iWorld
RCom proposal for setting up subsidiary telecom company rejected
NEW DELHI: The Government has rejected the proposal by Flag Telecom Singapore Pte Limited, Singapore, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications (RCOM), for setting up a 100 percent subsidiary telecom company. The company was yet to be incorporated, an official Finance Ministry release said.
Meanwhile following recommendations of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board, the Ministry deferred a decision relating to You Broadband India Limited post facto seeking approval for acquisition of 9,79,875 equity shares of its downstream company Digital Outsourcing Private Limited (DOPL) in lieu of issue of 20,58,759 equity shares to its resident shareholders by way of swap of shares.
It also deferred approval to Tikona Digital Networks Pvt Ltd for the issuance of CCDs thereby increasing foreign equity to 76.73 percent.
The Ministry approved a proposal by Macmillan Publishers International Ltd, UK for foreign investment of up to 100 percent in a new company (‘New Co.)’, proposed to be incorporated in India in the publishing sector. This involved FDI amounting to Rs 28.2 crore.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
