India's dual pursuit of a robust strategic partnership with Washington and a pragmatic, tension-management policy with Beijing represents the essence of modern multi-alignment. By embracing economic pragmatism, learning to compartmentalize political differences, and engaging in continuous dialogue, India can secure its borders, grow its economy, and contribute to a stable, multipolar Asian century, points out Ambassador Rajasekhar.
The Indian government has notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, establishing IST as the sole reference for all official purposes nationwide. These rules, effective in 180 days, aim to synchronise digital systems, reduce reliance on foreign time sources, and enhance coordination across critical sectors like banking, railways, and telecommunications.
India's foreign exchange reserves surged by USD 11.475 billion to a new record high of USD 740.803 billion for the week ended August 28, driven by the RBI's concessional forex swap initiatives.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in India reached Rs 29.8 lakh crore in August, approaching record levels. Volume also hit a new high of 24.51 billion transactions, driven by festive activities like Raksha Bandhan. The digital payment system continues its rapid growth, expanding its global presence to 11 countries, with further growth anticipated during the upcoming festive season and new use cases like credit on UPI.
India's foreign exchange reserves have surged by $12.42 billion, reaching a new all-time high of $729.33 billion for the week ended August 21, driven by increases in foreign currency assets and gold reserves.
India have never looked so vulnerable in Test cricket in recent times. They need a complete reset of their approach to Test cricket, and perhaps a new coach with fresh ideas could revitalise Shubman Gill and his boys.
India launched 'Suryapath Tiranga', a unique initiative involving over 50 Indian missions globally, to digitally relay images of the tricolour across multiple time zones, starting from Fiji, to mark the country's 80th Independence Day.
India's junior men's hockey team began their AHF Junior Men's Asia Cup title defence with an overwhelming 14-0 victory against Indonesia in their opening Pool A match. Prabhdeep Singh scored five goals, while captain Anmol Ekka added four and Ajeet Yadav contributed a hat-trick, showcasing India's strong attacking prowess.
Ravindra Jadeja's rare ability to influence matches with bat, ball and outstanding fielding has earned him Geoffrey Boycott's admiration, placing the Indian veteran above several modern batting greats.
Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma revealed that a conversation with KL Rahul during his Lucknow Super Giants stint profoundly influenced his cricketing philosophy, with Rahul's advice to prioritise the process over results helping him navigate challenging phases and slumps.
India is set to face South Korea in the second round of the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers in Seoul, aiming to secure a spot in the Final 8 for the first time under the current format. The team, featuring top players like Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri, seeks to end a long wait for a maiden title, building on the legacy of Indian tennis legends.
'Uranium supply is going to come under increasing pressure.'
Kolkata's passionate football fans have shown immense enthusiasm for the upcoming India-Brazil friendly, with lower-priced tickets selling out within an hour of going online. India is set to play five-time world champions Brazil on October 3, followed by a match against two-time world champions Uruguay, providing a significant test for the Indian squad ahead of crucial Asian Cup qualifiers.
The All India Football Federation has announced a series of high-profile international friendly matches for the Indian men's national team. India will host Panama on September 26 in Bengaluru, followed by five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6, both in Kolkata. These matches represent a significant step for Indian football, offering the team a chance to compete against top-ranked global opponents.
Neetal Narang has been appointed as India's first Safeguarding Officer for the upcoming Asian Games, a role mandated by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Veteran skeet shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan expresses strong optimism about the future of Indian shooting, attributing the potential rise to government-backed initiatives like Khelo India. He is preparing for his third Asian Games appearance and believes India will have the best team across all shooting disciplines in the next four years, thanks to enhanced grassroots development and support systems.
'India is trying to project that it can engage with the world in a different way too.'
'I moved out of my house at the age of 17 to pursue this dream. Since then, I've been doing everything by myself, managing everything by myself for this one dream of Miss Universe.'
As the world's most populous country, India's economy looks large in the aggregate even as its average incomes stay modest.
India's Women's T20 Asia Cup campaign begins against Thailand, with the team facing questions about their recent form and consistency. Despite a strong historical record in the tournament, recent losses and individual player form, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur, raise concerns. The team aims to overcome fielding issues and batting inconsistencies, relying on key players like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma, as they prepare for both the Asia Cup and upcoming Asian Games.
The Indian men's football team, led by head coach Khalid Jamil, will play high-profile friendlies against Panama, five-time world champions Brazil, and two-time world champions Uruguay in September and October.
That means making it easier to invest, protecting investors through predictable rules, and avoiding policy reversals after investments have been made, notes Rajeswari Sengupta.
Indian football head coach Khalid Jamil believes playing five-time world champions Brazil and two-time winners Uruguay at home will be a historic turning point for the sport in the country. These high-profile matches are crucial for preparing the team for next year's Asia Cup qualifiers and will boost player confidence and learning.
Bangladesh-China and Bangladesh-US relations have evolved from reluctant engagement to increasingly consequential strategic partnerships.
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded an unprecedented 24.51 billion transactions valued at Rs 29.8 lakh crore in August, largely propelled by the Raksha Bandhan festival. This surge marks a 22% annual increase in volume and 20% in value, highlighting the expanding reach and depth of the UPI ecosystem. Experts anticipate further growth during the upcoming festive season, while UPI's international acceptance now spans 11 countries.
India's international football friendly against Panama in Bengaluru has been advanced by a day to September 25 due to the Bengaluru Marathon. The match at Sree Kanteerava Stadium will be a significant test for the Blue Tigers against a 2026 World Cup participant, preceding other high-profile friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay.
Masters champions Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson are confirmed to make their debut at the DP World India Championship in October. They will join a stellar field including Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose, with Indian stars Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri also participating.
'The fundamental issue that I have raised, how come India's GDP in current prices went down from Rs 86 lakh crore down to Rs 80 lakh crore -- a staggering erasure of Rs 6 lakh crore. This disappearance of Rs 6 lakh crore has not been answered by anyone.'
Heavy traffic continues to eat into commuters' time. Here are India's most congested cities.
Former head coach Rahul Dravid believes India have 'fallen behind' in the World Test Championship final qualification race, highlighting the upcoming New Zealand series as a significant challenge for the young team.
A Microsoft Work Trend Index report reveals India has the highest share of "Frontier Professionals" globally, with 32% of its AI users employing AI agents in multi-step workflows, double the global average. Indian professionals are not just adopting AI but are actively redesigning work processes, demonstrating strong leadership alignment and a focus on human oversight and critical thinking. Major Indian IT firms like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro show rapid adoption and significant productivity gains with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
India's sporting landscape is grappling with a pervasive age fraud issue, as evidenced by hundreds of disqualifications in recent championships. Experts highlight the systemic nature of the problem, driven by a chaotic birth registration system and the allure of early career advantages. While the BCCI has implemented bone density tests, limitations persist, prompting calls for stricter measures, including criminal deterrence and a comprehensive national database, to safeguard the integrity of youth sports.
India women's bowling coach Avishkar Salvi detailed the team's comprehensive workload management plans for all bowlers, ensuring optimal performance through various phases of training and rest. He also addressed the recent batting collapse against Thailand, acknowledging occasional shortfalls but highlighting the team's resilience and lower-order contributions.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has achieved a rare feat in Test cricket, becoming only the fourth player in history to score over 4,000 runs and take 350 wickets. He joins an exclusive club alongside legends like Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, and Daniel Vettori, reaching the milestone during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
India and Japan will play their first-ever men's T20 International cricket match on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, marking the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations.
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.
Bangladesh Cricket Board President Tamim Iqbal remains optimistic about a white-ball series against India, despite the originally planned September window being missed. He confirmed that both boards are actively seeking a suitable time, highlighting positive intentions from both sides. Iqbal also reflected on past tensions, including Bangladesh's withdrawal from the 2025 ODI World Cup, acknowledging that negotiations could have been handled better.
India is hosting its first international para archery event, the third stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series, in Ahmedabad. The competition features 109 archers from 19 countries and serves as a crucial build-up to the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games. World number one Sheetal Devi, along with other top Indian and international archers, will be competing for titles and world ranking points.
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.
Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam finished 20th in the men's 1000m time trial, while Harshveer Singh Sekhon and Dinesh Kumar were eliminated from the men's 40km points race in the heats at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
