Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes Lionel Messi needs to win the 2026 World Cup to truly equal Diego Maradona's legendary status, despite Messi's 2022 triumph. Bhutia rates Maradona higher due to his single-handed 1986 World Cup victory, while also tipping Spain as slight favourites over Argentina in the upcoming final.
ICICI Bank, India's second-largest private-sector lender, is set to raise approximately $500 million through an overseas dollar bond issuance, marking its first such move in nearly a decade. This fundraising effort will utilise the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) concessional swap window, a facility designed to reduce hedging costs for foreign currency borrowings.
India's services sector experienced its strongest growth in six months in May, with the HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index rising to 59.8. This expansion was driven by healthy demand, new client acquisitions, and improved new business intakes, alongside a softer rise in cost burdens.
The Indian women's hockey team, led by coach Sjoerd Marijne, won the Nations Cup in Auckland, defeating New Zealand 2-0 in the final. This victory secures their promotion back to the FIH Pro League. Despite the win, Marijne emphasised the need to improve field-goal conversion, while captain Salima Tete highlighted the team's strong mindset and the confidence boost ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
The third ODI between India and England at Lord's on Sunday could be Rohit Sharma's final game in international cricket with the national selection committee unlikely to pick the white-ball great beyond the ongoing series in the UK.
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health journal reveals that almost all countries are overusing 'watch' class antibiotics, which are stronger drugs meant for specific conditions and contribute significantly to antibiotic resistance. The research developed a framework to assess appropriate antibiotic use and found that while many countries overuse antibiotics, particularly the 'watch' category, some also underuse 'reserve' antibiotics, potentially leaving patients with drug-resistant infections untreated. The study highlights a global inequality where lower-income countries need more specialised antibiotics but higher-income countries use them more.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Mithun Manhas and secretary Devajit Saikia have lauded the Indian women's cricket team for their historic 270-run Test victory over England at Lord's. Key performances from Kranti Gaud and Yastika Bhatia contributed to this significant achievement, which is seen as a testament to the team's belief and sustained investment in women's cricket.
Interim All India Tennis Association (AITA) President Chintan Parikh has accused court-appointed administrator Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal of financial exploitation and procedural bias, alleging that her actions are draining the sports body's finances and compromising its autonomy.
C Joseph Vijay's Jana Nayagan is not just a film but a potent political statement, strategically crafted to align with his political aspirations and claim the legacy of M G Ramachandran, notes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
India's domestic passenger vehicle sales experienced a robust 24.6 per cent year-on-year increase in June, propelled by favourable government policies like income tax relief and repo rate cuts, alongside resilient rural demand, even as global crude oil prices pose potential cost pressures.
A PL Capital report projects India's LPG subsidy bill to exceed Rs 1 lakh crore in FY27, creating a significant Rs 70,000 crore gap over the Union Budget's Rs 30,000 crore allocation, driven by the government and OMCs absorbing higher fuel and LPG price increases.
15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has received his first call-up to the Indian national cricket team for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, following a stellar IPL 2026 season and an impressive U19 World Cup performance.
BMW Group India says every Re 1 depreciation in the rupee against the euro trims its profit margin by about 1 per cent, prompting the company to consider further price increases.
A compelling all-round performance helped India A thrash Afghanistan A by 101 runs and qualify for the One-day tri-series final in Dambulla on Wednesday.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan criticised Dhruv Jurel after Rajasthan Royals' defeat to Delhi Capitals, saying the wicketkeeper-batter should have scored faster and helped his side cross the 200-run mark.
India's banking system liquidity has fallen into a deficit for the first time in nearly three months, prompting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to inject 1.41 trillion through a seven-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction to ease the temporary tightness.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
The World Bank has increased India's economic growth projection for FY27 to 6.6 per cent, citing resilient domestic demand, while simultaneously cutting its global economic growth outlook due to the conflict in West Asia.
India's economy registered a robust 7.7 per cent growth in the fiscal year 2025-26, an increase from 7.1 per cent in the previous year, with the January-March quarter alone seeing a 7.8 per cent expansion.
India's manufacturing sector experienced a moderation in growth during June, with the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) falling to 54.2 from 55.0 in May. This slowdown is attributed to softer increases in new business orders and international sales, leading to reduced expansions in buying levels, employment, and output.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has partnered with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to launch a "Clean Sports Campaign" aimed at combating doping in India. This initiative comes as India faces a serious doping problem, topping WADA's list of offenders, and seeks to educate athletes on anti-doping regulations and promote fair play. Chopra emphasised the importance of patience over quick gains through doping, highlighting the long-term damage it causes to athletes and the nation's sporting image.
The Reserve Bank of India's Financial Stability Report indicates that the interim peace deal between the US and Iran has favourably shifted the balance of risks, reducing headwinds from the West Asia conflict. However, it cautions that exchange rate volatility could increase if crude oil prices spike due to delayed normalisation of supply chain disruptions.
HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector lender, reported a reduction of 3,343 employees in FY26, bringing its total workforce to 2,11,178, even as its balance sheet expanded by 12 per cent. The bank's MD and CEO, Sashidhar Jagdishan, attributed the headcount reduction to redeploying talent from back-end functions to customer-facing roles due to technology-led efficiencies. The annual report also addressed the challenging resignation of part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty, which raised questions about the bank's governance standards.
India's bowling coach hails team's "hungry mindset" after strong T20 World Cup start
'Banking is the only sector that can see double-digit growth in FY27.'
Governor: Simplistic narrative, questionable historical accuracy, underwhelming production quality, notes Sukanya Verma.
Companies are already diversifying sourcing, raising prices, and reworking operating models as the disruption drags on.
Gold and silver are expected to remain volatile with a corrective bias as investors assess the latest flare-up in the US-Iran conflict, movements in crude oil prices, and inflation data, which could reshape expectations for global interest rates, according to analysts.
Rajasthan all-rounder Manav Suthar has made his Test debut for India against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, becoming the 319th player to represent the country in Test cricket.
At 31, it would be too early and unwise to phase out a special talent like Sanju Samson, who despite the odd blip appears to be enjoying the best phase of his India career.
Sanju Samson described his move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings as a 'huge risk' but credited MS Dhoni's subtle yet impactful advice and the team management's unwavering support for helping him overcome a difficult start to the IPL 2026 season and rediscover his form.
Indian opener Rohit Sharma has returned to net practice, showcasing good form with elegant strokes, as he prepares for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England starting July 14. The "Hitman" is India's third-highest ODI run-scorer, and his inclusion, alongside Virat Kohli, boosts the squad.
Automobile manufacturers are increasingly vocal about the mounting paperwork and delays associated with India's Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the automotive sector, arguing that compliance requirements are becoming as challenging as meeting technical eligibility conditions. They are pushing for a simpler, faster, and more predictable certification and compliance framework.
India's toll collection growth is projected to moderate to 5-7 per cent year-on-year in FY27, a 150-200 basis points reduction, primarily due to the economic impact of the West Asia conflict and a slowdown in commercial traffic, according to Crisil Ratings.
To get its act going in Myanmar, India would need very dynamic diplomacy and not the lazy all-eggs-in-one-basket approach, points out Subir Bhaumik.
The fourth season of the Mumbai FIDE rated All India Classical Chess Masters tournament is set to take place from May 23 to 28, featuring top seed Shreyansh Somaiya and a strong mix of experienced and emerging chess players.
With their tri-series campaign hanging in the balance, India A take on Afghanistan A in a must-win contest on Wednesday. Another defeat could leave Tilak Varma's side relying on other results to stay in the race for the final.
As India marks a decade of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the focus is shifting towards enhancing efficiency through artificial intelligence, data sharing, and process simplification. The reform, which unified India's indirect tax system, has significantly broadened the tax base and boosted revenues, with future plans including a streamlined two-tier rate structure and continued technological integration to reduce compliance costs and combat evasion.
We who were dreaming of being the third largest economy in dollar terms, have slid back to sixth, thanks to the falling rupee. We are moving about with begging bowls for investments and trade opportunities, which will be a while in materialising, if ever, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
Assam emerged as the fastest-growing large state with a remarkable 17.3 per cent nominal GDP CAGR over five years.
