The Mumbai-Delhi air route, the country's largest and most lucrative, is witnessing an intense battle for supremacy between IndiGo and the Air India group, with Akasa Air emerging as a significant third player, according to recent data.
Making UPI payments fee-based for some transactions could enhance mental reservations against digital payments -- which have largely been overcome -- once more. Do we want to regress?, asks R Jagannthan.
Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath has invested Rs 200 crore in CtrlS, a hyperscale data centre company, with entrepreneur Sreeram Reddy Vanga adding Rs 50 crore. This capital infusion will fuel CtrlS's infrastructure expansion and capacity growth across India, addressing the rising demand from enterprises and hyperscale clients driven by AI, cloud, and digital advancements.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for enhanced accountability and safeguards for artificial intelligence, particularly as it integrates into critical sectors like finance. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest, she highlighted the dual nature of AI, capable of accelerating transactions but also amplifying fraud and cyberattacks. Sitharaman stressed the need for human and institutional responsibility in AI-driven decisions, urging regulators and companies to scrutinise high-risk AI applications. She also proposed a federated industry platform for Indian tech companies to navigate international regulations and ensure tax compliance globally.
French aerospace and defence major Thales views India as a highly dynamic market for avionics, with significant growth potential as Indian airlines expand their fleets. The company, which has a substantial presence and MRO facilities in India, is also exploring opportunities to replicate India-developed solutions globally and sees increased use of AI in development.
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.
Prasar Bharati Chairman Prasoon Joshi voiced concerns over AI's impact on India's cultural heritage, including music and endangered languages, advocating for human-AI collaboration. Meanwhile, a Spotify report revealed significant growth in royalties for Indian artists, with linguistic diversity driving economic strength in the creative industries, highlighting the platform's role in enabling talent across various Indian languages.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven foreign nationals, including a US citizen and six Ukrainians, for illegal entry and alleged terror conspiracy with ethnic armed groups, though the stringent UAPA anti-terror law was not invoked at this stage.
The merged InsuranceDekho-RenewBuy entity aims to significantly expand its distribution network across India, offering insurance, mutual funds, and loans, with a strong focus on 'Bharat' (rural India), according to CEO Ankit Agarwal.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% transaction fee on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments exceeding Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15, marking the end of nearly six years of free service. Person-to-person transfers and small-value transactions below Rs 2,000 remain free. The new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is capped at Rs 300 for transactions above Rs 75,000, with differentiated rates for essential sectors and investments, and safeguards to prevent costs from being passed to consumers.
A 33-year-old gym owner, Kalyan Bainsla, has been arrested in Rajasthan for allegedly ramming his car into a woman biker, Shivani Chauhan, on Gurugram's Golf Course Road. The incident, captured on video, led to charges of attempt to murder and stalking after police investigation revealed alleged indecent comments and deliberate intent to harm. Bainsla's cousin and another friend have also been detained.
Roles that mention AI in software development have grown 138 per cent between Q2 2024 and Q2 2026.
The US push for clearer crypto rules is putting pressure on India to fill its own regulatory gap for virtual digital assets.
Passenger traffic Y-o-Y fell 26.8 per cent in April and 24.6 per cent in May, while capacity declined 9.6 per cent and 11.3 per cent, respectively.
The Enforcement Directorate has seized Rs 3.45 crore in cash during searches against Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, his family, and associates in a FEMA investigation. The probe concerns alleged undisclosed overseas investments, cross-border business links, and collection of bribes from PWD contractors, with the minister denying wrongdoing and alleging political targeting.
An independent study reveals that while Geographical Indication (GI) registration has boosted the identity of Kerala's traditional handloom products, it has not uniformly translated into economic benefits across weaving clusters. Challenges include an ageing artisan population, competition from powerloom products, rising raw material costs, and inadequate marketing.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed AI Manthan 2.0, advocating for the comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across all university subjects rather than as a standalone course. She urged universities to develop clear, time-bound AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, and agriculture, emphasising indigenous AI development, employment creation, and the importance of "Safe and Trusted AI." The event also saw the formation of an AI Policy Advisory Group and an AI Implementation Group to drive these initiatives.
Nepal's Hindu groups have sought an all-party discussion on restoring Hindu-nation status within three months.
A new report indicates India has become the world's fifth most digitalised economy and ranks fourth globally in AI performance, driven by increasing AI adoption and a strong digital infrastructure.
Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani stressed the need for India to develop population-scale tokenisation infrastructure capable of handling billions of transactions, rather than merely focusing on issuing tokens. He highlighted the importance of interoperability, liquidity, and high volumes for tokenisation to expand across various asset classes and use cases.
State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) is strategically planning to enter the wealth management segment by early 2027 and significantly expand its credit card portfolio, aiming to tap into lucrative markets largely dominated by private-sector banks.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal highlighted the critical need for India to diversify its services exports beyond the dominant IT/ITeS and professional services sectors. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, he emphasised the vast potential in the global financial services market, where India currently holds a small share, and stressed how fintech solutions, like UPI, can drive growth, reduce remittance costs, and support MSME trade finance, ultimately leading to sustainable economic expansion.
A gym owner has been arrested in Rajasthan for allegedly ramming his car into a woman biker in Gurugram, knocking her off her vehicle. The incident, captured on video, led to charges of attempt to murder and stalking after the victim claimed the accused made indecent comments and deliberately hit her. The accused, Kalyan Bainsla, along with a cousin, was apprehended after a two-day search.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed that terror charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against seven foreign nationals, including one American and six Ukrainians, have not been dropped and the probe is ongoing. The agency filed a chargesheet under the Immigration and Foreigners Act (IFA) to prevent the accused from becoming eligible for default bail, while explicitly stating that the UAPA investigation continues. The foreign nationals were arrested for allegedly entering India illegally from Myanmar.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has set its initial public offering (IPO) price band at Rs 1,700-1,785 per equity share, with the subscription period running from September 17 to September 21, aiming to raise up to Rs 22,569 crore.
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.
Global brokerage Jefferies forecasts a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for India's defence spending, estimating a cumulative domestic opportunity of over $60 billion across four years, driven by geopolitical tensions and the government's indigenisation push.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday described BRICS as an important global forum, highlighting the grouping's growing demographic and economic weight and noting that its members account for around half of the world's population and 40 percent of global GDP.
The highlight of the successful BRICS Summit was its ability to deliver a joint statement that all members, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates, embroiled in the war in West Asia, signed.
Do not share OTPs, PINs, authentication codes, card numbers, card verification values (CVVs), KYC details, security answers, Internet-banking passwords or Aadhaar-based authentication credentials through SMS, e-mail or phone calls.
Gujarat CID has arrested Rafiqul Alam, the alleged 'mastermind' behind 1,090 cybercrimes totalling Rs 1,071.5 crore, who was found to have links with China-based criminals and converted illicit funds into cryptocurrencies.
A report by Bain & Company and HealthQuad identifies remote patient monitoring, OT/ICU optimisation, and chronic disease management as key opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Indian healthcare. The report highlights a shift from experimental AI to real-world applications, driven by government initiatives, increasing EMR adoption, and a robust startup ecosystem. AI's autonomous capabilities are rapidly advancing while costs decrease, creating significant growth potential for providers and startups.
Phishing sites mimicked SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to steal card details and OTPs.
Indian banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are undertaking a comprehensive review and reset of their engagement terms with fintech firms, driven by the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) draft Guidance on Regulatory Expectations for Data Governance and the stringent compliance requirements of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and its 2025 Rules.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the fintech industry to expand the global footprint of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), advocating for its integration with international payment systems to reduce remittance costs for the Indian diaspora. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest, Modi highlighted UPI's current presence in 11 countries and its connection with Singapore's local system, urging further expansion into nations with significant Indian populations or trade ties. He also stressed the need for India to set its own global payment standards and for the fintech sector to innovate beyond payments, focusing on cybersecurity, ethical data protection, and regulatory frameworks.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, though person-to-person (P2P) transfers and small P2M payments remain free. The charges aim to bolster investment in UPI infrastructure, with specific exemptions and caps for essential sectors.
A Delhi court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Shubham Tyagi, an accused in the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people. Tyagi was allegedly co-running a paying guest facility in the collapsed building and failed to disclose a crucial rent agreement, which weighed heavily against his plea. The court noted a "joint venture" with co-accused Sudhanshu and the need for further investigation into their roles and the money trail.
Mirzapur: The Movie has achieved a superhit opening weekend, demonstrating potential to join the Rs 200 crore club, despite being an experimental film adapted from an OTT series without conventional star power.
Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has sharply criticised Pakistan's batting performance in the final Test against England, highlighting their "woefully low confidence" and "dispirited" state. The team was skittled out for just 133 runs, failing to cross 200 even once in the series, with key players like Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique struggling. Atherton attributes this decline partly to the controversial decision to send home seven players and two coaches. Despite the batting struggles, young pacer Razaullah offered a glimmer of hope with an impressive bowling display.
