Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of Air Staff, has expressed significant concern over the inordinate delays in inducting new combat jets, including the indigenous Tejas aircraft, stating that these delays are severely impacting the Indian Air Force's depleting fighter squadron strength. He highlighted the need for 36-40 new fighter jets annually to address these gaps and voiced worry over Pakistan's collaboration with China on a fifth-generation fighter jet.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated 'Vayu UTtaM', an indigenously developed multi-mode Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system, at 'Dronathon 2026' in Pokhran. This ground-based system is designed to manage drone operations in congested airspace and identify rogue drones, with applications extending to critical infrastructure, civil aviation, and public safety. The event also saw the release of the 'IAF UAS Roadmap' to guide indigenous innovation in unmanned systems.
Indian mutual fund holdings in overseas equity securities increased by 37.5 per cent year-on-year to approximately '93,602 crore by March-end, according to RBI data. This growth is attributed to mark-to-market gains from a global market rally and heightened investor interest, with the US remaining the primary destination for these investments.
Meesho, a value-commerce platform targeting middle- and lower-income geographies, is poised for significant growth driven by its asset-light model and low fulfilment costs, but faces intense competition from e-commerce giants and high valuations.
SBI Funds Management, India's largest asset management company, has set its IPO price band between 545 and Rs 574 per share, valuing the company at 1.2 trillion. The management explained the 'moderate' valuation aims to instil investor confidence amidst market uncertainty, while also highlighting plans for AI integration, expansion into GIFT City, and new alternative investment funds.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda has emphasised the need for sound regulation, ethical oversight, and equity in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to healthcare, speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
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.
BIT Mesra has launched 'HimClimX', an AI-powered platform designed for Himalayan climate intelligence and visualisation. It integrates over a century of climate data to offer trend analysis, anomaly detection, spatial visualisation, impact assessment, and AI-driven forecasting for the Himalayan region.
The scholarship covers 100 per cent of the annual tuition fee, hostel and mess charges and provides a laptop in the first year.
IBS Group has launched Naviq Technology, an artificial intelligence company dedicated to the global travel industry, backed by a substantial USD 500 million investment over the next five years. The new venture aims to partner with major travel players to drive business transformations, modernise operations, and leverage AI for new revenue streams, with plans for significant job creation in India.
Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher, resigned from Anthropic, accusing leading tech firms like OpenAI and Anthropic of irresponsibly racing towards superintelligence without adequate safeguards. He warned of existential dangers, a sentiment echoed by Anthropic's Evan Hubinger, who admitted the company lacks a plan for superintelligence alignment.
India's Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stated that the country's balance of payments (BoP) pressure is expected to remain a continuous challenge due to rising imports, commodity dependence, high global interest rates, and intense competition for capital.
Foreign institutional investors have withdrawn nearly $40 billion from Indian equities in the last two years and, according to Bernstein analysts, have 'little reason' to invest for the long-term, though they may 'return to trade'. The brokerage highlights challenges such as struggling large-caps, disruption from new technologies, and difficulties accessing small- and mid-caps (SMIDs) at an institutional scale.
Samsung India Electronics has initiated job cuts in its Consumer Electronics (CE) division, laying off 8-10 mid-to-senior-level employees with plans to let go of another 40-50 staff. This move is part of a cost-rationalisation exercise driven by rising input costs, muted consumer demand, and intense competition from rival Korean and Chinese players.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced a global partnership with AI major Anthropic to help enterprises accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence, including equipping 50,000 TCS employees with Anthropic's Claude AI models.
A recent survey reveals that Artificial Intelligence is becoming a central focus in human resource management, with a majority of professionals identifying it as a top priority for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and optimising workforce planning across various HR functions.
IT services giant Wipro has launched an Applied AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, focusing on Anthropic's Claude models. This initiative aims to accelerate enterprise AI adoption, train 10,000 experts, and integrate AI into core business workflows and Wipro's internal operations.
Indian companies LTM and Mastek announced new international partnerships for cloud, AI, and digital transformation. Jio BlackRock AMC launched a new hybrid fund. NMIMS partnered with Coursera for AI-enabled learning, and MakeMyTrip Foundation rebuilt a flood-damaged school in Manali.
The National Medical Commission is emphasising the importance of preparing doctors and healthcare systems for the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for ethical and equitable AI adoption in healthcare.
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian descent, is embarking on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station. A former US Space Force colonel and emergency medicine physician, Menon will conduct vital experiments on the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight, develop in-space medical technologies, and research semiconductor crystal production, contributing significantly to future deep-space missions and advanced technology.
Hyundai Motor India is set to outpace the broader passenger vehicle market, projecting an 8-10 per cent domestic sales growth in H2FY27, fueled by strategic launches of a new mid-size SUV and a dedicated electric vehicle, alongside increased production capacity.
Moody's Analytics predicts India will remain the fastest-growing major economy in 2026 and 2027, but its pace will moderate due to a global slowdown, geopolitical risks, and financial market volatility, despite the boost from AI demand.
Climate scientist Tapio Schneider advocates for expanding early warning systems beyond rainfall events to include other disaster triggers like flash floods, citing the recent Nepal floods. He highlights the inevitability of 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming and discusses the role of advanced climate modelling and AI in improving predictions and research, particularly for regions like India.
'For Indian institutions this year, global peers are outpacing in key areas such as RoI, entrepreneurship, and alumni outcomes.'
'The Rs 35,000 crore of capex every year, I don't get to sign 35 paise out of this.'
'It's A Cat And Mouse Game.'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged BRICS nations to expand trade in national currencies and build an inclusive global economic framework. He criticised "unilateral sanctions" by Western powers, stating they make emerging economies vulnerable and impact global food security. Pezeshkian emphasised BRICS' role in creating a balanced world order and highlighted Iran's geopolitical and energy capacities for cooperation.
In 100 days in office, Chief Minister V D Satheesan has ordered five SITs. This would appear to be some kind of a record, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has commenced an investigation into Rajesh Exports concerning a 15.15 trillion financial misstatement, following a referral from market regulator Sebi.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the central bank consistently views fintechs as 'valuable partners' in shaping India's future financial system, crediting the sector with expanding financial inclusion, enhancing customer experience, and streamlining credit delivery, particularly for MSMEs.
The Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of certain objectionable social media content targeting MP Raghav Chadha, who had filed a lawsuit against malicious, AI-generated, and deepfake content impacting his reputation. While some content was deemed not prima facie defamatory, specific objectionable material was ordered to be taken down.
'My suggestion to Nandan Nilekani is that it would be worthwhile for him to take a holistic review in a manner in which examination is just one critical component.'
Android's September Drop brings smarter AI, easier messaging and practical everyday features.
A PwC India report highlights that the competitiveness of India's industrial manufacturing sector hinges on the seamless integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into business strategies and operations. The report indicates that a significant majority of Indian manufacturers view AI as crucial for achieving strategic goals and are accelerating automation across various functions to build intelligent enterprises and gain sustainable competitive advantage.
Cybersecurity specialists warn AI-driven attacks require continuous threat monitoring instead of periodic security checks.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) significantly increased their buying in Indian equities during the first half of August, with financial services attracting the largest inflows, reversing previous outflows. The IT sector also continued to see strong interest from overseas investors, driven by a reassessment of valuations and the role of Indian IT firms in AI deployment.
NIT Rourkela has announced the launch of four new academic programmes for the 2026-27 session, focusing on emerging technologies such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.
Artificial intelligence major Anthropic has reinstated access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after the US government lifted export controls imposed due to national security concerns over a "jailbreak" vulnerability. The company has implemented new safeguards and is collaborating with major tech firms to develop a framework for addressing AI model vulnerabilities. India, a significant market for Anthropic, will see Fable 5 available globally, while Mythos 5 access expands under Project Glasswing.
Shailesh Chandra, MD and CEO of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV), stated that the uncertainty surrounding how long commodity costs will remain elevated is a greater concern for the company than the actual price increases. He noted that commodity prices have risen significantly over the past five to six months, impacting margins and necessitating faster cost-reduction efforts, though no major production or supply-side issues are currently foreseen.
'Companies are getting selective about what they pay a premium for.'
