Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new investment platform, based on the New Development Bank (NDB), to fund projects in trade, infrastructure, logistics, and technology across BRICS nations, emphasising that the grouping's expanding economic cooperation is not 'against anyone' but aims to advance members' national interests.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has endorsed the introduction of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move, which levies a 0.4 per cent fee on merchant payments above the threshold, aims to bolster the long-term sustainability and growth of India's digital payments ecosystem. The RBI clarified that person-to-person (P2P) transactions and small person-to-merchant (P2M) payments below Rs 2,000 will remain free for users, ensuring no direct charge on customers.
A global research report by HCLTech indicates that integration has surpassed supply chain constraints as the primary challenge for the semiconductor industry. The study, which surveyed 300 senior leaders, highlights increasing dependency on semiconductors across industries, with 98% of enterprises more reliant now than three years ago and 99% expecting further increases. AI is also driving the strategic importance of semiconductor architecture.
The Finance Ministry has refuted allegations that US pressure influenced the decision to levy a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI payments. The ministry clarified that the NPCI guidelines prioritise RuPay credit cards on UPI to promote domestic alternatives and ensure a self-sustaining revenue model for smaller domestic companies, countering claims of favouring foreign payment providers.
A working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) reveals a continuous decline in the rate at which foreign-owned firms invest in fixed assets in India since the FY20 peak, contrasting with a steady increase from Indian business groups.
The opposition has intensified its criticism of the government's decision to impose a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh allege the move is a result of US pressure, particularly from American card companies, and demand an immediate rollback, warning of increased costs for consumers.
Digital money is gradually starting to behave like software. It's no longer inert -- sitting passively in accounts. In the not-so-distant future, your money could become 'smart' and 'active,' understanding your preferences, paying your bills automatically, optimising your returns, and managing your risks -- all without you having to manage the details.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in India reached Rs 29.8 lakh crore in August, approaching record levels. Volume also hit a new high of 24.51 billion transactions, driven by festive activities like Raksha Bandhan. The digital payment system continues its rapid growth, expanding its global presence to 11 countries, with further growth anticipated during the upcoming festive season and new use cases like credit on UPI.
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded an unprecedented 24.51 billion transactions valued at Rs 29.8 lakh crore in August, largely propelled by the Raksha Bandhan festival. This surge marks a 22% annual increase in volume and 20% in value, highlighting the expanding reach and depth of the UPI ecosystem. Experts anticipate further growth during the upcoming festive season, while UPI's international acceptance now spans 11 countries.
'Every period of excessive optimism eventually gives way to a correction, while periods of extreme pessimism often create the best investment opportunities.'
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will make an additional provision of USD 70 million in Q1 FY2027, bringing its total provision to USD 220 million, after the US Supreme Court declined to review a lower court ruling in a trade secrets dispute with Computer Sciences Corporation (now DXC Technology).
Air India Group has accumulated losses of about Rs 47,821 crore since its takeover, leaving its prolonged transformation among the biggest unfinished projects of N Chandrasekaran's tenure.
Tax collection so far has been encouraging, with net direct tax receipts reaching Rs 5.21 trillion by June 17, nearly a 15 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
US Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has picked former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, Harvard University economics Professor Raj Chetty and Microsoft XBOX CEO Asha Sharma to be part of task forces constituted to examine the central bank's approach to monetary policy and propose transformational changes.
Nissan Motor India aims to achieve a fourfold increase in domestic sales, targeting 100,000 units annually, and export another 100,000 vehicles from its Chennai plant by financial year 2027-28 (FY28), marking a significant revival of its presence in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
India too can rise to the top if the 1.4 billion Indians back home are given better opportunities to use their innate talent and capacity to work hard, with right incentives in a more meritocratic rules-based system, asserts Ajay Chhibber.
Reliance Industries Ltd reported a 22 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for the June quarter, primarily because the previous year's earnings were inflated by a one-time gain from the sale of its stake in Asian Paints.
Shareholder payouts by India Inc, including dividends and buybacks, increased by 2.2 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to $5.06 trillion, but this growth lagged the 18.8 per cent rise in reported net profit for the third consecutive year, leading to the lowest dividend payout ratio in 12 years.
'It's a very, very large opportunity -- not just for India, but even for Uber globally.'
Beijing clearly intends to extend the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor to Bangladesh as part of its larger Maritime Belt and Road Initiative to boost its Indian Ocean presence.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India expects to operationalise nine free trade agreements (FTAs) within the next 10 months, with plans for an additional three to four significant pacts over the coming year, reinforcing India's ambition to become a global manufacturing and investment hub.
A sovereign cloud, our own DNS root and Root CA, a defence-led research base that builds for keeps, and a real national cybersecurity strategy that outlives electoral cycles are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a nation that can be switched off and one that cannot, points out Venkata Satish Guttula.
'India has initiated a bear market and we will still go lower. It has nothing to do with the economy.'
India's first trillion-dollar company will be built on technology it owns, not just operates, predicts Ajay Kumar.
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.
Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava is pushing for increased government incentives for biogas-powered vehicles over hybrids, emphasising their net-zero carbon emissions and the valuable organic manure they produce, while also advocating for continued GST benefits for electric vehicles.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is set to consider linking the ATM interchange fee to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), alongside a potential hike from the current 19 to 21-22, which could impact customer charges for transactions beyond the free limit.
India's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is projected to maintain an annual run-rate of approximately $200 billion, evenly split between domestic, inbound, and outbound transactions, despite global geopolitical turbulence, according to Rajesh Singhi, global co-head, M&A Advisory, Standard Chartered Bank.
'You have seen the retrenchments by big corporates in the IT industry because they are not getting enough offers.' 'MSMEs in the manufacturing sector are really struggling. They do not know what to do. They are not able to predict what will happen tomorrow.'
A group of Republican lawmakers in the US Congress has introduced a bill proposing a three-year pause to the H1-B visa programme, citing concerns that it is being used to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of adults owe their lives to the commitment and medical fervour of Dr Armida Fernandez, who a grateful nation honoured with the Padma Shri this year.
IRCTC is expanding its payments arm, IRCTC Payments, to handle transactions across its ticketing platform and tap government clients, aiming to scale its annual payment processing to approximately 1 trillion.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a chilling ultimatum to 18 major American corporations, warning that their regional infrastructure will be targeted following allegations of their involvement in hostile operations.
India's electric passenger vehicle market saw an 87.4 per cent year-on-year increase in FY26, reaching 233,246 units, primarily driven by the mid-size SUV segment (20-30 lakh price bracket), while the entry-level segment (sub-10 lakh) experienced a decline.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed the development of a digital portal to track apprenticeship and placement data for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) graduates, alongside initiatives to boost youth employment opportunities.
Indian stock markets recovered from early losses to close higher, driven by value buying in IT and banking shares and a rebound in the rupee.
Moving beyond digital payments, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the operator of Unified Payments Interface, is planning to add more muscle to the country's digital infrastructure by setting up a fourth subsidiary, NPCI Tech Solutions Ltd (NTSL).
There are hopes of a turnaround in overall corporate earnings after six quarters of single digit growth.
It may now be time to question the price India is paying for Israel's disregard of the serious undermining of India's energy security, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
