Week 4 (Oct 22 – Oct 28) (2026/10/22 to 2026/10/28)
Indian government bonds fell on Thursday, with the benchmark yield climbing above 7.45%, as a sharp rise in global oil prices intensified inflation worries and pressured debt markets. Traders are increasingly pricing in the risk that the Reserve Bank of India may need to tighten policy further after lifting the repo rate to 5.50%.
More than 100 Japanese companies are expanding global capability centres in India, marking a decisive shift from cost-led outsourcing to higher-value work in artificial intelligence, engineering and global operations. The move underscores India’s growing role as a strategic technology base for Japanese industry, particularly as firms seek scale, talent and faster innovation cycles outside Japan.
Astranova Mobility’s lending subsidiary, Novafusion Capital, has secured Reserve Bank of India approval to operate as a non-banking financial company, giving the group a regulated platform to expand financing for India’s electric mobility transition. The company said it aims to build assets under management of Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years, with a focus on commercial EV adoption, a segment it says will require about $100 billion in capital to scale nationwide.
Crystal Crop Protection’s work on marigold research and development is beginning to pull global horticulture companies toward India as a potential export base for flowers. The broader push also includes orchid hybrids developed from local germplasm, a move that could lower costs versus imported planting material and strengthen India’s position in high-value floriculture.
Private credit is facing a more competitive market as banks re-enter acquisition financing and regulatory changes widen the funding menu for companies. In the first half of 2026, a significant share of private credit deals were priced below 18%, underscoring how lenders are being forced to compete harder for mandates and rethink where the best risk-adjusted returns now lie.
NCDEX has broadened its market footprint with the launch of two rule-based benchmarks, NDEX and FINNDEX, designed to track large and liquid Indian equities and financial sector stocks. The indices use a multi-factor framework that blends market capitalisation, liquidity, beta and volatility, with semi-annual rebalancing to keep the baskets aligned with market conditions.
Endurance Technologies’ initial public offering opened today, with the Aurangabad-based auto components maker seeking to raise nearly Rs 1,162 crore at the top end of its price band by selling a 17.5 percent stake. The issue, which closes on October 7, comes after the company secured Rs 348.52 crore from anchor investors on Tuesday, signalling early institutional interest. Investors now face the familiar IPO question: whether the company’s operating momentum and sector positioning justify the asking valuation.
India will begin its campaign against the West Indies in the third edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, a tournament that brings together 16 teams split into four groups. The event will be staged across Chattogram, Sylhet and Kathmandu, underscoring the expanding geographic footprint of women’s youth cricket in Asia.
Captain Shreyas Iyer has called for patience around teenage batting prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the youngster must be kept happy and settled in the dressing room while he continues to develop. Speaking ahead of the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Iyer stressed that India’s current openers are performing consistently and have already contributed to a World Cup triumph, making immediate national selection difficult to justify.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s visit to Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery underscores the growing strategic weight of energy trade in the India-U.S. relationship. The trip comes as India’s reliance on American liquefied petroleum gas has surged sharply, with U.S. LPG now accounting for 67% of India’s imports from 10% a year earlier, according to Sergio Gor.
A zero-forex credit card can materially reduce the cost of international travel by eliminating or lowering foreign exchange markup on eligible purchases abroad. But the real savings depend on trip length, spending pattern, card fees, and whether the card’s rewards and insurance benefits outweigh its annual charges.
Temba Bavuma produced a composed, defiant captain’s innings as South Africa recovered from a precarious 110 for 6 on the third morning of the second Test against Australia to declare on 425, seizing control of the match. His resistance, backed by lower-order support and disciplined batting, transformed a vulnerable position into a commanding one and left Australia facing a daunting chase or survival task.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse attended the inauguration of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League as a special guest, describing the competition as an important step toward strengthening hockey at the grassroots level. The event underscored the government’s continuing emphasis on widening the sport’s talent pipeline beyond established centres and into emerging regions.
As Navaratri gatherings begin across India, the kolu tradition is being animated not only by dolls and devotional displays but also by music that bridges generations. From timeless kritis to widely loved film songs and contemporary devotional tracks, families are curating playlists that turn the evening ritual into a shared cultural experience.
India delivered a strong one-two finish in the women’s 400m T47 at the Asian Para Games 2026, with Anjanaben Bumbadiya claiming gold in 59.97 seconds and Jayanti Behera securing silver. Bumbadiya was the only athlete in the four-runner final to break the one-minute barrier, underlining both her composure and the competitive gap she created on the day.
The Indian Air Force will convene a dialogue with defence industry stakeholders on October 21, 2026, to discuss its roadmap for developing unmanned and autonomous systems, underscoring a broader push to accelerate next-generation military capabilities. The engagement is expected to focus on technology priorities, industrial readiness, and the role of domestic firms in building systems that can support future air operations. The meeting comes at a time when militaries worldwide are rapidly integrating autonomous platforms into surveillance, logistics, and combat support roles, and India is seeking to strengthen indigenous capacity in a strategically sensitive domain.
India’s balance of payments is expected to move back into positive territory, but ICICI Bank Global Markets says the recovery will likely fall short of earlier projections. The bank flagged elevated oil import costs and a widening non-oil, non-gold trade deficit as the main drags on the external account.
Black pepper prices have climbed by about ₹16 per kilogram over the past three weeks as festival-season demand tightened supplies in the domestic market. Traders said inter-State dealers have been actively covering raw material needs to honour time-bound forward contract commitments to industry buyers, adding momentum to the rally.
India’s Monetary Policy Committee has moved to raise the repo rate, signalling that inflation risks now outweigh the comfort of a strong 7.8% growth print. The majority view favoured calibrated tightening, reflecting concern that supply shocks and resilient demand could keep price pressures elevated longer than previously expected.
DBS Bank CEO Tan Su Shan said strong demand for FCNR(B) deposits reflects continued overseas confidence in India even as foreign selling has weighed on the rupee. She argued that India’s growth story, digital infrastructure and emerging role in artificial intelligence continue to support foreign direct investment and export-led stability.
Liquor valued at about ₹6,600 was stolen from a premium outlet run by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation in Muvattupuzha near Kochi, exposing a security lapse at a government-controlled retail point. The theft came to light on October 21 when Bevco officials conducted a stock verification exercise and found discrepancies in inventory.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the amalgamation of Emirates NBD Bank’s Indian branches with RBL Bank, marking a significant cross-border banking transaction in the domestic financial sector. The merger will take effect on December 1, 2026, following earlier approval from the Finance Ministry for Emirates NBD’s planned acquisition of a substantial stake in RBL Bank.
Polling in the first phase of Rajasthan’s panchayat elections got underway at 7 a.m. across 2,081 seats in 16 zila parishads and 104 panchayat samitis, with more than 85 lakh voters eligible to cast ballots. By 1 p.m., voter turnout stood at 19%, with Jodhpur recording the highest participation at 35.50%, underscoring uneven but active rural engagement in the local body contest.
India’s leading private sector banks reported a narrowing in net interest margins in the second quarter, as the cost of foreign currency non-resident deposits weighed on funding profiles. Analysts said the leveraged structure of FCNR deposits, combined with faster repricing of assets as interest rates eased, created a sharper squeeze on profitability than many lenders had anticipated.
The BCCI has appointed former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar to the national selection committee, while interim head Ajit Agarkar Ojha will continue as chairman on the basis of seniority. The move formalises a key personnel change in Indian cricket administration and keeps continuity at the top of the panel during a crucial selection cycle.
A sub-inspector in Bihar has been suspended after a video circulated showing him slapping a female dancer and allegedly brandishing his pistol at a crowd during a devotional night event in Panagachhi. The incident, which occurred on October 20 at Sarvajanik Durga Sthan, has triggered administrative action and renewed scrutiny of police conduct in public gatherings.
A new study has found that unauthorised HTBt cotton has spread to roughly 30% of the cotton area, underscoring the scale of informal seed adoption in India’s farm economy. The findings point to labour shortages and rising weed-management costs as the main forces pushing farmers toward unapproved seeds, even as regulatory concerns and agronomic risks persist.
Anthropic has introduced Claude Duet, a proactive AI agent designed to monitor connected applications, prioritise work and execute tasks with limited user prompting. The launch intensifies competition with OpenAI and Meta as the market shifts from chatbots toward autonomous workplace software.
India’s public sector banks are stepping up the use of artificial intelligence and strengthening cyber resilience as part of the EASE₹ise 8.0 reform agenda, according to the latest annual report. The push is aimed at improving customer service, widening financial inclusion, and modernising legacy banking systems while also building frameworks to assess climate-related risks and improve accessibility.
Fairfax Financial is understood to have put forward a plan to resolve the ownership overlap between IDBI Bank and CSB Bank, with a merger of the two lenders emerging as the most likely outcome, according to sources. The structure could allow the Canadian investor to consolidate its banking exposure under a single licence while addressing regulatory and strategic complications in India.
Google’s latest Pixel launch has renewed scrutiny over the privacy cost of increasingly intelligent consumer devices. As the company deepens the role of artificial intelligence in Assistant and Pixel features, the central question is whether convenience is coming at the expense of user data security and control.
Japanese government bond yields fell to multiweek lows on Thursday as investors sought safety amid rising geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation concerns. The 10-year yield slipped to 2.88% as markets positioned for the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting, where traders are weighing the timing and scale of any further rate hikes against a fragile global backdrop.
Break Point enters the A.J. Wadia Plate with a profile that suggests it can justify expectations, provided it translates recent promise into a cleaner race-day effort. The contest is shaping up as a test of composure, pace judgment and finishing strength rather than raw reputation alone.
As Navaratri gatherings gather pace across India, the humble kolu display is being matched by an equally curated musical tradition: devotional kritis, folk numbers and popular film songs that shape the festival’s atmosphere. The result is a playlist that reflects both continuity and change, blending temple-rooted devotion with the tastes of younger households and urban audiences.
Healthtech startup CureBay has raised around ₹100 crore in a pre-Series C round to accelerate the expansion of its rural clinic network and deepen its artificial intelligence-led screening capabilities. The financing, which includes more than ₹69 crore in fresh primary capital, underscores investor confidence in the company’s model of combining technology with last-mile healthcare delivery in underserved markets.
The Hindu’s Sunday crossword No. 78 has emerged as a small but telling marker of India’s enduring print culture, drawing readers who treat the puzzle not merely as a pastime but as a weekly intellectual ritual. In an era dominated by algorithmic entertainment, the crossword continues to command attention through precision, language, and the slow satisfaction of solving.
Around 20 financial institutions were targeted in a wave of cyberattacks earlier this month, with investigators saying hackers may have used stolen partner-bank credentials and weaknesses in payment APIs to divert funds. India’s CERT-In has since issued an advisory urging banks, NBFCs and fintech firms to suspend compromised interfaces, tighten transaction controls and strengthen customer verification.
As Mysuru’s Dasara festivities draw large crowds, many spectators are being forced to improvise after official viewing passes sold out or became difficult to secure. The scramble for vantage points has underscored both the event’s enduring public appeal and the logistical strain of managing one of India’s most closely watched cultural spectacles.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the Delhi Jal Board of corruption in the procurement and deployment of anti-frothing chemicals used to control foam on the Yamuna. Delhi AAP president said the presence of a container marked “Defoamer Stock” indicated that tanks and spraying equipment had already been installed, raising questions about the timing, necessity and cost of the operation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has claimed he can command the support of 275 MLAs in the state’s 294-member Assembly, a statement that signals an aggressive political push amid continuing realignments in the legislature. The assertion comes as he also indicated that 64 legislators from the rebel Trinamool Congress faction may back him, while the BJP currently holds 209 elected seats in the House.
Yes Bank reported a 65% year-on-year rise in second-quarter profit to Rs 1,080 crore, comfortably ahead of market expectations. But the lender said the figure would have swung to a loss of Rs 5,217 crore if it had booked the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling that set aside its Rs 8,400 crore additional tier-1 bond write-off, underscoring a major legal and accounting overhang.
A composed century from southpaw Himateja powered Hyderabad to a decisive position after it declared its second innings at 306 for seven, setting Andhra a daunting target of 398 in their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 encounter. Andhra’s reply began disastrously, with two wickets falling for just seven runs, leaving the visitors under immediate pressure and Hyderabad firmly in control.
In North Kerala, Theyyam is more than performance: it is a ritual system in which an artist is transformed, through hours of preparation and devotion, into a living deity. This dispatch follows Vinu Peruvannan as he becomes Kathivanoor Veeran, the warrior-turned-god whose legend captures the folklore, fire and faith at the heart of Keralam’s extraordinary temple tradition.
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration has seized banned tobacco products, suspect snacks and related items worth ₹3.11 crore in a statewide enforcement drive, with Mumbai and Jalna accounting for a significant share of the action. The agency said the seizures in those two locations, including vehicles and other assets, were valued at ₹93.42 lakh, underscoring a broader push against illegal food and tobacco distribution networks.
Yes Bank is assessing its legal and strategic options after the Supreme Court upheld a Bombay High Court ruling that quashed the lender’s March 2020 write-down of Additional Tier-1 bonds. The decision keeps alive a contentious issue that has shadowed the bank’s restructuring and raises fresh questions for investors, regulators and the broader Indian bond market.
Twenty-two founders across 15 new-age technology companies drew a combined ₹61.28 crore in fixed remuneration in FY26, marking a 4.6% increase from the previous year, according to the latest founder compensation tracker. The data underscores how founder pay remains elevated even as India’s startup sector continues to navigate slower funding, tighter governance expectations and pressure to preserve capital.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the merger of Emirates NBD Bank’s Indian branches with RBL Bank, marking a significant regulatory step in a cross-border banking transaction that has been under watch for months. The amalgamation will take effect on December 1, 2026, according to the central bank, following earlier approval from the Finance Ministry for Emirates NBD’s proposed stake acquisition in RBL Bank.
India’s soyabean output in 2026 is projected to edge lower to 107.93 lakh tonnes, according to the Soybean Processors Association of India, as gains in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are outweighed by losses in drought-hit Maharashtra and Karnataka. The revision underscores how uneven monsoon performance and regional stress continue to shape India’s oilseed balance sheet.
India’s crude import strategy is likely to remain anchored in energy diplomacy and commercial pragmatism even as global oil markets stay volatile, according to Kotak Neo’s Banerjee. The assessment comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s India visit sharpens attention on energy security, with rising crude costs and supply disruptions adding fresh pressure on policymakers.
India’s government bond market may be due for a breather after a sharp rally, but analysts say the broader downtrend in yields is still intact. The benchmark 10-year government security, which spent much of 2015 and early 2016 trapped in the 7.5% to 8% range, could move lower again as the Reserve Bank of India works to ease the banking system’s liquidity deficit.