'It beggars belief that Saudi Arabia would deploy military force against India, a top partner and market.'
The United States and the European Union have strongly criticised India's trade policies at the World Trade Organization review, highlighting concerns over high tariffs, quality-control orders (QCOs), and restrictions on digital trade and services, which they argue undermine India's economic openness.
Bharti Airtel's homegrown cloud platform, Airtel Cloud, has acquired approximately 40 customers within a year of its launch, with a significant portion coming from the manufacturing sector. The platform, designed for Indian companies, offers sovereign, telco-grade cloud infrastructure, connectivity, and GenAI-based provisioning, addressing the growing demand for secure, India-hosted data solutions, particularly for sensitive workloads and regulated sectors.
The Indian women's cricket team, after winning their eighth Asia Cup title against Sri Lanka, declined to accept the trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, continuing a trend seen with the men's team last year. This incident highlights an ongoing impasse regarding trophy presentations involving the Pakistani official.
Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan has shared his preferred batting lineup for India's first T20I against Afghanistan, advocating for Shreyas Iyer to retain his number four spot and Sanju Samson to open the innings. Razdan emphasized performance over the left-right batting combination, highlighting Samson's recent T20 form. The series opener will also see a selection dilemma with multiple openers available and marks Iyer's first home series as captain.
The Sports Ministry has invested over Rs 702 crore in the last three years to prepare Indian athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, featuring 310 debutants.
Pacer Tess Flintoff's exceptional four-wicket haul dismantled India A's batting line-up, leading Australia A to a comfortable six-wicket victory in the opening match of the women's unofficial T20I series.
Russia remains India's biggest fertiliser supplier, with imports rising nearly 40 per cent in 2025.
India's Consul General in Shanghai, Pratik Mathur, extended greetings to Song Hou, Director General of China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC), ahead of his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Business Forum 2026. Discussions focused on B2B, technology, and connectivity ties, aligning with India's BRICS Presidency vision. The forum precedes the 18th BRICS Summit.
Bangladesh has once again sought the extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina from India during High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi's first meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, amidst fresh strains in ties between the two countries following Hasina's controversial virtual media interaction in New Delhi.
Pakistan is set to host the 14th South Asian Games in April next year across Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar, after a six-year delay. While the South Asia Olympic Council has approved the dates and venues, India's participation remains uncertain due to political tensions, despite its representative attending the planning meeting.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India's participation in the 2027 SAF Games in Pakistan will be guided by the sports ministry's policy, which permits Indian athletes to compete in events with Pakistani participants and vice-versa. Separately, the MEA also commented on the ongoing legal proceedings for seven foreign nationals, including a US citizen and six Ukrainians, who were recently chargesheeted by the NIA for illegal entry and movement, though not under UAPA at this stage.
Bangladesh-China and Bangladesh-US relations have evolved from reluctant engagement to increasingly consequential strategic partnerships.
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.
Indian tennis players Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh face challenging draws in the Asian Games men's singles, with tough opponents early in their campaigns. While singles prospects appear difficult, India holds strong medal hopes in men's and mixed doubles events, with top-seeded pairs.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval engaged in Special Representatives talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, focusing on the India-China boundary question and enhancing bilateral relations. These crucial discussions precede Chinese President Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit, aiming to address persistent border differences and stabilise ties strained by past conflicts like the Galwan Valley clash.
Indian tennis players Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh have received challenging draws in the Asian Games men's singles competition, with both facing tough opponents early on. While India has no representation in women's singles, strong doubles pairings offer better medal prospects, with coaches expressing optimism.
US President Donald Trump is set to engage in a series of high-profile meetings during the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, including discussions with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Young left-arm spinner Shree Charani discusses the Indian women's cricket team's strategy, particularly among slow bowlers, after their dominant seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Women's T20 Asia Cup. India bowled out Pakistan for their lowest-ever T20I total of 55, securing a semifinal spot and topping their group.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced fresh elections for November 27, concluding a prolonged legal dispute over its governance. This decision follows an interim administrative arrangement and constitutional amendments in line with new sports governance legislation. Rajeev Sharma has been appointed Election Commissioner, and a task force will address AITA Trust issues.
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has confirmed that the first T20I between India and Afghanistan will proceed as scheduled on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, despite earlier requests from Delhi Traffic Police to reschedule due to the high-profile BRICS Summit.
K L Rahul is likely to be named India's vice-captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting on September 27.
The Election Commission of India has announced decisions addressing concerns raised by two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, over the past 10 months. These issues included changes to voter registration forms, access to the electoral roll database, the handling of Goa's 97 voters, communications issued without full commission approval, oversight of the IT division, and appeals against voter restoration. The EC has provided responses and outlined steps to resolve these internal disputes and improve transparency and compliance.
India's men's and women's squash teams have successfully advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games in Nagoya, securing at least a bronze medal for the nation.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that India is in continuous dialogue with both Ukraine and Russia, seeking ideas and suggestions to mitigate or cease the ongoing conflict. Following his visit to Kyiv, Jaishankar reiterated India's stance that the war must end through dialogue and diplomacy, emphasising that trade decisions like oil purchases are not the solution to the conflict.
India, already qualified for the semifinals of the Women's Asia Cup, are set to face traditional rivals Pakistan in their final league game. While India is considered the overwhelming favourite, the match offers both teams an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies. India aims to strengthen its power-hitting and fast bowling, while Pakistan needs significant improvement in its batting to challenge stronger opponents.
Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in Ahmedabad to review India's preparations for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. The meeting, also attended by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat's Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi, highlighted the government's commitment to establishing India as a global sporting destination. Discussions also covered the 2029 World Police and Fire Games, set to be held in Ahmedabad.
India's Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra has warned that the upcoming rabi (winter) crop season is likely to be challenging for rainfed areas due to the strengthening El Nio weather pattern, potentially affecting foodgrain production. This comes as Maharashtra declares drought in nearly 74 per cent of its talukas, highlighting the immediate impact of climate change.
India's highly anticipated doubles medal challenge in tennis at the Asian Games ended in disappointment as both men's pairs, N Sriram Balaji-Anirudh Chandrasekar and Yuki Bhambri-Dhakshineswar Suresh, lost their quarterfinal matches. Sumit Nagal remains the sole Indian tennis player in contention, advancing to the men's singles quarterfinals.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Kyiv, reiterating India's readiness to assist in ending the Ukraine-Russia war. He emphasised that solutions would not emerge from the battlefield and highlighted Prime Minister Modi's call for an end to the conflict. Discussions also covered humanitarian aid, the impact on commercial shipping, and bilateral trade, with Jaishankar inviting his Ukrainian counterpart to India for further talks.
'My parents were crying because they were so excited that I was on screen, that it was an YRF film, and it was opposite Rani Mukerji.'
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has called on her team to maintain simplicity and trust their inherent strengths as they prepare to face Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup final, aiming to avenge their previous defeat.
India's Asian Games athletics team has been trimmed to 74 members, with prominent athletes like javelin thrower Annu Rani, long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, and sprinter Nithya Gandhe dropped due to performance or medical reasons. The decision followed a confirmatory event, while some injured national record holders were cleared to participate.
Arundhati Bhattacharyya, Salesforce President and CEO for South Asia, highlighted how cloud and AI are democratising capabilities, offering India a unique opportunity to leapfrog in the technology revolution. Speaking at the IMC Chamber of Commerce, she emphasised that AI will create more jobs by addressing unmet business demands and could significantly boost India's GDP, with NITI Aayog estimating a USD 500-600 billion addition by 2035. She urged Indian businesses to transform using technology, focus on data, redesign work, and invest in skills, stressing that AI is not just for large corporations.
The Bill proposes replacing employment-based Green Card preferences with a points-based immigration framework.
The Election Commission of India has addressed reports of internal dissent among its commissioners and clarified that all Special Intensive Revision (SIR) orders and Form 6 updates for voter enrolment received unanimous consent and were upheld by the Supreme Court. The EC also announced measures to ease the process for voters issued notices, including doorstep document collection and extended deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, while affirming its commitment to transparent decision-making and meticulous compliance with directives.
Xi brought in asymmetrical power play by stating that India should have 'strategic cognition' and 'strategic judgement made on the basis of the stage of development the two countries are at'. This is a very nuanced way of asserting China's coercive diplomatic posture and reflects Beijing's penchant to unleash border instability at will, restrict rare earth metal exports, exert pressure on India at global and regional orders, asserts China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
The Indian government has made Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification compulsory for smartphone screen protectors, effective April 1, 2027. This move aims to ensure product quality, curb low-quality imports, and significantly boost domestic manufacturing, creating a substantial industry and job opportunities.
India's Ministry of Power has notified the third phase of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE-III) norms for passenger vehicles, effective from April 1, 2027, which set relatively softer efficiency targets for lighter cars and demand greater improvements from heavier vehicles, a move expected to benefit manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki India.
The BCCI is set to take up an important matter at its 95th AGM in Mumbai on Friday -- the appointment of a new selector to replace outgoing chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
