Despite decades of efforts towards energy transition, oil will remain the critical energy source for all nations for some decades. We can hope for peace opening the Strait of Hormuz, but must prepare for war closing it, points out former foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
A NITI Aayog report outlines India's potential to scale its bioeconomy to USD 691 billion by 2035 and USD 2.6 trillion by 2047, creating over 30 million high-value jobs. The report stresses the need for coordinated national execution, regulatory reforms, a strengthened talent pipeline, and a significant BioEconomy Growth Fund to achieve this vision, positioning India among the top biotechnology powers globally.
US Vice President JD Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone call to discuss expanding the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership, focusing on trade, defence, energy security, emerging technologies, and critical minerals. The discussion comes amidst rising tensions in West Asia and recent regional realignments, with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation.
Top-seeded Indian Anahat Singh has advanced to the women's quarterfinals of the World Squash Junior Individual Championships after defeating Malaysian Doyce Ye San Lee. Meanwhile, her compatriot Aryaveer Dewan was eliminated in the men's round of 16.
The Indian men's junior squash team defeated England to advance to the semifinals of the World Squash Junior Team Championships in Ontario, aiming to improve on last year's bronze. However, the Indian women's team, despite a strong start from Anahat Singh, was eliminated by USA in their quarterfinal match.
Kushagra Ojha scored an unbeaten century, guiding India U-19 to a strong position of 253 for three against Sri Lanka on the opening day of the second Youth Test. After a shaky start where India lost two early wickets for no runs, Ojha, along with Yashbardhan Chauhan (78) and Manal Chauhan (55*), built crucial partnerships to stabilise the innings.
The challenge thrown by the youth movement creates the opportunity for a more consequential debate on India's economic trajectory because it must remain centered on India's youth as its driving impulse, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted India's growing global sporting stature, evidenced by the increasing number of international events the country is hosting. He announced that India is set to host 36 international events between January 2025 and June 2026, along with 9 events this year and 19 in 2027-2028. Mandaviya also spoke about government support for athletes, transparent selection processes for major events like the Commonwealth Games, and improved domestic athletic performances, citing 26 national records broken in Indian athletics recently.
Rising Indian badminton star Tanvi Sharma, fresh from her Taipei Open win, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Masters Super 300 tournament. She is joined by compatriots Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Ashmita Chaliha in the women's singles. In men's doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy also secured a quarterfinal spot, while other Indian campaigns in mixed doubles, women's doubles, and men's singles concluded.
Indian javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh secured silver and bronze medals respectively at the Commonwealth Games, marking a historic 2-3 finish for India.
Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the 18-member Indian men's hockey team for the AHF Junior Asia Cup in China from August 30 to September 13. The squad, training in Bengaluru under coach Frederic Soyez, recently completed an exposure tour of Belgium and is playing friendly matches against Malaysia U-21 as part of their preparations.
Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma and Ravi Shastri watched Australia beat India by six wickets at Lord's.
V S Rathanvel has become India's 99th Grandmaster, fulfilling a five-year dream after crossing the 2500 Elo rating mark at the Guwahati Smart City International Open 2026. His achievement brings India closer to the landmark 100th GM milestone, marking a significant moment for Indian chess.
The All India Football Federation has extended the deadline for Jamshedpur FC to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Indian Super League until August 12. This move comes as the AIFF reviews preparations for the upcoming ISL season, while Jamshedpur FC maintains its exit is a strategic decision focused on grassroots development, unrelated to the league's commercial future.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel formally received the Commonwealth Games flag, symbolising the official commencement of preparations for Ahmedabad to host the global sporting event in 2030.
The CBI Director has updated a parliamentary panel on the NEET-UG paper leak investigation, while education ministry officials outlined measures for a fair retest.
The aim is to win over the country's enterprises, developers and startups as AI systems shift from answering questions to autonomously executing tasks.
England, led by skipper Harry Brook, secured an unassailable 3-0 lead against India in the five-match T20I series. Brook, with an unbeaten 79, powered England to a comfortable nine-wicket win in the fourth T20I. The team is now aiming for a clean sweep and the world No. 1 ranking, which they can achieve by winning the final match against the reigning world champions.
England, led by skipper Harry Brook, secured an unassailable 3-0 lead against India in the five-match T20I series. Brook, with an unbeaten 79, powered England to a comfortable nine-wicket win in the fourth T20I. The team is now aiming for a clean sweep and the world No. 1 ranking, which they can achieve by winning the final match against the reigning world champions.
Sadhguru's Isha Gramotsavam, a rural sports festival, is expanding its 18th edition into North India, covering 10 states and one Union Territory. This year's event will engage over 80,000 players from 40,000 villages in men's volleyball and women's throwball, offering a prize pool exceeding Rs 1 crore, with the aim of social transformation through sport.
Shreya Kalra has been crowned the winner of Netflix's captive reality show Lock Upp, triumphing over Shivangi Joshi in a nail-biting finale.
Indian javelin thrower Rohit Yadav is preparing for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. With a personal best of 87.05m and a focus on consistent performance, Yadav aims to leverage his experience and training, including support from the Inspire Institute of Sport, to deliver a strong showing on the international stage.
Haryana is institutionalising drone technology as a key governance tool, deploying AI-powered surveillance and high-resolution geospatial mapping. This initiative aims to detect illegal constructions, monitor mining activities, map civic infrastructure, and track pollution across the state. The Chief Secretary reviewed progress on various projects, including an AI-powered Change Detection Application and digital mapping of municipal assets, highlighting the state's commitment to evidence-based governance and improved public service delivery.
Ireland's aspirations for direct qualification to the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup have been extinguished after the opening ODI against Afghanistan was abandoned due to persistent rain, mathematically ruling them out of contention for an automatic spot.
The biggest challenge to widespread deployment is no longer AI. It is the financial and commerce infrastructure that was built decades ago for deterministic software and human interactions -- not autonomous AI agents.
Why the industry's public position changed is difficult to say. What the developments did establish, though, is that ethanol-blended petrol has become one of the country's most politically and commercially sensitive policy issues.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for forgiveness and guidance for students involved in NEET irregularity protests at Jantar Mantar, despite facing abusive language, stressing the importance of steering the youth towards the right path.
Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu progressed to the men's and women's singles second round with straight game wins in a mixed day for India at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament.
Despite not winning a medal at the recently-concluded Asian Senior Fencing Championships, India's men's foil team secured direct qualification for the upcoming Asian Games, marking a significant step forward for the sport in the country. The event, hosted in India for the first time, provided valuable experience and highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian fencers against top Asian nations.
Construction of the approved reactor projects is expected to take five to six years after receiving financial approval.
Spanish football coach Manolo Marquez has criticised the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, arguing it compromises quality and that countries like India should prioritise grassroots development over relying on increased qualification slots. He also highlighted the impact of naturalised players on international competition, citing his experience with the Indian team.
Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches in India reached a record 12,73,811 units in the first quarter of FY27, marking a 25.9 per cent growth, driven by robust domestic demand despite geopolitical headwinds, according to SIAM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated 11 years of the Digital India initiative, highlighting its role in redefining governance, empowering citizens, and accelerating all-round development. He emphasised its impact on digital payments, direct benefit transfers, and expanding digital public infrastructure, making technology a powerful instrument for 'Ease of Living' across India, including tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
India's snooker team, led by Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta, defeated defending champions Hong Kong China 3-1 to secure a place in the final of the World Team Snooker Championship. The team will now face either China 'A' or Korea in the title clash.
While charger deployment is yet to begin, the scheme has supported the sale of 2.65 million EVs as of July 22.
Indian athletes delivered a strong performance at the Commonwealth Games, securing multiple medals. Weightlifter Harjinder Kaur and long-distance runner Gulveer Singh both clinched silver medals, with Harjinder setting new Games records and Gulveer making history in the 10,000m event. Additionally, three Indian boxers advanced to the semifinals, guaranteeing at least bronze medals for the country.
The BJP has accused the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies of deliberately disrupting the Monsoon Session of Parliament, alleging that their conduct has prevented discussions on key Bills and exposed the Opposition's 'double standards' on issues such as paper leaks and student protests.
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi asserts that India and the United States are natural partners, crucial in the geopolitical competition with China. She highlights India's pivotal role as the world's largest democracy with a young, English-speaking population, despite its "chaotic" nature. Nooyi also discusses the need for leaders to understand each other's perspectives to maintain strong bilateral ties.
England batters Joe Root and Ben Duckett have made significant advancements in the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings following their instrumental performances in England's first ODI series victory over India since 2018.
Indian batter Rohit Sharma lauded former fielding coach T Dilip for his significant contributions, including two T20 World Cup wins and the Champions Trophy, calling him a 'legend' and a 'workhorse' who 'created magic within the group.' Dilip, who served from 2021 until recently, expressed gratitude for his tenure, especially cherishing the popular fielding medal ceremony.
