StockGro, the invest-tech startup that recently pre-filed its IPO papers, has raised ₹110 crore in fresh capital from existing investors as part of its pre-listing financing strategy. The round underscores continued backing for the company ahead of a public-market debut, even as India’s startup sector faces a more selective funding environment.
India’s small-trader groups have called off their proposed ‘No UPI Day’ protest after a meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. The withdrawal by the AICPDF and AIMRA eases a potential flashpoint over digital payments, merchant costs and the pace of UPI adoption in the retail economy.
Ashoka University’s award-winning bamboo pavilion, The Hungry Caterpillar, has marked its first anniversary as a distinctive experiment in sustainable campus design. Conceived by Apoorva Shroff’s Lyth Design, the project reimagines the food street through bamboo canopies, 3D-printed kitchens and furniture made from recycled plastic, blending utility with environmental intent.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund aimed at expanding access to capital for manufacturing and technology-focused small and medium enterprises. The move is designed to strengthen India’s industrial base, support scale-up financing, and improve the flow of long-term risk capital into a segment that remains central to jobs, exports and innovation.
The World Bank has warned that automation could threaten 69% of jobs in India, underscoring the scale of disruption facing the country’s labour market as digital technologies accelerate across industries. The warning places India among the most exposed major economies, with the bank citing even higher vulnerability in China and parts of Africa, where structural employment patterns remain heavily concentrated in routine work.
Two eye-catching performers, nicknamed Beast Mode and Sovereign King, have emerged as the latest talking points in India’s cricket conversation after delivering standout displays that underlined both power and composure. Their form has added fresh intrigue to a domestic and national landscape increasingly shaped by depth, competition, and the search for reliable match-winners.
Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said the government is in discussions with airlines and oil marketing companies over elevated aviation turbine fuel prices, which continue to strain carrier finances. The issue has sharpened concerns across the sector because jet fuel typically accounts for about 40% of an airline’s operating costs, leaving little room for margin recovery.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is preparing to scale up its operations at Gujarat’s GIFT City over the next few years, aiming to roughly double business in trade finance and payments. The move underscores rising interest from global banks in India’s international financial hub, where JPMorgan has already built a client base of a few hundred and a book approaching $1 billion.
Consumer tech brand Lumio has raised $12 million in a funding round led by Blume Ventures, a capital infusion the company says will be directed toward research and development, product branding and talent hiring. The raise signals continued investor appetite for differentiated consumer hardware and brand-led technology businesses in India, even as the sector remains demanding on execution and margins.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5%, marking a clear hawkish turn and a formal shift in stance from neutral to calibrated tightening. The move signals the central bank’s renewed focus on inflation control and financial stability, even as markets begin to price in the possibility of another 50 basis points of hikes in FY27.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised its benchmark repo rate for the first time in nearly four years, with the six-member Monetary Policy Committee voting unanimously to tighten policy. The move, announced under Governor Sanjay Malhotra’s first policy cycle since taking office in December 2024, signals that the central bank is prepared to do more if inflation and financial conditions warrant it.
Incoming HDFC Bank chief Anup Bagchi inherits a franchise that remains formidable, but no longer enjoys the easy premium it once commanded from investors. His immediate challenge is to sharpen execution, strengthen governance and show that loan growth and returns can again outpace the broader industry. Markets will judge him not on promises, but on whether HDFC Bank can reclaim the consistency that once made it the sector’s benchmark.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has decided not to pursue charges against a climate group it investigated over conduct tied to ExxonMobil’s May 2021 shareholder meeting. While the regulator stopped short of enforcement, it signaled concern over the group’s actions and used the case to underscore that large shareholders must understand their disclosure obligations well before the 2027 proxy season.
October Octaves, the long-running cultural platform launched in 2015, returns this weekend with its 11th edition, titled Eternal Echoes. The latest chapter underscores the event’s steady evolution as a recurring fixture in India’s arts calendar, blending continuity, curation, and audience loyalty in a crowded entertainment landscape.
India’s new merchant fee regime for UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 is poised to deepen the dominance of PhonePe and Google Pay, according to Bernstein estimates. By March 2028, the two market leaders could together generate about $900 million in annual revenue from the change, reinforcing their scale advantage while pressuring smaller rivals to chase higher-value payments and rural expansion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message to the Third Sagar Manthan Dialogue, has underscored the need for a rules-based maritime order, framing the seas as central to India’s security, trade, and strategic autonomy. The intervention signals New Delhi’s continued emphasis on maritime governance, freedom of navigation, and a stable Indo-Pacific environment.
ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0 has emerged as a timely forum for investors, wealth managers and family-office leaders seeking clarity on the next phase of capital allocation. The discussions are centered on global capital flows, private credit, alternatives, GIFT City, SIFs and the growing role of AI in shaping how wealth is preserved and compounded in India and beyond.
A proposed 0.4% merchant discount rate on UPI transactions could generate as much as Rs 15,000 crore in the first year, according to NPCI chief Dilip Asbe, reviving debate over how India should fund the rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. The proposal comes as policymakers weigh the economics of UPI at a time when transaction volumes continue to surge and merchants, banks and payment firms remain split over who should bear the cost of scale.
Government sources have clarified that the proposed 0.4% merchant fee on select UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 will not be charged to consumers, seeking to calm concerns over a possible rise in digital payment costs. While only a small portion of UPI transactions may be affected, the levy is expected to be shared among banks and other stakeholders within the payments ecosystem.
In a New Delhi studio, tintype photography is being reintroduced as both craft and spectacle: a hand-made, mid-19th-century process that turns portrait-making into a precise chemical performance. What appears antique and simple is, in practice, a technically demanding method that rewards patience, timing and control.
India’s startup ecosystem entered Wednesday with a familiar mix of ambition and caution: investors are still backing category leaders, but capital is flowing more selectively as firms prioritize efficiency, defensible technology and clearer paths to profitability. The day’s roundup underscores a market that remains active, yet increasingly shaped by valuation discipline, AI-led product shifts and the search for sustainable growth.
Arvind Sanger, Managing Partner at Geosphere Capital Management, said he remains cautiously optimistic on Indian markets, arguing that global liquidity conditions are unlikely to improve materially from here. He expects the next leg of market performance to depend less on easy money and more on an earnings revival that can justify valuations.
The Tourism Minister has directed officials to speed up eco-tourism development work at the Roerich-Devika Rani estate, signalling renewed administrative urgency around one of the region’s most culturally significant heritage sites. The move reflects a broader push to convert heritage assets into sustainable tourism destinations while preserving their historical and environmental character.
The Reserve Bank of India is actively examining Anup Bagchi’s suitability for the chief executive role at HDFC Bank and has sought feedback from regulators and ICICI Bank as it assesses his three-year absence from mainstream banking. Bagchi, currently with ICICI Prudential Life, has emerged as a leading contender in a succession process that also includes HDFC Bank’s preference for Kaizad Bharucha, a choice that would require regulatory flexibility on tenure norms.
Webull shares fell more than 18% after a report raised new questions about the trading platform’s structural links to China and the extent of its reliance on infrastructure potentially subject to Chinese law. The selloff underscores mounting investor concern that regulatory scrutiny in Washington could deepen and weigh on the company’s outlook.
On Rabindranath Tagore’s 165th birth anniversary, his songs are being revisited not as museum pieces but as living texts that continue to evolve with each generation. Rabindra Sangeet endures because it combines formal innovation with emotional openness, allowing themes of freedom, love, nature, and human dignity to remain newly legible in changing times.
India’s Asian Games 2026 campaign produced a dramatic late flourish, with 11 of the country’s 21 gold medals coming in the final two days. Seventeen-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs emerged as the defining faces of that surge, delivering breakthrough performances that underscored the depth and widening reach of Indian sport.
India’s Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has launched Special Campaign 6.0, a government-wide drive aimed at making cleanliness a routine part of office functioning while accelerating the disposal of pending matters. The initiative reflects a broader push within the Union government to improve administrative efficiency, reduce file pendency, and strengthen workplace discipline across public offices.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is preparing to propose changes to the Chartered Accountants Act aimed at enabling larger, more competitive domestic accounting firms. The move follows discussions at the Prime Minister’s Office on regulatory adjustments that could help Indian professional services firms expand their scale, collaboration and global reach.
Bank credit growth strengthened across major sectors in August, with personal loans emerging as a key driver, rising 16.9% year-on-year to ₹72.9 lakh crore, according to Reserve Bank of India data. The pace was sharply higher than the 11.9% growth recorded a year earlier, underscoring resilient consumer borrowing even as lenders remained selective in other parts of the credit market.
The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5% and shifted its policy stance to “calibrated tightening,” underscoring renewed concern over price pressures. At the same time, the central bank lifted its FY2026–27 growth forecast to 7.1% from 6.7%, while increasing its inflation projection to 5.2%, signalling a more cautious balance between supporting growth and containing inflation.
India enter their meeting with Uruguay needing more than a tactical adjustment; they need a response that restores confidence after a difficult run. The Blue Tigers are expected to face their sternest test from Nunez, while coach Jamil’s immediate task is to steady the side and rebuild belief at home.
The Reserve Bank of India has moved to make Account Aggregator interoperability a reality, a step that could significantly widen customer choice across India’s digital financial data ecosystem. The change is expected to enable smoother consent-based data sharing, faster credit assessment, and more consolidated views of a customer’s finances for lenders and financial apps.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has moved to calm confusion over the Merchant Discount Rate on select UPI transactions, saying the charge will not be passed on to consumers. She said the levy is borne by merchants, not the government, and stressed that it is neither a tax nor a surcharge. The clarification comes as digital payments continue to expand rapidly across India’s retail and mobility ecosystem.
The 57th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council has been postponed by one day and will now convene on October 8 at 11 am at the Summit Room, Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi. An official memorandum attributed the change to unavoidable circumstances, with members informed of the revised schedule and an apology issued for the inconvenience.
ServiceNow is positioning India as more than a sales market, arguing that the country could become a proving ground for how enterprise AI is actually deployed inside large organisations. The company’s next phase of growth will depend on whether Indian firms move beyond digitisation projects and use AI to automate workflows, improve productivity and embed intelligence into core operations.
N R I Ace enters the feature with a profile that suggests more than just participation: the horse appears well placed to convert recent preparation into a meaningful performance. With conditions, placement and race dynamics all seemingly working in its favour, the contest now hinges on whether the runner can translate promise into execution at the right moment.
A senior minister has urged authorities to adopt a firm approach against encroachers occupying temple properties, framing the issue as both a governance failure and a threat to religious endowments. The remarks sharpen the political focus on land protection, administrative enforcement, and the management of public trust assets.
India’s Monetary Policy Committee has begun a tightening cycle, lifting the repo rate by 25 basis points and shifting its stance from neutral to calibrated tightening. The move signals the central bank’s intent to contain inflationary pressures while keeping a close watch on growth and financial conditions.
India’s Live Events Development Cell held its fifth meeting to assess the status of single-window approvals and broader next-generation reforms aimed at easing the operating environment for the live events industry. The discussion signals continued policy attention on a sector increasingly viewed as a driver of jobs, tourism, urban services, and the wider creative economy.
Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore says his stint in county cricket has strengthened both his game and his mindset as he prepares for a pivotal domestic season with Tamil Nadu. With former teammate Yo Mahesh now taking charge as head coach, TN enter the campaign with a familiar leadership core and a clear ambition to push for silverware.
Wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has credited coach Bentinidis’s attack-first approach as a decisive factor in his Asian Games gold-medal breakthrough on debut. Kalkal said the tactical shift, including effective use of the arm-throw technique known as dhobi pachhad, gave him the confidence and initiative needed to win at the highest level.
Chennai Grandmaster Savitha Shri announced herself on the world stage with a stunning maiden Olympiad campaign, capturing individual gold on the reserve board and helping India secure team bronze. Her breakthrough underscores the depth of India’s women’s chess pipeline and the growing impact of young players in high-pressure international events.
The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in August to $105.6 billion as imports rose, underscoring persistent external demand and inventory rebuilding across the economy. Even so, the cumulative deficit through August remained 19.9% below the comparable period a year earlier, indicating a still-improved trade balance over the year-to-date horizon. India’s trade deficit for the month was reported at $6.2 billion, reflecting a narrower external gap in relative terms but still highlighting pressure from import dependence.
India’s medal count at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 offers a detailed snapshot of the country’s expanding competitive depth across Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. The full list of medallists, organised by sport, highlights both established strengths and emerging podium prospects as India continues to build toward a broader continental footprint.
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 recovering more than Rs 10,270 crore through repayments and asset sales. The disclosure intensifies scrutiny over Mallya’s repeated claims that he has settled his bank debts, while court proceedings and criminal cases tied to the long-running Kingfisher Airlines collapse continue.
India’s finance ministry has asked banks to prepare for a sector-wide shift toward post-quantum security and to develop an artificial intelligence resilience framework, according to an official familiar with the matter. The move reflects growing concern that encrypted financial data could be harvested now and decrypted later by future quantum computers, exposing banks, payment systems and customer records to long-tail cyber risk.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s 200th international appearance marks more than a personal milestone; it is a measure of durability, relevance and leadership in a rapidly changing Indian women’s cricket landscape. At a time when careers are often defined by short peaks, she has remained central to India’s plans across formats, generations and tactical shifts.
Nepal Home Minister Gurung will travel to India from October 12 to 14 to attend a BIMSTEC Home Ministry-level meeting, underscoring the growing importance of regional coordination on internal security, border management and disaster response. The visit comes at a time when South Asian governments are seeking more practical cooperation through subregional forums that can move beyond rhetoric and deliver operational results.
The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points and shift its policy stance to “calibrated tightening” has reinforced expectations that the easing cycle is over. Economists said the move is a clear hawkish signal, with at least 50 basis points of additional tightening still on the table if inflation pressures persist.
