India's Consul General in Shanghai, Pratik Mathur, extended greetings to Song Hou, Director General of China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC), ahead of his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Business Forum 2026. Discussions focused on B2B, technology, and connectivity ties, aligning with India's BRICS Presidency vision. The forum precedes the 18th BRICS Summit.
Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to enhance their cooperation in combating terrorism across all forms. This commitment was solidified during the 10th Pakistan-EU Bilateral Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad, where both sides condemned terrorism and discussed evolving threats, including those in cyberspace. They also expressed concern over the security situation in Afghanistan and pledged to work together in multilateral forums.
The United Forum of IDBI Officers & Employees has voiced "profound concern" over the Centre's reported decision to proceed with the strategic disinvestment of its controlling stake in IDBI Bank to Fairfax Financial Holdings, urging a parliamentary review of the proposed sale.
A Delhi-based content creator, Amir Shokeen, has been arrested for allegedly racially abusing and humiliating a youth from Tripura in a viral video. Delhi Police took suo motu cognisance of the incident, which has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tripura CM Manik Saha. The Tripura Students Forum Delhi also filed a complaint seeking urgent investigation into the alleged sexual assault and derogatory remarks.
The three-day Army Commanders' Conference commenced in New Delhi, featuring the release of the 'Land Warfare Doctrine' by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This vision document aims to equip the Indian Army for future conflicts and evolving warfare challenges. The conference brings together senior leadership to discuss operational preparedness, capability development, and future transformation initiatives, with addresses from top defence officials and recognition for peacekeepers and environmental efforts.
The Indian government has approved the sale of a 60.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank Ltd to Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa's Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd for approximately 52,878 crore, a move that reflects improving India-Canada ties and marks a significant turning point for the bank.
A new global survey by HP reveals that a majority of Indian students are concerned that while AI helps them work faster, it prevents them from learning material as deeply. Despite these worries, students remain optimistic about AI's role in future job markets and feel confident in using AI tools responsibly. The report calls for policymakers to focus on durable skills and core education.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on October 20 for talks aimed at strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Discussions will cover energy, trade, defence, and critical technologies. The visit also includes celebrations for the 250th anniversary of US Independence. This meeting follows earlier confusion regarding Rubio's visit and will also touch upon the India-US bilateral trade agreement, which both sides are close to concluding. The MEA clarified that hosting foreign dignitaries outside Delhi is a common practice.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has made her Instagram debut to announce her upcoming memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'. The book, set to be published by HarperCollins India on November 10, details her life from childhood in Italy to her political journey in India, including personal tragedies and her decision not to become prime minister in 2004. Her social media entry marks a significant shift, as she previously avoided such platforms. The memoir's publication also follows a controversy with its initial publisher, Penguin Random House India, over editorial differences.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed strong solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating an exam where a student was found using a smartphone, an incident preceding the student's death by alleged suicide.
India has strongly rejected a UN special rapporteur's report describing the Dawood Ibrahim-led D-company as an "India-based" criminal group, flagging "glaring inaccuracies" and cautioning against such incompetence. First Secretary Raghoo Puri stated that Dawood Ibrahim fled India much before his 2003 listing and is wanted in India for terror attacks since 1993, residing in the same country where Osama bin Laden was found. India also raised concerns about alleged bias in the report and funding allegations against the rapporteur.
The Mumbai Police has transferred the alleged suicide case of a second-year IIT Bombay BTech student to the Crime Branch after his father filed a complaint alleging casteist slurs and harassment by Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was also named in an FIR.
Allahabad High Court Justice Vinod Diwakar has raised significant concerns regarding the functioning and transparency of full court meetings, noting that individual judges' views are not recorded and that meetings are infrequently held. His judgment calls for a more balanced and accountable approach to high court administration, highlighting issues of perceived "stage-managed" proceedings and lack of accountability in administrative decisions.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal has called for proactive regulation of Artificial Intelligence, stating that waiting for an "accident" before implementing safeguards would be "foolish." Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mittal highlighted the struggle of governments to keep pace with AI's rapid growth and emphasised the need for a global regulatory framework, similar to the aviation sector, to ensure national security and responsible development.
'We are open to all countries around the world as long as we get a fair deal, as long as we are ensured continuity in the engagement.'
Nandan Nilekani, head of the task force on exam reforms, stated on Tuesday that technology and a systematic approach can solve the issue of question paper leaks. He suggested generating exam papers from a large question bank at the last minute to remove economic incentives for leaks and also proposed moving towards computer-based testing.
Pragya Misra, OpenAI's head of public policy and strategy for India, stated that the next phase of AI will concentrate on driving measurable outcomes rather than mere experiments. She highlighted examples like Cars24 using AI for customer retention and a healthcare company building its CRM with OpenAI's Codex, demonstrating AI's tangible business impact and cost-saving potential. OpenAI aims for artificial general intelligence (AGI) to benefit all humanity by making AI accessible and addressing enterprise concerns like data residency.
Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence at the World Economic Forum, advocates for integrating AI literacy into India's education curriculum and incentivising AI companies to prioritise child safety. She stresses the need for localised solutions that account for India's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as varying levels of connectivity and digital literacy, to ensure AI systems are safe and beneficial for children.
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence will lead to job losses in India's IT services sector, calling such concerns "hogwash" and "disaster marketing." Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Nilekani argued that AI will actually increase demand for IT firms as it necessitates complex business transformations and creates new types of jobs, particularly in small businesses.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal stated that his satcom venture, Eutelsat OneWeb, is 'significantly ahead' of Elon Musk's Starlink in the Indian satcom queue, having applied for a licence five years ago, and expressed a desire to receive regulatory approval before Starlink.
The India-Africa Forum Summit, scheduled for May 28-31 in New Delhi, has been postponed due to concerns over the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that new dates will be finalised in consultation with African nations.
The Indian Navy is enhancing its operational capabilities across all domains, including air, underwater, AI, and quantum technology, to become a multi-domain network force. Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, highlighted lessons from recent conflicts, the exploration of directed-energy weapon systems, and significant procurement plans, including 42 new platforms on order and RFPs issued for LPDs and next-generation frigates. The Navy's focus on indigenous innovation and technology absorption, guided by "scale, sophistication, speed, and spiral development," aims to meet evolving operational requirements and protect maritime interests, especially amidst ongoing global crises.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has highlighted a stark contrast between the Allahabad High Court's decision to stay the conviction of a murder accused seeking a BJP ticket and the continued judicial custody of CJP co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Dipke criticised the extended incarceration of Ranka and Das, who were arrested for protesting at Jantar Mantar, while emphasising their sacrifices for public good. The CJP has demanded their immediate release and questioned the legal proceedings, calling for institutional accountability.
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh stated on Tuesday that the company's AI services, currently contributing over 8% of revenue, are growing rapidly and could account for almost half of its work within two to three years. He highlighted the strong demand for AI services, the company's hiring and training efforts for graduates in AI, and discussed potential risks like infrastructure challenges and societal backlash.
Bangladesh's Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will skip the first-ever BIMSTEC home ministers' meeting in New Delhi, with a senior bureaucrat leading the delegation. This absence underscores strained India-Bangladesh ties, particularly following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024 and Dhaka's request for her extradition from India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the stability of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is essential for normalising India-China relations, asserting that border disturbances will have consequences. He connected trade and investment growth to border peace and highlighted significant economic issues, including a severe trade imbalance and lack of market access for India in China. Jaishankar also referenced the 2020 Galwan clashes as a critical turning point, underscoring the profound impact of border tranquillity on the overall bilateral relationship.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran views the group's investment in semiconductors not as a short-term financial play, but as a critical long-term commitment to India's growth and self-reliance in a sector vital for domestic consumption and global supply chains.
The finance ministry has announced that all banks, including Regional Rural Banks, will remain open on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to ensure public convenience amidst a proposed three-day strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) starting September 28, 2026. The strike, if it materialises, seeks a 5-day banking week and pension reforms.
Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla stated on Tuesday that investments in artificial intelligence should be driven by potential returns, not by a "fear of missing out." Speaking at the 2026 Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Birla indicated that his group would adopt AI more gradually than previously planned, moving away from an "AI arms race" mentality. He also discussed the varied applications of AI across different business sectors, the challenges of capital allocation, and the impact of geopolitical events on global companies.
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.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will persist in its efforts to prevent excessive volatility in the rupee, which has significantly depreciated against the US dollar due to global uncertainties, despite India's strong macro-economic fundamentals.
ServiceNow has launched AI Workflow Factory and Autonomous Engineer, new solutions designed to help enterprises integrate and scale AI workflows, closing execution gaps caused by legacy infrastructure. These tools aim to accelerate business operations, with Indian partners already adopting them, reflecting India's faster AI operationalisation compared to the global average.
Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar to discuss energy cooperation as S Jaishankar says India-US trade talks are nearing a landing point, with a few issues unresolved.
India remains one of the Hyundai Motor group's most important and strategic markets globally. The initiative positions India as a strategic core market for the group's growth, emerging market expansion, and next-generation automotive innovation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses "very good ideas" for a mutual settlement of the Ukraine conflict and consistently raises the issue in their meetings. Putin also expressed appreciation for India's cultural diversity and unity, citing Modi's insights on the coexistence of various languages.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw warned of increased global turbulence from tech disruptions, AI, and financial risks in the coming years. He stated that India is strengthening its economic and technological resilience to protect its growth from external shocks. India is focusing on domestic manufacturing and design in critical tech areas while maintaining global integration, with trust becoming as crucial as cost in supply chains.
Banking services across India, particularly at public sector banks, are set to be disrupted for three days starting Monday due to a nationwide strike by bank unions. The strike, called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), is primarily to press for a five-day working week and other demands, despite the finance ministry's appeal for dialogue.
Bankers said the impact could become more visible from September 29 as customers could withdraw larger amounts of cash, although ATM operations are increasingly managed through third-party cash-loading arrangements.
Bank unions have deferred a three-day nationwide strike after receiving assurances from the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) regarding their demands, including the implementation of a five-day work week and modifications to the PLI scheme for senior officers.
Comedian Pranit More has approached the Supreme Court to club multiple FIRs filed against him after a guest on his show made a controversial "Rs 370 biryani" remark, deemed misogynistic. More's counsel informed the court that he has apologised on all forums, including the National Commission for Women, and the apex court has sought notices from the Centre and state governments.
