The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Cultus Education, has launched a nationwide initiative to provide cloud and AI skilling to 1.5 lakh learners. This programme aims to equip youth, especially from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with essential technology skills and job-ready training, contributing to India's goal of becoming a global innovation hub.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised the repo rate by 0.25%. Three financial planners explain how soon banks will pass the increased loan interest on, what borrowers should check and what they need to avoid.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed marginally lower due to elevated crude oil prices, fresh US-Iran tensions, and expectations of a tighter monetary policy from the US Federal Reserve, despite strong domestic GDP growth.
Indian companies, including NBFCs, filed proposals to raise $7.696 billion through external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) in July 2026, a significant increase from $6.09 billion in June.
'The most effective investment approach is one that aligns with an investor's temperament, risk tolerance, and decision-making style.'
Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu dismisses exaggerated fears about AI's catastrophic potential and global development pauses. He advocates for India to adopt an independent AI strategy, fostering partnerships while avoiding entanglement in US-China tech rivalry. Vembu stresses extensive investment in foundational R&D across sectors, distinguishing it from costly frontier AI model development. He also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill erosion, and job disruption, particularly in software engineering, while remaining optimistic about new economic opportunities.
Smallcap funds topped the net inflow chart for the second consecutive month, as investors poured record Rs 7,973 crore into one of the best-performing MF categories.
India's Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stated that the country's balance of payments (BoP) pressure is expected to remain a continuous challenge due to rising imports, commodity dependence, high global interest rates, and intense competition for capital.
'My biggest fear about AI is that humans are going to rush to deploy it before AI is ready.'
India is making a significant push to establish itself as a global semiconductor manufacturing hub, driven by strategic investments and policy support. The upcoming SEMICON India 2026 event will showcase the country's advancements and ambitions in this critical industry, which underpins virtually all modern electronic devices and has faced global supply chain vulnerabilities.
Foreign institutional investors have withdrawn nearly $40 billion from Indian equities in the last two years and, according to Bernstein analysts, have 'little reason' to invest for the long-term, though they may 'return to trade'. The brokerage highlights challenges such as struggling large-caps, disruption from new technologies, and difficulties accessing small- and mid-caps (SMIDs) at an institutional scale.
India's deposit growth has reached a 15-year high of 17.8 per cent, primarily driven by a surge in foreign currency non-resident (bank), or FCNR(B), deposits. This influx of funds is expected to lead to a softening of corporate loan rates as banks seek to deploy their excess liquidity.
The Union Cabinet has approved a significant increase in the mandatory EPFO wage ceiling from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, a move expected to bring over 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory social security coverage.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have significantly increased their investment in Indian equities, infusing Rs 23,544 crore in August, driven by improving quarterly earnings, a stable rupee, and positive market prospects.
Microsoft India and South Asia President, Puneet Chandok, discusses the company's strong belief in human-centric AI development, significant investments in India's cloud and AI infrastructure, and the country's pivotal role as an AI market, talent hub, and technology builder. He highlights AI's impact on jobs and the need for responsible innovation.
Industry is pushing for GST reforms that would let companies use unused tax credits from one state to pay GST liabilities in another, potentially freeing up working capital trapped across state registrations.
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu argues that predictions of AI's catastrophic outcomes are overstated and a global pause in AI development is improbable. He urges India to adopt an independent AI strategy, focusing on extensive foundational R&D across sectors, while remaining wary of market monopolisation attempts by major tech players. Vembu also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill development, and job markets, particularly for junior professionals.
The Goa government has decided not to introduce its anti-religious conversion bill during the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly, following significant pushback from legislators representing the minority community.
We check horoscopes. We check family background. We check whether the boy has a 'government job' or the girl 'knows how to cook'. Somewhere in this elaborate audit, nobody thought to ask: Hey, are you both healthy?
The Indian rupee experienced its sharpest single-day decline in eight weeks, settling at 94.83 per dollar, primarily due to escalating crude oil prices and persistent risk-off sentiment driven by heightened geopolitical tensions and limited foreign inflows.
Industry experts advocate for India to develop its own artificial intelligence (AI) safety framework, distinct from US or EU models, to address unique challenges like deepfakes and cyberattacks. They call for a comprehensive commitment involving all stakeholders and a hybrid regulatory approach combining voluntary and binding measures, as the Indian government also considers new AI regulations.
The BJP has accused the Congress of spreading "fake news" regarding UPI transaction charges, asserting that the government has clarified that consumers will not be levied merchant discount rate (MDR) charges. This comes after the Congress criticised a government notification, alleging it paves the way for imposing fees on UPI transactions. The BJP has strongly refuted these claims, highlighting that most UPI transactions remain free and the government provides incentives to maintain a charge-free ecosystem for users.
Five men have been arrested near Guruvayur temple in Kerala for allegedly plotting to kill a woman. The accused reportedly planned to disguise themselves as women to enter her hostel. The motive appears to be a relationship breakup, and the men were also found with cannabis and accused of selling drugs to children.
'Your retirement corpus isn't just a big pile of cash for 'one day' -- it is the salary you pay yourself when you no longer want to go to work.'
A 31-year-old software engineer, Vinay Gupta, was allegedly beaten to death by his in-laws in outer Delhi following a matrimonial dispute. His wife had called her family after an argument, leading to the fatal assault. Police have detained four individuals and registered a murder case.
A man in Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, helped solemnise the marriage of his wife, a mother of five, with her lover at a Shiva temple after she expressed her desire to live with the other man, ending marital discord.
A career break does not erase the experience that came before it. But the labour market can act as though it does. The more women invest in building professional careers, the more costly an interruption can become. How, then, do we enable women to make a comeback? Whose responsibility is it? asks Radha Roy Biswas.
The Finance Ministry has refuted allegations that US pressure influenced the decision to levy a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI payments. It clarified that NPCI guidelines prioritise RuPay credit cards on UPI to foster a domestic payment ecosystem and that the MDR introduction aims to create a sustainable revenue model for smaller domestic companies, thereby protecting India's sovereignty in digital payments.
India's services activity expanded in August, but the pace of growth cooled to the second-slowest since March 2022, despite stronger output and new business, according to the HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index.
The authorities have said that it is not permissible to examine and review in 2026 the decision taken by the trustees in 1988 regarding the existence of necessity for transfer of shares.
Analysts predict that crude oil prices and the ongoing US-Iran conflict will be the primary drivers of stock market movements, with investors also closely watching the Jackson Hole symposium for cues on interest rates.
India's UPI system continues its rapid growth, dominating retail payments. Recent amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act allow for targeted Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) on high-value merchant transactions, aiming to create a self-sustaining revenue model for the ecosystem while keeping P2P and low-value payments free. This move could generate significant revenue and encourage ecosystem participation.
The combined market valuation of four of India's top-10 most valued firms eroded by Rs 87,960.29 crore last week, with Bharti Airtel experiencing the largest decline, amidst a bearish trend in the equities market.
'It's A Cat And Mouse Game.'
Government departments are establishing Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to promptly address and counter misleading or fake content circulating on social media. These teams will monitor digital platforms, verify information, and coordinate with fact-checking units to ensure timely and accurate responses to misinformation, with some ministries already having formed their QRTs.
Their stories will go unheard, filed somewhere in the banal footnotes of history. Unwritten, untold, undocumented, notes Binu Alex.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the central bank consistently views fintechs as 'valuable partners' in shaping India's future financial system, crediting the sector with expanding financial inclusion, enhancing customer experience, and streamlining credit delivery, particularly for MSMEs.
EPF wage ceiling rising to Rs 25,000 could increase employer statutory contributions by Rs 1,200 monthly per employee.
Media baron Subhash Chandra has clarified that the total claim against him in personal insolvency proceedings is Rs 3,992 crore, not Rs 22,000 crore as claimed by dissenting creditors, asserting he was only a personal guarantor and not the borrower.
August 2026 witnessed a significant surge in India's primary market, with 21 mainboard initial public offerings (IPOs) raising approximately 21,000 crore, marking the highest monthly deal count of the year, even as benchmark indices experienced declines.
