What’s New Today: India plans advanced chip manufacturing under Semicon 2.0, aiming for 2nm chips, stronger design leadership, and support for startups.
Fast-Track Insights: ZOHO.VC closes €7M to fund Northern Bavaria deep tech spin-outs, backing Merge Labs and supporting startups from labs to Series A funding.
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest tech headlines making waves today. Let's dive into the day's top tech stories, from India's advances in semiconductor manufacturing under Semicon 2.0 to Candidate tests hiring algorithms with a dual resume experiment.
India is strengthening its semiconductor ambitions under Semicon 2.0, targeting 3-nanometre chip manufacturing by 2032 and 2-nanometre capability by 2035. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the goal is to place India among the world’s top four semiconductor nations. The government aims to meet up to 75% of domestic chip demand by 2029, support over 50 fabless startups, and expand India’s role in global chip design.
ZOHO.VC, founded at Nuremberg’s ZOLLHOF Tech Incubator, has closed €7M toward a €10M fund to back Northern Bavaria deep tech. The fund targets pre-seed and seed spin-outs from university labs and ZOLLHOF’s pipeline, offering hands-on support from incubation to Series A. Backed by founders and families, ZOHO.VC has invested in five startups, including Merge Labs, and aims to keep talent, IP, and jobs local across software, hardware, and related technologies.
A Reddit user sparked debate after applying twice to the same job with two different resumes. One version emphasized technical skills and was instantly rejected, while the other focused on leadership and received a callback. The experiment highlighted how automated hiring systems prioritize keywords over context. While some called the tactic unethical or unnecessary, others saw it as a practical response to opaque, algorithm-driven recruitment processes that often leave candidates without feedback.
Google Gemini and ChatGPT lead AI adoption in 2026, but their functions serve different user requirements. Gemini provides multimodal intelligence capabilities together with Google Workspace features, which makes it suitable for users who need to work and share information in real time. ChatGPT enables users to conduct research through its current abilities in writing, coding, advanced reasoning and creative work through its flexible research workflows. The article explains that choosing between them depends on priorities. Many users may benefit from using both tools together to balance efficiency, creativity, and analysis.
Asian markets opened mixed as bitcoin edged higher toward $89,000 amid thin crypto trading and cautious sentiment. Gold surged past $5,200 an ounce to a new record as investors sought safety from economic and geopolitical risks. Mainland China equities were uneven, while Hong Kong rallied strongly. Markets also reacted to SoftBank’s reported OpenAI talks, upcoming US tech earnings, and an approaching Federal Reserve decision.