Tata Motors to hike ICE vehicle prices from April 1 Tata Motors has announced a 0.5 percent price increase for its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle portfolio, including petrol, diesel, and CNG models, effective April 1. The Indian carmaker stated that the revision aims to partially offset the ongoing rise in input costs. The extent of the price hike will vary across different models and variants. Ex-showroom prices, as of March 21, 2026, are listed in rupees (lakh). Tata has not disclosed which specific models will see the largest price adjustments or the exact figures for each car. The company’s most affordable model is the Tiago hatchback, starting at Rs 4.57 lakh, while the Safari SUV is its most expensive offering, priced from Rs 13.29 lakh. The price changes are expected to range between Rs 2,285 and Rs 12,980, depending on the model. The decision comes amid rising costs for raw materials, parts, and manufacturing, alongside supply chain disruptions and currency fluctuations, which have made cost management challenging for automakers. Price increases at the start of a new financial year are a common practice in the industry. Both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also announced steeper price hikes, effective April 1, with a 2 percent increase. The article also mentions BMW Group’s announcement of a 2 percent price hike starting April 2026 and Mercedes-Benz’s plan to raise prices by up to 2 percent around the same time. However, these details are part of the broader context of the automotive industry’s pricing strategies rather than the main focus of Tata Motors’ announcement.#tata_motors #bmw_group #mercedes_benz #tata_tiago #tata_safari
IBM Completes Acquisition of Confluent, Making Real Time Data the Engine of Enterprise AI and Agents IBM has finalized its acquisition of Confluent, a data streaming platform used by over 6,500 enterprises, including 40% of the Fortune 500. The deal positions real-time data as a foundational element for enterprise AI and automated workflows, enabling organizations to operate across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments. The integration combines IBM’s tools like watsonx.data, IBM MQ, and IBM Z with Confluent’s capabilities to deliver a unified platform for AI models and agents. As businesses transition from AI experimentation to production, data quality and speed have become critical challenges. Most enterprises struggle with siloed data systems that delay insights, often delivering information hours or days after it is generated. IBM and Confluent’s collaboration aims to address this by providing a framework where AI agents can access live, trusted data with governance and real-time processing. This ensures decisions are based on current information rather than outdated datasets. IDC forecasts that over one billion new logical applications will emerge by 2028, driven by AI systems that require live, continuously flowing data to deliver value. To meet this demand, IBM and Confluent are offering a single, governed platform that supports AI models and agents operating in real time across all environments. This approach enables enterprises to scale operations while maintaining data integrity and control. Rob Thomas, IBM’s Senior Vice President, emphasized the importance of real-time data in modern business operations. He noted that AI decisions must align with the speed of transactions, which occur in milliseconds.#ticketmaster #ibm #confluent #apache_kafka #bmw_group
