The government has sharply tightened sugar inventory rules, reducing the stock limit for dealers to 1,000 quintals from October 15 and capping holdings at 15 days of supply. The revised framework also introduces region-specific limits for Kolkata and Assam, signalling a more targeted approach to managing distribution and price stability.
Air India Express has expanded its fleet to 110 aircraft as it prepares for the winter schedule, underscoring a broader effort to scale operations through aircraft transfers and an extensive retrofit programme. The move positions the low-cost carrier to add capacity, improve utilisation and strengthen its network at a time of seasonal demand pressure across Indian aviation.
India’s digital lending sector posted a sharp 28% rise in personal-loan portfolios over the past year, even as the number of outstanding loan accounts edged down to 5.64 crore. The data points to a clear shift toward larger ticket sizes, with new loan sanctions surging 50% and younger borrowers, along with customers with thin credit histories, driving much of the growth.
A potential Reserve Bank of India rate hike is unlikely to cause broad-based asset quality deterioration across non-bank lenders, according to a Nuvama Institutional Equities report. The note argues that past tightening cycles have not automatically translated into sector-wide stress, while healthy capital buffers and ample systemic liquidity should help absorb any incremental pressure.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has dismissed concerns that the Merchant Discount Rate on select UPI transactions will be passed on to consumers, saying the charge is borne by merchants and not the government. She also clarified that the levy is neither a tax nor a cess, but a payment-processing cost applicable only to certain transactions above Rs 2,000.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar called on graduating students of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam, to apply technology with responsibility and public purpose, framing digital innovation as a force that must be guided by ethics and social accountability. The remarks came at a convocation where degrees were awarded to 386 BTech students, 84 MTech graduates and eight PhD scholars, alongside 55 merit certificates.
India’s largest state-run lenders have advised customers to complete urgent branch transactions in advance of a proposed bank strike scheduled for September 28 to 30, 2026. State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank said digital and self-service channels should be used during the period, signalling possible disruption to in-branch services if the industrial action goes ahead.
India’s markets regulator is developing a second surveillance system aimed at identifying “bad elements” among listed companies, according to a senior official. The Securities and Exchange Board of India is also examining ways to screen small initial public offerings that may not be appropriate for the capital market, signalling a tighter gatekeeping approach as equity fundraising remains active.
Authorities have not yet initiated action against the applicant linked to allegations of bulk deletion of voters in Musheerabad, raising fresh questions about the pace and transparency of electoral oversight. The matter has drawn attention to the safeguards around voter rolls and the accountability mechanisms meant to prevent politically sensitive manipulation of the electoral register.
360 ONE Capital Research has identified eight stocks for October, led by Coal India, NTPC and ITC, as it looks for companies with visible earnings support and identifiable growth triggers. The recommendations, all rated Buy, reflect a selective stance on sectors where pricing power, operating leverage and policy-linked demand can support near-term performance.
Balaji Tharaneetharan’s 'Baththa' is a gently observant comedy-drama that turns a simple encounter between a feared don and a schoolboy into a layered meditation on innocence, performance, and the lingering goodness beneath public identities. The film leans on nostalgia, humour, and emotional restraint to explore how childhood is shaped by fear, social roles, and the quiet compromises of adulthood.
Nifty’s near-term trajectory remains tied to the 22,600 support zone, according to Sudeep Shah of SBI Securities, who sees the index consolidating after recent volatility. In an interaction with ETMarkets, Shah outlined a selective approach for the coming week, highlighting PB Fintech, Infosys and TCS as stocks to watch ahead of the September-quarter earnings season.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest film is a maximalist, self-conscious spectacle that turns catastrophe into performance and performance into catastrophe. With Tom Cruise cast as both engine and target of the joke, the film becomes a dense Russian doll of cinematic excess, ambition, and control.
The Hindu has released a new documentary, Gandhi for GenZ, aimed at reintroducing Mahatma Gandhi to younger Indians through the lens of contemporary anxieties, aspirations and civic questions. The film seeks to argue that Gandhi’s ideas on non-violence, self-discipline and social responsibility remain relevant to a generation navigating inequality, digital overload and uncertainty.
At Delhi’s Sunder Nursery, director Anuradha Kapur’s Virasat offers a searching reimagining of Mahesh Elkunchwar’s Wada trilogy, turning a landmark of Indian theatre into a meditation on inheritance, decay and the emotional cost of refusing change. The production is less a nostalgic homage than a disciplined critique of the past, arguing that modernity is not automatically progress and that the collapse of old certainties can be both necessary and devastating.
Aries Agro said it has expanded manufacturing capacity to 1.01 lakh tonnes, underscoring a broader push to scale production, widen distribution and strengthen its farmer-facing business model. The company highlighted the expansion, technology adoption and other operational initiatives at its annual general meeting, signalling confidence in demand across India’s agri-input market.
India’s primary market is entering a brief lull after a frenetic September that saw nearly Rs 39,000 crore raised through initial public offerings. Even so, the Street is still set for 29 listings, underscoring how resilient investor appetite has remained after a muted start to FY27 and a sharp revival in August.
India’s Education Ministry has approved five Centres of Excellence to advance the study, research, and preservation of classical languages, marking a significant policy push in the humanities. The initiative is expected to strengthen academic capacity, expand scholarly resources, and deepen institutional support for languages treated as part of India’s civilisational and cultural heritage.
Balaji Tharaneetharan’s ‘Baththa’ is a gently observant comedy-drama that turns an unlikely encounter between a feared don and a schoolboy into a meditation on childhood, identity and the roles people are forced to perform. The film blends humour, nostalgia and emotional restraint to uncover the humanity that survives beneath public masks.
Police have arrested seven more people, including three soldiers, in the Bolarum arms theft case, deepening a probe that now points to a wider criminal supply chain. Investigators say the stolen military weapons were allegedly intended for a series of robberies, while retired Havaldar Mallesh is accused of exploring buyers for the arms in West Bengal.
The National Payments Corporation of India has said that GST on the merchant discount rate linked to UPI transactions will not materially burden small businesses, arguing that the vast majority of merchant payments remain outside the chargeable band. NPCI said transactions below Rs 2,000 attract zero MDR and therefore no GST, while merchants can also offset any GST paid on MDR against their tax liability.
A man identified as Anil Kumar Singh died in Bihar’s Saran district after a relief packet dropped from a helicopter struck him during flood assistance operations, police said. His son alleged that relief materials were being dropped in bulk and that one packet hit his father on the head while another struck his chest.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India’s current economic resilience is the product of a decade of structural reforms, not a short-term cycle. She said the next phase of growth will depend on strategic resource security, stronger participation in global trade, deeper skills development and greater private investment in research.
India’s monetary policy outlook is becoming more complicated as the rupee stays under pressure, inflation broadens and the U.S. Federal Reserve moves deeper into a tightening cycle. Ankita Pathak of Ionic Asset says the Reserve Bank of India may have less flexibility than markets expect, with elevated U.S. yields and a stronger dollar likely to weigh on capital flows and domestic equities.
Williams driver Alex Albon has argued that Formula 1’s latest car regulations are tilting the competitive balance toward more aggressive driving styles, a view that adds fresh scrutiny to how the sport’s technical framework is shaping on-track behaviour. His remarks come as teams continue to assess whether the current rules are producing closer racing or simply rewarding drivers and cars that can push harder in traffic and under pressure.
Ixigo’s journey from a travel discovery startup in 2007 to a scaled consumer platform now looks less like a linear expansion and more like a deliberate build-out of a full-stack travel engine. The company’s rail, flight and bus businesses are increasingly serving as both customer acquisition channels and cash-generating pillars, giving it room to fund newer bets without relying solely on external capital.
A consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India has said fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya still owes Rs 8,752 crore, even after recoveries of more than Rs 10,270 crore through repayments and asset sales. The disclosure complicates Mallya’s long-running claim that he has settled his bank liabilities and underscores that recovery proceedings and criminal cases remain active.
Keventer Group and Saroj Poddar Group have launched a Rs 400-crore real estate debt fund aimed at financing projects in Delhi-NCR and West Bengal through secured lending. The sponsors have committed Rs 80 crore to the vehicle, which is targeting a gross internal rate of return of 18% to 22%, underscoring continued investor appetite for structured property credit in India.
India’s cold storage network is increasingly being viewed not just as post-harvest infrastructure, but as a financial bridge between farmgate preservation and structured trade finance. Analysts say the sector cannot deliver genuine resilience unless physical storage is paired with collateral management systems that make inventory bankable, transparent and easier to finance.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is preparing to expand its GIFT City operations over the next few years, aiming to double business in trade finance and payments as multinational interest in Gujarat’s international financial hub deepens. The bank, which opened its branch in 2022, now serves a few hundred clients and manages a book of nearly $1 billion.
The Hindu’s Sunday crossword No. 76 has emerged as a modest but telling marker of India’s enduring print culture, where wordplay continues to command attention in an increasingly digital media landscape. While not a hard-news event, the puzzle reflects the newspaper’s long-standing role in shaping intellectual leisure and reader loyalty across generations.
In a striking Irani Cup subplot, Nasir’s composed performance stood out not only for its timing but for the symbolism around it: he made his mark while wearing a jersey that was not originally his. The episode added an unusual human angle to a match built on selection merit, pressure, and the unforgiving scrutiny of domestic cricket.
A below-normal monsoon is emerging as a key risk for India’s fast-moving consumer goods sector, with analysts warning that weaker rainfall could curb rural purchasing power and delay a broader demand recovery. The impact is expected to be uneven across regions, as some parts of the country have faced sharper rainfall deficits than others, complicating the outlook for staples, personal care products and discretionary household spending.
US stocks advanced in early trade after softer-than-expected labour data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve may have less urgency to tighten policy further. The Nasdaq outperformed, rising about 1%, as investors rotated back into growth shares and priced in a more supportive rate outlook.
Italian football manager Carlo Ancelotti has voiced support for India’s long-term ambition to host a World Cup, framing the country’s sporting rise as part of a broader global opportunity. Speaking with a tone of encouragement, he said he hoped the occasion would be an entertaining night for everyone, underscoring the appeal of major international football in India.
The Indian government is evaluating revised financial bids from Fairfax Financial Holdings and Emirates NBD for the proposed sale of its 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank, according to sources familiar with the process. The transaction, one of the most closely watched banking divestments in India, is moving ahead at a measured pace as officials assess valuation, structure and regulatory considerations.
ixigo has announced new partnerships with Uber and redBus that will allow train travellers to book cabs and buses directly within its trains app. The move strengthens ixigo’s position in India’s rail travel ecosystem by extending its platform from ticket discovery into end-to-end trip planning and last-mile mobility.
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond product recommendations and into transaction-making, a shift that could reshape how consumers buy vehicles, EV accessories and mobility services in India. The change promises convenience and speed, but it also raises fresh questions about trust, accountability, pricing power and who controls the final purchase decision.
An approved real estate project can materially reduce friction in the home-buying process by giving lenders confidence in the legal and technical viability of the property. For borrowers, that often translates into faster loan processing, less documentation scrutiny, and quicker access to funds and repayment flexibility.
India’s listed new-age technology companies have moved beyond the era of pure narrative investing and into a more demanding phase defined by revenue growth, profitability discipline and public-market accountability. The sector’s evolution, tracked over years by Inc42 and now visible through market-cap and operating metrics, reflects both the maturation of India’s startup ecosystem and the harsher standards imposed by listed markets.
India’s startup funding market opened October on a firm note, with weekly inflows crossing $400 million for the period of September 26 to October 2. The tally was propelled largely by two deals above $100 million, underscoring that large cheques continue to anchor venture activity even as the broader market remains selective.
The Confederation of All India Traders has rejected media and social media claims that it has backed a nationwide 'No UPI Day' on October 2. The clarification comes amid rising speculation over a proposed merchant discount rate levy on certain UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15.
Trial operations have begun for the movement of automobile rakes through the Vallarpadam rail siding, a development that could strengthen multimodal logistics at one of India’s key transshipment terminals. Senior port officials said the rake was unloaded and cleared in three hours and 15 minutes without disrupting normal terminal operations, underscoring the facility’s operational readiness.
India secured a second consecutive Asian Games cricket gold after defeating Pakistan in the 2026 edition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, strengthening its standing in the updated medal table. The result adds another high-value title to India’s campaign and underscores the country’s growing consistency in continental cricket competition.
Bitcoin traded near $84,000 and Ethereum edged toward $2,700 in late-session activity as buyers continued to absorb intraday weakness across the digital-asset market. The tone remained constructive despite a modest 24-hour pullback in major cryptocurrencies, with traders appearing willing to defend key price levels even as several altcoins came under pressure.
ICICI Bank has received a show-cause notice from GST authorities seeking ₹229.14 crore in tax demand over services linked to customers maintaining minimum account balances. The notice, issued on September 30 by the Additional Commissioner at the CGST and Central Excise Division-IV, adds to the bank’s ongoing legal and regulatory disputes over similar past notices.
The Andhra Pradesh government has removed 51 doctors from service after disciplinary action for remaining absent from duty, Health Minister said. The action covers 41 Assistant Professors, eight Associate Professors and two tutors, underscoring a hardening stance on absenteeism in the state’s public medical system.
A potential Reserve Bank of India rate hike is unlikely to cause broad-based asset quality stress for non-banking financial companies, according to Nuvama Institutional Equities. The brokerage said historical patterns show that rate increases alone do not typically lead to widespread deterioration, while strong capital buffers and ample liquidity should help absorb any pressure.
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said India is entering a period of global uncertainty from a position of economic strength, citing real GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026-27. He argued that India’s resilience will depend on how quickly it adapts to shifting geopolitical alignments, trade disruptions and rapid technological change.
India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has carried out a significant enforcement action against an alleged wildlife trafficking network, seizing elephant ivory, leopard skin, a live pangolin and tiger parts, according to officials. Eleven people have been arrested in the operation, underscoring the scale and cross-border sensitivity of the illegal wildlife trade.
