E-commerce and trade

Oracle and Google Cloud launch AI database service in India

The US tech company, Oracle, has expanded Oracle Database@Google Cloud to India, making the service available through Google Cloud’s Mumbai region.

Enterprises can access Oracle Exadata, Autonomous AI Database and AI Lakehouse services while keeping data in the region to meet sovereignty and regulatory requirements.

The multicloud offering allows organisations to combine Oracle enterprise data with Google Cloud analytics and AI tools, including BigQuery, Vertex AI and Gemini models.

Customers can modernise applications and migrate mission-critical workloads without sacrificing performance, security or low-latency access.

Oracle Database@Google Cloud is available through the Google Cloud Marketplace, enabling customers to procure services via trusted partners instead of navigating complex contracting models.

Oracle and Google Cloud partners can also integrate the service into broader multicloud solutions.

The launch reflects growing demand for flexible multicloud architectures in India, supporting AI-driven innovation, advanced analytics and accelerated IT modernisation across regulated and data-intensive industries.

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UK sets course for comprehensive crypto regulation

The UK government has announced plans to bring cryptoassets firmly within the regulatory perimeter, aiming to support innovation while strengthening consumer protection and attracting long-term investment into the sector.

From 2027, cryptoasset firms will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under rules similar to those governing traditional financial products, such as stocks and shares. The move is intended to provide legal clarity and increase confidence among consumers and businesses.

Ministers say that proportionate regulation will support innovation, ensure competitive markets, and strengthen the UK’s position as a global hub for digital assets. Enhanced oversight will boost transparency, aid sanctions enforcement, and help detect and tackle illicit activity.

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to shape global crypto standards, including ongoing cooperation with the United States through the Transatlantic Taskforce, as the UK seeks to secure its role in the future of digital finance.

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AI generated podcasts flood platforms and disrupt the audio industry

Podcasts generated by AI are rapidly reshaping the audio industry, with automated shows flooding platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Advances in voice cloning and speech synthesis have enabled the production to large volumes of content at minimal cost, allowing AI hosts to compete directly with human creators in an already crowded market.

Some established podcasters are experimenting cautiously, using cloned voices for translation, post-production edits or emergency replacements. Others have embraced full automation, launching synthetic personalities designed to deliver commentary, biographies and niche updates at speed.

Studios, such as Los Angeles-based Inception Point AI, have scaled the model to scale, producing hundreds of thousands of episodes by targeting micro-audiences and trending searches instead of premium advertising slots.

The rapid expansion is fuelling concern across the industry, where trust and human connection remain central to listener loyalty.

Researchers and networks warn that large-scale automation risks devaluing premium content, while creators and audiences question how far AI voices can replace authenticity without undermining the medium itself.

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EU moves to tax low-value e-commerce parcels

The European Commission welcomed the decision by EU Member States to introduce a €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce parcels arriving from third countries.

A measure, which enters into force in July 2026, that applies to items valued below €150 and aims to restore fair competition instead of allowing online imports to benefit from longstanding exemptions.

The move responds to the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce shipments and will operate as a temporary solution until the EU Customs Data Hub becomes fully operational in 2028.

Until then, the Council and the Commission will coordinate legal changes and IT systems to ensure smooth implementation and effective customs supervision across the Union.

Once the Customs Data Hub is in place, a permanent customs duty regime will replace the temporary measure, offering authorities a comprehensive view of goods entering and leaving the EU.

The €3 duty applies only to parcels sent directly to consumers and remains separate from ongoing negotiations on a handling fee intended to offset the rising operational costs faced by customs authorities.

The reform builds on earlier Commission proposals to remove duty exemptions for low-value parcels and forms part of the most extensive overhaul of EU customs rules in decades.

European institutions argue that modernised customs controls are essential instead of relying on outdated frameworks, particularly as global e-commerce volumes continue to expand.

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BBVA deepens AI partnership with OpenAI

OpenAI and BBVA have agreed on a multi-year strategic collaboration designed to embed artificial intelligence across the global banking group.

An initiative that will expand the use of ChatGPT Enterprise to all 120,000 BBVA employees, marking one of the largest enterprise deployments of generative AI in the financial sector.

The programme focuses on transforming customer interactions, internal workflows and decision making.

BBVA plans to co-develop AI-driven solutions with OpenAI to support bankers, streamline risk analysis and redesign processes such as software development and productivity support, instead of relying on fragmented digital tools.

The rollout follows earlier deployments that demonstrated strong engagement and measurable efficiency gains, with employees saving hours each week on routine tasks.

ChatGPT Enterprise will be implemented with enterprise grade security and privacy safeguards, ensuring compliance within a highly regulated environment.

Beyond internal operations, BBVA is accelerating its shift toward AI native banking by expanding customer facing services powered by OpenAI models.

The collaboration reflects a broader move among major financial institutions to integrate AI at the core of products, operations and personalised banking experiences.

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YouTube offers creators payments in PayPal stablecoin

YouTube has introduced a new payment option for US-based creators, allowing them to receive earnings in PayPal’s stablecoin, PYUSD. The move adds another major tech company experimenting with crypto-linked payments, while simplifying the process for content creators.

PayPal manages the conversion and custody of the stablecoin, meaning YouTube does not directly handle any crypto. The feature uses YouTube’s existing payout system and follows PayPal’s broader PYUSD rollout earlier this year.

Stablecoins have gained attention among tech firms following the signing of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, which provides a federal framework for these assets. Stripe and Google are exploring stablecoins for faster settlements, reflecting rising interest in regulated digital payments.

PYUSD, which reached a market capitalisation of nearly $4 billion, is already integrated into several PayPal products, including Venmo and merchant tools. For now, the payout option is limited to US creators, with no timeline announced for expansion to other regions.

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EU tightens customs rules on low-cost e-commerce parcels

EU member states have agreed to introduce a €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce parcels entering the bloc, marking a significant shift in how online imports are taxed. The new duty will apply to individual items worth less than €150 that are shipped directly to the EU consumers from non-EU countries and is set to take effect in July 2026.

The European Commission says the measure responds to the rapid growth of e-commerce imports and aims to level the playing field between online sellers based outside the EU and European retailers, which are already subject to customs duties and other costs. The duty is designed as a temporary solution ahead of broader reforms of the EU customs system.

The interim regime will remain in place until the planned EU Customs Data Hub becomes operational in 2028. Once established, the hub is expected to provide customs authorities with a comprehensive, real-time overview of goods entering and leaving the EU, allowing for a permanent and more integrated customs duty framework for e-commerce.

The €3 customs duty is separate from a proposed EU-wide handling fee on e-commerce parcels, which is still under negotiation. While the duty addresses competitive imbalances, the handling fee would compensate customs authorities for the rising costs of supervising the growing volume of small parcels.

Under current plans, the fee could take effect later in 2026, pending an agreement between the EU institutions.

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US approaches universal 5G as global adoption surges

New data from Omdia and 5G Americas showed rapid global growth in wireless connectivity during the third quarter of 2025, with nearly three billion 5G connections worldwide.

North America remained the most advanced region in terms of adoption, reaching penetration levels that almost match its population.

The US alone recorded 341 million 5G connections, marking one of the highest per capita adoption rates in the world, compared to the global average, which remains far lower.

Analysts noted that strong device availability and sustained investment continue to reinforce the region’s leadership. Enhanced features such as improved uplink performance and integrated sensing are expected to accelerate the shift towards early 5G-Advanced capabilities.

Growth in cellular IoT also remained robust. North America supported more than 270 million connected devices and is forecast to reach nearly half a billion by 2030 as sectors such as manufacturing and utilities expand their use of connected systems.

AI is becoming central to these deployments by managing traffic, automating operations and enabling more innovative industrial applications.

Future adoption is set to intensify as regional 5G connections are projected to surpass 8.6 billion by 2030.

Rising interest in fixed wireless access is driving multi-device usage, offering high-speed connectivity for households and small firms instead of relying solely on fibre networks that remain patchy in many areas.

Globally, the sector has reached more than 78 million connections, with strong annual growth. Analysts believe that expanding infrastructure will support demand for low-latency connectivity, and the addition of satellite-based systems is expected to extend coverage to remote locations.

By mid-November 2025, operators had launched 379 commercial 5G networks worldwide, including seventeen in North America. A similar number of LTE networks operated across the region.

Industry observers said that expanding terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks will form a layered architecture that strengthens resilience, supports emergency response and improves service continuity across land, sea and air.

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India moves toward mandatory AI royalty regime

India is weighing a sweeping copyright framework that would require AI companies to pay royalties for training on copyrighted works under a mandatory blanket licence branded as the hybrid ‘One Nation, One Licence, One Payment’ model.

A new Copyright Royalties Collective for AI Training, or CRCAT, would collect payments from developers and distribute money to creators. AI firms would have to rely only on lawfully accessed material and file detailed summaries of training datasets, including data types and sources.

The panel is expected to favour flat, revenue-linked percentages on global earnings from commercial AI systems, reviewed roughly every three years and open to legal challenge in court.

Obligations would apply retroactively to AI developers that have already trained profitable models on copyright-protected material, framed by Indian policymakers as a corrective measure for the creative ecosystem.

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India expands job access with AI-powered worker platforms

India is reshaping support for its vast informal workforce through e-Shram, a national database built to connect millions of people to social security and better job prospects.

The database works together with the National Career Service portal, and both systems run on Microsoft Azure.

AI tools are now improving access to stable employment by offering skills analysis, resume generation and personalised career pathways.

The original aim of e-Shram was to create a reliable record of informal workers after the pandemic exposed major gaps in welfare coverage. Engineers had to build a platform capable of registering hundreds of millions of people while safeguarding sensitive data.

Azure’s scalable infrastructure allowed the system to process high transaction volumes and maintain strong security protocols. Support reached remote areas through a network of service centres, helped further by Bhashini, an AI language service offering real-time translation in 22 Indian languages.

More than 310 million workers are now registered and linked to programmes providing accident insurance, medical subsidies and housing assistance. The integration with NCS has opened paths to regulated work, often with health insurance or retirement savings.

Workers receive guidance on improving employability, while new features such as AI chatbots and location-focused job searches aim to help those in smaller cities gain equal access to opportunities.

India is using the combined platforms to plan future labour policies, manage skill development and support international mobility for trained workers.

Officials also hope the digital systems will reduce reliance on job brokers and strengthen safe recruitment, including abroad through links with the eMigrate portal.

The government has already presented the platforms to international partners and is preparing to offer them as digital public infrastructure for other countries seeking similar reforms.

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