump through social media, their first direct contact after the much discussed phone call of June17thatledtostrainedties between the two leaders. The PM replied to a media report on ‘X’ about Trump’s comment on his friendship with Modi and the special relationshipbetweenIndiaandthe Adani, Druk Green Power sign `6k-cr hydro power deal ADANI POWER and Bhutan’s stateowned generation utility, Druk Green Power (DGPC), on Saturday signed an agreement to set up a 570-MW hydroelectric project on the river Wangchhu. The project will see investment of about `6,000 crore. ■ PAGE 3 Six dead as wire of cargo ropeway snaps in Gujarat SIX PERSONS died after the cable wire of a cargo ropeway snapped at the renowned Pavagadh Hill temple in Gujarat's Panchmahal district on Saturday. Rescue and relief effort are underway. NARENDRA MODI PRIME MINISTER India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership US. “Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties,” Modi said. “India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partner- ship,”the PM added. At a White House briefing late on Friday,Trump had said, “India and the United States have a special relationship. There is nothing to worry about.”A few hours before this statementTrumphadpostedon ‘Truth Social’:“Looks like we’ve lostIndiaandRussiatodeepest, darkest,China.May they have a long and prosperous future together!” Following this, US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick had remarked, “So I think, yes, in a month or two months,IthinkIndiaisgoingto beatthetableandthey’regoing to say they’re sorry and they're going to tryto make a deal with DonaldTrump.” Ties between the two countries are already stressed because of a stalled bilateral trade agreement (BTA), where India has stood its ground on protecting its farm sector. Continued on Page 2 ■ New US tariff orders just impact $15 mn exports: P3 ● An influential ad professional, he co-founded Rediff ALOKANANDA CHAKRABORTY New Delhi, September 6 ALLHELLBROKEloosebecause of one flippant comment from the client team. Diwan Arun NandatoldRuchiraRaina—now executivedirectoratadvertising agencyRediffusion,andarookie servicing hand back then in the 90s—who had accompanied him for a presentation in Kolkata, to pack up. As Raina organisedthehugeA2sheetsof N E W D E L H I , P U N E SUGANDHA MUKHERJEE New Delhi, September 6 ABOVE-NORMAL RAINFALL this monsoon has fuelled a sharp rise in demand for rainwear, household products, automotive accessories and water purifiers, with e-commerce platforms and retailers reporting significant seasonal shifts in consumer spending. Between June 1 and September3,India received 780.8 mm of rainfall,comparedwith a normal of 721.1 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department. The surplus of nearly8% has coincided with increased sales of umbrellas,raincoats,ponchos, mop sets,car covers and water purification systems. On Flipkart’s quick-commerce service, one in every DIWAN ARUN NANDA 1948-2025 Born in 1948, Nanda obtained his undergraduate degree from Loyola College in Chennai, and later joined IIM Ahmedabad, where he was a goldmedalistaspartofthevery ness centres. From curated collections such as Value Combos, Stress Munchies, Deadline Desserts, Sip-tastic Fuel, to One hand Grabbies, Healthy Nibbles, and Teamwork Bites, the platform promises meals that fit seamlessly into the workday, offering nearly 7 lakh items from over 2 lakh restaurants. What users need is to type ‘office’or‘work’in the Swiggy app to access this offering. “Today’s corporate professionals are more timestrapped and choice-rich than ever before,” said Deepak Maloo, vice-president, food strategy,customerexperience & new initiatives, Swiggy. Continued on Page 2 FM thanks states forGSTsupport PRESS TRUST OF INDIA New Delhi, September 6 UNION FINANCE MINISTER Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said she had written to finance ministers of all states, expressing gratitude for their supportandactiveroleinhelping implement the landmark overhaul of the goods and services tax (GST) regime. In an interview with PTI, Sitharaman said the states presented their views on proposals to rejig tax rates, but ultimately agreed that it was for the benefit of the common man, which helped reach a unanimous decision at the GST Council meeting earlier this week. The overhaul, effective September 22, will see price cuts in a wide swathe of products,andwas agreed at a meeting of the GSTCouncil on Sep- NIRMALA SITHARAMAN FINANCE MINISTER Ultimately everybody came together for a good cause,and I’m truly very grateful tember 3.The panel is headed by Sitharaman and includes representatives of all states and Union territories. Continued on Page 2 Monsoon spurs sales ahead of festive season RAINING DEMAND Myntra ■ Umbrellas: 1.6X (Jun–Aug) ■ Rain suits saw healthy growth Flipkart ■ 1 in 5 orders had monsoon products ■ Umbrellas & raincoats: 5X ■ Mop sets: 2.5X Croma ■ Water purifiers: Amazon ■ Rainwear: 30% YoY ■ Kids’ rainwear: 35% YoY ■ Car & bike covers: 30% YoY five orders included a monsoon-related product. The company reported umbrellas and raincoats recording a fivefold rise in sales, while mop sets grew 2.5 times. 32% during monsoon ■ 35% of annual sales in monsoon months Delhi,Bengaluru and Mumbai led in order volumes, with younger shoppers aged 25-35 most active. Continued on Page 2 Master of nonchalance, Diwan Nanda dies workinherportfoliobag,Nanda toldtheclientteam,intheirface, theyprobablydidn’tknowwhat theywanted. “You can’t build relationships with unending dinners and lunches—that’s an unsustainable business model,” he explainedsomemonthslater.“It boilsdowntothecreativeproduct and the expertise an ad agencybrings to thetable.” This precept of the clientagency relationship and his respectforthecreative product weretobeNanda’sstatementof purpose as an advertising professional.Nanda,co-founderof Rediffusion(1973),andamong Indianadvertising’smostinfluentialfigures,passedawayaged 76 on Saturday. M U M B A I , HAPPY MEALS SIGNALS HOPE FOR THAW ON TRADE FRONT FE BUREAU New Delhi, September 6 Gold returns hit 40%, highest in 25 years READ TO LEAD What’sonmenuforIndiaInc?Foodwithathought ● Office lunch is serious biz, with tailored offerings ■ LEISURE, P7 C H E N N A I , Source: Companies CHENNAI/KOCHI 24 Pages, `12 How cryptocurrency is emerging from the fringe to become mainstream Page 5 firstbatchof1966.Hebeganhis careeratHindustanLeverinthe late 1960s,when he joined the company’s pioneering management trainee programme. He stood out for his ability to connectconsumersandbrands with simple cues or elements, such as the lightning bolt for Rin detergent,which became a permanent fixture of the brand’s advertising. That principle of simplicity alsobecamethehallmarkofthe agency he co-founded with Ajit Balakrishnan and Mohammed Khan. Rediffusion was a Camelot of advertising,say former colleagues, where talent was encouraged not by design, but the simple cultural ethos of giving a free hand. “When I joined a fledgling RediffPR in 1996atatimewhentherewere a handful of PR agencies and 360-communication was the language of agencies, Rediffusionallowedmetosetupoffices independent of the advertising agency,” remembers Supriyo Gupta, founder & MD, Torque Communications. Nanda combined the flairof a creative engineer and the forensicattention-to-detailofa P&L head, running the agency thatwouldproducesomeglorious advertisements such as ‘Gimme Red’ for Eveready, ‘Wheneveryouseecolour,think ofus’forJenson&Nicholsonand the more recent‘Isko laga dala, toh life jhingalala’forTata Sky. He will be remembered, say his colleagues,for representing thebestofadvertisingculture— urbane,sharp,entrepreneurial, creative,risk taker,and with an inherent pride in the work his agencyproduced. Vietnamese EV maker VinFast made its debut in India with the launch of VF6 and VF7 (above) on Saturday. Prices start at `16.49 lakh & `20.89 lakh, respectively. Seen in pic: CEO Asia Pham Sanh Chau & chief engineer Vincent John Pendlebury ■ P24 M&M cuts prices before deadline ● Renault, BMW, Toyota announce revised rates SWARAJ BAGGONKAR Mumbai, September 6 FOLLOWING THE GOODS and Services Tax (GST) rate reduction announced earlier this week, more carmakers declared price corrections on Saturdayto pass on the benefit to consumers. While most companies said the new prices will be applicable from September 22 when the new GST rates take effect,sports utilityvehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said the benefits will be available to its customers on the internal combustion engine portfolio starting September 6. M&Mclaimstohavepassed on the full GST benefit to the consumer, resulting in a price correction of up to `1,56,000. CHENNAI/KOCHI GST BENEFITS Mahindra Renault BMW Toyota Up to `1,56,000 Up to `96,395 Up to `8,90,000 Up to `3,49,000 Its Bolero/Neo,XUV3XO,Thar, ScorpioClassic,Scorpio-N,Thar Roxx and XUV700 will see the price change.Three of its modelshavemovedtothe18%GST slab, while five others have moved to the highest GST slab of 40%. Continued on Page 2