Indian household borrowing is showing a clear tilt toward secured credit, with loans against gold jewellery rising sharply even as credit card dues and consumer durable loans post only modest growth. Reserve Bank of India data indicate that personal loans remain a major driver of bank credit, but the mix is changing in favour of collateral-backed lending.
India’s quick commerce market is emerging as one of the country’s most consequential consumer shifts, with researchers projecting that the category could expand from roughly 6% of metro retail spending to as much as 20% to 23%. The surge is drawing intense investor attention and was a central theme at TechSparks, where the new tech order was framed around speed, logistics, and consumer habit formation.
The National Housing Bank is likely to double its refinance and affordable housing funding for large housing finance companies this fiscal year, in a move aimed at expanding long-term, lower-cost credit for the sector. The step could ease dependence on banks for lenders such as LIC Housing Finance and Bajaj Housing Finance while supporting growth in housing loans.
Bengaluru is preparing a major public transport expansion that includes adding 3,000 buses and widening footpaths to improve mobility across the city, according to Maheshwar Rao. The plan signals a push to strengthen mass transit and pedestrian infrastructure as traffic congestion and commuter demand continue to rise.
Mumbai captain Shardul Lad has said he respects the selectors’ decision to leave out Suryakumar Yadav, framing the matter as part of the team’s broader focus ahead of its Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh on Sunday. The remarks come as Mumbai begin another domestic campaign under scrutiny, with selection calls and squad balance once again under the spotlight.
State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty said deposit rates are unlikely to rise for the next three months, citing ample liquidity in the banking system. He added that the Reserve Bank of India’s policy stance should support banks’ net interest margins while credit growth remains on a steady 14% to 15% trajectory over time.
Musician Muthu’s latest track, 'Theeraa Theeraa,' underscores a career built on instinct, narrative craft, and an ability to translate lived experience into song. From writing Sufi music in Uttar Pradesh to composing for Malayalam cinema, he has emerged as a distinctive voice moving across languages and regional traditions.
India has launched an investigation into whether Chinese producers and exporters of insoluble sulphur have benefited from government subsidies that are harming domestic manufacturers. The probe could pave the way for countervailing duties if authorities conclude that subsidised imports are causing material injury to the Indian industry.
India is set to remove a major goods and services tax restriction that has long prevented companies from claiming input tax credit on insurance purchases, a change that could ease compliance and lower embedded costs for businesses. The measure also extends credit eligibility to firms buying and reselling certain services in the same line of business, including restaurant and catering services, hotel rooms priced up to ₹7,500 a night, and fitness services.
D2C lifestyle brand DailyObjects has raised ₹332 crore ($34.3 million) in a Series C round co-led by Xponentia Capital, marking a significant capital infusion as the company pushes deeper into offline retail. The funding underscores investor confidence in premium consumer brands that can bridge digital demand with physical distribution in India’s evolving retail market.
Ticketed concerts and cultural events are increasingly drawing new audiences into Delhi’s historic monuments, recasting heritage sites as premium venues in the city’s fast-growing experience economy. The shift is creating fresh revenue and visibility for culture, but it is also sharpening questions about permissions, conservation safeguards and the commercial use of protected spaces.
HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank have each named a new chief executive, installing Anup Bagchi and Anup Saha in two of the country’s most closely watched banking transitions. The appointments mark a significant leadership reset at two private-sector lenders as they prepare for the next phase of growth under new management.
A Constitution exhibition and public debate organised alongside the State Conference of the All India Lawyers Union in Kerala is turning into an unlikely civic classroom for students and young visitors. By tracing the making, evolution and lived meaning of India’s Constitution, the event is highlighting both celebrated national leaders and lesser-known contributors who shaped the republic’s democratic framework.
The National Open delivered a sharp reminder of India’s growing depth in domestic athletics, with Hoblidhar marking a notable return to competition and Kuldeep producing the headline performance of the meet by setting a new record. The results added both narrative weight and technical significance to an event that continues to serve as a key proving ground for emerging and established athletes alike.
Ambedkar University Delhi’s dean has called on students to keep pace with rapid technological change, framing digital fluency as a core requirement for future careers and public life. The remarks reflect a broader policy debate in India over how higher education institutions should adapt curricula, skills training, and research priorities to an economy increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence.
Union Health Minister launched JOSH teams on Friday as part of a renewed national drive to accelerate tuberculosis elimination, framing the initiative as a field-level mechanism to sharpen surveillance, improve accountability and sustain momentum at the grassroots. The minister said 67,933 panchayats across 697 districts have been recognised as TB Mukt in 2026, underscoring both the scale of progress and the challenge of maintaining gains in a disease that remains a major public health burden.
Kochi will host the Champions Boat League 2026 on October 10, underscoring Kerala’s continued use of sport as a platform for tourism promotion and regional branding. The event is expected to draw attention to the state’s backwater heritage while reinforcing the policy value of cultural-sporting spectacles in India’s domestic tourism economy.
Dehradun-based medtech startup Sunfox Technologies has raised $7 million, or about ₹67 crore, in a Series A round to expand its cardiac diagnostics platform, Spandan. The funding underscores investor appetite for affordable, portable healthcare technologies that can widen access to early heart screening across India and other emerging markets.
India’s quick commerce sector is poised for a dramatic expansion, with a Google-Redseer study projecting the market will grow from $13 billion in FY2026 to $90 billion by FY2031. The report points to festive-season demand, widening assortment, and rapid penetration into non-metro cities as the main forces behind the boom.
The most profitable phase of artificial intelligence may be shifting from selling raw model capability to owning the industries where those models are deployed. In India and globally, startups are increasingly finding that durable margins come not from generic AI tools, but from tightly integrated products built for specific vertical markets.
That change is reshaping venture capital strategy, pushing investors to back companies that control workflows, data, and distribution inside sectors such as healthcare, finance, legal services, and enterprise software.
India is preparing to extend faceless assessment to Goods and Services Tax payers registered across multiple Central GST jurisdictions, a move aimed at reducing discretion, improving consistency and speeding up dispute resolution. The framework is expected to be placed in the public domain for consultation by the end of this year, with implementation targeted for the next fiscal year.
India’s credit card market showed signs of moderation in August, with spending easing 2.8% month-on-month to ₹2.02 lakh crore from ₹2.08 lakh crore in July. Although outlays were still 5.9% higher than a year earlier, the slower pace of card additions suggests a cooling in incremental demand across consumer spending channels.
The Supreme Court has broadened its scrutiny of how police chiefs are appointed across India, directing its amicus curiae to work with the Union Public Service Commission and examine state police laws for possible violations of the court’s 2006 ruling on director general of police appointments. The move came after Jharkhand challenged what it described as the Centre’s “special affection” for certain states in the handling of top police postings, sharpening a long-running federal dispute over police autonomy and executive discretion.
A coalition led by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India, AWL Agri Business Ltd, Solidaridad Network Asia Ltd and Bharatkhand Foundation has launched 'Sarson Sankalp' to promote regenerative mustard farming in Rajasthan. The initiative is aimed at improving soil health, strengthening farm resilience and supporting more sustainable domestic oilseed production at a time when India remains heavily dependent on edible oil imports.
Vivek Venugopal’s new release, titled 'Miniatures for Piano, Op. 30 & Opp. 16, 17,' presents a compact but carefully shaped set of musical sketches that place the piano in dialogue with clarinet and oboe. Recorded in Moscow with musicians associated with the Bolshoi, the project underscores a growing appetite for chamber works that privilege nuance, colour and close listening over scale. The album positions Venugopal within a contemporary Indian classical crossover space that values craft, restraint and international collaboration.
Consumer tech brand Lumio has raised $12 million in fresh funding led by Blume Ventures, marking a significant vote of confidence in the company’s product-led growth strategy. The startup said the capital will be deployed toward research and development, brand building, and expanding its talent base as it competes in India’s increasingly crowded consumer electronics market.
The Reserve Bank of India has moved to calm a growing wave of concern around the new foreign exchange reporting framework, with Governor Sanjay Malhotra clarifying that individuals carrying out permitted transactions will not face unnecessary compliance burdens. The clarification is especially relevant for freelancers, digital creators and SaaS startups that depend on cross-border payments, overseas clients and routine foreign currency inflows.
Paramount Syntex’s Rs 82-crore initial public offering drew 1.35 times subscription by the second day of bidding on the BSE SME platform, led overwhelmingly by qualified institutional buyers. The QIB portion was subscribed 119.29 times, while retail and non-institutional investor demand remained subdued ahead of the issue’s October 6 close.
Indian equities closed sharply lower on Thursday as the Reserve Bank of India’s hawkish policy stance continued to weigh on sentiment, especially in rate-sensitive sectors such as real estate and metals. The Nifty 50 fell 1.64% to 22,231.80, while the Sensex declined 1.46% to 71,593.24, with broader valuation resets adding to the pressure. Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Adani Enterprises and ITC were among the notable movers in a session defined by risk aversion and sectoral rotation.
India’s latest Asian Games campaign offered a revealing snapshot of a sporting power still expanding beyond its traditional strengths. The performance combined record-setting moments, dependable medal hauls in established disciplines, and a sharper signal that India’s depth is improving across team and individual events.
The Indian government is preparing to publish a consultation paper on artificial intelligence regulation as policymakers weigh how to balance innovation, safety and accountability, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday. The move comes amid mounting uncertainty over AI’s rapid adoption across startups, enterprise technology and public services, and signals the beginning of a broader policy process rather than an immediate regulatory clampdown.
The Delhi High Court has sought Salman Khan’s response to a plea filed by the producer of the film Kala Hiran, after the actor moved to restrain its release on the claim that the project is based on him. The development adds a fresh legal flashpoint to a dispute that sits at the intersection of celebrity rights, creative expression, and the commercial stakes of film distribution.
A gig workers’ union has called for stronger protections after reporting that delivery workers are being penalised for handling expired or unsellable items in platform orders. The demand adds fresh pressure on policymakers to clarify liability, compensation, and consumer-safety rules in India’s fast-growing app-based delivery economy. The dispute underscores a broader regulatory gap in which workers often absorb operational risks without clear recourse.
Dehradun-based medtech startup Sunfox Technologies has secured $7 million in a Series A round to expand its cardiac diagnostics platform, Spandan, as demand rises for faster, more accessible heart screening tools in India. The funding underscores growing investor interest in affordable medical devices that can extend specialist-grade diagnostics beyond major hospitals and into primary care settings.
Mumbai’s banking sector is positioning for a stronger earnings cycle as markets price in a possible Reserve Bank of India rate hike and lenders prepare for a fresh wave of foreign currency non-resident bank deposit inflows. Higher benchmark rates could lift lending yields, while FCNR(B) deposits may improve liquidity and support balance-sheet growth. Private banks, in particular, are expected to benefit from wider net interest margins and easing operating leverage.
India’s digital lenders have posted a sharp expansion in personal-loan books, with outstanding balances rising 28% over the past year even as the number of active accounts edged lower to 5.64 crore. The data points to a clear shift toward larger ticket sizes, stronger demand from younger borrowers and consumers with thin credit files, and a market increasingly driven by higher-value lending rather than pure account growth.
The Reserve Bank of India has moved to make the country’s Account Aggregator framework interoperable, allowing customers to share financial data across platforms without being locked into a single provider. The change is designed to streamline consent-based data access for banks and lenders while preserving user control over what information is shared and with whom.
The Reserve Bank of India’s net short forward position in the foreign exchange market rose sharply to $200 billion in August from $136 billion in July, signalling a marked increase in the central bank’s outstanding dollar obligations. The build-up, alongside additional long dollar positions, suggests active balance-sheet management at a time when economists say the RBI is finding it harder to unwind or contain these exposures efficiently.
A fresh political and policy debate has opened over the adequacy of the government’s proposed ₹2,500 relief for drought-hit farmers, with Nikhil publicly questioning whether the amount can meaningfully offset crop losses, rising input costs and rural distress. The criticism sharpens pressure on policymakers to justify the scale, design and timing of compensation as climate stress deepens across vulnerable farming regions.
Eurozone government bond yields surged on Tuesday as a fresh rise in energy prices intensified inflation concerns and pushed investors to price in a more restrictive policy path. The move also widened the spread between French and German debt, underscoring growing sensitivity to fiscal risks and the market’s reassessment of sovereign credit conditions.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has received a major update that improves action flow and delivers modest visual upgrades, reinforcing the game’s status as a cornerstone of modern role-playing design. The refresh arrives as attention shifts toward the Ciri-led Witcher 4 and a bridging DLC, Songs of the Past, positioning the 2015 classic for a new generation of players.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised its FY27 projections for both economic growth and consumer inflation, signalling a more complicated policy backdrop for the year ahead. The central bank now expects GDP growth at 7.1% and CPI inflation at 5.2%, citing firmer food and fuel prices and early signs that core inflation is also edging higher.
ICICI Bank has received a show cause notice from GST authorities seeking ₹229.14 crore in tax demand linked to services offered 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 existing litigation over similar tax disputes. The development underscores continuing regulatory scrutiny of bank fee structures and the tax treatment of bundled customer services.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Campaign for Justice and Peace founder Abhijeet Dipke took part in a people’s tribunal in Bengaluru focused on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The forum added fresh visibility to a politically sensitive exercise that has drawn scrutiny from civil society voices over transparency, inclusion, and the integrity of voter lists.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Zambia for his congratulatory message marking 25 years of service as head of government. The exchange underscores the diplomatic courtesy that continues to shape India’s engagement with African partners, even in brief personal messages between leaders.
Asset reconstruction companies have pressed the government for procedural reforms to accelerate debt recovery, arguing that delays in Debt Recovery Tribunals are weakening enforcement under the Sarfaesi framework. Their proposals include automatic expiry of interim stays after two months, stronger creditor notification systems, faster filling of tribunal vacancies, and expanded electronic litigation services.
Meta has said it removed 5.3 million pieces of child sexual abuse material and related harmful content in the first half of 2026, underscoring the scale of moderation pressure facing major social platforms. The disclosure comes as the company remains under regulatory scrutiny in India, where authorities and safety advocates continue to press for stronger accountability on online child protection.
Anup Bagchi, a 34-year ICICI Group veteran known for his retail and wholesale banking leadership, is set to join HDFC Bank as managing director after receiving Reserve Bank of India approval. His appointment marks a notable leadership transition at India’s largest private lender, where continuity, execution and deposit mobilisation remain central priorities.
At the ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0, Praveena Rai made a forceful case for broadening Indian investment portfolios beyond equities and fixed income, arguing that commodities deserve a larger role in long-term wealth creation and risk management. Her remarks come as Indian investors increasingly look to gold, copper and energy-linked products for diversification amid volatile markets and shifting macro conditions.
National record holder Vithya has set her sights on a sub-54-second performance after a season in which she delivered a three-medal haul for India at the Asian Games. The 28-year-old says her achievements have not drawn the recognition they deserve, while coach Nehpal is already looking ahead to a strong showing at the Beijing World Athletics Championships next year.
