Pivot Points: Weekly Newsletter #31
For the week ending July 20th, 2025
Business & Technology
US startup funding jumped 75.6% in the first half of 2025, reaching $162.8 billion—largely fueled by booming AI investments. Despite continued challenges in venture capital fundraising, AI led both deal value and volume, with big rounds for firms like OpenAI and Scale AI. A rebound in IPOs and M&A activity points to cautious optimism, even as investors remain selective.
Nvidia Hits $4 Trillion Valuation: Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company, reaching a $4 trillion market cap, solidifying its dominance in the tech sector.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, once apolitical, emerged as a key geopolitical player after US restrictions threatened chip sales to China. Lobbying Trump and navigating Washington, he helped reverse the ban, reopening Nvidia’s access to China. His efforts underscored Nvidia’s rise as an AI powerhouse and global tech influencer.
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on Thursday confirmed plans to cut hundreds of managerial roles as part of a “limited” voluntary redundancy programme, which it says is aimed at better aligning its leadership workforce with the luxury car brand’s business strategy.
Bitcoin Surges Past $120,000: Bitcoin vaulted past $120,000 for the first time, driven by Trump’s stablecoin law and crypto’s mainstream push, boosting market sentiment.
Apple backs Trumps rare earth minerals push, invests $500 Million in US mine.
Apple’s pivot from opposing U.S. rare earth independence in 2020—when 83% of its supply came from China—to this investment reflects a response to heightened geopolitical tensions, including a June 2025 U.S.-China trade truce, and aims to secure magnets for devices by 2027, per MP Materials’ Fort Worth plant timeline.
Drones being used to indicate exit for an event in Osaka, Japan, likely at the Expo 2025.
Research from the Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems (2023) suggests drone swarms can reduce evacuation times by up to 30% in large gatherings, offering a data-backed advantage over traditional signage.
TSMC’s 60% Profit Jump: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) posted a 60% profit increase in Q2, fueled by demand for AI chips, reinforcing its critical role in global tech supply chains.
Tesla Exec with No Car-sales Experience Takes over Sales
As Tesla faces slowing sales, the company has handed over its sales leadership to Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive previously overseeing IT and data functions. His new role follows the departure of longtime sales head Troy Jones, who left earlier this month after 15 years. While Tesla has not made an official announcement, internal sources suggest Jegannathan has stepped into the top sales role for North America.
xAI is preparing to roll out “Baby Grok,” a separate chatbot app designed specifically for children. The announcement, made via Musk’s X post, follows recent efforts to expand Grok’s capabilities and appeal. This move comes on the heels of Grok 4’s launch and xAI’s growing push into government and enterprise AI solutions.
Perplexity AI Soars to $18 Billion Valuation After Fresh $100M Raise
The AI search startup has raised $100 million in a new funding round, pushing its valuation to $18 billion—up from $14 billion just months ago. The surge reflects rising investor confidence in AI agents and chatbots as adoption continues to grow.
Tesla launched its first Indian showroom in Mumbai on July 15, 2025, at Maker Maxity Mall, BKC, marking its entry into India’s niche premium auto market. The 4,000-sq-ft Tesla Experience Centre showcases the Model Y, priced at ₹59.89 lakh and ₹67.89 lakh for two variants. With high import duties driving costs, Tesla faces competition from affordable local EV brands. A Delhi showroom is planned for late July, with deliveries starting post-September 2025.
Family Offices Show Growing Interest in Hotels
More wealthy families and investors are putting their money into hotels in India. What was once seen as a risky and seasonal business is now becoming an important part of their investment plans, thanks to rising travel for both work and leisure.
In the first half of 2025, hotel deals in India reached $167 million—up from $93 million during the same time last year, according to data from JLL.
Family offices and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) were behind 54% of these deals, compared to just 26% last year.
BITS Pilani has announced a major ₹1,219 crore expansion plan, including a new AI+ campus in Amaravati and upgrades across existing campuses. The institute also formally launched BITS Pilani Digital, its new online education platform.
SpaceX has invested $2 billion in xAI as part of a broader $5 billion equity round, significantly boosting Elon Musk's push into artificial intelligence. The deal values the combined xAI and X at $113 billion. xAI’s Grok chatbot is now integrated with Starlink and may soon power Tesla’s Optimus robots. Despite ongoing controversies, Musk continues to promote Grok as the most advanced AI, with xAI ramping up its development spending.
Perplexity AI, backed by Nvidia, is in discussions with smartphone manufacturers to have its AI-powered Comet browser pre-installed on devices. The browser, currently in beta, features agent-like capabilities such as task automation and personalized data access. With a $14 billion valuation and strong investor support, Perplexity aims to challenge Google’s dominance by reaching millions of users through mobile integration.
Mid-Career Professionals Upskill to Stay Ahead in the AI Era
With AI reshaping the job market, many mid-career professionals are actively updating their skillsets. TeamLease has seen a 60% jump in enrolments for micro-credential courses this year. Simplilearn also reports rising interest from those in their 30s and 40s seeking career pivots or deeper specialisation. Coursera adds that 39% of its learners are career switchers, motivated by better growth, pay, and long-term job security.
Geopolitics
US Designates TRF as Foreign Terrorist Group
The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF)—a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy and initial claimant of the Pahalgam attack—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called it a “strong affirmation” of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.
‘Ticking Water Bomb’: China Begins Work on World’s Largest River Dam
China has begun construction on what will be the world’s largest hydropower project along the Brahmaputra River, known as the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet. The project, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, includes five hydroelectric plants and is expected to generate more power than China’s Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.
The $167 billion initiative has raised concerns in downstream countries like India and Bangladesh, both of which rely heavily on the Brahmaputra’s waters for agriculture and livelihoods.
India has voiced its apprehensions about the potential impact on river flow and the ecological balance. In a statement from January, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that China must ensure the interests of lower riparian states are not compromised by upstream activities. Taking a more forceful stance, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu recently described the project as a “ticking water bomb” that poses a serious threat to communities living downstream.