Week 3 (Oct 15 – Oct 21) (2026/10/15 to 2026/10/21)
Sunny Deol is set to headline the upcoming film 'Suryaa', directed by M. Padmakumar, with the makers unveiling the first look and release date. The project also features Ravi Kishan and Pragya Jaiswal in pivotal roles, positioning the film as a notable addition to the actor’s slate after a period of renewed box-office momentum.
India’s credit card market showed signs of moderation in August, with spending slipping 2.8% month-on-month to ₹2.02 lakh crore from ₹2.08 lakh crore in July. The slowdown came alongside a 5.6% decline in new card additions, even as year-on-year spending still rose 5.9%, indicating that consumer demand remains resilient but is losing some momentum.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) marked World Standards Day 2026 in New Delhi with a strong emphasis on India’s growing influence in shaping global telecommunications standards. The event underscored how standard-setting is becoming central to digital governance, interoperability, and India’s ambitions in next-generation connectivity.
Rahul and Revanth produced another timely rescue act for Andhra, frustrating Karnataka’s bid to seize control after an early wobble. Veteran Karun Nair then steadied the visiting side, ensuring the contest remained finely balanced rather than swinging decisively toward the hosts.
More than 3,500 Bengali workers in Bengaluru are facing uncertainty over their voter status, according to the Karnataka Bengali Kalyan Samiti, which says many have been marked as being under adjudication for a “logical discrepancy.” The group says affected workers are taking loans to attend hearings and losing wages in the process, even as officials have not provided clear resolution timelines.
Asian Games gold medallist Pranavi has marked a career-defining moment by meeting Rory McIlroy, the golfer she has long described as her ultimate hero. The encounter underscores the growing visibility of Indian women’s golf and the influence of global stars on the next generation of players.
Analysts say Fairfax Financial Holdings’ premium for IDBI Bank is being justified less by near-term earnings optics and more by the strategic value of scale, branch reach and a stronger deposit franchise in India. The deal is viewed as a platform that could help Fairfax build a more diversified financial ecosystem across banking and adjacent financial services.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has begun soil testing along Sarjapur Road for the proposed Namma Metro Red Line corridor, marking an early but essential step before construction can begin. The investigation will examine soil composition and underlying rock formations to determine the engineering conditions for the alignment.
Ashvita’s latest exhibition, Between Tradition and Modernity, turns Chennai into a living archive, using art to trace the city’s layered history, cultural memory and changing urban identity. The show invites viewers to consider how images, objects and artistic traditions preserve what time cannot fully erase.
A cluster of runners — Celtic Goddess, Gold Empire, Preview, Inicio and Shining Ways — has emerged as the focal point in the latest India racing build-up, with market attention sharpening ahead of the next round of action. While final declarations and track conditions will ultimately shape the outcome, the early interest underscores how closely punters and observers are reading recent form, stable intent and race-day placement.
India and Mauritius have amended their tax treaty to strengthen anti-abuse safeguards and make treaty relief contingent on the commercial substance of transactions. The revised framework introduces a principal purpose test, giving authorities wider scope to deny benefits where arrangements are designed mainly to secure tax advantages rather than genuine economic activity.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has issued a sharp warning to Energy Department officials, saying disciplinary action, including suspensions, will follow if power interruptions are reported. His remarks reflect growing political sensitivity around electricity reliability, a core governance issue with direct implications for households, industry, and public confidence. The warning signals a tougher administrative posture as the government seeks to prevent avoidable disruptions and project control over essential services.
Assamese feature film 'Rador Pakhi' has won a Special Jury Award at a Moscow film festival, marking a notable international recognition for regional Indian cinema. Inspired by an Assam-based writer living with spinal muscular atrophy, the film draws attention to disability, resilience and the power of storytelling beyond metropolitan film circuits.
State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty said banks are unlikely to raise deposit rates for the next three months, citing ample system liquidity as a key buffer. He also said credit growth should remain resilient at 14% to 15% over time, while stressing that lenders must preserve positive real returns for depositors as inflation persists.
An unbeaten, defiant 95 from Sarwate anchored Kerala’s resistance and ensured Jharkhand were denied an outright victory in their Ranji Trophy clash on Wednesday. After conceding a substantial first-innings lead, Kerala batted long enough in the second innings to close the match at 62 for 2, forcing the contest to end in a draw.
New Reserve Bank of India data points to a notable rebalancing in the country’s collateralised overnight money market in the first half of fiscal 2026-27. Private sector banks saw their share in the tri-party repo market ease, while public sector banks expanded their presence and mutual funds continued to hold a strong position.
Kozhikode has reported 161 confirmed measles cases and one death, prompting health authorities to intensify preventive measures and widen vaccination coverage. Officials said the response will be strengthened in the coming days with support from other government departments, underscoring concerns about gaps in immunisation and outbreak control.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has called for a ban on cement imports from Pakistan, arguing that such trade could be exploited to smuggle contraband, weapons and ammunition into India. His remarks add a security dimension to an otherwise commercial issue, with potential implications for trade policy, border enforcement and market sentiment in the cement sector.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India must deepen collaboration between the armed forces, academia and the defence industry to speed up the development and adoption of indigenous technologies as warfare evolves rapidly. He framed self-reliance in defence not as a slogan but as a strategic necessity shaped by changing battlefield realities, supply-chain risks and the need for faster innovation cycles.
Ben Affleck’s new thriller, "Animals," arrives with the makings of a taut, star-driven crime drama but largely fails to convert its premise into sustained suspense. Gillian Anderson emerges as the film’s most energized performer in a story that feels overextended, tonally uncertain and uncomfortably close in spirit to Akira Kurosawa’s "High and Low."
Nomura has initiated coverage on One 97 Communications, the parent of Paytm, with a Buy rating and a target price of Rs 2,250, implying about 31% upside from current levels. The brokerage’s thesis rests on accelerating EBITDA expansion through payments scale, merchant lending, AI-led cost efficiencies and optionality from UPI MDR revenue, with international expansion and the enterprise AI product Pi adding further upside.
The Reserve Bank of India will raise the minimum daily cash reserve maintenance requirement for banks to 99% from 90%, effective from the fortnight beginning October 16, 2026. The move removes a layer of operational flexibility and is aimed at absorbing excess liquidity in the banking system, with implications for short-term money markets and bank treasury management.
At TechSparks 2026, PhonePe chief executive Sameer Nigam said the fintech company’s long-anticipated initial public offering is “hopefully not too far away,” while stressing that governance standards must evolve as quickly as product innovation. He argued that high-growth Indian startups should be run with the discipline of HDFC or SBI and built with the ambition of Google or Amazon.
Vihaan’s century has given Punjab a fighting chance in its Ranji Trophy 2026-27 contest against Assam, but the match remains finely balanced heading into the fourth morning. With the second new ball only two overs old, Assam will resume with renewed belief and a clear target: break the stubborn sixth-wicket stand between Salil and Emanjot before Punjab can turn the innings into a recovery.
Minakshi Thakur’s Grief Burns Like Fever is emerging as a reflective work that frames loss not as a single event, but as a long, uneven process of learning how to live again. Its five central lessons — on compassion, endurance, memory, silence and small acts of care — speak to a wider audience navigating grief in private and public life.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has opened a portal inviting citizens and institutions to report demographic changes in their local areas, with the exercise aimed at capturing shifts linked to illegal immigration and other external factors. The request extends beyond government bodies to NGOs, academics, international organisations and ordinary residents, signalling a broad-based data-gathering effort with potential policy implications.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. remains under close market scrutiny as investors weigh the stock’s performance against broader shifts in India’s consumption and macroeconomic backdrop. The counter continues to serve as a key barometer for demand trends in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, where pricing power, rural recovery, and margin resilience are central to sentiment.
A Delhi court has remanded CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five-day judicial custody following their detention over a protest at Jantar Mantar. Police have filed two FIRs against 14 party members, citing trespass and obstruction of police personnel, while CJP founder Abhijit Dipke has accused the Modi government of enforcing an "unofficial Emergency."
Fresh Reserve Bank of India data points to a notable reshaping of the country’s collateralised overnight money market in the first half of fiscal 2026-27. Private sector banks saw their share in the tri-party repo market ease, while public sector banks expanded their footprint, with mutual funds continuing to hold a strong position in the segment.
Karnataka-based action director Chethan D’Souza has offered a glimpse into the scale and discipline behind choreographing fight sequences for the much-anticipated ‘Jailer 2’. His comments underscore the technical demands of working on a Rajinikanth-led film, where action must balance star power, visual clarity and audience expectation.
GMR Aero Technic has signed a memorandum of understanding with UUDS Aero to establish an integrated cabin excellence centre in Hyderabad, marking a strategic push into higher-value aircraft interior services. The collaboration is set to cover design, modification, certification, repair, retrofit, refurbishment, manufacturing, and installation of cabin interiors, positioning the facility as a broader aviation aftermarket platform.
Asian equities extended a broad selloff on Wednesday as a global risk-off move intensified, with technology and semiconductor shares bearing the brunt of the pressure. MSCI Inc.’s Asia Pacific gauge fell 1.5%, putting it on track for a fourth straight decline, while South Korea’s Kospi tumbled to its lowest level since late July amid heavy losses in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra warned that financial vulnerabilities can build quietly and then surface abruptly, urging regulators and markets to avoid complacency as geopolitical shocks intensify. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, he said the West Asia conflict is adding to inflationary pressures and complicating the outlook for financial stability.
Four Nifty500 stocks appeared in StockEdge’s White Marubozu scan on October 14, a technical pattern that typically signals strong intraday buying and decisive bullish control. Among the names highlighted was JSW Energy, placing the power company in focus for traders watching momentum, sentiment and near-term price action across Indian equities.
The Sports Ministry is preparing a detailed, day-long review of India’s below-par performance at the Asian Games 2026, with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya expected to lead the exercise next week. The meeting is likely to examine results across disciplines, assess preparation gaps, and identify structural fixes as India recalibrates its continental ambitions.
India’s wholesale price inflation accelerated sharply to 11.39% in September, driven by broad-based increases in food, fuel and manufactured products, underscoring persistent cost pressures across the economy. The reading reflects an upward trend that has persisted through the fiscal year, with global energy disruptions and supply-chain strains adding to domestic price momentum.
The Saudi Pro League has postponed three Matchweek Nine fixtures after recent Houthi attacks, saying the decision was driven by logistical considerations and the mandatory minimum rest period between matches. The move underscores how regional security risks can quickly ripple into elite sport, forcing calendar adjustments at short notice.
Incoming HDFC Bank chief executive Anup Bagchi inherits a franchise still dominant in Indian banking, but one that must now prove it can execute more cleanly and defend investor confidence. With loan growth and return on equity easing toward industry averages, the market’s focus is shifting from scale to discipline, governance and consistency.
An IIT Bombay report has cautioned that the proposed merchant discount rate framework for UPI, if implemented in its current form, could undermine public confidence in India’s most widely used digital payments rail. The report argues that policymakers must rationalise the structure carefully to avoid negative user sentiment and preserve the platform’s trust premium.
Desert Diamond and Lumineer emerged as the day’s most notable performers, drawing attention for the quality of their execution and the competitive edge they brought to the contest. Their showings added fresh momentum to the India sports conversation, where form, consistency and tactical discipline remain under close scrutiny.
India and Mauritius have amended their tax treaty to introduce a Principal Purpose Test, a treaty-level safeguard designed to prevent misuse of tax benefits through artificial structures. The change strengthens anti-abuse enforcement while preserving grandfathering protection for investments made before April 1, 2017.
A decisive spell from Kukna swung the momentum Rajasthan’s way in their Ranji Trophy clash, leaving the opposition under pressure and handing Rajasthan a crucial lead. The passage of play underlined the value of disciplined, wicket-taking bowling in a format where control and patience often matter as much as outright pace or flair.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that elevated debt in the United States and other wealthy economies is intensifying pressure across the global financial system, with higher interest rates and persistent inflation deepening the strain on poorer countries. The warning comes as energy-driven price shocks, including those linked to the Iran war, have helped keep borrowing costs near multidecade highs.
Kochi Mayor M. Anilkumar has been elected to the board of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, placing an Indian city leader inside one of the world’s largest municipal climate networks. The appointment gives Kochi a direct role in shaping global local-government climate priorities at a time when cities are under growing pressure to deliver measurable emissions cuts and resilience planning.
CreditAccess Grameen is in advanced discussions to raise $175 million from a group of international lenders, including DBS and Standard Chartered, as it looks to strengthen its liability profile and diversify funding sources. The proposed external commercial borrowing is expected to support a larger share of the lender’s annual borrowing needs, even as hedging costs rise but remain manageable, according to financial officials.
Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Agomoni songs, a lesser-celebrated strand of his vast Nazrulgeeti canon, are again drawing attention to the rebel poet’s enduring role in shaping Bengal’s autumnal cultural imagination. Far beyond devotional music, these compositions frame Durga Puja as a meeting point of faith, social conscience and shared heritage.
The Royals launched their Archery Premier League title defence with a composed, statement-making performance, setting the tone for the new campaign. In the day’s other matches, the Knights produced a late rally to edge the Marathas, while the Archers secured a solid win over the Chiefs, underlining the early competitiveness of the tournament.
ICICI Lombard General Insurance reported a 15.5% year-on-year rise in second-quarter net profit to ₹946 crore, supported by stronger performance in its motor and commercial insurance businesses. Gross premium income increased 3% to ₹6,792 crore, while the company also announced an interim dividend of ₹7 per share for the first half of FY2023.
The first trailer for Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist: Martyrs has arrived, positioning Scarlett Johansson at the center of a new chapter in one of horror’s most enduring franchises. The film, which also features Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Sasha Calle and Jacobi Jupe, suggests a more psychologically driven and prestige-oriented approach to the material while preserving the franchise’s signature dread.
The Department of Expenditure has pressed states to accelerate the utilisation of interest-free loans tied to capital investment, warning that only about a quarter of the allocated funds have been used so far. With the central government having released roughly ₹51,000 crore under the special assistance scheme by October 1, officials are working with states to clear bottlenecks and identify projects that can absorb the money quickly.