Week 4 (Sep 22 – Sep 28) (2026/09/22 to 2026/09/28)
In a notable strategic move, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has backed Dhanraj Nathwani, a senior Reliance-linked executive, for the Rajya Sabha contest from Uttar Pradesh. The nomination, filed on Wednesday, comes as party strategist Ram Gopal Yadav is poised to secure a sixth term in the Upper House.
At the Global Fintech Festival 2026, Adyen’s framing of payments as core infrastructure underscored a broader shift in digital commerce: transaction rails are now central to customer experience, conversion, and operational resilience. The message reflects how banks, fintechs, and merchants are increasingly treating payments as a strategic layer rather than a back-office function.
Chittoor district will receive ₹1,529.69 crore under the Rayalaseema Horticulture Development Plan, a large-scale intervention aimed at strengthening horticulture through irrigation, infrastructure, and rural development. Officials say the programme is designed to build a complete value chain from production to marketing and exports, with the stated goal of improving farmer incomes and making horticulture more resilient and market-linked.
Prashant Parameswaran, the former managing director and cofounder of Soulfull, has launched Arovia Consumer, a new ecommerce rollup venture aimed at acquiring and scaling regional food brands. The move signals continued investor interest in India’s fragmented packaged food market, where niche labels with loyal followings can be expanded through digital distribution, operational discipline, and brand consolidation.
India’s Neeru and Kynan clinched the trap mixed team shooting gold at the Asian Games 2026 with a composed final score of 34, overturning their fourth-place qualification finish to seize the title. Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Rumaihi and Ray Bassil settled for silver after posting 32 in a tightly fought final that underlined the fine margins in elite shotgun shooting.
Three promoter entities of Avalon Technologies have sold a combined 6% stake in the company for about Rs 871 crore through bulk deals, reducing their holding from 44.39% to 38.4%. Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund emerged as a buyer in the transaction, acquiring 24.01 lakh shares at roughly Rs 2,171 apiece, as the stock traded in a narrow band around the deal price.
Irish Coffee and Sassy Sarah are set to headline the feature event in a closely watched contest that has drawn attention for its contrast in style, form and tactical identity. The matchup adds a fresh layer of intrigue to India’s cricket calendar, with both sides carrying distinct strengths into a game that could hinge on discipline under pressure.
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. shares fell more than 5% after an explosion was reported at its Mangaluru refinery, where thick smoke was seen rising from one of the plant units. Fire brigades and ambulances were rushed to the site as authorities and the company worked to assess the extent of the incident and determine its cause.
The BJP on Monday intensified its attack on the INDIA bloc over the Special Intensive Revision controversy, with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that the opposition alliance had already “fallen apart” before its planned meeting on the issue. He pointed to the absence of key regional leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav, M.K. Stalin and Arvind Kejriwal, as evidence of widening coordination gaps within the bloc. The remarks sharpen the political contest around the SIR exercise, turning a procedural electoral issue into a fresh test of opposition unity.
The World Bank mobilised $112 billion in private capital for developing countries last year, underscoring a marked shift toward crowding in investors as donor funding tightens. The figure, which now nearly matches the institution’s own lending, highlights how de-risking tools are becoming central to closing the financing gap for jobs, infrastructure and growth.
Tamil star Sivakarthikeyan’s next major project, provisionally titled 'SK 27', has been formally launched, marking a fresh collaboration with National Award-winning filmmaker Ramkumar Balakrishnan of 'Parking' fame. The film, produced by Sathya Jyothi Films, pairs Sivakarthikeyan with actor Kayadu Lohar and adds another high-profile title to Tamil cinema’s crowded production slate.
India is sharpening its pitch as a global leader in digital payments and fintech, building on the scale of its public digital infrastructure, rapid consumer adoption and a policy environment that has encouraged innovation. The country’s challenge now is to convert domestic momentum into durable international influence, while preserving trust, resilience and financial inclusion.
Credit Saison India is accelerating a shift toward secured lending as it expands its MSME franchise in smaller cities and towns. The company said it expects secured loans to account for 30% of its portfolio by the end of the current fiscal year, up from a lower base, while its overall loan book stands at about Rs 25,000 crore.
A new exhibition in Delhi curated by textile designer and revivalist Sunaina Suneja brings vintage and contemporary phulkari into the same frame, tracing the craft’s techniques, motifs and social meanings across time. The show positions phulkari not as a static folk artifact but as a living visual language shaped by memory, migration and reinvention.
Indian cricketer Akash has said his injury layoff became an unexpected period of learning, allowing him to better understand his body, recovery patterns and long-term fitness needs. His remarks underline a growing emphasis in modern cricket on workload management, rehabilitation and self-awareness as players return from physical setbacks.
As household budgets tighten and borrowing costs remain a live concern, financial planners say personal loan borrowers can reduce EMI strain through disciplined tenure choices, selective prepayments and tighter expense control. The most effective approach is not to chase the lowest monthly instalment alone, but to balance affordability with the total interest paid over the life of the loan.
The Reserve Bank of India’s committee on ways and means advances has recommended an 11.2% increase in the average WMA limit for states, signalling a modest expansion in short-term fiscal accommodation. The panel also underscored a structural shift in state liquidity management, noting that the Standing Deposit Facility has become the primary window for temporary support, overtaking WMA’s earlier role.
A fresh wave of high-intensity cricket narratives is reshaping the India sports conversation, with “Beast Mode,” “Invincible Force,” “Kavya,” and “El Nino” emerging as the defining labels around a fast-moving contest. The language reflects more than branding: it signals a sport increasingly driven by identity, momentum, and the pressure to perform under a national spotlight.
Kalidas Jayaram and Dushara Vijayan have spoken about their experience working on 'Raayan', crediting Dhanush’s intense directorial style for drawing out strong performances. The actors also highlighted a central creative principle behind the film: choosing roles that can leave an impact, even when screen time is limited.
India’s retail credit market is widening rapidly, with the share of eligible consumers taking formal credit rising to 74% in March from 35% in 2017. Consumer durable loans are acting as a key entry point for first-time borrowers, while gold loans and microfinance continue to broaden access beyond major cities.
India’s startup funding market in Q3 2026 showed a modest 5% year-on-year rise to $2.2 billion, but the headline gain masked a far more cautious investment climate. Venture capital firms and growth-stage backers are concentrating capital in fewer, higher-conviction deals as macroeconomic uncertainty, valuation discipline and slower exit prospects reshape the market.
Eight BSE 100 stocks fell to fresh 52-week lows on Wednesday even as the Sensex declined only modestly, underscoring persistent pressure on select large-cap names. PB Fintech, Havells India, Wipro, Britannia Industries, Tata Consumer Products, Godrej Consumer Products, Hindustan Unilever and ONGC were among the stocks that marked new annual lows, with some names down as much as 45% in a month.
NCERT’s revised Class 9 social science textbook has revived a politically sensitive historical claim by referring to the Sengol as a symbol of transfer of power to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947, a narrative that remains contested by historians. The book also draws explicit links between national mottos and ancient Sanskrit sources, underscoring a broader effort to foreground civilisational references in school education.
Wall Street climbed sharply after fresh inflation data came in below expectations, easing fears that the Federal Reserve may need to raise rates again in October. The softer reading on the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index helped lift growth-sensitive technology shares, with Apple and Alphabet among the notable gainers.
A sharp divergence has emerged in India’s equity market, where the Nifty 50 has fallen nearly 5% over the past three months even as a select group of small-cap names delivered outsized gains. Fourteen stocks in the Nifty Smallcap 500 universe surged between 50% and 105%, led by Raymond and Welspun Corp, underscoring how stock-specific catalysts can overpower broader market weakness.
India used the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to project a reformist legal agenda, emphasizing modernized justice systems, stronger institutional capacity, and deeper international cooperation. The intervention underscored New Delhi’s effort to position itself as both a domestic reformer and a credible voice in shaping global legal norms.
Japan’s 10-year government bond yield is on track for a fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit gains, underscoring the strain from a global selloff in sovereign debt and renewed concern over Tokyo’s fiscal trajectory. Market pricing for a possible October Bank of Japan rate hike has eased, but the medium-term yield outlook remains sensitive to U.S. rate expectations, yen weakness and the central bank’s next policy signal.
At the Global Fintech Festival 2026, Adyen framed payments as a strategic layer of modern commerce rather than a back-end utility. The message reflects a broader shift in banking and fintech: payment systems are increasingly being designed to drive conversion, unify customer data and support cross-border growth. For India’s financial services sector, the implications are significant. As digital commerce matures and enterprises push for seamless omnichannel experiences, payments are moving closer to the center of technology, operations and customer strategy.
Andhra Pradesh Industry and Commerce Minister Kondapalli Srinivas has pitched the state as an investor-friendly destination to Maharashtra-based companies, highlighting policy support and sectoral opportunities ahead of the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam. The outreach underscores Andhra Pradesh’s effort to convert the summit into a concrete investment pipeline across manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics and allied industries.
Indian banks are expected to put additional liquidity from FCNR(B) deposits to work in the coming months as festive-season borrowing demand strengthens, Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Rohit Jain said. He added that the central bank will not direct lenders toward specific sectors, leaving deployment decisions to banks based on the quality of credit proposals and broader demand conditions.
Indian equities extended their decline on Wednesday, with the Nifty falling below the 22,650 mark as selling pressure persisted at higher levels. Healthcare stocks led the losses, while banks and realty names outperformed, with Kotak Mahindra Bank, InterGlobe Aviation and ICICI Bank among the day’s notable gainers.
Bengaluru-based theatre company Talab will stage Nala Damayanti at the Bangalore International Centre this weekend, presenting a new production written and directed by IIM professor Gaurav Jakhu. The play draws on a classical Indian narrative while positioning itself within the city’s increasingly visible independent theatre circuit. The staging underscores how academic, artistic and cultural worlds continue to intersect in Bengaluru, where smaller performance venues have become important platforms for original Indian-language and English-language theatre.
India’s manufacturing strategy is moving beyond capacity expansion toward stronger domestic supply chains, technology development and tighter integration with global markets, the Confederation of Indian Industry said as the Make in India initiative marks 12 years. The shift is especially significant for automotive, EV and mobility manufacturing, where competitiveness will increasingly depend on localisation, innovation and export readiness rather than scale alone.
State Bank of India expects to generate surplus revenue from the new merchant discount rate on higher-value UPI transactions, banking on its large card-issuing base and payment gateway franchise to offset the cost of the change. The lender will begin charging MDR on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 from October 15 and is assessing how transaction splitting could affect its systems and volumes.
India’s startup ecosystem closed September with a steady flow of funding, product launches and strategic updates that underscored a market still rewarding disciplined growth over exuberance. The day’s developments point to a sector increasingly shaped by capital efficiency, category specialization and a sharper focus on unit economics.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. could be headed for a valuation re-rating as visibility improves on deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A fighter, which accounts for 43% of the company’s order book, Jefferies said. The brokerage retained its Buy rating and Rs 6,800 target price, citing stronger-than-expected delivery guidance from HAL management.
In-Solutions Global is positioning trust, compliance and consumer safety as the core architecture of agentic commerce, the next phase of AI-driven payments in which autonomous systems can initiate and complete transactions on behalf of users. The company says the shift will expand consumer convenience, but also place greater responsibility on individuals and merchants to operate within clear guardrails.
A $127 billion mobilisation under India’s foreign currency deposit scheme has materially strengthened bank liquidity and funding stability, according to S&P. The rating agency said the inflow, driven by attractive interest rates and diaspora participation, has improved the funding environment and could help bridge asset-liability gaps across the sector. Analysts say the deposits may ultimately support balance sheets by as much as $190 billion to $220 billion.
Young Indian archer Chikitha’s rise to gold has been shaped as much by discipline at home as by training on the range. She has credited one of India’s most decorated compound archers, Abhishek Verma, for guiding her development, while her father’s decision to steer her away from karate and toward archery proved pivotal.
Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan interacted with probationers of the Indian Defence Estates Service at the Vice President’s House in New Delhi, underscoring the importance of public service, institutional discipline, and administrative responsibility. The engagement highlighted the role of young civil servants in managing sensitive defence land and estate administration, a domain that sits at the intersection of governance, compliance, and strategic public assets.
Credit Saison India is accelerating a strategic shift toward secured lending as it expands its MSME franchise across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. The company expects secured loans to account for 30% of its portfolio by the end of FY27, up from a smaller current share, as it builds out branches and broadens its geographic reach.
At the Global Fintech Fest 2026, Juspay executive Ishan Sharma said the company’s 12-year journey has been defined by building payments infrastructure that can operate at population scale, while staying open to new rails, new merchants and new use cases. In an exclusive interview with The Economic Times, he argued that Indian fintechs must think beyond domestic convenience and design products that can compete in developed markets as agentic commerce begins to reshape how transactions are initiated and completed.
South Korea’s central bank sold a net $9.612 billion in foreign currency in the second quarter to cushion the won, extending a run of intervention that has now lasted seven straight quarters. The move came as the currency weakened 2.1% against the dollar, reflecting broad dollar strength, volatile global markets and renewed inflation risks for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The Cotton Association of India said free trade agreements are helping open new export markets and supporting demand for Indian textiles and cotton, even as the sector faces persistent challenges around productivity, quality and contamination control. CAI Chairman Vinay N Kotak said competitiveness will depend on stronger traceability, sustainability, price discovery and risk management across the cotton value chain.
India’s sunflower oil imports are expected to jump by about 30% after the government reduced import duties, according to market expectations cited by trade participants. The shift is likely to partly displace soyoil purchases, while palm oil demand is expected to remain broadly steady as supply concerns continue to support the tropical oil market.
At IDSFFK 2026, filmmaker Ameya Gore is drawing attention for his documentary 'Going Solo,' a film that follows cyclists Gareema Shankar and Renu Singhi on their 2022 ride to the London-Edinburgh-London event. Produced by Sharib Khan and Vikas Kumar, the project positions endurance sport not as a niche athletic pursuit but as a lens on discipline, gender, and personal resolve. The film arrives at a moment when Indian documentary filmmaking is increasingly expanding beyond conventional social subjects, with Gore using the sports format to test how far observational storytelling can go without losing emotional depth or journalistic rigor.
Karnataka has approved the establishment of Global Technology Centres in Belagavi and Hubballi, marking a fresh push to widen the state’s technology footprint beyond Bengaluru. The move is aimed at strengthening regional innovation hubs, attracting enterprise investment and creating a deeper talent pipeline across north Karnataka.
India produced a strong multi-event showing at the Asian Games 2026, with Yashvir, Gulveer and Sreeshankar each claiming silver medals in a day that also delivered a double podium in javelin for Rohit. Vithya set a national record on her way to bronze in the 400m hurdles, Parul earned a second straight bronze, and Avinash Sable finished fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase after a competitive run.
Veteran theatre artist Maadhu Balaji and his Crazy team are set to stage Crazy Mohan’s beloved play Chocolate Krishna in Coimbatore, with the performance tailored for senior citizens. The presentation underscores the enduring appeal of Tamil stage comedy and the continued cultural relevance of Crazy Mohan’s writing.
Arivihan has raised $10 million in fresh funding to expand its AI-led education platform beyond major urban markets and deepen its reach across India’s smaller cities and state boards. The company said the capital will support geographic expansion, broader CBSE coverage, and stronger vernacular and personalization capabilities as it seeks to make adaptive learning more accessible.