For millions of Indians, this number has become one of the most important financial indicators. It can influence not only whether a bank approves a loan but also the interest rate you pay, the credit limit you receive and, in some cases, how quickly your application is processed.
Parliament was informed that UPI has onboarded 55.49 crore users by June 2026, with transactions reaching 24,162 crore in volume and Rs 314 lakh crore in value in FY 2025-26. The platform, operated by NPCI, is expanding internationally through NIPL, facilitating cross-border payments and assisting other nations in building similar systems. Significant efforts are also underway by the Government, RBI, and NPCI to enhance the security and transparency of UPI transactions, including risk-based limits, security frameworks, and public awareness campaigns against cyber-crime.
Back when India moved slowly, every window seat came with a view, and every rail journey came with excess baggage - food, fears, family drama, points out Ajanta Krishnamurthy.
The move comes amid growing demand from organisations in India for local access to Claude.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing to significantly increase its silver jewellery testing capabilities and expand its national laboratory network, driven by a shift in consumer demand from gold to silver and a broader push for enhanced product certification and surveillance.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the implementation date for its revised loan recovery and agent engagement directions to January 1, 2027, from the previously proposed October 1, 2026, following stakeholder feedback.
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.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met with AI major Anthropic to discuss a long-term partnership aimed at accelerating AI adoption across governance, education, healthcare, research, and the state's startup ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on deploying AI solutions responsibly, ensuring data privacy, and developing AI-focused skilling programmes and an AI University.
In a no-filter conversation with Rediff's Rishika Shah, Miss India World Nikita Porwal has a few confessions to make.
History-sheeter Arjun Ayanki has publicly challenged Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, daring him to reinvestigate a case and warning him against intimidation. This comes as police intensify their search for Ayanki in connection with allegedly threatening a police officer. Ayanki, known for his involvement in a gold smuggling network, has multiple cases against him, including a recent one for his social media post against the minister.
Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri are set to lead the home challenge at the DP World India Championship, scheduled for October 15-18 at the Delhi Golf Club. The tournament will feature a star-studded international field including Major winner Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, and Viktor Hovland. Both Sharma and Lahiri expressed excitement about competing on home soil, highlighting the event's significance for Indian golf.
Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, warns that cheaper Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) models could lead to 'massive capital destruction' in US markets, highlighting the rapid growth of Chinese LLMs and the increasing debt funding for AI capex in the US.
The Indian government is considering amending the IT Rules 2021 to introduce compulsory certification for films released on OTT platforms, following a controversy involving the film 'Satluj' which was released without clearances and later taken down due to national security concerns.
A sophisticated cross-bank syndicate is systematically defrauding non-resident Indians (NRIs) and elderly citizens by exploiting their fixed deposits through forged documents and fictitious loans, often involving colluding bank employees and real estate deals.
The Jharkhand government is holding fresh discussions with student aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities, even as the health of key protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto has significantly deteriorated after being on an indefinite hunger strike for about a week.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini met with a World Bank delegation to discuss advancing Artificial Intelligence, digital governance, and skill development in the state. The discussions focused on leveraging technology to enhance citizen services, with plans to showcase Haryana's AI Sandbox globally and develop a dedicated AI model for the state.
IT Secretary S Krishnan advocates for India to pursue "strategic autonomy" in the AI ecosystem by building domestic capabilities and diversifying global supply chains. He emphasized avoiding overdependence on single sources while integrating into trusted global networks, and also highlighted the need to consider an AI law and regulatory framework.
Messaging platform Telegram has submitted its reply to the IT Ministry's notice regarding its 'username' feature, which allows users to communicate without sharing phone numbers, following a similar submission by WhatsApp.
Vidarsa K Vinod, a 27-year-old shooter from Kerala, has secured a spot in India's Asian Games squad for the 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events, overcoming significant financial hurdles and training setbacks through resilience and family support.
Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has joined Amsterdam Flames as a marquee player in the inaugural European T20 Premier League, aiming to make a global impact and share his experience with other players.
L&T Finance reported a robust Q1FY27 with net profit growing 29% year-on-year to 900 crore, driven by strong asset growth and strategic initiatives including accelerating cross-selling, improving productivity, and fostering a technology-first, AI-led culture, alongside significant expansion in gold loans.
A government mandate requiring central public sector enterprises to use the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) for settling small business invoices is expected to significantly increase volumes on these platforms.
Make the most of the monsoon with these hatke experiences.
The Indian government has clarified that consumers will not be charged for UPI transactions, and most merchant transactions will also remain free. This comes amidst speculation following an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Any future merchant discount rate (MDR) would be nominal, threshold-based, and aimed at ensuring UPI's long-term sustainability and infrastructure development.
How did a melancholic Kishore Kumar classic from 1964, remixed decades later, become the unlikely soundtrack to a Gen Z protest?
Indian pharmaceutical companies are not rushing to relocate manufacturing to the United States despite former President Donald Trump's renewed threat of tariffs up to 200 per cent on imported generic drugs. Instead, they are leveraging existing US plants, contract manufacturers, and making selective investments in complex products while maintaining India as their primary production hub.
Global semiconductor giant AMD projects the overall market for compute infrastructure, driven by artificial intelligence, to reach USD 2 trillion by 2030 from USD 365 billion in 2025. The company unveiled new products and its Helios AI infrastructure, emphasising an open ecosystem and significant performance gains over competitors, with India playing a key role in its global rollout.
Global semiconductor giant AMD projects the overall market for compute infrastructure, driven by artificial intelligence, to reach USD 2 trillion by 2030 from USD 365 billion in 2025. The company unveiled new products and its Helios AI infrastructure, emphasising an open ecosystem and significant performance gains over competitors, with India playing a key role in its global rollout.
BikeWo Green Tech and Kwik Flite Support have signed an initial pact to develop an integrated air cargo, aviation logistics, and multimodal freight platform. This collaboration aims to combine road mobility with aviation capabilities to serve various industries, focusing on high-value and time-sensitive logistics across India, including Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
US President Donald Trump has announced a "historic" agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, coupled with a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces. The deal, part of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan, involves an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian police force, with Gaza eventually administered by a new Palestinian government. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye were thanked for their mediation efforts.
Reliance Industries Ltd reported a 22 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for the June quarter, primarily because the previous year's earnings were inflated by a one-time gain from the sale of its stake in Asian Paints.
Wimbledon achieved record attendance and social media engagement, along with strong broadcasting figures, despite competing with the soccer World Cup. The tournament saw over half a million fans, significant retail sales, and a notable audience share for the women's singles final in the Czech Republic.
Sridhar Vembu, Zoho Corporation Founder, states that the IT industry is not generating new jobs due to funds being redirected towards the escalating costs of AI and data centre infrastructure. He highlights a structural economic challenge where advanced technology, while making goods affordable, creates income distribution issues and suggests that solutions like Universal Basic Income might gain traction, especially in countries like India.
The Lok Sabha has passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, authorising the government to permit banks and service providers to levy charges on UPI and other electronic payment modes. This move aims to create a sustainable revenue model for the digital payments ecosystem, shifting from the current exemption of UPI transactions from such charges.
Prashant Kishor and Dr Jahnavi Das first met while working on a United Nations public health initiative.
Dreamfly Innovations is setting up a 40,000-sq ft aviation battery manufacturing facility in North Bengaluru with an investment of Rs 40 crore. This plant will produce advanced batteries for various drone applications, supporting India's growing drone economy and domestic drone makers.
A healthy relationship should make you feel valued, whether you are alone together or in a room full of people, counsels rediffGURU Ravi Mittal.
NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) have successfully integrated the Maldives' instant payment system 'Favara' with India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This enables real-time fund transfers from Maldives to UPI-enabled Indian bank accounts, marking a significant step in cross-border digital financial connectivity and bilateral economic cooperation.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, expressing her patriotism through tricolour ribbon clips and becoming emotional during the national anthem.
The global players' union, FIFPRO, has strongly criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing him of 'profound abuse of presidential power' following the secretive development and subsequent shelving of the 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' plan, which aimed to privatise the FIFA World Cup.
