'ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicles. That will all be done by the private sector or public sector undertakings.'
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Games, urging them to perform under pressure and continue the nation's impressive medal growth. He highlighted India's significant increase in medal tally from 2014 to 2023, attributing it to an improved sports ecosystem, and expressed confidence in the 503-member squad's potential.
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 Supreme Court will consider the Centre's plea for clarification on the applicability of its March 11 judgement regarding OBC creamy-layer criteria for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025. The government highlights practical difficulties and potential unequal treatment of candidates if the ruling is applied retrospectively, as the CSE 2025 selection process concluded before the verdict. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) seeks to proceed with service allocation based on the pre-March 11 criteria to avoid disruption to training schedules and ensure fairness for candidates.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee of women legislators to amend laws and ensure effective implementation against harassment and religious conversion in the corporate sector. This decision follows an incident at a TCS unit in Nashik involving alleged exploitation and forced conversion, which is currently under SIT investigation. Probes have also been ordered into similar complaints at a Spanish multinational in Pune and a government ITI in Solapur, highlighting a broader issue of workplace misconduct.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against the 'weaponisation' of technology and critical minerals at the BRICS summit, advocating for cooperation to foster shared prosperity. Concurrently, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans for an open-source AI ecosystem for BRICS nations, positioning Beijing as a key technology partner amid global AI competition.
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.
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors have called for increased representation of emerging-market and developing economies in the IMF and World Bank, while also criticising unilateral tariffs and trade measures, as the expanded bloc aims to bolster financial cooperation amidst global fragmentation.
'The sales pressure on the ground, a board and CEO not fully aligned, and a senior team that isn't pulling together -- that's when these things surface.'
Infosys has confirmed that Lax Gopisetty, chief of its subsidiary Infosys Public Services, is unreachable following devastating floods in Nepal. Gopisetty was visiting the region personally, and Infosys is working with agencies and his family to ensure his safety. The Ministry of External Affairs also reported hundreds of Indians missing or stranded due to the floods, with India offering assistance to Nepal.
India is actively integrating payment system harmonisation into its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, especially with countries hosting a large Indian diaspora. This strategy aims to leverage India's growing fintech ecosystem, facilitate cross-border financial services, and position India as a global hub for financial services exports, particularly through platforms like GIFT City.
Indian companies, including NBFCs, filed proposals to raise $7.696 billion through external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) in July 2026, a significant increase from $6.09 billion in June.
State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty stated that banks will take three to four months to deploy the significant funds mobilised through foreign currency non-resident (bank), or FCNR(B), deposits, which is unlikely to cause "abnormal lending". He also highlighted the need for agentic artificial intelligence (AI) costs to fall sharply for its widespread deployment in India, envisioning its role in transforming banking from fraud detection to personalised financial assistance.
India's venture capital deal value grew by a modest 5 per cent in the first seven months of the year, significantly lagging the global average surge of 161 per cent, reflecting continued investor caution and valuation discipline.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned net sellers in the first week of September, withdrawing Rs 7,443 crore from Indian equities, driven by rising crude oil prices, increasing US bond yields, and a strong dollar.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has signed an MoU with the Drone Federation of India (DFI) to enhance its counter-drone capabilities. This partnership aims to strengthen security at vital installations like airports, nuclear facilities, and oil refineries by fostering engagement with Indian drone startups and technology companies for capacity building, research, and operational readiness against aerial threats.
The absolute amount of money raised is more than three times the 2 trillion seen before the pandemic (June 2019).
Nine employee associations at ISRO have written to Chairperson V Narayanan, seeking official clarification on the proposed transfer of manufacturing and operational functions to private entities. They raised concerns about ISRO's future role, employee consequences, and recruitment, following comments by IN-SPACe chairperson Pawan Goenka regarding ISRO's eventual exit from launch vehicle manufacturing.
Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav has advocated for increased use of technology, especially drones and geospatial systems, to enhance governance and create employment opportunities for the state's youth. During his visit to the Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre and Drone Centre of Excellence, he highlighted the broad applications of drone technology and the importance of skill development. The centre is actively training youth in various drone-related courses, aiming to meet the demand for drone pilots in the Northeast.
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by a bus driver and conductor in Greater Noida after she mistakenly boarded their vehicle, and was later abandoned over 40 km away in Kashmere Gate, Delhi. The two accused have been arrested, and the incident has drawn comparisons to the 2012 Nirbhaya case.
AIIMS Jammu is poised to become the first hospital in India to receive armed security from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) due to its strategic location near the India-Pakistan international border. This move marks a significant shift in security policy for healthcare facilities, which the Ministry of Home Affairs had previously resisted. The CISF is also slated for deployment at Kolkata Metro and Donyi Polo Airport.
A 32-year-old man died after allegedly falling unconscious at a police post in Jammu, leading to protests by his family and locals who claim custodial torture. Police have ordered both departmental and magisterial inquiries into the incident, assuring action against any wrongdoing. Four police personnel have been attached to headquarters.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has ended its protest at the Chandigarh-Mohali border after receiving written assurances from the Punjab government. The government has pledged to convene a state Assembly session within a month to address issues concerning river waters, agriculture, and farmer loans, including resolutions against old water agreements and certain central bills.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed lower on Wednesday, reversing early gains due to profit-taking and weakness in sectors like IT, FMCG, and consumer durables, despite support from lower crude oil prices.
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.
'A balance had to be struck between the economic cost of taking action at this point against the need not to fall behind the curve in controlling inflation and anchoring inflation expectations.'
Oriental Insurance has insured around 100 Ganesh pandals this year compared with only 20-30 last year.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, rebounded after a two-day losing streak, driven by strong buying in blue-chip IT stocks and positive global market cues, with the Sensex climbing 330.92 points.
'Once you're wrestling with making a merger of that scale value-accretive, you're also under pressure to keep growing the balance sheet and chasing liabilities, and other things start to slip as a consequence.'
India's eway bill generation reached 139.08 million in August, marking the third-highest monthly count on record and indicating sustained momentum in goods movement and formal economic activity, according to official data.
'When the women of India become unstoppable, India becomes unstoppable.'
India's automobile retail sales reached an unprecedented 24.23 lakh units in August, marking a 17.51 per cent year-on-year growth, with alternative fuels (CNG, hybrid, and electric) collectively surpassing petrol in the passenger vehicle segment for the first time.
Rural commercial vehicle (CV) registrations have consistently outpaced urban sales from April to July 2026, driven by a significant diversification of the rural economy and the positive impact of GST-led consumption, according to experts and data from Fada.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has affirmed that Indian electronic voting machines (EVMs) are manufactured by public sector companies and operate without internet, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi connectivity, ensuring their security and reliability.
NVIDIA has acquired AI startup Hugging Face for USD 12.9 billion, aiming to scale its platform, strengthen infrastructure, and expand AI access for developers and institutions globally while maintaining an open ecosystem.
The benchmark BSE Sensex rebounded by 362 points, ending a four-day losing streak, driven by strong buying in metal, private banking, and oil and gas shares, while the broader NSE Nifty saw modest gains despite paring some advances in the closing session.
India's six publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) collectively distributed approximately 3,136 crore to over 485,000 unitholders during the first quarter (April-June) of the current financial year (FY27), demonstrating the sector's resilience despite global uncertainties.
Credit card spending in India has consistently topped Rs 2 trillion for three consecutive months, with July 2026 recording Rs 2.08 trillion, indicating a new normal for consumer expenditure, according to the latest RBI data.
India and China are in what experts call 'a cooperation-versus-competition situation'.
Students are learning to combine technology with agriculture, healthcare, biotechnology, architecture and fashion, explains Mandeep Singh, assistant professor and deputy dean, Lovely Professional University.
