Left parties have strongly condemned the government's decision to impose charges on UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000, with CPI General Secretary D Raja alleging the move was made under "US pressure" to favour foreign payment companies. Both CPI and All India Forward Bloc demand the withdrawal of this "anti-people decision," arguing it burdens consumers and merchants while undermining UPI's role as a public digital infrastructure. They highlight concerns that the charges weaken India's digital sovereignty and serve commercial interests of foreign corporations like Visa and Mastercard.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain highlighted that banks are well-positioned to deploy $133 billion mobilised through FCNR(B) deposits, especially with strong credit demand ahead of the festival season, while also stressing the importance of robust technology governance and cyber defences in the financial sector.
India's multi-format cricket tour of New Zealand has seen unprecedented early ticket sales, with 26,000 tickets sold in the first 48 hours of the pre-sale. The 12-match series, starting in October, is proving to be a major draw, particularly for white-ball matches, prompting New Zealand Cricket to urge fans to secure their seats quickly.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant were not picked in Indian team for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, while Ruturaj Gaikwad made a return to the one-day team.
India's unemployment rate reached an 11-month high of 5.5 per cent in May, up from 5.2 per cent in April, according to the National Statistics Office, indicating a softening labour market as labour-force participation also eased.
A high-level committee, including representatives from banks and payment associations, is set to decide on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants. While person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free, the move follows a recent amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, sparking debate and clarification from the Finance Minister that only certain high-value merchant transactions might incur charges.
India has exhausted 58.04 per cent of its FY27 fertiliser subsidy budget in under five months, primarily due to a significant surge in global urea prices following the conflict in West Asia, necessitating potential additional government expenditure.
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma stated that the government's new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on large-value UPI transactions will significantly increase the company's revenue and profitability. The 0.4% fee on UPI transfers exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants, effective October 15, is expected to give Paytm a competitive edge. Sharma also highlighted the company's focus on generating free cash flow, expanding internationally, and developing proprietary artificial intelligence capabilities to drive future growth.
'I don't really expect the August increase in food prices, which was close to 6 per cent, to persist as we go close to the end of this year.'
India-EU FTA opens a bigger European market for Indian carmakers while giving European brands greater access to India.
India published 929 generative AI patents in 2024 and 2025 alone -- equating to nearly 70 per cent of the 1,350 patents it published over the entire previous decade (2014 to 2023).
India has successfully manufactured and test-fired its first fully indigenous AK-203 assault rifle, named 'Sher', at the Korwa facility in Uttar Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in defence self-reliance with 100 per cent Indian components.
Dr Pooja Chaudhary, consultant-obstetrics, gynaecology and laparoscopic surgery at Motherhood Hospitals, explains how you can manage your thyroid-related health problems.
The opposition has strongly criticised the government's decision to introduce a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15. They allege the move is a result of US pressure and will lead to increased commodity prices, calling it a "betrayal" of the common man. The government, however, clarifies that customers will not be charged, and the MDR applies only to merchants for larger transactions.
Shubman Gill celebrated his 27th birthday with his family, reflecting on a remarkable rise from Fazilka to becoming one of India's leading batters.
The government is introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends the zero-MDR regime, aiming to fund UPI infrastructure and sustainability, as the previous government subsidy was insufficient to cover operational costs. Payments between individuals and most everyday merchant transactions will remain free.
Opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, and RJD, have strongly criticised the government's decision to impose a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000 made to merchants. They allege the move is a result of "American imperialism" and will lead to increased commodity prices, while the government maintains the charge is on merchants and not consumers, with person-to-person transactions remaining free.
'Periods of heightened volatility, driven by global events such as tariffs and geopolitical tensions over the past year-and-a-half, can make some investors pause or discontinue their investments.'
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) "is distributed only amongst the UPI ecosystem, to further invest into infrastructure resilience, innovation, cybersecurity (protecting the UPI infrastructure with banks and non-banks) and customer service."
Motorola has expanded its tablet portfolio in India with the Moto Pad 70, a feature-packed device aimed at users seeking entertainment and productivity on the go.
The Congress party has strongly refuted government claims that its MPs on the Parliament Standing Committee on Finance supported a fee on high-value UPI payments. Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tewari, stated that the "UPI tax" proposal was not specifically discussed by the committee, accusing the Modi government of diverting attention from public backlash and appeasing US companies. The government, however, cited the committee's report which pressed for a tiered Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework.
Auqib Nabi's Surrey stint will provide crucial first-class exposure in England as the J&K pacer seeks to strengthen his case for India's Test squad for New Zealand.
Hosts Anil Kapoor and Rohit Sharma bring their own brand of charm and humour to two new game shows that promise to make your weekends more entertaining, observes Divya Nair.
India's 10 largest pharmaceutical companies have consistently maintained positive average volume growth throughout 2026, while smaller rivals have experienced more erratic performance, driven by a market shift towards chronic and sub-chronic therapies.
The Allahabad High Court has ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to refund Rs 19.90 lakh debited from a widow's fixed deposit to recover her deceased husband's personal loan. The court deemed the bank's action an "abominable" breach of banking practice and also directed SBI to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the woman.
As India's decline continued on global indices, the government first blamed methodology and then motives. This is where we remain today as we wish each other and ourselves a happy Independence Day, points out Aakar Patel.
'Treating stock brokers as merchants for MDR is fundamentally misplaced.'
Former India batter S Badrinath has expressed concerns regarding India's T20I squad for the upcoming Afghanistan series, particularly questioning the consistent inclusion of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. He suggested that some selections might be influenced by team management preferences. Badrinath also welcomed Jasprit Bumrah's potential return, calling it a significant boost for the team ahead of the Asian Games.
Hunkkaar: The Roar is a fairly familiar fight for justice that builds far too many flimsy narratives around its core conflict, runs out of ammunition and speaks out of turn in a needlessly cussing tone, notes Sukanya Verma.
'If crude remains above $100 per barrel, with restricted retail-price increases, OMCs could face negative petrol and diesel marketing margins, higher LPG under-recoveries, higher crude-landing, freight and insurance costs, working capital and debt accumulation and inventory losses if crude subsequently corrects sharply.'
The RBI seems to be acknowledging that all deposits are not equal -- a deposit with a lower run-off assumption is inherently more valuable than one that could disappear overnight, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in India are committed to maintaining current prices through the festive season, despite facing increased commodity costs and geopolitical disruptions. This strategy aims to protect consumer demand and sustain volume growth, even as margins remain under pressure.
Suryakumar Yadav turned 36 as wife Devisha, BCCI, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings celebrated India's T20 star, highlighting his World Cup triumphs, captaincy and international achievements.
'... to see that young people are gainfully employed. After that, it will become very difficult as we will start ageing much more rapidly.' 'We have a huge proportion of Gen Z. After 2030, every year, we will start seeing a gradual shift towards a slightly older society.'
'They are claiming that they are very good in governance. All governments do propaganda. This is the propaganda of the government that they are doing very well, in spite of all the troubles.'
'They are claiming that they are very good in governance. All governments do propaganda. This is the propaganda of the government that they are doing very well, in spite of all the troubles.'
The central government has introduced a 0.4 per cent fee on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, prompting traders' associations to advocate for cash payments to avoid additional costs on digital payments. This move ends the zero-Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) regime, with traders expressing concerns about operating on tight margins and the potential for increased charges.
Abhishek Sharma smashed a record-breaking 30-ball century, the fastest by a full member in T20Is, leading India to a massive 127-run victory over Afghanistan. Sharma's explosive innings and his comments on India's batting philosophy highlight the team's focus on dominance ahead of the T20 World Cup, despite recent setbacks. Captains Shreyas Iyer and Ibrahim Zadran also shared their perspectives on the match and team development.
Fintech firm BharatPe has publicly supported the government's new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI merchant transactions, which introduces a 0.4% fee on transfers over Rs 2,000. The company has also distanced itself from its former co-founder Ashneer Grover's strong criticism of these changes, stating his remarks are personal and do not reflect BharatPe's official position. BharatPe believes the new framework will strengthen digital payment economics while protecting consumers and small merchants.
Of the 37,448 candidates registered for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in June, 36,288 appeared and 4,635 qualified.
