WSJ: “[Consulting] firms have primarily focused on two alternatives to the hourly model: fixed fee and outcome-based pricing. Under fixed fee, firms guarantee a specific, predictable cost for a defined output or project scope, regardless of the hours spent. Outcome-based pricing generally means consultants get paid if they achieve certain mutually agreed-upon metrics for the client, or a range of outcomes based on over- or underperformance…“The shift towards fixed-fee and value-based billing has put considerable pressure on consultancies to produce more output,” said GPTZero CEO Edward Tian. “But if that comes at the expense of basic fact-checking, the reputational damage for the firms themselves and the clients who commission their work is enormous,” Tian said.”
Business Standard: “AI agents are expected to become a new workforce layer, forcing companies to rethink the traditional fresher hiring pyramid that powered India’s IT and consulting industries for three decades. Many executives have been talking about the pyramid reshaping into a diamond, requiring fewer people at the bottom and an AI-native experienced layer in the middle.”
FT: “Holmes is regularly high on the lists of fictional characters most portrayed on screen, up there with Father Christmas and Dracula. Even if you’ve never read one of the stories, you know who he is. And you’re only going to see more of him, because Conan Doyle’s works are now out of copyright, so the character is anyone’s to play with.”
Mint: “India stands at the threshold of a new investment-led growth phase that could redefine its economic trajectory over the coming decade. Much like the investment boom of 2004-08, the country is again seeing the early stages of a broad-based capital expenditure upcycle. This time, however, the foundations appear stronger, more diversified and strategically aligned with long-term national priorities. At the heart of this emerging cycle is a shift towards domestic capacity building. Policymakers are increasingly focused on reducing dependence on imports in critical sectors such as energy, defence, technology and industrial supply chains. Combined with strong domestic demand, supportive reforms and healthy corporate balance sheets, this strategy is laying the groundwork for a sustained rise in investment and economic growth.”
