The GST Council is set to discuss the application of GST on merchant fees for UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000. This comes as a new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) of 0.4% (capped at Rs 300) is effective from October 15 for such transactions, which, as a service, would typically attract an 18% GST levy. The Council's decision is anticipated to consider consumer interests, with merchants potentially able to claim Input Tax Credit.
The Indian women's table tennis team secured a hard-fought victory over Thailand to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games. However, the men's team faced an early exit after a 0-3 defeat against South Korea in the round of 16.
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan secured two silver medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning an individual silver in the women's 10m air rifle event and contributing to a team silver. Her performance marks an encouraging start for India's shooting campaign, which aims to build on the success of the previous Hangzhou Asian Games.
India continued its strong performance at the Asian Games, securing gold medals in both men's and women's Kabaddi, a historic silver in marathon by Sawan Barwal, and advancing to squash finals. The day also saw mixed results in shooting, athletics, and badminton, contributing to India's growing medal tally.
Despite significant efforts including slashed ticket prices and complimentary passes, Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium saw a disappointingly low turnout for India's friendly matches against Brazil and Uruguay, raising concerns about fan engagement in Indian football, even with legendary players like Diego Forlan present.
Legendary Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan, now coaching Uruguay, believes India can significantly improve its football standing despite cricket's dominance. He emphasizes the importance of grassroots development, strong domestic leagues, and consistent exposure to high-level international competition to nurture young talent and elevate the sport in the country. Forlan also shared his positive experiences with Indian football passion during his ISL stint.
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi made his international debut for India in the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati, becoming the third player from J&K to play for India in ODIs.
Indian judoka Inungambi Takhellambam lost her bronze medal bout in the women's 70kg category at the Asian Games to Mongolia's Anujin Uran-Ulzii. This defeat meant India missed out on a medal in the event. Another Indian judoka, Yamini Mourya, also saw her campaign end in the repechage round of the women's 57kg category.
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has commenced its three-day meeting, with a majority of economists and bankers anticipating a 25 basis point rate hike to counter escalating inflation risks, particularly from West Asia conflicts.
A trade body in Jharkhand, FJCCI, has urged the Union Finance Minister to withdraw the proposed 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants. The body argues that this charge will significantly increase operating costs for businesses, especially MSMEs and retailers, who rely on the current zero-MDR regime for digital payments.
George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a dominant performance, setting a lap time significantly faster than his rivals. His Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli crashed out during qualifying, paving the way for Russell's 12th career pole. Other top contenders like Max Verstappen faced issues, while several drivers incurred grid penalties, setting the stage for a potentially unpredictable race on the challenging Baku street circuit.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade after two days of losses, driven by easing crude oil prices and strong buying in blue-chip IT stocks, despite continued global uncertainties. Track Sensex, Nifty on September 30.
Indian Greco Roman wrestler Sunil Kumar made a strong start at the Asian Games, advancing to the men's 87kg semifinals with a dominant technical superiority victory.
Josh Inglis scored a century and Nathan Ellis hit an unbeaten 36, including a six off the first ball of the final over, to guide Australia to a dramatic one-wicket victory over Zimbabwe, securing a 3-0 series whitewash.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced a decline in early trade due to relentless foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, although a drop in crude oil prices below USD 100 per barrel provided some cushioning. Track Sensex, Nifty on October 1.
India U-19 defeated Sri Lanka U-19 by 211 runs in the second Youth Test in Colombo, securing the two-match series 1-0, with leg-spinner Rohit Yadav and pacer C Venkata sharing seven wickets.
The Indian women's table tennis team advanced to the quarterfinals at the Asian Games after a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Thailand. However, the Indian men's team faced an early exit, losing 0-3 to South Korea in the round of 16, marking their second defeat in the group stage.
Boxer Lovlina Borgohain's parents expressed immense joy and pride after their daughter clinched a gold medal at the Asian Games. They highlighted her hard work and dedication, noting her long-standing goal to upgrade her previous silver to gold. The family also shared Lovlina's future aspirations, including an Olympic gold and upcoming world championships.
The Indian women's hockey team defeated defending champions China 1-0 to win their first Asian Games gold medal in 44 years, securing a direct berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Lalremsiami scored the winning goal, and goalkeeper Savita Punia made crucial saves.
Indian tennis players Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal have made winning starts to their men's singles campaigns at the Asian Games, securing places in the pre-quarterfinals.
Ankush Panghal secured a gold medal in boxing at the Asian Games, contributing to India's best-ever gold medal performance in boxing at the event, alongside Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda. This achievement follows a strong showing at the recent Commonwealth Games.
Indian boxers Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal have secured their spots in the gold medal bouts of their respective weight categories at the Asian Games, with Parveen overcoming a past suspension to achieve this feat and Ankush defeating a world champion. This achievement marks a significant improvement for India's boxing contingent.
Alexander Isak scored the only goal, securing a 1-0 Premier League victory for Liverpool against AFC Bournemouth. Despite the win, Liverpool's attack, featuring Gakpo, Wirtz, and Barcola, struggled to create chances, managing only six shots on goal. Captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledged the team's need to improve but highlighted the importance of the three points and a clean sheet.
The Czech Republic secured their 12th Billie Jean King Cup title by defeating Ukraine 2-0 in the final. Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova delivered dominant singles victories, with Muchova sweeping Anhelina Kalinina and Noskova overcoming Elina Svitolina. This victory marks the Czechs' first title since 2018, solidifying their position as the second-most successful nation in the competition's history.
India's head coach Craig Fulton expressed relief after the defending champions secured a dramatic 4-3 victory against Pakistan in the Asian Games hockey semifinal. Despite leading 3-0, India allowed Pakistan to equalise before clinching a late winner. Fulton highlighted defensive lapses, missed opportunities, and a loss of composure, stressing the need for improvement before the final.
Indian boxers Lovlina Borgohain, Priya Ghanghas, and Kapil Pokhariya have advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games, ensuring at least bronze medals for the country. Lovlina, a Tokyo Olympics medallist, secured her second consecutive Asian Games podium finish, while Priya made a strong comeback, and Kapil also reached the last four. This brings the total number of assured boxing medals for India to six.
A member of the National Traders' Welfare Board (NTWB) has urged the central government to withdraw its decision to impose a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective from October 15. He warned that the new charge, which will be borne by merchants, could negatively impact business growth and lead to higher prices, contradicting the government's 'ease of doing business' policy.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances in the seventh round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The men's team defeated England, with R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh securing crucial wins. The women's team dominated Germany with a 3.5-0.5 victory, highlighted by wins from Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, and Savitha Shri.
The Finance Ministry has clarified that the 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, effective October 15, is not expected to increase cash transactions or cause inflation. The ministry also dismissed allegations of US pressure influencing the decision, asserting that the policy aims to promote RuPay credit cards within the UPI ecosystem, and a monitoring mechanism will ensure the MDR burden is not passed on to consumers.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed nearly flat on Thursday, influenced by the US Federal Reserve's interest rate hike and indications of further monetary tightening. Despite some intraday gains, caution prevailed, with foreign institutional investors continuing to offload equities. Meanwhile, the National Stock Exchange of India's (NSE) mega initial public offering opened for subscription, garnering 39 per cent subscription on its first day.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with the men's team defeating Spain 3-1 and the women's team securing an identical 3-1 victory over Mongolia. World champion D Gukesh led the men's success with a clean win against Alexei Shirov, while Arjun Erigaisi also contributed significantly. In the women's section, B Savitha Shri and Divya Deshmukh were instrumental in their team's win.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) net purchased a record $18.65 billion in July, driven by inflows from its concessional swap facility, leading to a significant increase in India's foreign exchange reserves.
The Indian men's badminton team blanked Bangladesh 3-0 to enter the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Monday.
India's Quimcy Dsouza experienced a double setback at the Asian Games in Nagoya, narrowly missing out on bronze medals in both women's singles and mixed doubles Teqball. Despite a valiant effort against Japan's Yuina Sakamoto in singles, losing 0-2, and a subsequent loss in mixed doubles with Mohamed Anas Beg, her performance highlighted India's growing presence in the sport.
A University of Delhi study has found significant heavy metal contamination in agricultural soil and vegetables grown along the Yamuna river in the capital. The research highlights potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks to consumers due to crops irrigated with polluted wastewater, with specific vegetables showing dangerously high levels of metals like nickel, chromium, and molybdenum.
Nothing has expanded its premium audio line-up with the launch of the Headphone (1) Pro, the brand's newest flagship over-ear model.
Indian fencers Hemash Sanasam and Sachin have successfully advanced to the round of 32 in the men's foil individual event at the Asian Games, despite a mixed performance in their respective pools. They will now face Kazakh opponents in the next stage.
India experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the Asian Games, highlighted by Mirabai Chanu's historic silver medal in weightlifting, ending a long wait for an Asiad medal. The nation also secured several bronze medals in skeet shooting, men's badminton, and soft tennis. While Chanu shone, the shooting contingent faced challenges, and other sports like wushu, table tennis, squash, women's hockey, and kabaddi saw Indian athletes advance or dominate their events.
Bank of Baroda has launched 'bob World 2.0', an AI-powered mobile banking app featuring voice-command capabilities for payments and navigation. The updated app also includes a personal finance management module and a persona-based customer experience, aiming to offer intuitive, secure, and personalised banking services.
Daniel Maldini had his driving licence suspended after a Milan crash, with breath tests showing alcohol above Italy's legal limit, though Cagliari confirmed his toxicology tests were negative.
