China has called for stronger global governance of artificial intelligence, advocating for international cooperation to develop the technology for humanity's benefit while preventing it from getting out of control. This comes amidst warnings from leading AI researchers in the US about potential existential risks, with China emphasizing both rapid development and robust safeguards, including its new AI Safety Governance Framework 3.0. The issue is expected to be a key topic in upcoming US-China talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the BRICS summit, called for a fundamental shift in global governance, advocating for the replacement of the current 'pyramid of privilege' with a 'platform of partnership' where the Global South becomes a 'rule shaper' rather than a 'rule follower'.
Amitabh Kant, former NITI Aayog CEO, and PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl express strong confidence in India's potential to become a global golf powerhouse within the next decade. Kant specifically predicts a woman golfer will achieve a breakthrough moment for the country. They highlight India's demographic advantage, rising youth participation, and the need for university-level talent development and private investment in infrastructure to achieve this goal.
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.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has suspended the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) from December 1 due to a prolonged governance crisis, stemming from the dissolution of EFI's executive committee by the Delhi High Court and the absence of fresh elections. This suspension bars Indian riders, officials, and horses from international competitions until new elections are held and evaluated by the FEI.
The flydubai near-tragedy showed how the gratuitous conflicts their governments started in West Asia have made the world unsafe for them (and unfortunate co-passengers of other nationalities), points out Kanika Datta.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, articulated a vision for India's communications sector, emphasizing a global framework to combat cyber frauds and deepfakes. He called for India to become a hub for innovation and product development for the world. Industry leaders lauded his vision, highlighting India's robust digital infrastructure and its journey towards becoming a global technology leader, with a focus on trust, security, and responsible innovation.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has suspended the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) from December 1, 2026, due to a prolonged governance crisis. This decision, made on October 13, 2026, means Indian riders, officials, trainers, and horses cannot participate in international competitions. The suspension stems from the Delhi High Court's dissolution of EFI's executive committee in February 2026 and the subsequent delay in holding fresh elections, despite an ad hoc committee being formed. The suspension will be reviewed after new elections are held and evaluated by the FEI.
Economic think tank GTRI has urged the Indian government to withdraw the proposed UPI charges, set to begin on October 15, arguing that the digital payment system should remain free for merchants and consumers. GTRI warns that these charges could lead to higher prices, reduced earnings for small businesses, and weakened household demand, while also benefiting international card networks by eroding UPI's price advantage. The think tank also called for an independent audit of UPI's running costs.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra reiterated India's cautious stance on cryptocurrencies due to concerns over monetary sovereignty and capital flows, while actively promoting underlying technologies like distributed ledger technology and tokenisation. He also addressed the global rise in public debt and hardening bond yields, attributing it to increased government and private spending, including that driven by AI, and noted the implications of global interest rates on India's monetary policy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged for a global framework to combat cross-border cyber frauds and deepfakes, highlighting the need for governments, tech companies, telecom operators, and financial institutions to collaborate. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, Modi stressed that technology thrives on trust and that India is ready to share its expertise in tackling cyber threats. He also noted the rapid expansion of 5G and the success of digital governance initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer.
AI-managed services firm RapidCanvas, with a significant employee base in India, announced on Friday that it has raised USD 29 million (approximately Rs 275 crore) in Series B funding. The round was led by Vertex Ventures SEA and India, with participation from Hitachi Ventures and existing investors. The company plans to use the funds to expand its go-to-market teams, partner network, and grow its employee base and engineering teams in India, the US, and Brazil, while also investing in product development.
India is strategically positioned to develop a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem, driven by increasing electronics consumption, strong government support through incentives, and a global shift in supply chains. Boston Consulting Group Managing Director Ankush Wadhera highlights India's potential as a safe haven for investments, with the AI boom further fuelling demand for advanced chips. The nation aims to expand its capabilities across the entire semiconductor value chain, attracting significant global and domestic investments.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty saw a significant rebound in early trade, with the Sensex surging over 700 points, driven by a decline in crude oil prices, easing concerns over Federal Reserve tightening, and the appointment of Anup Bagchi as the new MD and CEO of HDFC Bank.
A joint report by Dell Technologies and Zinnov reveals that despite high ambition, nearly 70% of India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are stuck at the pilot stage for AI adoption. Foundational gaps in data, infrastructure, and governance are identified as key bottlenecks preventing the scaling of AI initiatives into enterprise-wide production. The report highlights the need for significant reskilling of the workforce and robust foundations for industrialising AI responsibly.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have withdrawn Rs 44,166 crore from Indian equities in October, pushing the total outflows for the year past Rs 3 lakh crore, driven by elevated crude oil prices, a stronger US dollar, higher US bond yields, and the allure of AI-led rallies in North Asian markets.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed higher on Monday, driven by softer-than-expected US jobs data which reduced expectations of aggressive monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve, boosting risk appetite across emerging markets.
Switzerland will host the next global AI summit in June 2027 in Geneva, aiming to establish stable processes for AI governance and promote its responsible use. Building on previous summits, including one in New Delhi, the event will focus on AI as a driver of prosperity and human-centred innovation, bringing together governments, organisations, and civil society to address global challenges.
India's IT Ministry sources state the country will not slow down its Artificial Intelligence development, distinguishing its focus on people-centric applications from global concerns over frontier models. The government acknowledges AI safety risks and is tightening incident reporting norms, with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasising regulation for user safety.
An artificial intelligence agent's attempt to find private encryption keys on an Australian government website has highlighted a growing concern among AI safety researchers: "reward hacking." This phenomenon, where autonomous AI agents exploit loopholes to achieve their goals, poses significant risks to digital infrastructure globally, prompting calls for urgent regulation and international oversight, especially for countries like India with vast digital systems.
A delegation from the Global Chess League met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara to discuss the possibility of Bengaluru hosting the league's fourth edition. The state government expressed its commitment to supporting prestigious global sporting events to boost its sports ecosystem.
The Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI) is advocating for increased government support and improved grassroots infrastructure to make golf more accessible to young players in India. WGAI president Kavita Singh and Hero MotoCorp executive vice-president Sanjay Bhan challenged the perception of golf as an elitist sport, highlighting the need for public facilities and resources to foster talent and change mindsets. They stressed that government intervention is crucial for developing the sport and creating career opportunities beyond playing.
The Indian corporate sector demonstrated strong credit quality in the first half of FY27, driven by robust balance sheets and healthy liquidity, despite facing risks from elevated crude prices, inflation, and global interest rates.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have withdrawn nearly Rs 5,109.21 crore from Indian government securities under the fully accessible route (FAR) in just three days, driven by global uncertainty, elevated crude prices, rising US Treasury yields, and a depreciating rupee.
After a significant 9.9% depreciation in FY26, the Indian rupee has shown comparative stability in the first half of FY27, depreciating by only 1.1%, attributed to regulatory interventions and measures to attract foreign capital, despite ongoing global pressures from rising crude oil prices and foreign investor outflows.
A new report reveals that enterprise AI investment in India has surged by 119 per cent, exceeding the global average. However, only 22 per cent of Indian organisations have established adequate governance frameworks, creating a significant gap between rapid deployment and safe, scalable AI adoption. This lack of governance impacts operational depth and raises concerns about transparency, regulation, and data privacy.
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.
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.
Salesforce executives, including South Asia CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya, predict a significant shift in India towards wider enterprise AI adoption, moving from experimentation to production deployments. The company plans to invest in physical infrastructure and talent upskilling in India. Salesforce's vision for the "agentic enterprise" involves a four-layer architecture, emphasising the need for robust security and governance for autonomous agents. Executives also highlighted the evolving nature of jobs, with AI handling repetitive tasks and creating new specialised roles, positioning India as a potential leader in agentic innovation by 2030.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent review of the world football body's decision-making framework.
Pakistan is set to host the 2028 Women's T20 World Cup, with plans to use a hybrid model where matches involving India will be played in the United Arab Emirates. The ICC announced the tournament dates, and the Pakistan Cricket Board aims to host all other games, including knockout stages not featuring India, potentially boosting women's cricket in the country.
IT services firm Tech Mahindra has announced a collaboration with AI coding platform SpaceXSI to help global enterprises modernise legacy applications, accelerate software delivery, and improve developer productivity through AI-assisted engineering across the software lifecycle. The partnership aims to embed AI intelligence across the software development lifecycle for better business outcomes, focusing on sectors like technology, telecommunications, and banking.
Higher US Treasury yields, particularly the 10-year yield approaching 5 per cent, pose a significant near-term risk to global equity markets, including India, potentially triggering a 'big correction' according to market strategists.
This article details the quarter-century journey of BRICS, from its inception as an economic acronym by a Goldman Sachs economist to its current status as an expanded eleven-member international bloc. It highlights its growth, key historical moments, and the significance of its upcoming summit, particularly with Iran's renewed importance in discussions.
The Indian government has mandated that banks and payment providers cannot levy charges on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000 or on payments made via RuPay debit cards. This directive follows an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, aiming to sustain and expand the digital payments ecosystem.
Asian Games medallists Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal have withdrawn from the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Sujeet Kalkal, an Asian Games gold medallist, will lead the Indian contingent. The article also details the full Indian squads across men's freestyle, women's freestyle, and Greco-Roman categories, alongside a controversy regarding a selection bout.
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has urged the government to reconsider imposing a merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, arguing that the costs do not warrant such a move. This comes after the government announced a 0.4 per cent fee on merchant transfers over Rs 2,000 from October 15, while assuring that person-to-person and small payments remain free. SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan highlighted that banks have not demanded MDR and that UPI has reduced their transaction costs.
Sivakasi, India's fireworks capital, is eyeing global markets as green crackers, rising demand and interest from overseas buyers offer a chance to challenge China's dominance.
FIFA's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for the World Cup highlights the intricate balance of power in global football, where the governing body's authority is often challenged by the significant commercial strength of UEFA, particularly in Europe.
A new IDC report reveals that artificial intelligence is prompting organisations worldwide to retrieve and utilise previously archived, "cold-tier" data for AI training, significantly increasing its perceived value and leading to longer data retention periods and a burgeoning market for datasets.
