From cricket's next big brand to SEBI's IPO reforms for startups, our top stories of the week

1) The invisible battlefield

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Behind the headlines of trade wars and tech rivalries lies a quieter but equally fierce contest: the fight over rare earth elements. Critical for manufacturing everything from EV batteries to defence equipment, rare earths have become a key lever on the geopolitical chessboard. As China controls a dominant share of the global supply, other nations are scrambling to secure alternatives, diversify sources, and de-risk their clean tech ambitions. For India, rare earths present both an opportunity and a strategic challenge in shaping its future role in global supply chains. Here's a lowdown on what makes these elements so special.

2) A question of turnaround

Investigative officials stand at the site of Air India Boeing 787 which crashed yesterday, on June 13, 2025, in Ahmedabad, India. Image: Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images
Air India’s long-planned turnaround under the Tata Group has hit its most severe test yet with the tragic crash of AI 171 going from Ahmedabad to London, claiming 241 lives. The incident, involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner—its first ever fatal crash—has not only raised questions about operational safety but also threatens to derail the airline’s aggressive five-year growth strategy. In a hypercompetitive market dominated by IndiGo, Air India had been clawing back domestic market share and expanding internationally. But with passenger confidence shaken, bookings likely to fall, and further scrutiny looming, management now faces a delicate balancing act.

3) Hail to the chief

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For the first time in its 116-year history, the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has appointed a woman to do its top job. Blaise Metreweli, formerly Director General ‘Q’ overseeing technology and innovation, steps into the role of ‘C’—the agency’s chief—breaking a long-standing male monopoly. Metreweli joins a growing list of women who have shattered glass ceilings across historically male-dominated institutions globally. From Kirsty Coventry’s recent election as the IOC’s first female president to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala leading the WTO, these appointments reflect a slow but steady shift towards gender parity in leadership. Let’s look at other women holding top positions in male-dominated industries.

4) Of humans, machines, and the murky spaces

Ex Machina, movie memorabilia on display at The Academy Museum hosts a press preview tor their new exhibitions "Color In Motion & Cyberpunk" at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 01, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

In the evolving cinematic portrayal of artificial intelligence, humans grapple with what defines consciousness, ethics, and the human experience. The first part of Forbes India’s AI cinema series explores how films reflect not just technological fascination but also deep anxieties about autonomy, control, and identity. As AI advances from fiction to reality, these narratives mirror our hopes and fears of what it means to coexist with machines that may someday think for themselves. Take a deep dive into the messages shared in legendary films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator, Her, Ex-Machina, and more recently, the last two instalments of the Mission: Impossible series.