Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday was marked by a flurry of greetings from global leaders, including Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, all underscoring strengthening bilateral ties and India's increasing stature on the world stage.
Telecom industry body COAI and the British High Commission signed an MoU to boost cooperation in AI, connectivity, and digital trust, fostering responsible tech innovation. The pact, signed at the CO.AI 2026 event, focused on AI's role in intelligent networks, security, and public services. Discussions highlighted AI's importance in combating fraud, improving network efficiency, and ensuring secure digital services. TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti and Acting British High Commissioner Ben Mellor emphasised the need for balanced governance and international collaboration to ensure secure, inclusive, and responsible digital transformation.
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.
Trai has brought app-based spam calls under tighter regulations through new A2P call rules.
'India is vulnerable to the West Asia crisis in three ways: Energy costs, the business Indian companies conduct in the region, and remittances from the Indian diaspora.'
The Finance Ministry has clarified that the decision to impose a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 was made independently, refuting claims of foreign influence. The ministry stated the policy aims to build a self-sustaining digital payments ecosystem, with MDR funding infrastructure and supporting small merchants.
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.
An Air India Airbus A320 experienced a near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems mid-flight, causing an altitude upset and injuring 24 people. A preliminary investigation revealed the pilot-in-command tested positive for a psychoactive substance post-flight, leading to their termination, while the technical aspects of the incident are still under scrutiny.
'Every period of excessive optimism eventually gives way to a correction, while periods of extreme pessimism often create the best investment opportunities.'
Jindal Supreme (India) Ltd's initial public offering, a manufacturer of plastic piping solutions, was subscribed an astounding 181.07 times on its final day, reflecting robust investor demand across all categories.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) "is distributed only amongst the UPI ecosystem, to further invest into infrastructure resilience, innovation, cybersecurity (protecting the UPI infrastructure with banks and non-banks) and customer service."
Mumbai-based TCR Engineering Services has become the first independent company in India to receive Nadcap accreditation for materials testing at its Navi Mumbai and Vadodara laboratories, a crucial step for Indian suppliers to enter the global aerospace supply chain.
India's UPI International payment system is now playing a crucial role in humanitarian efforts, enabling seamless disaster relief donations from Indian users to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, showcasing its growing global acceptance and utility beyond tourism. UPI IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Unsplash Key Points UPI International, initially for Indian tourists, is now facilitating disaster relief donations to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. The embassy of Nepal in India is actively encouraging Indian users to utilise their UPI apps for these contributions. This marks a significant shift, expanding UPI's cross-border use case beyond tourism to include inbound collection for foreign governments. The move positions UPI International alongside global payment giants like Alipay+ and UnionPay for international aid. Donors need to activate the UPI International feature on their apps to transact, with amounts converted from INR to NPR.
'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.'
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has waived landing charges for international flights at the Navi Mumbai International Airport for one year, with phased discounts for subsequent years. This move aims to incentivise airlines to establish new international routes from the airport, modifying previous criteria that linked waivers to the broader Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Jio Platforms Ltd, the digital services arm of Reliance Industries, has secured Sebi's final observation to launch an initial public offering (IPO) aiming to raise approximately USD 4 billion (Rs 37,700 crore), potentially making it the largest IPO in India's history.
Nearly a month after devastating flash floods in Nepal, search operations are ongoing for approximately 6,000 people who remain unaccounted for. The floods, originating near the Nepal-Tibet border, caused widespread destruction, killing over 1,400 in Nepal and 43 in China, and damaging critical infrastructure. Identification of recovered bodies is a major challenge, often requiring DNA testing due to severe damage.
Investors opening new brokerage accounts must choose a broker suited to their style.
In the next 36 months nearly 25 to 40 per cent of jobs will be under threat from AI and job losses are inevitable.
InsuranceDekho and RenewBuy have merged to establish India's largest artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled insurance distribution platform, targeting a significant premium book and extensive reach across the country.
The BJP has announced a month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' campaign, starting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, September 17, to commemorate his 25 years in public life. The initiative includes various programmes like 'Seva Diwas', 'Ashirwad Ka Diya', 'Seva Jyoti Kalash Yatra', youth yatras, and innovation challenges, all aimed at public participation and promoting the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
A high-level committee, including representatives from banks and payment associations, is set to decide on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants. While person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free, the move follows a recent amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, sparking debate and clarification from the Finance Minister that only certain high-value merchant transactions might incur charges.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to alter hiring patterns in South Asia, with multinational companies (MNCs) and firms integrated into global value chains (GVCs) reducing recruitment more sharply than domestic firms, signalling the technology's early impact on the region's export-oriented services sector, according to the World Bank's World Development Report 2026.
The Supreme Court has expressed shock over numerous deaths, including unnatural ones, in relief camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur. It directed the state's chief secretary to explain steps taken for investigation, criminal proceedings, and ensuring safety, questioning low compensation and incomplete post-mortems. The court also sought a report from MSLSA and urged expeditious trials in violence-related cases.
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.
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.
The UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has ruled out a cyberattack as the cause of the recent massive disruption across UK airports, which led to thousands of flight cancellations and affected tens of thousands of passengers, including those on flights to and from India. An investigation is underway, and the incident marks the third major air traffic collapse under the current CEO's tenure.
Six villagers in Fatehpur district were arrested after allegedly tying a telecom technician to a mobile tower. The incident occurred following prolonged 5G network outages, with residents demanding resolution to connectivity issues. Police rescued the technician and subsequently arrested six individuals who were later released on bail.
The government is introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends the zero-MDR regime, aiming to fund UPI infrastructure and sustainability, as the previous government subsidy was insufficient to cover operational costs. Payments between individuals and most everyday merchant transactions will remain free.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced new features for India's digital payment ecosystem, including UPI tap-to-pay for PIN-less transactions up to 5,000 and multi-currency capabilities for forex on Bharat Connect, supporting Euro, British Pound, and other major currencies.
Despite near gender parity in basic bank account ownership, women in India remain significantly underrepresented in the growing platform economy due to gaps in digital financial capability and access to credit, according to a joint report by the International Labour Organization and National Council of Applied Economic Research.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed mixed on Friday. While a drop in crude oil prices offered some relief, weakness in IT stocks and several Tata Group counters, including a significant dip in Tata Chemicals and ongoing boardroom issues at Tata Sons, limited a broader market recovery.
A new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, effective October 15, could force small merchants and price-sensitive consumers to revert to cash, according to economic think tank GTRI. The move, which introduces a 0.4 per cent MDR with a Rs 300 cap and concessional rates for specific categories, is questioned by GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava, who suggests it's not a revenue issue for the government but potentially a response to US pressure regarding UPI and RuPay's preferential market position.
India's services sector growth witnessed the slowest pace of expansion in five months in October, as competitive pressures and heavy rains in parts of the country led to a slower increase in output, according to a monthly survey released on Thursday.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered LCA Tejas FOC twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, and Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans. This significant handover, witnessed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marks a crucial step in India's journey towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector, showcasing HAL's capabilities across military, civil rotary-wing, and pilot training aviation.
State-run defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, along with Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans. This significant handover, witnessed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marks a crucial step in India's journey towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector, showcasing HAL's diverse capabilities in military, civil, and training aviation.
'The way the government behaves, sometimes I ask myself: Are not Tamils Sri Lankans too? Why do you discriminate so much?'
Former Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy V Subramanian outlines India's strategy to become a USD 55 trillion economy by 2047. The plan hinges on leveraging its young demographic in AI, dominating sunrise sectors like space and defence tech, attracting FDI, and achieving sustained 8% GDP growth.
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has officially commenced its international flight operations with an Air India Express service to Abu Dhabi, marking a significant boost in connectivity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and establishing a new global gateway.
The Supreme Court has stayed the reinstatement of IAS officer Rinku Dhugga, who was compulsorily retired by the Centre following a controversy involving the Thyagaraj Stadium. The Centre challenged the Delhi High Court's decision to set aside her compulsory retirement, which was initially ordered after allegations of misusing the stadium for dog walking and unauthorised absence.
