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Executives from the Madhvani Group, including Shrai Madhvani, his wife Aparna Madhvani, and director Nitin Gadhia, met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the group’s proposed investments in India, including the acquisition of Hindustan National Glass Ltd (HNGIL).
The meeting focused on the group's plans to invest in India through INSCO, which is seeking to acquire HNGIL, the country’s largest container glass manufacturer. The acquisition is currently awaiting approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), following key rulings by the Supreme Court of India on January 29 and May 16, 2025.
On the same day, the Committee of Creditors, led by the State Bank of India, approved INSCO’s resolution plan with 96.14% voting in favour.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the proposed investment, highlighting its potential to generate employment and contribute to India’s economic development.
During the meeting, Madhvani presented Modi with Tide of Fortune, a book written by his late father, Manubhai Madhvani, and Flowers from the Bhagavad Gita, authored by his brother, Kamlesh Madhvani. Aparna Madhvani also shared two poems she had written for the Prime Minister as a personal tribute.
More than 38 million downloads across 228 countries and territories
Cybersecurity firm HUMAN uncovered large-scale fraud campaign dubbed SlopAds
Apps disguised on Google Play Store and fake ad pages
US, India and Brazil hardest hit by fraudulent traffic
Google continues crackdown following recent security breaches
38 million downloads linked to fraudulent apps
Google has removed 224 Android apps after investigators uncovered a vast advertising fraud scheme. The operation, named SlopAds, involved apps that had been downloaded more than 38 million times across 228 countries and territories.
The discovery was made by the Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team at cybersecurity company HUMAN, which confirmed that the apps were designed to manipulate online advertising systems by generating fake ad views and clicks.
How the scam worked
Many of the apps appeared legitimate when installed directly from the Google Play Store. Others were distributed via ads that led to fake download pages. Once installed, the apps carried out hidden instructions.
According to HUMAN’s report, the apps used steganography to conceal malicious code within images and then created hidden web views to open scam-controlled sites. These sites generated fraudulent ad impressions and clicks, tricking advertisers into paying for traffic that never existed.
Global impact of SlopAds
At its peak, the campaign accounted for 2.3 billion ad bid requests each day. The United States was the worst affected, with 30 per cent of fraudulent traffic, followed by India at 10 per cent and Brazil at 7 per cent.
Investigators also found hundreds of promotional domains and servers linked to the scheme, suggesting that those behind it intended to expand the operation even further.
Google under pressure
This crackdown comes during a challenging period for Google’s security teams. Earlier this month, the company confirmed a major data breach affecting Gmail users and issued a critical update to patch an Android vulnerability that allowed hackers to seize control of devices.
With services spanning 219 countries and territories, Google’s global reach makes it an attractive target for fraudsters seeking to exploit its platforms and users.
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Dhingra was one of two members of the nine-member MPC who voted this month to cut the Bank of England’s benchmark Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points.
BANK OF ENGLAND Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Swati Dhingra said Britain’s high inflation is expected to ease and the central bank should move faster in reducing borrowing costs.
“The effects of the shocks driving the UK’s current high inflation relative to Europe will fade, and thus, we should not be overly cautious about cutting interest rates,” Dhingra wrote in a column for The Times on Friday.
Dhingra was one of two members of the nine-member MPC who voted this month to cut the Bank of England’s benchmark Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points. The other seven members opted to keep rates unchanged at 4 per cent.
“The difference in inflation between the UK and our continental neighbours can be largely explained by administered prices and global commodity shocks. These should pass,” she said.
“We can afford to cut rates further and not put additional strain on economic growth without threatening the inflation target,” she added.
Britain recorded the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven economies at 3.8 per cent in August. The Bank of England expects inflation to peak at 4 per cent in September before returning to its 2 per cent target in spring 2027.
At the same time, there are signs of weakness in Britain’s labour market as employers slow hiring.
Dhingra has regularly supported rate cuts, in contrast with many MPC members. Fellow member Megan Greene said on Wednesday that inflation risks may prove stronger than the Bank has forecast, warranting caution on rate cuts.
Governor Andrew Bailey also said that borrowing costs are likely to fall but the timing and scale would depend on inflation.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Satya Nadella put empathy at the core of Microsoft’s revival, transforming the company into one of the world’s most admired corporations
PSYCHOLOGICAL safety is a term that may ring a bell for most people and even if it did, few understand what it means – yet embracing the concept in workplaces brings benefits and leads to improved outcomes.
A week-long initiative by Pearn Kandola – which works with organisations on diversity, equity and inclusion – aims to raise awareness and bust misconceptions about the concept.
Binna Kandola OBE, co-founder of Pearn Kandola, said there is an opportunity to not just introduce the idea, “but to make us look afresh at diversity and inclusion, as identity, background and inclusion are central to psychological safety”.
In an interview with Eastern Eye ahead of the five online webinars (22-26), Kandola explained how one of the biggest misunderstandings links psychological safety to comfort.
“People think, ‘if I don’t feel comfortable in the workplace or if I’m being challenged, then it must be unsafe’.”
Dismissing the idea of conforming, keeping one’s head down, or not speaking up, he said, “Actually, psychological safety is neither of those things. We need to be respectful and we need to show people we value them.
“There are constraints around this, but within that, there’s no reason why you and I shouldn’t disagree on something, and there isn’t any reason why we shouldn’t disagree quite passionately about something, as long as it doesn’t get personal.”
He added, “If you look at the examples of psychological safety in organisations, you find that people do raise concerns. They can talk about mistakes, about errors and as long as it doesn’t overstep the mark and become personal, it is a good thing to be doing.”
Some of the themes being addressed during Psychological Safety Week are why adopting it matters, how companies bring about innovation and change and why empowering workers to challenge, question and disagree can lead to higher levels of trust and stronger teams.
Kandola is writing a book (due in November) and has cited case studies of organisations which didn’t provide psychological safety and therefore suffered (negative) consequences.
However, he said there are others “who were in a bad position, who adopted a more open, transparent way of working, and it led to greater success.
“Of the latter kind, look at the chief executive of Microsoft – Satya Nadella.
“He wasn’t expected to get the role. Bill Gates saw him, and thought, ‘I like what he’s doing, the way he thinks and recommended him. “Nadella went through the selection process and he got the job. “But when he took over, Microsoft was actually on a downward trend. Nadella cowrote a book called Hit Refresh (The quest to rediscover Microsoft’s soul and imagine a better future for everyone) where he explained how he had to get senior leaders to understand who they were.
“At the core of his strategy was empathy, to be more empathetic towards one another, towards customers, partners.
“When the industry is competitive, to try and see things from the other person’s point of use… empathy was at the heart of his transformation. Of course, they’re now hailed as one of the greatest examples of transforming a major corporation.”
In contrast, Kandola points to US aviation major, Boeing, which went from being one of the most revered companies in the world during the 1980s, to one of the most distrusted about 40 years later.
“That’s quite something to be able to do that that quickly, and they suffered enormously,” he said.
Another example is that of health teams, Kandola said, noting that those which report the greatest number of errors also have the best patient outcomes.
“It seems like an ironic practice, but the fact of the matter is teams that report fewer incidents are having just as many incidents. They’re just not reporting them, so they don’t give themselves the opportunity to learn.
“If you have the confidence and said, ‘Look, there’s a mistake. It happened. What do we learn from that?’ Things start to improve. But if I make a mistake and I’m not telling you that, we don’t find out about it. It could get worse. You cover it up, but also you miss the opportunity to learn from it, to improve our practice.” Some of the barriers to adopting psychological safety may be hierarchy, or existing cultural norms.
Kandola said it’s a natural human reaction to “want to fit in, blend in with others”. “So if I see something going on, or there’s a course of action people are all agreeing on, and I’m thinking, I’m not sure that’s the right way to be going. That pressure to conform means I will be less likely to speak up,” he said.
However, he also pointed out that in “countries across Asia, for example, which are very respectful of leaders and because of the position they hold, there are very successful economies and very successful organisations.
So hierarchy in itself isn’t necessarily a barrier, but it can be.
“I think the approach the leader adopts is more important.”
Kandola said there’s interest in psychological safety, but the understanding isn’t there. “So I’m hoping the webinars will increase their understanding, but also offer opportunities to see how to cycle through the daily challenges, be able to start apply some of the things that we’re talking about.
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A narrow focus on gender or black–white dynamics leaves Asian professionals overlooked in workplace diversity debates
ACROSS the UK, US, and Europe, we are seeing a political and corporate pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Critics dismiss them as “identity politics” or as costly distractions. Some of this critique has validity – too many programmes have been tokenistic, more about slogans than substance.
But here is the real danger: when organisations confuse weak DEI practice with irrelevance, they risk abandoning fairness and respect, altogether. This is not only a moral failure, it is a strategic one. Evidence shows that when inclusion is sidelined, toxic workplace cultures flourish, with minorities bearing the brunt.
When people think about toxic workplaces, their minds often go straight to structural stressors: micromanagement, unreasonable deadlines, and workloads that are simply impossible to complete in the time available. These pressures are draining, and they take a toll on wellbeing.
But our research shows that an even more powerful set of drivers lies elsewhere – in what we call the fairness factors. These include bullying, favouritism, sexist behaviour, racist behaviour, sexual harassment, nepotism, and pressure to act unethically. Respondents reported the following:
■ Bullying culture: 42.4%
■ Favouritism: 38.5%
■ Sexist behaviour: 17.5%
■ Racist behaviour: 16.7%
■ Sexual harassment: 12.8%
■ Nepotism: 12.8%
■ Pressure to act unethically: 12.0%
These are not just irritations – they corrode fairness, trust, and belonging. And while structural stressors wear people down, it is the fairness factors that cut deepest. They don’t just affect how hard the job feels, but whether people feel valued and respected at all.
Too often, organisations focus narrowly on managing workload and efficiency while overlooking fairness. Yet our evidence shows that fairness issues are just as potent, if not more so, in shaping whether a culture is safe or toxic. And here lies the inequality: while 6.5% of the general workforce told us they are currently in a toxic workplace, the figure rises to nearly 10 per cent for minorities, including Asian professionals. For them, the fairness deficit is even sharper.
Subtle costs: stereotyping and silence
Toxicity is not only about overt racism or harassment; it is also about the subtle ways stereotypes constrain people. I recently spoke with an Asian manager who worried about coming across as “too assertive.” He was concerned colleagues might see him as brash or self-promoting if he spoke up forcefully. What struck me was that this individual could never be described as a bully or even over-assertive. Yet the fear of stereotyping meant he held back, potentially preventing him from showing the very leadership qualities that organisations claim they want to see.
This is the hidden cost of toxic cultures: they force people to mute themselves rather than bring their best to the table. Over time, that erodes both confidence and career progression. For many Asian professionals, silence becomes a survival strategy – but at the expense of visibility and leadership opportunity.
Why this matters for Asian professionals
Psychological safety – the ability to speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation – is vital to thriving at work. Our survey revealed that psychological safety is consistently lower for Asian employees compared to other groups.
Other evidence echoes this. Our research in 2018 and 2022 showed that a majority of Asian people had experienced racism in the workplace. And legal cases, such as Mrs B Parmar’s recent victory against Leicester City Council for race discrimination, show how hard Asian professionals often have to fight for fairness.
These examples underline what many already know: speaking up can come at real personal risk.
Strategic risks of ignoring DEI
Rolling back DEI is not a neutral act. It actively increases the risks of toxicity, with consequences for individuals and organisations alike:
■ Reputational risk: Toxic cultures rarely stay hidden. From tribunals to media exposés, scandals linked to bullying, harassment, and discrimination dominate headlines and damage brands for years.
■ Legal risk: Discrimination and harassment are not “bad culture” – they are breaches of law. Weak DEI frameworks expose employers to lawsuits and regulatory sanctions.
■ Talent risk: Younger generations expect fairness. Millennial and Gen Z employees, many of them Asian professionals, are quick to leave workplaces where exclusion is tolerated.
■ Cultural risk: Without inclusion, cliques form and favouritism thrives. Asian professionals, along with other minority groups, are often those left out of networks of power.
The answer is not to cling to outdated DEI checklists, but neither is it to walk away from fairness. Organisations need to reframe their approach:
■ Reframe DEI as fairness: Transparent promotions, anti-bullying frameworks, and fair workloads matter to everyone. But they are especially critical for minorities who are disproportionately excluded.
■ Use psychological safety as a unifying frame: By focusing on safety, organisations move beyond “identity politics” toward performance and innovation. When people feel safe to contribute, creativity and collaboration flourish.
■ Tackle bullying and favouritism headon: These were the top toxic behaviours in our survey. They are not personality quirks. They are structural problems.
■ Recognise the full spectrum of diversity: Asian professionals often get overlooked in conversations that focus narrowly on gender or black/white racial dynamics. True inclusion must acknowledge the full range of identities, including ethnicity, age, class, disability, and faith.
■ Hold leaders accountable: Micromanagement and tolerance of toxic “star performers” are leadership failures. Leaders must be trained, measured, and rewarded for inclusive behaviour. Looking ahead
The DEI backlash may dominate political headlines, but it will not last. Fairness, inclusion, and psychological safety are not political luxuries – they are strategic imperatives. For minority professionals, including Asians, whose voices are too often excluded, the stakes are high. Organisations that succeed will be those that ensure every employee, regardless of ethnicity, background, or identity, feels safe, respected, and able to thrive.
The real cost of ignoring DEI is not in budgets or press releases. It is measured in the lawsuits fought, the talent lost, and the corrosive effects of toxicity that spread when fairness is abandoned. Employees of colour know this reality too well. The challenge – and opportunity – is to build cultures where they, and everyone else, can speak up, contribute fully, and belong.
Professor Binna Kandola OBE is a Business Psychologist, Senior Partner and co-founder of Pearn Kandola. Over the past 35 years, he has worked on a wide variety of projects for public and private sector clients both in the UK and overseas.
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Officials are concerned that unsuspecting parents could buy unsafe counterfeits as gifts
Counterfeit Labubu dolls account for most seized fake toys worth £3.5m
Three-quarters failed safety tests, including toxic chemicals and choking hazards
Authorities warn parents ahead of Christmas shopping rush
Counterfeit crisis at UK border
Authorities have revealed that fake Labubu dolls make up 90% of the £3.5 million worth of counterfeit toys intercepted at the UK border this year. Out of 259,000 counterfeit items seized, around 236,000 were fake versions of the popular monster character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) warned that three-quarters of the seized toys failed critical safety tests, with some containing banned chemicals linked to cancer and others posing choking risks.
The rise of fake Labubus
Labubu, originally marketed as an adult collectable through a collaboration with Pop Mart, has become hugely popular with children, increasing demand ahead of the festive season. Criminal networks have taken advantage of this demand, flooding the UK market with unsafe counterfeits often sold at cheaper prices online.
Helen Barnham, the IPO’s deputy director of enforcement, said: “With counterfeit toys, what you see is rarely what you get. Behind the packaging can be hidden choking hazards, toxic chemicals and faulty parts that put children in real danger. These products have bypassed every safety check the law requires.”
Parents urged to prioritise safety over price
A poll commissioned by the IPO showed that while 92% of UK toy buyers know counterfeit products are on sale, most still prioritise cost. Seven in ten shoppers said price was the main factor in their purchase decisions, while only 27% considered safety.
The IPO has launched its Fake Toys, Real Harms campaign, working with toy retailers, local authorities and social media influencers to raise awareness ahead of Christmas.
How to spot a fake Labubu
Consumers are being urged to check toys carefully before buying:
Genuine Labubu dolls always have nine pointy teeth – anything different indicates a fake
Watch for spelling mistakes on labels or packaging
Check toys carry a UKCA or CE safety mark and a UK or EU contact address
Be cautious with third-party sellers on online marketplaces and read reviews closely
Authorities also advise returning counterfeit toys immediately, leaving reviews to warn others, and reporting cases to Trading Standards.
Warning ahead of festive shopping season
With Christmas approaching, officials are concerned that unsuspecting parents could buy unsafe counterfeits as gifts. Barnham added: “Our campaign aims to raise awareness of the hidden harms associated with counterfeits. Child safety must come first, so we are urging parents – please don’t let your child be the tester.”