Why the industry's public position changed is difficult to say. What the developments did establish, though, is that ethanol-blended petrol has become one of the country's most politically and commercially sensitive policy issues.
Pakistan hockey captain Abu Bakar Mahmood expressed confidence in his team's ability to defeat arch-rivals India at the upcoming FIH World Cup, stating that "rankings don't matter" in such high-stakes encounters and performance on the day is key.
AIFF Super Cup winners FC Goa are set to face Turkmenistan's dominant FC Arkadag in a single-leg qualifying match for the AFC Champions League Two group stage. This crucial encounter marks former India defender Gouramangi Singh's debut as head coach for FC Goa, who enter the playoff with a depleted squad. The winner advances to the group stage, while the loser drops to the AFC Challenge League.
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar, currently sixth on the LET Order of Merit, is set to lead the Indian contingent at the PIF London Championship. She aims to strengthen her position among the Tour's top players, with other Indian golfers like Avani Prashanth, Pranavi Urs, Aditi Ashok, and Hitaashee Bakshi also participating.
A 94-year-old woman, K Mahalakshmamma, who lived in the United States for over two decades, has renounced her American citizenship to return to her native village in Andhra Pradesh and die as an Indian citizen. She underwent an oath-taking ceremony before the Bapatla District Collector, and her application for Indian citizenship restoration has been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The All India Football Federation's decision to field two separate teams for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup and an international friendly against Brazil has sparked controversy.
The US Department of Labour's Office of the Inspector General has initiated an investigation into alleged fraud in H-1B and PERM work visa programmes. Indian IT firm Cognizant is among the companies under scrutiny for widespread schemes involving fraudulent applications, exploitation of foreign workers, and undercutting American labour. The probe aims to dismantle networks exploiting the guest worker visa system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted the risks posed by the 'weaponisation' of resources and strategic sea routes, urging India to achieve greater self-reliance in energy to mitigate vulnerabilities to overseas supplies and geopolitical tensions.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Google Cloud have inaugurated a new Gemini Experience Center (GEC) in Mexico City. This facility, the second in Latin America and ninth globally for TCS, is equipped with over 3,000 AI agents and aims to drive industry-specific AI solutions across various sectors. It will help organisations bridge the gap between AI experimentation and implementation, enhancing innovation and data-driven decision-making in the region.
The Bombay High Court has convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal for raping a colleague in 2013, overturning his earlier acquittal. He was found guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 354(a), and 354(b) of the Indian Penal Code.
Former India women's hockey captain Asunta Lakra has written to the Sports Ministry, SAI, and IOA, alleging institutional protection of sexual harassment and intimidation of women athletes within the sport. She claims she faced threats and a smear campaign after raising concerns about an individual, Sudhir Gola, and has accused Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh of threatening her. Singh denies the allegations, linking them to upcoming elections, while Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey has acknowledged Lakra's concerns and promised an amicable resolution.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed lower, primarily due to a downturn in banking and financial stocks, coupled with crude oil prices remaining above USD 80 per barrel. Geopolitical uncertainties and new regulatory proposals for the non-bank lending sector also contributed to cautious investor sentiment.
Indian athlete Basant Kumar Meghwal clinched a silver medal in the men's high jump event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA. Achieving a personal best of 2.21m, Meghwal contributed to India's growing medal tally, which also includes a silver from Ashish Yadav in javelin throw.
East Bengal FC is set to face Kuwait's Al-Arabi SC in a pivotal AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage match at Salt Lake Stadium, with tickets starting from Rs 149. This high-stakes fixture will determine the Indian Super League champions' continental future, offering a chance to secure a spot in the ACL Two 2026-27 group stage or drop into the AFC Challenge League.
India's rich culture and shared Commonwealth values will be prominently featured during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games closing ceremony's handover segment on August 2. This event will welcome Ahmedabad as the host of the 2030 centenary edition, showcasing India's biggest music and dance stars, including a tribute to Vande Mataram, a unique sitar-pipes Jugalbandi, and a grand finale celebrating Gujarat's heritage.
India's top 11 listed real estate developers are projected to achieve combined presales of 1.82 trillion by FY27, a significant increase from 1.49 trillion in FY26, demonstrating sustained sales momentum despite market challenges.
VVS Laxman is reportedly being considered to replace Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector for the BCCI, whose extended tenure ends next month.
Indian boxers, including Asian champion Vishvanath Suresh, Ganga, Hitesh, and Tanu, delivered strong performances on day 2 of the U-23 Asian Boxing Championships in Jakarta, securing unanimous decision victories. Sagar Jakhar faced a setback with a disqualification.
For the first time in history, the national song 'Vande Mataram' will be sung at the Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
Indian para-archers delivered a strong performance at the World Para Archery Series in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. Bhawna clinched a dramatic gold in the women's recurve, while world champion Sheetal Devi secured an individual silver, a compound mixed team gold, and a women's team bronze. Harvinder Singh also won a silver medal.
Anahat Singh, the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships, discusses her historic victory and dismisses the notion of Egyptian players having a psychological advantage.
The challenge thrown by the youth movement creates the opportunity for a more consequential debate on India's economic trajectory because it must remain centered on India's youth as its driving impulse, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The Maharashtra government has approved the deployment of sovereign artificial intelligence solutions from Sarvam AI for its departments, with a two-year outlay of Rs 11.26 crore. This initiative includes the Indus AI workspace for 2,500 users, ensuring government data remains within India, along with citizen outreach agents and speech models for the MahaAI platform.
Despite a population of 1.45 billion, India's football team is ranked a lowly 138th in the world and failed to qualify for next year's Asian Cup, highlighting deep-rooted systemic issues and a failure to implement reforms that keep the World Cup dream distant for fans.
The Supreme Court has directed the Reserve Bank of India to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within four weeks to deal with bank accounts linked to cyber frauds, including mule accounts. This directive is part of a broader effort to strengthen responses to cyber-enabled financial frauds, with the court also urging states and UTs to adopt and operationalise grievance redressal and money restoration modules.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has launched an indefinite statewide strike, protesting the government's decision to allow homoeopaths to register under the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and prescribe allopathic medicines after a six-month course.
Minerva Academy FC, a Punjab-based football club, is set to participate in the Helsinki Cup in Finland and the Gothia Cup in Sweden this month. This marks their second consecutive year in these prestigious European youth tournaments, having previously won the Gothia Cup in the U-14 category and reached the Helsinki Cup final.
'The BJP has all the instruments with them and they do have a sense of purpose, so I don't think there will be a challenge.'
Professor Deepak Dhar of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal for his significant contributions to statistical mechanics and complex systems. He shares the honour with three other scientists for their pioneering work extending statistical mechanics into diverse fields like AI and theoretical neuroscience.
Indian-origin golfer Sahith Theegala is in contention for a Top-10 finish at the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season PGA TOUR event. Despite a mixed third round, he remains close to the leaders, aiming for a strong performance to boost his FedExCup Play-offs chances. Beau Hossler and Michael Brennan currently share the lead.
Om Prakash Chouhan has taken the opening-round lead at the Rs 1 crore Coal India Open in Kolkata, delivering a spectacular eight-under 62. His impressive performance included a hole-in-one and an eagle, giving him a one-shot advantage over former Asian Tour winner Ajeetesh Sandhu.
US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday generated significant online traction after making a light-hearted reference to two "very, very important" Indian and Pakistani people in his life - his wife Usha Vance and Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir, on the sidelines of the US-Iran diplomatic deliberations in Switzerland.
Hangors are effectively 'dead-on-arrival' with Pakistanis saddled with deadweights that displace around 3,000 tons. Last time it was near Vishakhapatnam. This time, barnacles will clog the Hangors in Karachi port itself, points out Dr Abhishek Puri.
India's position appears to be anchored around three red lines: Hasina's safety and the guarantee of a fair trial; assurances that Bangladeshi territory will not be used for activities hostile to India; and the restoration of an inclusive democratic process in Bangladesh.
Brazilian forward Rodriguinho made a sensational debut for SC Delhi, scoring five goals to lead his team to a dominant 7-0 victory over Defenders FC in the Durand Cup. This win propelled SC Delhi to the top of Group C, bringing them closer to a quarter-final spot, while Defenders FC exited the tournament without a point.
VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, lauded Virat Kohli as an 'exemplary professional' and 'great role model' for his consistent high standards.
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the Durand Cup 2026 trophy, marking the start of preparations for Asia's oldest football tournament. She highlighted the tournament's role in nurturing talent, promoting sportsmanship, and connecting people, while also drawing parallels to India's vision of becoming a developed nation.
Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh is set to play for Pondicherry in the 2026-27 domestic season after securing an NOC from the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh. Singh alleges a lack of support from Chhattisgarh during his injury recovery and claims he was unfairly excluded from state tournaments and camps, despite being a top domestic performer. He plans to focus on white-ball cricket moving forward.
Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera said head coach Ricky Ponting personally approached him and offered reassurance at a time when his confidence was affected by his lack of runs during IPL 2026.
Indian women's hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne acknowledges the tight schedule between the World Cup and Asian Games but expresses confidence in the team's ability to manage the physical demands. Former captain MM Somaya also highlighted the importance of the World Cup as preparation for the Asian Games, where a gold medal secures a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
