eNews
Sundar Pichai talks Google and Alphabet financial performance with analysts for Q4 meet
MUMBAI: Alphabet & Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed investors and analysts, highlighting a strong performance in Q4, largely attributed to the company’s advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and a unique full-stack approach.
“Q4 showcased our rapid progress in computing capabilities and efficiencies,” Pichai said. He noted significant improvements in product utilisation, consumer engagement, and revenue growth as a result of innovations in AI, including the launch of AI Overviews in over 100 countries and Circle to Search on more than 200 million android devices.
Notably, Pichai announced that Google cloud and YouTube reached a combined annual revenue run rate of $110 billion at the close of 2024, exceeding their target of $100 billion.
Focusing on AI, Pichai outlined three key areas of innovation: leading AI infrastructure, world-class research, and product integration. The company has invested in eleven new cloud regions and seven subsea cable projects aimed at enhancing global connectivity. Pichai revealed the launch of the Gemini 2.0 AI model, designed to improve user interactions and drive a more multifaceted search experience.
In addition, YouTube continues to thrive, maintaining its position as the leading platform for streaming watchtime in the US with over 45 million viewers engaging with election-related content on a single day. The recent integration of podcasts has proved successful, further solidifying its dominant market position.
Moving to financials, Alphabet’s revenue surged to $350 billion in 2024, a 14 per cent increase year-on-year. Expenditures increased, primarily due to content acquisition costs associated with YouTube and depreciation related to technical investments. Despite rising costs, operating income rose 31 per cent to $31 billion.
With an optimistic outlook, Pichai stated, “We are well-positioned for continued growth in 2025,” as plans to enhance AI capabilities and expand cloud services take shape.
Following Pichai, Philipp Schindler, SVP and CBO, highlighted the strong performance across Google services, with revenues reaching $84 billion, driven by a significant increase in advertising revenue.
Anat Ashkenazi, SVP and CFO, reaffirmed the positive momentum, indicating that the company is prepared for ongoing growth amid anticipated challenges.
The market did not believe their posturing totally as Alphabet shares crashed by seven per cent on Wednesday. Investors reacted badly to Pichai’s plans to spend $75 billion on capital expenditures over 2025 and $16-18 billion in the first quarter as it builds out its AI offerings and races against megacap rivals to build out data centers and new infrastructure.
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
