Rahul Gandhi in Chennai to address Cong district chiefs at Mamallapuram camp

Mumbai, July 14 (IANS) HCL Technologies on Monday announced that it has reported a 10 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit for the first quarter (Q1) of FY26 at Rs 3,843 crore, compared to Rs 4,257 crore in the same quarter the previous year (Q1 FY25).

Despite the drop in profit, HCL Tech posted an 8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in its revenue from operations, which rose to Rs 30,349 crore from Rs 28,057 crore in Q1 FY25, according to its stock exchange filing.

On a sequential basis, the topline saw a marginal increase of 0.3 per cent from Rs 30,246 crore in the previous quarter.

The IT major also announced an interim dividend of Rs 12 per share for the financial year 2025-26.

The record date for this dividend is July 18 and the payment will be made on July 28.

Looking ahead, the company expects its revenue and services revenue to grow between 3 per cent and 5 per cent in constant currency terms during FY26.

The EBIT margin guidance remains between 17 per cent and 18 per cent, the company added in its filing.

Commenting on the results, Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra said HCL Technologies is focused on the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and believes AI is now integral to the growth strategies of global enterprises.

She added that the company’s strategic partnerships and capabilities ensure that its AI-led solutions deliver real value to clients.

CEO and Managing Director C. Vijayakumar highlighted that revenue grew 3.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in constant currency, with services business growing by 4.5 per cent.

The company’s operating margin stood at 16.3 per cent, which he attributed to lower employee utilisation and increased investments in generative AI and go-to-market strategies.

Vijayakumar added that HCL Tech’s AI solutions are resonating well with clients and that its recent partnership with OpenAI has further strengthened its position.

He noted that the company’s deal pipeline continues to grow in a stable demand environment, and that HCL Tech remains well-positioned for growth as the only IT service provider rated as ‘Customer’s Choice’ in all six Gartner Voice of Customer quadrants related to IT services.

–IANS

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Bhuj, March 12 (IANS) A fire broke out at a plastic scrap yard near Chopadva village in Bhachau taluka of Gujarat’s Kutch district on Thursday, initiating a large-scale firefighting operation and creating panic in the surrounding area, officials said.

Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the site as the blaze rapidly intensified due to the large quantity of plastic stored in the yard.

According to local officials, the fire started suddenly at the plastic yard located near the village.

As the flames spread quickly through the plastic stock, locals rushed to alert authorities and attempted to move away from the site as smoke spread across the area.

A team from the Bhachau Fire Department reached the spot shortly after receiving information about the incident and began efforts to control the blaze.

Firefighters deployed water jets and initiated cooling operations to prevent the flames from spreading further.

Two fire tenders, including vehicles from the Bhachau municipality and a private company, were involved in the operation as crews worked to contain the fire.

Fire officials said the presence of plastic material accelerated the spread of flames, making firefighting operations more difficult.

During the operation, firefighters also discovered four gas cylinders lying amid the plastic stock.

The cylinders were safely removed from the site in time, preventing the possibility of an explosion that could have led to casualties or further damage.

Officials said the timely removal of the cylinders helped avert a potentially major accident.

Authorities said it could take several hours to fully extinguish the blaze due to the large quantity of plastic material at the site.

Firefighters continued operations for several hours to bring the situation under control. No casualties have been reported so far, although officials indicated that the fire may have caused substantial financial losses at the facility.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and an investigation will be carried out once the situation is under control.

The incident comes a day after a series of fire emergencies were reported in other parts of Gujarat.

On Wednesday, a major fire broke out at a chemical company warehouse in the Sachin GIDC industrial area of Surat, prompting authorities to declare a “major call” and deploy more than 20 fire tenders to bring the blaze under control.

No casualties were reported in that incident, although thick smoke was seen rising above the industrial area.

In another incident the same day, a fire broke out in the parking area of a building near Science City in Ahmedabad, damaging six vehicles before firefighters managed to control the flames.

Authorities said fire teams responded swiftly in all incidents, and investigations are underway to determine the causes.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Hitting out at the ruling Congress in Karnataka over the stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Friday demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar.

Speaking to IANS, Bhandari said, “If DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have even one per cent of sensitivity, they should resign from their positions. But we know they won’t because when ordinary Kannadigas were dying in front of the stadium, they were busy celebrating. You can’t expect anything from such people. The Karnataka Congress government, acting on Rahul Gandhi’s instructions, has exposed its mindset that it does not care for the lives of the common citizens of Bengaluru.”

He further said, “Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are directly responsible for the death of 11 innocent people in Karnataka. If an FIR should be filed against anyone, it should be against the Karnataka Chief Minister and D.K. Shivakumar.”

“Everyone knows that they (Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar) knew very well that the police did not want the event to be held within 24 hours when there was a possibility of so much crowd coming outside the stadium. But despite that, due to the pressure of DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, this entire event took place, and police personnel were deployed for VIP security, but not for the security of common Kannadigas of Karnataka. Out of 21, only three gates were opened for the public,” Bhandari added.

“The Karnataka government is filing FIRs against the policemen to wash its hands of the matter. They are suspending them, and KCA is saying that it gave permission, but the Karnataka stadium has clarified, and the Karnataka authority has clarified that permission was sought by the state government. This makes it clear that the micro planning behind the entire event was being done by the chief minister and DK Shivakumar himself. So, the person against whom they want to file an FIR… he only wants to pass the buck,” the BJP leader further said.

“The buck stops with the chief minister. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar are individually criminally negligent, and an FIR should be launched against them. The Magisterial inquiry is a hogwash. The truth can only come out, and the victims can only get justice when the chief minister resigns from his post, and DK Shivakumar faces an inquiry for criminal negligence,” BJP leader Bhandari stated.

–IANS

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