National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary issue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. These crucial discussions precede Chinese President Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to India for the BRICS summit, offering a potential opportunity for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The talks aim to address the long-standing border dispute and recurring tensions, with both sides emphasising the importance of peace and tranquillity for bilateral relations amidst recent reports of aggressive Chinese posturing in Arunachal Pradesh.
Indian athletes are set for a busy day at the Asian Games on October 2, with events across archery, boxing, canoe slalom, cycling, golf, hockey, rugby sevens, sailing, sepak takraw, taekwondo, volleyball, and wrestling. Key medal events include finals in boxing featuring Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda, and the women's hockey final against China.
India has formally identified 27 places and features in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official Indian map, a move aimed at countering China's repeated attempts to rename locations in the state. This action reinforces India's stance that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country, despite China's "fictitious names" for the region it calls Zangnan.
India played an impressive opening match at the Women's Hockey World Cup, securing a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China, with goals from Navneet Kaur and Deepika.
Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper Suraj Karkera commented on Pakistan's withdrawal from the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) Punjab 2026. While acknowledging that fans will miss the intense rivalry, Karkera stated the Indian team remains focused on performing their best. Bangladesh has replaced Pakistan in the tournament, where India, fresh off their Asian Games gold, will enter as top-ranked contenders.
The Indian 4x100m mixed relay team has successfully qualified for the final at the Asian Games, finishing second in their heat and third overall.
'China wants to control and divert rivers.'
Defending champion Sheetal Devi and debutant Swati Chaudhary have secured at least two medals for India at the Asian Para Games by reaching the finals of their respective para archery events on Tuesday. Sheetal Devi will compete in the women's compound final, while Swati Chaudhary will vie for gold in the women's W1 final. India's mixed teams also advanced to the semifinals.
Indian professional boxer Neeraj Goyat is set to face former UFC lightweight world champion Anthony Pettis in a six-round super welterweight contest on January 23 next year. Three Indian cities are being considered to host the high-profile bout, which marks a significant moment for Indian boxing as Goyat fights a major international name on home ground.
'Xi is conveying that China is a pre-eminent power, and India should modulate its actions or approaches accordingly.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping that peace and tranquillity along the frontier remains an "essential" basis for the development of India-China relations, even as the two leaders welcomed "steady progress" in bilateral ties during their talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
The Indian men's badminton team secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games after losing 1-3 to China in the semifinals. Despite strong performances, including a win by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India could not overcome their rivals, marking their first back-to-back team medals in 40 years.
China has issued a Level-IV alert due to a newly formed barrier lake at the Tibet-Nepal border, warning of a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas. The lake, formed at the confluence of Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, has accumulated an estimated two million cubic metres of water, with inflows expected to increase, raising concerns for areas including Gyirong Port.
In recent years, China and Russia have pushed for de-dollarisation within BRICS, which India has resisted. One reason is that India does not want to hurt its relationship with the United States, and another is the fear of China controlling trade because the renminbi is considered the strongest currency in the bloc today.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games, emphasising India's commitment to placing sport at the core of nation-building through significant investment in infrastructure and grassroots development. He highlighted India's indigenous sports like Mallakhamb, Yogasana, and Kalaripayattu, and discussed the country's ambition to host major international events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
India's Ancy Sojan won a silver medal in the women's long jump at the Asian Games, while Harita Bhadra secured a bronze in the women's 200m. Ancy led for much of the competition but was overtaken by China's Huang Yingying in the final moments. Shaili Singh narrowly missed a bronze in the long jump.
India's para track and field athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, securing six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of athletics competitions. Long jumper Nishad Kumar, javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, and visually impaired middle-distance runner Soumya each won gold in their respective events, contributing to India's strong start.
Apple Inc, which had planned to shift only 10 per cent of its global production base from China to India with respect to iPhones at the end of FY26, is currently churning out one out of every four iPhones in the world from India.
Indian para swimmers Ravi Budigina, Himanshu Nandal, and Rohit Kumar have secured multiple medals at the Asian Para Games. Budigina won a silver in the men's 100m backstroke S13, his second silver of the current edition. Nandal clinched his second bronze in the men's 100m breaststroke S11, while Rohit Kumar added another bronze in the men's 100m breaststroke SB4 event.
India finished fourth with 85 medals at Aichi-Nagoya, down from 106 in Hangzhou, highlighting the challenge of sustaining progress on the road to 2036.
India has initiated anti-dumping investigations into imports of Glycine from China, following a complaint by Avid Organics, alleging material injury to domestic manufacturers. Concurrently, a separate anti-circumvention probe has begun concerning CPVC resin from China and South Korea, suspected of being routed through Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand to avoid existing duties.
India's men's hockey team, fresh from retaining its Asian Games title and securing a 2028 Olympics berth, is now preparing for the Asian Champions Trophy. The tournament, featuring six teams including India, will be held in Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5. Head coach Craig Fulton emphasizes maintaining intensity for the home challenge, where India aims to extend its record as the most successful team.
Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, fresh off their China Masters victory, reveal their "no Plan B" philosophy, focusing on strengths and tactical adjustments. They attribute their success to improved physical condition post-World Championships and meticulous reviews, which helped them secure their 10th BWF World Tour title and boost confidence for the upcoming Asian Games.
The Sports Ministry conducted a review of India's Asian Games performance, scrutinising the lower-than-expected medal haul in athletics and badminton. Chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the meeting addressed issues like injured athletes and future planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with a strong emphasis on federations delivering results and nurturing young talent.
'If you listen to a rowdy in a class, he will keep on bullying you.' 'India can say do whatever you want. We will not compromise on anything.'
Indian track cycling teams have qualified for the first round heats in both men's and women's team sprint events, as well as the women's team pursuit competition at the Asian Games.
Indian women's hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne shares insights into the team's historic Asian Games gold medal victory, revealing his "eye of a tiger" message that inspired the players.
India overcame early setbacks in shooting and athletics to achieve a strong fourth-place finish at the Asian Games, matching its previous edition's ranking. A late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, alongside historic wins in golf and cricket, contributed significantly to the medal tally, despite a lower overall medal count compared to the 2022 edition.
India's women's hockey team faces a challenging opening match against Olympic silver medallists China in the FIH Hockey World Cup. The crucial Pool D encounter in Amstelveen will set the tone for India's campaign, with both teams also set to meet at the upcoming Asian Games. India, buoyed by recent strong performances and an experienced squad, aims to improve on past World Cup finishes and secure a positive start against a formidable Chinese side.
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 Asian Games medals tally after Day 7 shows China in a commanding lead with 176 medals, including 107 gold. Japan and Korea follow, while India is positioned tenth with a total of 30 medals.
The Indian men's volleyball team's hopes of ending a 40-year medal drought at the Asian Games were crushed after a 0-3 defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan in the quarterfinals. India, despite an all-win record in the group stage, failed to secure a podium finish.
Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra congratulated Indian athletes for their Asian Games performance but stressed the critical need to enhance the country's high-performance sports ecosystem. He highlighted the urgency required for preparations, with the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away, advocating for robust systems that support athletes from early stages to build resilience and ensure timely expert intervention.
The Indian women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi, and Prithika Pradeep, won the gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating China 238-234 in the final. The team also equalled a world record score, marking a sensational performance and successfully retaining their title.
The Indian women's recurve archery team defeated China 5-1 in the semifinals of the Asian Games to qualify for the gold medal match against South Korea. This achievement follows the women's compound team's bronze medal win at the 2023 Asian Games.
India's Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar secured gold medals in men's singles SL3 and SL4 badminton events, respectively, at the Asian Para Games. Nitesh defeated compatriot Pramod Bhagat, while debutant Naveen overcame Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan. India also secured silver medals through Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan and Pramod Bhagat, with Thulasimathi Murugesan still in contention for two more golds.
India's mixed 4x400m relay team, comprising TS Manu, MR Povamma, Jay Kumar, and Kiran, has qualified for the final at the Asian Games after finishing second in their heat with a time of 3:16.23.
India's wrestling campaign at the Asian Games will be spearheaded by Sujeet Kalkal, Antim Panghal, and Aman Sehrawat, all of whom face challenging draws. Sujeet is in red-hot form but could meet Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka, while Antim Panghal eyes a strong performance against Zhang Jin. Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat also has a tough path, potentially facing another Olympic medallist early on. The wider Indian contingent also features medal hopefuls across freestyle, women's, and Greco-Roman categories.
Instant noodles continued to be a favourite worldwide, with consumption climbing to an estimated 124.21 billion servings last year.
Indian powerlifter Ashok Kumar Malik won a silver medal in the men's 65kg category at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, lifting 192kg. China's Zou Yi took gold, and Indonesia's Margono secured bronze. Malik, who contracted polio as a child, showcased strong performance, while fellow Indian Jhandu Kumar finished fifth.
