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Global companies are increasingly tapping Chinese technology for its growing capabilities and scale, even as geopolitical risks remain. View More
The national flags of the United States and China hang on a highway in Beijing on May 13, 2026, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP via Getty Images)Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty Images Washington has been stepping up efforts to curb Beijing's technological ambitions, but from artificial intelligence to electric vehicle batteries, Chinese technology is becoming increasingly embedded in the businesses of some of the world's biggest companies. Apple has tapped Alibaba and Baidu for AI in China, while Ford has turned to CATL for battery technology. Volkswagen has teamed up with Xpeng to develop smart EVs in China, while Stellantis is expanding its partnership with Leapmotor on EV production and joint purchasing. Analysts say a broad shift is underway, with Chinese companies becoming sources of technology and innovation that global businesses cannot easily sidestep. "Five years ago, China was primarily where global companies went to sell. Today, in certain sectors, it is where they go to source capability," Kitty Fok, managing director at market research firm IDC China, told CNBC.That development comes even as Washington has expanded efforts to restrain Chinese technology. Since blacklisting Huawei in 2019, it has imposed sweeping curbs on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment, restricting certain U.S. investments in Chinese semiconductors, quantum technology and AI, and proscribing firms including contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, or SMIC. From market to technology sourceChina has built formidable positions across a growing number of technology industries.Automakers including BYD, Changan and Chery accounted for nearly 63% of the global electric vehicle market in 2025, while battery makers including CATL, BYD, CALB and Gotion held close to 70%, according to Soumen Mandal, principal analyst at Counterpoint Research. Mandal pointed to cost, scale, manufacturing depth, supply-chain integration and the speed of innovation as powerful reasons for global companies to continue engaging with Chinese firms."China's technological rise is shifting from low-cost manufacturing to scale, supply-chain depth, and speed of innovation," Mandal said, adding that global companies are maintaining a balance between geopolitical risk and commercial realities.That shift is particularly advanced in electric vehicle batteries.CATL has become deeply integrated into the global automotive industry. Ford, for example, is working with CATL to use its lithium-iron phosphate battery technology at a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan.Fok said the integration of Chinese EV battery technology into global supply chains can be difficult to unwind."In EV batteries, the structural shift is already complete," she said. "Switching suppliers is not a procurement decision you make in a quarter. It takes years of engineering, testing, and recertification."For some companies, however, working with Chinese technology firms remains primarily about competing inside China.Multinational companies that need AI services or cloud infrastructure for their China operations have to work with local providers because of restrictions on foreign providers, according to Fok."Inside China, a lot of this isn't a choice," she said, pointing to Apple's work with Alibaba and Baidu.Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at Omdia, said access to the Chinese market remains the primary driver for many such partnerships, particularly as global automakers increasingly turn to Chinese vendors for software, AI and other systems to sell in China. But that is not the only driver. Su said a "slow yet persistent structural shift" was taking place in supply chains and innovation flows in areas including batteries, electric vehicles, energy storage and applied AI. AI could be the next frontierThe trend is also beginning to play out in artificial intelligence, where increasingly capable Chinese models are challenging the idea that companies turn to Chinese technology mainly because it is cheaper.An IDC survey of European companies earlier this year found security and compliance requirements and superior performance, not costs, were the top two reasons for extensive adoption of Chinese AI models. "So the popular narrative that Western companies are rushing to Chinese AI because it's cheap gets this backwards," Fok said. "The decision is performance-led and compliance-gated."Unlike U.S.-based Anthropic and OpenAI, Chinese firms including Alibaba and DeepSeek have focused on open-source models, making them more accessible to developers globally.The Chinese AI advance comes even as U.S. restrictions have constrained Beijing in areas such as cutting-edge semiconductors, according to Su, while also accelerating domestic innovation."The key impact of the U.S. restriction is that it has become a catalyst for Chinese domestic innovation and efficiency," Su said, adding that Chinese vendors remain competitive in AI, batteries and automotive software.Limits to the shiftGeopolitical considerations continue to shape how and where Chinese technology is adopted. Su expects the resistance to Chinese technology to be strongest in areas including advanced semiconductors, services linked to cybersecurity, defense, and national security.Rather than a straightforward technological boycott or embrace, analysts say Chinese technology adoption will vary by sector.Counterpoint's Mandal expects Chinese technology adoption to expand globally across areas including EVs, batteries, consumer electronics, robotics, drones and selected areas of AI and semiconductors, leading to what he described as "a more fragmented but pragmatic global technology ecosystem."Fok said the shift is already structural in batteries and electronics manufacturing, while AI is in transition and automotive software remains at an early stage. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
Jefferies favours Indian Hotels, Tata Consumer, Tata Steel and Voltas, while remaining cautious on TCS, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Power View More
Renewable power is available at ?4.5-6 per unit in several states, compared with grid tariffs of ?7-8 View More
The new connectivity is expected to make direct access to the capital faster, easier and more comfortable for motorists. View More
A total solar eclipse crossed Iceland and Spain on Aug. 12, while much of Europe saw a partial eclipse and businesses benefited from demand. View More
A total solar eclipse crossed parts of Europe on Wednesday, drawing millions of spectators to watch the once-in-a-generation spectacle. Parts of Greenland, northern Spain, and Iceland saw a total solar eclipse, while other parts of Europe, including the U.K. and France, saw a partial eclipse.During the eclipse, the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun, temporarily submerging parts of the region in darkness.The region's first total solar eclipse since 1999 saw retail and hospitality businesses capitalize on the opportunity, with some hotels in parts of Iceland and northern Spain charging over $1,000 a night. Meanwhile, a rush to buy solar eclipse glasses saw hundreds queuing in shops. A total solar eclipse occurs over Embalse de Tortoles de Esgueva in Tortoles de Esgueva, Spain, on August 12, 2026. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images People view the partial solar eclipse besides the historic St. Michael's Church tower, a Grade I listed building at the top of Glastonbury Tor on August 12, 2026 in Glastonbury, England. Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images A group of people during the total solar eclipse of 2026, on 12 August, 2026 on 12 August 2026, on 12 August, 2026 in Cantabria, Spain. Europa Press News | Europa Press | Getty Images The moon passes in front of the sun shortly before sunset during a partial solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 in Augsburg, Germany. Marcus Hartmann | Getty Images News | Getty Images A man holds up a stainless steel kitchen colander to project crescent-shaped pinhole shadows onto a white sheet of paper to watch a solar eclipse in Krakow, Poland, on August 12, 2026. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images A spectator watches a partial solar eclipse on the Olympiaberg in Munich's Olympiapark. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The partial solar eclipse is seen from Aras de los Olmos, Spain on August 12, 2026.Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images The Baily's beads effect appears as the Sun begins to emerge from behind the Moon following totality of the solar eclipse as seen from Buspol in northern Spain, on August 12, 2026. Paul Hanna | Afp | Getty Images A person takes a photograph during the total solar eclipse of 2026, on 12 August, 2026 on 12 August 2026, on 12 August, 2026 in Cantabria, Spain. Europa Press News | Europa Press | Getty Images View during the total solar eclipse sunset on the Mediterranean sea of 2026, on August 12, in Port de Soller, Mallorca, Spain. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images A total solar eclipse darkens the skies over northeastern Spain, with Corbera dâEbre, in Tarragona, Spain, on August 12, 2026, among the locations along the path of totality. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Children observe a partial solar eclipse in Piran. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images A partial solar eclipse, seen over Liverpool Bay from Crosby Beach on August 12, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty Images Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
Behari Lal Engineering’s Rs 302-crore IPO saw strong demand, with the issue subscribed over two times on Day 1. The IPO carries a 26% grey market premium, indicating expectations of a strong listing. Investors are also weighing the company’s expansion plans, capacity addition and diversified industrial customer base ahead of the August 14 closing date. View More
The Rs 302-crore initial public offering (IPO) of Behari Lal Engineering entered its second day of bidding with strong investor interest. In the grey market, the IPO is currently trading at a 26% premium, indicating expectations of a strong listing for the iron and steel manufacturing company. On the first day, the issue was subscribed 2.02 times against the 74.12 lakh shares on offer. The retail portion was subscribed 2.70 times, with bids received for 37.63 lakh shares. The IPO comprises a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 93 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of 73.20 lakh equity shares, amounting to approximately Rs 209 crore. The price band has been fixed at Rs 271–Rs 285 per share. The issue will remain open for subscription until August 14. A day before the IPO opened for public bidding, Behari Lal Engineering raised Rs 90.48 crore from anchor investors. The company allotted 31.75 lakh equity shares to anchor investors at Rs 285 per share. Participants in the anchor book included Tata AIA Life Insurance Company, PineBridge Global Funds, Amicorp Capital (Mauritius) Ltd, WhiteOak Capital and Bandhan Mutual Fund. The allotment of shares for the Behari Lal Engineering IPO is expected to be finalized on August 17, 2026. The company’s shares are likely to be listed on both the NSE and BSE on August 19, 2026. Live Events Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd. is serving as the book-running lead manager for the issue, while MUFG Intime India Pvt. Ltd. is the registrar. Behari Lal Engineering IPO GMP The Behari Lal Engineering IPO is commanding a grey market premium (GMP) of Rs 74, or 26%, over the upper price band of Rs 285. Based on the current GMP, the estimated listing price stands at around Rs 359 per share. However, investors should note that the grey market is unofficial, and the actual listing price can differ significantly from GMP-based estimates. Behari Lal Engineering IPO subscription status On Day 1, the overall issue was subscribed 2.03 times against the 74.12 lakh shares on offer. Retail Individual Investors (RIIs): 2.70 times against 37.63 lakh shares Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs): 2.11 times against 16.12 lakh shares Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs): 73% against 20.36 lakh shares How will the IPO proceeds be used? Behari Lal Engineering plans to use the proceeds from the fresh issue for purchasing and installing equipment and machinery, including computers and peripherals, and related civil work at its manufacturing facilities. Funds will also be used for installing rooftop solar panels at both facilities, repayment or pre-payment of certain borrowings and general corporate purposes. Should you subscribe to Behari Lal Engineering IPO? Anand Rathi maintained a ‘Subscribe-Long Term’ rating for Behari Lal Engineering’s maiden public issue , believing that the IPO is fairly priced. The company benefits from in- house engineering, design and material development capabilities, along with stringent quality and customer qualification processes that support its presence across critical industrial applications. Its integrated manufacturing setup enables it to serve diverse end-use industries, while long-standing customer relationships and a broad product portfolio provide a degree of business resilience, it added. SBI Securities also recommended investors to subscribe to the IPO of the company, which is one of India’s largest metal roll producers. “Going ahead, the company intends to utilize fresh proceeds to fund capex at its existing facilities and is in the process of setting up the third manufacturing facility. The company continues to focus on expanding the share of higher-value products in its sales mix, which combined with the expanded capacities shall result in improved profitability with scale,” it added. Behari Lal Engineering operates two manufacturing facilities at Mandi Gobindgarh in Punjab and has recently commenced construction of a third facility in Fatehgarh Sahib district. The company manufactures metal rolls, engineering castings, alloy steel products and forging ingots for industries including steel, power and heavy engineering. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. 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World News Today Live Updates on August 13, 2026: Stay informed on global events with our in-depth world news coverage, bringing you the latest developments across politics, economy, and culture. Discover insights into international affairs, breaking news, and the trends shaping our interconnected world, all in one place. View More
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the US would likely maintain control of the waterway, describing the ongoing naval blockade as a “wall of steel.” View More