Daily Current Affairs: 23 January 2026

Analysis for 23 January 2026

Karunakaran Azhisur appointed country head of Guardian India

Key Updates:

Karunakaran Azhisur has been appointed country head of Guardian India, the global capability centre for The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.
He will continue to serve as chief information officer (CIO) of Guardian India alongside his new role.
He joined Guardian as CIO in November 2024.
He will report to Michael Prestileo, chief strategy officer and chair of the Guardian India board.
Guardian India operates centres in Chennai and Gurugram.

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Thierry Sabbagh appointed Divisional Vice-President and President for Middle East, KSA, CIS and India at Nissan (Mid of January) ▼

Thierry Sabbagh’s responsibilities were expanded to include Nissan India effective January 1, 2026.
He will serve as Divisional Vice-President and President, Middle East, KSA, CIS and India – Nissan and Infiniti.
Leon Dorssers, Senior Vice President and Chief of Commercial Operations, Nissan AMIEO, is leaving the company.

Muanpuii Saiawi appointed as High Commissioner of India to New Zealand (End of January) ▼

Muanpuii Saiawi has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to New Zealand.
She is a 2005-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and was serving as Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
She will succeed Neeta Bhushan, who has served as India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand since 2022.

Shailesh Chandra elected President of OICA, becomes first Indian to head the global auto body (Mid of November) ▼

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, elected President of OICA effective November 1.
He becomes the first Indian to head the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA), the Paris-based global association of vehicle manufacturers.
Chandra succeeds John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (USA).

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma Conferred With Exemplary Governance Leadership Award (Mid of January) ▼

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, the Director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak, was conferred with the Exemplary Governance Leadership Award at the 46th World Management Congress.
The award ceremony was held at the India International Centre in New Delhi following a selection process involving over 1,400 global nominations.
He was one of only seven individuals shortlisted for the honor by the Congress’s Awards and Appreciation Committee.
Under his leadership, IIM Rohtak secured international accreditations from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Business Graduates Association (BGA).
He spearheaded the launch of the Integrated Programme in Management and the Integrated Programme in Law, the latter being the first such law programme among IIMs.
He was recognized in a 2023 Stanford University list as being among the world’s top 2% researchers.
IIM Rohtak shifted to its permanent campus in 2018, with the project completed below estimated costs during his tenure.

Bakul Limbasiya received APO National Award for pioneering contributions to lab-grown diamond sector

Key Updates:

Bakul Limbasiya, founder of Bhathwari Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (BTPL), was conferred the APO National Award administered by the National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India.
He is credited with producing India’s first-ever lab-grown diamond in 2004 and has been associated with the industry since 1998.
BTPL, based in Surat, is one of the world’s leading producers of lab-grown CVD diamond reactors and advanced technologies for lab-grown diamonds.

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Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation invites nominations for Sukhatme National Award in Statistics 2026 (Mid of January) ▼

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has invited online nominations for the Sukhatme National Award in Statistics 2026 through the National Awards Portal.
The award recognises Indian statisticians aged 45 years and above for lifetime contributions to official statistics.
Nominations must be submitted by January 31 2026 and the award will be presented on Statistics Day June 29 2026.

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma Conferred With Exemplary Governance Leadership Award (Mid of January) ▼

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, the Director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak, was conferred with the Exemplary Governance Leadership Award at the 46th World Management Congress.
The award ceremony was held at the India International Centre in New Delhi following a selection process involving over 1,400 global nominations.
He was one of only seven individuals shortlisted for the honor by the Congress’s Awards and Appreciation Committee.
Under his leadership, IIM Rohtak secured international accreditations from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Business Graduates Association (BGA).
He spearheaded the launch of the Integrated Programme in Management and the Integrated Programme in Law, the latter being the first such law programme among IIMs.
He was recognized in a 2023 Stanford University list as being among the world’s top 2% researchers.
IIM Rohtak shifted to its permanent campus in 2018, with the project completed below estimated costs during his tenure.

Azim Premji honoured with ISB Research Catalyst Award (End of November) ▼

Azim Premji was honoured with the Research Catalyst Award.
He is the founder-chairman of Wipro Ltd.
The award was presented by the Indian School of Business (ISB) at the ISB Insights Forum 2025 in Mohali.
The award recognises his "outstanding contributions to India’s research ecosystem."
The award recognises individuals whose "vision, generosity, and commitment have strengthened the nation’s knowledge ecosystem, enabled cutting-edge inquiry, and inspired a culture of evidence-based problem-solving for societal progress."

PDUNASS Team receives two Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2025 for capacity-building and RGDE initiative (Start of November) ▼

Shri Kumar Rohit, Director, PDUNASS, jointly received the award for 'Best Achievement in Capacity Building' and 'Special Initiative – Reimagining Governance: Discourse for Excellence (RGDE)'
Shri Uttam Prakash, RPFC-I, received the RGDE award as Moderator of the RGDE Series since its inception
Shri Ankur P. Gupta, RPFC-I, jointly received the 'Best Achievement in Capacity Building' award

Parbati Giri remembered on birth centenary

Key Updates:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to freedom fighter Parbati Giri on her birth centenary.
Parbati Giri (born on 19 January 1926) was a freedom fighter and social reformer from Odisha, popularly known as the “Mother Teresa of Western Odisha”.
She joined the freedom struggle at a young age, actively participating in the Individual Satyagraha and the Quit India Movement, and was imprisoned for her resistance.
After Independence, she dedicated her life to social service, working for famine relief, tribal welfare, prison reforms, and leprosy eradication.
On her 100th birth anniversary, her life of service, sacrifice, and Gandhian values is being remembered as an inspiration for future generations.

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Dr Ramdas R Pai, Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, honoured with special postal cover (End of November) ▼

A special commemorative postal cover was launched to honour Dr Ramdas R Pai.
Dr Ramdas R Pai is the Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).
The postal cover celebrates Dr Ramdas R Pai's 90th birthday.
Ramesh Prabhu, superintendent of Indian Postal Service, Udupi division, formally unveiled the special postal cover.
The commemorative cover honours Dr Pai's lifelong dedication to advancing education, healthcare, and community development.
Dr Ramdas Pai's contributions elevated the city and Manipal Academy of Higher Education to national and global prominence.

Prime Minister releases commemorative postal ticket and coin on Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th Martyrdom Anniversary in Kurukshetra (End of November) ▼

PM Modi released a commemorative postal ticket and a special coin dedicated to the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The event was organised by the Haryana Government at Jyotisar village in Kurukshetra.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Panchajanya Memorial at the Mahabharata Experience Centre complex in Jyotisar.

Narendra Modi pledges global recognition for Assam's culture (Mid of January) ▼

Narendra Modi declared his commitment to ensuring Assam’s cultural heritage receives global recognition.
Modi attended the Bagurumba Dwhou event in Guwahati and praised the Bagurumba dance as a living celebration of Bodo traditions.
He accused previous Congress governments of neglecting Bodoland and encouraging illegal infiltration for vote bank politics.
Modi highlighted the transformation of Assam under BJP governance, attributing peace to the Bodo Peace Accord.

Nation pays tribute to former PM Indira Gandhi on her 108th birth anniversary (Mid of November) ▼

Indira Gandhi served as Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination on 31 October 1984
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes at Shakti Sthal, her memorial in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also posted tribute on X: 'Tributes to former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji on the occasion of her birth anniversary'

Deepinder Goyal resigned as Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eternal

[Eternal Group]

Key Updates:

Deepinder Goyal resigned from his position as the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eternal, the company that operates Zomato and Blinkit.
Albinder Dhindsa was appointed as the new Group CEO of Eternal, succeeding Deepinder Goyal.
Deepinder Goyal will transition to the role of Vice Chairman of the board of directors at Eternal, subject to shareholder approval.
Albinder Dhindsa previously served as the leader of Blinkit and oversaw its journey from acquisition to breakeven.
Deepinder Goyal’s unvested Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) will be returned to the company's ESOP pool as part of the leadership transition.
Deepinder Goyal stated that his decision to step down was driven by a desire to pursue high-risk exploration and experimentation outside of a public company framework.

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Jayshree Ullal topped Hurun India Rich List 2025 (End of December) ▼

Jayshree Ullal, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Arista Networks (Arista), topped the Hurun India Rich List 2025 of the richest professional managers of Indian-origin.
She surpassed Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sundar Pichai of Google in personal wealth with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion.
She joined Arista in September 2008 and has led the company as its CEO for 17 years.
She secured the second rank among the top five generation women wealth creators under the Candere Hurun Indian Women Leaders List 2025.
She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering in 2025 in recognition of her professional contributions.
Her professional career includes previous roles at Cisco Systems, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Fairchild Semiconductor.

Agnivesh Agarwal dies as Vedanta Group director (Start of January) ▼

Agnivesh Agarwal, son of metals tycoon Anil Agarwal, passed away at the age of 49 following a cardiac arrest after a skiing accident in the US.
He had been recovering at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York before the sudden cardiac arrest.
He was the chairman of Talwandi Sabo Power (TSPL), a subsidiary of Vedanta.
He previously served as chairman of Hindustan Zinc from November 2005 to February 2019.
He studied at Mayo College in Ajmer and later set up Fujairah Gold, a metal refinery in the UAE.

Deepinder Goyal topped Hurun India’s Top 200 Self-Made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2025 list (Mid of December) ▼

Deepinder Goyal of Eternal leads Hurun India’s Top 200 Self-Made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2025.
Eternal’s valuation rose 27% to Rs 3.2 lakh crore.
Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal of InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo) debuted in the top three with a valuation of Rs 2.2 lakh crore.
Peyush Bansal of Lenskart was ranked 10th after the company went public at a valuation of Rs 70,236 crore.

Piyush Gupta appointed as Temasek Holdings India chairman (End of November) ▼

Piyush Gupta has been appointed as Temasek Holdings India chairman in an advisory capacity effective December 1, 2025.
He will work with Ravi Lambah, Temasek's head of India and strategic initiatives, to shape investment strategies and support portfolio companies.
Gupta previously served as Chief Executive Officer of DBS Group from 2009 until earlier this year.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan appointed CEO-designate of Tata Communications

[Tata Communications]

Key Updates:

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan has been named CEO-designate of Tata Communications and will take over as Managing Director & CEO after regulatory approvals.
He will succeed AS Lakshminarayanan, who is retiring on April 13, 2026.
Ganesh previously served as Managing Director and Group Vice President for ServiceNow India & SAARC.
Earlier, he was CEO of Airtel Business in India and led the enterprise business unit to 50% growth over three years.

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Shashwat Sharma appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel India (Mid of December) ▼

Shashwat Sharma has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel India for a five-year term, subject to shareholder approval.
Gopal Vittal has been appointed as Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel for a five-year term, subject to shareholder approval.
Soumen Ray has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer of Bharti Airtel.
Akhil Garg has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Airtel India.
Rohit Krishan Puri has been appointed as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of Bharti Airtel.

B. Sairam appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (Mid of December) ▼

B. Sairam has been appointed Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL) with effect from December 15, 2025.
He succeeds Sanoj Kumar Jha, who was holding additional charge as CMD.
Prior to this appointment, Sairam served as CMD of Northern Coalfields Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CIL.
He has over three decades of experience in the coal sector.

Vikas Chadha appointed as Global Chief Executive Officer of TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited (TVSSCS). (Mid of January) ▼

Vikas Chadha has been appointed as the Global Chief Executive Officer of TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited (TVSSCS) with effect from January 22, 2026.
He succeeds Ravi Viswanathan, who will retire during the 2026-27 financial year.
During the transition, Viswanathan will continue as Managing Director and work closely with Chadha to ensure leadership continuity.

Rituraj Sinha Managing Director of Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (UISL) passed away at 58 (Start of December) ▼

Rituraj Sinha was the Managing Director of Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (UISL).
He was pronounced dead on arrival at Tata Main Hospital.
Last rites will be held at Parvati Ghat.

Dezan Shira & Associates (DSA) Releases Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) 2026

Key Updates:

Dezan Shira & Associates (DSA) released the third edition of the Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI) 2026 on January 12, 2026.
China retained the top position as Asia’s leading manufacturing economy for the third consecutive year.
Malaysia climbed to second place in the AMI 2026, overtaking Vietnam in the rankings.
Singapore advanced to fourth place, reinforcing its role in high-value and advanced manufacturing.
India and Indonesia maintained their positions at sixth and seventh place, respectively.
Thailand recorded an improvement in the index, moving from 10th to eighth place.
Bangladesh ranked 11th among the 11 major Asian manufacturing economies analyzed in the report.
The AMI 2026 introduced an archive and exact scores on a standardized 1–100 scale for every parameter.
Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines experienced incremental ranking changes reflecting stable but competitive positions.
Targeted industrial policy, infrastructure investment, and regulatory reform are narrowing performance gaps across Asian manufacturing economies.
Manufacturing economies in the region increasingly compete across similar cost, scale, and capacity factors.

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Government of India announces India overtakes Japan to become world’s fourth-largest economy at USD 4.18 trillion (Start of January) ▼

India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy with a GDP of USD 4.18 trillion.
India is poised to overtake Germany to become the third-largest economy by 2030 with a projected GDP of USD 7.3 trillion.
India's real GDP grew 8.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025-26, up from 7.8 per cent in the first quarter and 7.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal.
The World Bank has projected a 6.5 per cent growth in 2026.
Moody's expects India to remain the fastest-growing G20 economy with a growth of 6.4 per cent in 2026 and 6.5 per cent in 2027.
The IMF has raised its projections to 6.6 per cent for 2025 and 6.2 per cent for 2026.
The OECD forecasts 6.7 per cent growth in 2025 and 6.2 per cent in 2026.
S&P anticipates a growth of 6.5 per cent in the current fiscal and 6.7 per cent in the next.
The Asian Development Bank has lifted its 2025 forecast to 7.2 per cent.
Fitch has raised its FY26 projection to 7.4 per cent on stronger consumer demand.

Dezan Shira & Associates (Dezan Shira) ranks China atop Asia Manufacturing Index 2026 (End of January) ▼

China commands 30 percent of worldwide manufacturing production.
Malaysia rises to second place in AMI 2026, overtaking Vietnam.
Vietnam drops to third despite GDP growth of 8.02 percent in 2025.
Singapore advances to fourth; South Korea ranks fifth.
India remains sixth in AMI 2026 with first-place Workforce and third-place Economy pillars.
Thailand climbs from tenth to eighth place.
Japan ranks ninth; Philippines tenth; Bangladesh stays eleventh.
Asia accounts for over 65 percent of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity as of 2023.
China holds 32.4 percent share of Asia Pacific semiconductor materials market in 2024.
Vietnam records total trade value of $930.05 billion, an 18.2 percent year-over-year growth.
India’s logistics costs fall to 7.97 percent of GDP.
India’s Bharatmala Phase I spent ₹4.72 lakh crore (88 percent of outlay) but completed only 54 percent of target road length.
Manufacturing MSMEs in India face over 1,450 regulatory obligations annually.
Bangladesh labor productivity stands at $8.7 per hour in 2025.
Thailand R&D spending is 1.16 percent of GDP versus 2 percent government target.
Southeast Asia semiconductor market valued at $23.9 billion in 2024, projected to exceed $55 billion by 2033.

Government projects India to become 3rd-largest economy with $7.3 trillion GDP by 2030 (End of December) ▼

India’s real GDP grew 8.2 per cent in Q2 FY2025-26, up from 7.8 per cent in the previous quarter and 7.4 per cent in Q4 of 2024-25.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 2025-26 upwards to 7.3 per cent from the earlier estimate of 6.8 per cent.
With GDP valued at $4.18 trillion, India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy.
India is poised to displace Germany from the third rank in the next 2.5 to 3 years with a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030.

State Bank of India (SBI) Projects 7.5% GDP Growth for FY26 (Start of January) ▼

The State Bank of India (SBI) projects India’s real GDP growth for FY26 could reach 7.5% following the revision of the base year to 2022-23.
The National Statistical Office (NSO) first advance estimates place real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY26, an increase from the 6.5% recorded in FY25.
The NSO projects Gross Value Added (GVA) growth at 7.3% and nominal GDP growth at 8% for the FY26 period.
Per capita national income is projected to increase by ₹16,025 annually to reach ₹2,47,487 in FY26.
The services sector is expected to expand by 9.1% in FY26, compared to the 7.2% growth recorded in the previous year.
Industrial growth is estimated at 6.0% for FY26, supported by a manufacturing output growth of 7.0%.
Agriculture and allied activities are projected to grow by 3.1% in FY26, down from 4.6% in FY25.
Mining output is expected to decline by 0.7% in FY26, compared with a growth of 2.7% in FY25.
The historical gap between GDP growth estimates from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the NSO has remained within a range of 20–30 basis points.
The NSO is scheduled to release the second advance estimates, incorporating additional data and revisions, on February 27, 2026.

Union Cabinet clears ₹5,000 crore equity infusion into Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost MSME credit.

[Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)]

Key Updates:

The equity capital will be infused by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) in a phased manner over three years.
Of the total amount, ₹3,000 crore will be infused in FY26 at a book value of ₹568.65 per share as on March 31, 2025.
The remaining ₹2,000 crore will be infused in two equal tranches of ₹1,000 crore each in FY27 and FY28 at the book value as on March 31 of the respective preceding financial years.
The number of MSMEs receiving financial assistance is projected to rise from 76.26 lakh at the end of FY25 to about 1.02 crore by the end of FY28.
The additional MSMEs supported by SIDBI are estimated to generate employment for about 1.12 crore people by the end of FY28.
The equity infusion will help SIDBI maintain a Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) above 10.5 per cent even under high-stress scenarios and above 14.5 per cent under Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 norms over the next three years.

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Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) grants in-principle approval to Ashika Group to sponsor Ashika Mutual Fund. (Start of January) ▼

Ashika Group has received in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to act as sponsor and set up Ashika Mutual Fund.
The approval allows the company to proceed with establishing an Asset Management Company (AMC) and preparing for the launch of mutual fund schemes, subject to fulfilling SEBI’s final registration requirements and conditions.
Ashika Group’s financial services portfolio includes retail and institutional broking, investment banking, research advisory, global family office services, alternative asset management and private equity.
The Group has a retail broking client base exceeding 125,000 and a presence across more than 20 states.

Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) approves 22 projects with Rs 41,863 crore investment (Start of January) ▼

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) approved 22 proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) with projected investments of Rs 41,863 crore and estimated production of Rs 2.58 lakh crore.
The approved proposals include applications from Dixon, Samsung Display Noida Pvt Ltd, Foxconn’s Yuzhan Technology India Pvt Ltd, Hindalco Industries, Tata Electronics, Amara Raja-ATL, Motherson and Vital Electronics, among others.
Together, the projects are expected to generate 33,791 direct jobs.
The Union Cabinet approved the scheme in March 2025 with an outlay of Rs 22,919 crore as part of the government’s broader push to make India self-reliant in electronics manufacturing and reach $500 billion in electronics production by 2030-31.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) grants NCDEX in-principle nod for mutual fund platform. (Mid of December) ▼

National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) has received in-principle approval from Sebi to launch a mutual fund transaction platform.
The platform will allow investors to subscribe to and redeem mutual fund units, with clearing and settlement handled by National Commodity Clearing Ltd (NCCL), a wholly owned NCDEX subsidiary.
NCDEX aims to expand financial inclusion through low-denomination systematic investment plans (SIPs) targeting rural and semi-urban areas.
The mutual fund platform could be rolled out faster than equity trading systems as it operates independently of stock trading infrastructure.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) approves USD 448 million for Chennai Metro, Mizoram Healthcare, and Women-led MSME Finance. (Mid of December) ▼

ADB approved USD 240 million as the second tranche under the USD 780 million facility sanctioned in 2022 for Chennai Metro Expansion Phase 2.
Chennai Metro Phase 2 spans 118.9 km across Lines 3 (45.8 km), 4 (26.1 km), and 5 (47 km).
ADB sanctioned USD 108 million results-based loan to strengthen Mizoram’s public healthcare through the Mizoram Universal Health Care Scheme (MUHCS) offering Rs 5 lakh per family annually.
ADB provided USD 100 million to Five-Star Business Finance Limited for MSME credit access to over 400,000 women borrowers via 700+ branches.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issues operational guidelines for Export Credit Interest Subvention Scheme

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued operational guidance for the implementation of the Government of India’s Interest Subvention Scheme for pre- and post-shipment export credit.
The scheme is introduced on a pilot basis under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) – Niryat Prothsahan.
The RBI directed all scheduled commercial banks (excluding regional rural banks), primary urban co-operative banks, state co-operative banks, and all-India financial institutions to extend the interest subvention.
Lending institutions must adhere to operational instructions issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) through Trade Notices dated January 2, 2026, and January 16, 2026.
The scheme aims to support exporters by reducing the interest burden on eligible export credit.
The RBI circular, dated January 19, 2026, emphasizes that claims must be submitted according to prescribed procedures and existing regulatory instructions.

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revises risk-weighting framework for NBFC exposure to high-quality infrastructure projects. (Start of January) ▼

Loans to high-quality infrastructure projects where at least 2% of sanctioned project debt has been repaid will carry a 75% risk weight.
Loans where at least 5% of sanctioned project debt has been repaid will attract a lower 50% risk weight.
Exposures initially classified as high-quality that later fail to meet prescribed conditions will revert to higher risk weights under the existing infrastructure lending framework.
Projects must have completed at least one year of operations after achieving commercial operations without breaching material lender covenants, and the exposure must be classified as 'standard' in the lender's books.
Project revenues must depend on concession or contractual rights granted by the Centre, state governments, public sector entities, or statutory bodies, with protections throughout the concession period.
Lenders must have strong contractual safeguards including escrow or trust and retention account mechanisms, pari-passu charge over project assets, and risk-mitigation features such as step-in rights or minimum termination payments.

RBI Announces Moratorium on Export Credit from Sep 1 to Dec 31, 2025 (Mid of November) ▼

Borrowers with export credit facility classified as standard as on August 31, 2025 are eligible for a moratorium on all repayments from September 1, 2025 till December 31, 2025.
Interest accrued during the moratorium will be converted into a funded interest term loan repayable after March 31, 2026 but not later than September 30, 2026.
Pre-shipment or post-shipment credit disbursed till March 31, 2026 can be repaid within an extended credit period of 450 days.
Banks extending these reliefs must provision 5% of the total outstanding amount of such loans.

Niryat Protsahan Sub-Scheme: Interest Subvention & Collateral Support to Boost MSME Exports (Start of January) ▼

The Ministry of Commerce announced two interventions under the Niryat Protsahan sub-scheme of the Export Promotion Mission.
A base interest subvention of 2.75 per cent on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit has been provided.
Guarantee coverage of up to 85 per cent for micro and small exporters and up to 65 per cent for medium exporters, with a maximum outstanding guaranteed exposure of Rs 10 crore per exporter in a financial year, is being introduced in partnership with CGTMSE.
An exporter-wise annual cap of Rs 50 lakh for each firm has been prescribed for FY 2025-26 under the interest subvention intervention.

Committee Formed to Review RoDTEP and RoSCTL Export Tax Refund Schemes (End of October) ▼

The government has constituted a committee to review the rates of tax refund under the export schemes – Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) and Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL).
Both these schemes are set to expire by the end of this financial year, and the committee has been given time till March 31, 2026 to submit its main report.
The panel is headed by former secretary Neeraj Kumar Gupta, with SR Baruah and Vivek Ranjan as the other two members.
RoDTEP scheme was introduced in January 2021 as a replacement of Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), covering exports of 10,642 products and providing refunds of taxes ranging from 0.3% to 4.3%.
RoSCTL was also introduced in 2021 for textiles and garment exporters, with a maximum rate of refund for apparel at 6.05% and for made-ups up to 8.2%.
The committee will work out the modalities for calculation of duties, taxes, levies and recommend the ceiling rates under RoSCTL and RoDTEP schemes for exports from domestic tariff areas, special economic zones, and advance authorisation holders.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations 2026

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI)]

Key Updates:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2026, replacing the previous framework from 2000.
The new principle-based regime expands the automatic route for cross-border guarantees, allowing transactions without prior approval if they meet FEMA borrowing and lending rules.
Mandatory reporting of all guarantees must be submitted to authorized dealer banks on a quarterly basis within 15 days of the quarter end.
The RBI has introduced a Late Submission Fee (LSF) for delayed reporting, calculated as ₹7,500 + 0.025% × amount involved × number of years of delay.
A new reporting format, Form GRN, has been introduced to capture granular data including guarantee commissions, invocation details, and timelines for extinguishing liabilities.
The regulations do not apply to guarantees issued under the Overseas Investment Regulations, 2022, or irrevocable payment commitments issued by custodian banks for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases draft foreign exchange risk capital rules effective April 2027. (Mid of January) ▼

Banks must compute foreign exchange risk capital requirements on a continuous basis at both consolidated and standalone levels.
Capital for foreign exchange risk must be maintained at the close of each business day.
Banks may exclude specific 'structural' foreign exchange positions from the net open position subject to strict conditions.
The methodology for structural foreign exchange positions must be documented in the bank's risk management policy.

RBI Announces Moratorium on Export Credit from Sep 1 to Dec 31, 2025 (Mid of November) ▼

Borrowers with export credit facility classified as standard as on August 31, 2025 are eligible for a moratorium on all repayments from September 1, 2025 till December 31, 2025.
Interest accrued during the moratorium will be converted into a funded interest term loan repayable after March 31, 2026 but not later than September 30, 2026.
Pre-shipment or post-shipment credit disbursed till March 31, 2026 can be repaid within an extended credit period of 450 days.
Banks extending these reliefs must provision 5% of the total outstanding amount of such loans.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) resets base years for CPI, GDP, and IIP (End of December) ▼

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will release a new series of Consumer Price Index (CPI) data with the base year 2024=100 on February 12, 2026.
MoSPI will roll out revised National Accounts data using 2022-23 as the base year on February 27, 2026.
The new Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series, featuring 2022-23 as the base year, is scheduled for release on May 28, 2026.
MoSPI convened a pre-release consultative workshop to discuss proposed methodological and structural changes in the revised data series with stakeholders.
The revision process involves key officials including NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K Bery, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran, and MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) overhauls FEMA guarantees regime, widens automatic route and mandates quarterly reporting. (Mid of January) ▼

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) replaces the 2000 rules with the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2026.
Guarantees are freely permitted if the underlying transaction is not prohibited under FEMA and parties are eligible to lend or borrow under FEMA borrowing and lending rules.
Guarantees issued, modified or invoked must be reported quarterly within 15 days of quarter-end to authorised dealer banks using Form GRN.
Late submission attracts a fee of Rs 7,500 + 0.025% × amount involved × years of delay (rounded to nearest month and Rs 100).
Exemptions cover guarantees by overseas/IFSC branches of authorised dealer banks, irrevocable payment commitments by custodian banks for FPIs, and guarantees under Overseas Investment Regulations, 2022.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grants Payoneer India in-principle PA-CB approval

[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Payoneer India]

Key Updates:

Payoneer India has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payment Aggregator – Cross Border (PA-CB).
The RBI has already fully authorised 19 entities with a PA-CB licence.
Payoneer Global claims to support customers in more than 190 countries and territories.
Over the trailing 12 months as of the third quarter of 2025, Payoneer Global served nearly two million active customers and processed over $80 billion in transaction volume.

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Authorizes PayG for Offline and Cross-Border Payment Aggregator Licenses (Mid of January) ▼

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval to PayG to operate as both an Offline and Cross-Border Payment Aggregator.
PayG is now authorized to facilitate online payments, QR codes, and international transactions under RBI supervision.
The company currently provides payment solutions to over 1,000 small business partners and 50 large companies.
PayG has expanded its platform to offer more than 120 ways to pay since its launch in 2020.
The new licenses enable the company to support businesses with Point of Sale (POS) terminals and cross-border export transactions.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grants Payment Aggregator-Cross Border (PA-CB) license to Skydo (Start of January) ▼

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted final authorisation to Bengaluru-based Skydo to operate as a Payment Aggregator–Cross Border (PA-CB).
The license enables the company to offer cross-border payment services to Indian MSMEs, freelancers, and startups across multiple currencies and markets.
Skydo currently serves over 30,000 Indian MSMEs, freelancers, and startups across more than 50 cities.
The platform supports payment collections in over 32 currencies.
The company recently raised USD 10Mn in Series A funding led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, with participation from Elevation Capital.
The total funding raised by Skydo to date stands at USD 20Mn.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clears Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL) as offline payment aggregator. (Mid of December) ▼

Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL) received RBI authorisation to operate as a payment aggregator for physical (offline) payments and cross-border transactions.
PPSL now holds Payment Aggregator licences across all key segments, enabling end-to-end payment aggregation services across online, offline and cross-border use cases.
PPSL had already received online payment aggregator authorisation from RBI on November 26, 2025, under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

PayGlocal Receives RBI PA-CB-I&O Licence for Full Cross-Border Payment Aggregation (Mid of November) ▼

PayGlocal has received final authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payment Aggregator – Cross Border – Inward & Outward (PA-CB-I&O).
The latest authorisation follows the company’s Payment Aggregator – Online (PA-O) licence granted in September 2024.
Founded in 2021, the Bengaluru-based company works with merchants in sectors including exports, retail, travel, education and software services.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) grants ZET TPAP licence for RuPay credit-card UPI payments.

[National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), RuPay]

Key Updates:

ZET secured NPCI approval for a Third-Party Application Provider licence.
ZET integrates UPI payments with credit card rewards using RuPay’s UPI-on-credit-card capability.
ZET expects monthly UPI transactions via credit cards to reach about Rs 100 crore.
ZET’s platform has around 10 lakh eligible users, nearly 75 percent of whom are first-time credit card users.
ZET’s UPI ecosystem is powered by Juspay’s technology stack and enabled through a partnership with RBL Bank.

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Canara Bank Integrates NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL) UPI Technology (End of January) ▼

Canara Bank will integrate NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL) bank plugins to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services on its banking app, Canara ai1Pe.
Canara Bank is the first financial institution to adopt this technology stack approach from NBSL to host UPI features and upgrades.
NBSL was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2024.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded 21.63 billion transactions worth ₹27.97 trillion at the end of 2025.
The Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Bank index grew by 31% in 2025, outperforming the Nifty for the fifth consecutive year.
The Indian Rupee (INR) breached the 91 per US Dollar mark as Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) sold ₹29,300 crore in 2026.
In 2025, BHIM presented a proof of concept for BHIM Vishwas, a technology stack designed for white-labeling payment capabilities for banks.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) widens Payment Aggregator authorization for Innoviti Technologies to cover physical in-store payments. (Mid of January) ▼

Innoviti Technologies received RBI Certificate of Authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregator under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
The authorization now covers both online and physical in-store payment transactions.
Innoviti already processes over ₹80,000 crore annually across 2,000+ cities and 50,000+ merchants.

Google Pay and Axis Bank launch FLEX co-branded RuPay credit card with UPI link support. (Mid of December) ▼

Google Pay launched FLEX, a fully digital, UPI-powered co-branded credit card with Axis Bank built on the RuPay network.
Users can link the FLEX card to UPI accounts inside Google Pay and scan QR codes for credit-powered merchant payments.
The card offers instant cashbacks or rewards instead of monthly billing-cycle credits.
Eligible users can apply and receive a virtual card within minutes at zero cost directly inside the Google Pay app.
Google Pay introduced Pocket Money on the UPI Circle framework, letting parents set monthly spending limits up to ₹15,000 or approve each child transaction.
Google Pay now prompts customers to rate small merchants immediately after transactions to build unified customer ratings.
A GenAI-powered Ads tool within Google Pay for Business lets small merchants create, preview, and launch ad campaigns in minutes.

RuPay Credit Card Share Surges to 16% on UPI-Only Linkage (Start of November) ▼

UPI-linked credit card transactions now account for nearly 40% of total credit card transactions by volume, up from 10% at the end of FY24.
RuPay’s credit card market share has climbed to nearly 16%, from 3% two years ago, after the RBI allowed RuPay credit cards to be linked exclusively to UPI in late 2022.
More than 50 million merchants now use UPI for transactions, while fewer than 10 million merchants have point-of-sale devices that accept all credit cards.

Odisha–Meghalaya MoU on Early Childhood Care and Development

[Odisha, Meghalaya]

Key Updates:

Odisha and Meghalaya signed an MoU to strengthen Early Childhood Care, Education and Development through mutual learning and capacity building.
The MoU covers nutrition, health, early learning, responsive caregiving, community engagement, and institutional capacity building.
It provides for knowledge exchange, joint research, exposure visits, documentation of best practices, and capacity development of functionaries.

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Odisha Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare Initiative Early Education in Mother Tongues (Mid of January) ▼

The Odisha government launched the 'Ame Padhiba Ama Bhasare' initiative to provide early education in mother tongues for children aged three to six.
The programme will initially cover districts like Keonjhar and Malkangiri, delivering education in tribal languages such as Munda and Kui.
The state also announced a 100-day campaign against child marriage with the goal of eradicating child marriage by 2030, piloted in Mayurbhanj and Malkangiri.

ONGC–NSTFDC MoU for Eklavya Model Residential Schools Rs 28 crore CSR Outlay (Start of January) ▼

ONGC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) to implement CSR-funded infrastructure and education-focused initiatives at Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).
Under the CSR project, ONGC has sanctioned Rs 28 crore for strengthening digital learning infrastructure, health and hygiene interventions for girl students, capacity building of teachers, and career counselling and entrepreneurship training for students.
The initiative will cover 144 EMRS located across 11 States and Union Territories, benefiting over 35,000 tribal students.

International Jury for IFFI 2025 Announced (End of November) ▼

The International Jury for IFFI 2025 will be chaired by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
Graeme Clifford (Australia) is a member of the International Jury.
Remi Adefarasin (UK) is a member of the International Jury.
Katharina Schüttler (Germany) is a member of the International Jury.
Chandran Rutnam (Sri Lanka) is a member of the International Jury.

Pankhudi Portal Launched to Streamline Non-Monetary Contributions for Women & Child Welfare (Start of January) ▼

The Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi launched 'Pankhudi', a portal to facilitate contributions by individuals, NGOs and corporates to government initiatives for early childhood care and women empowerment.
The portal will streamline voluntary and institutional contributions across key thematic areas, including nutrition, health, early childhood care and education (ECCE), child welfare, protection and rehabilitation, and women's safety and empowerment.
The portal does not allow monetary contributions and is described as a 'non-monetary, transparent, and result-oriented' platform.
Contributors can register on the portal, identify initiatives, submit proposals, and track the status of their contributions through clearly defined approval workflows.

Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 targets 2,000 kWh per capita consumption and 100 GW nuclear capacity

Key Updates:

The Ministry of Power (MoP) launched the Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 on Jan 21, 2026, to transform India’s power sector to meet the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
The Draft NEP 2026 sets a target of 2,000 kWh per capita electricity consumption by 2030, rising to over 4,000 kWh by 2047.
The policy mandates a 45% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 (vs 2005) and aims for net-zero emissions by 2070.
The NEP 2026 promotes low-carbon pathways through large-scale renewable integration and nuclear expansion to 100 GW by 2047.
By 2030, renewable energy sources will have equal scheduling and deviation rights as conventional sources like coal.
The policy aims for single-digit Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and mandates N-1 Redundancy for cities with over 10 lakh people by 2032.
The NEP 2026 introduces functional unbundling of State Transmission Utilities (STUs) to create independent SLDCs and mandates that all power sector data must be stored in India.
The MoP proposes exempting cross-subsidies for industries, railways, and metros to lower power costs and boost manufacturing competitiveness.

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India Moves Toward Major Power Sector Reforms With Proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025 — What You Need to Know (End of November) ▼

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to overhaul India’s electricity distribution sector, reduce systemic inefficiencies, and ensure affordable, reliable power.
The Bill transitions away from a monopoly model to regulated competition, allowing multiple distribution licensees to operate in the same area using shared infrastructure.
A Universal Service Obligation (USO) will be mandatory for all licensees, though SERCs may exempt licensees from USO for large open-access users consuming more than 1 MW of power.
The reforms address high AT&C losses, poor billing efficiency, and financial stress on discoms by rationalizing charges and promoting cost-reflective tariffs.
Subsidies for farmers and low-income households will be explicitly protected and provided through direct, budgeted support under Section 65.
The Bill aims to reduce cross-subsidy for Manufacturing, Railways, and Metro Rail within five years.
State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) will determine uniform, cost-reflective wheeling charges for all network users, drawing inspiration from the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) model.
The reforms are structured around six pillars: Structural Reforms, Tariff and Cross-Subsidy Rationalisation, Infrastructure and Network Efficiency, Governance and Regulatory Strengthening, Sustainability and Market Development, and Legal and Operational Clarity.
A new Electricity Council will be created as a Centre–State coordination platform for policy consensus and harmonisation.
SERCs will receive greater regulatory powers, including the authority to penalise non-compliance and determine tariffs suo moto.
The Bill introduces provisions for Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and reinforces obligations for non-fossil energy procurement with penalties for failure.
Outdated definitions are updated, references are aligned with the Companies Act, 2013, and the powers of the Electric Line Authority are codified to match those of the Telegraph Authority under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
The Bill supports the national vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047” by ensuring competitively priced power for industries and subsidised electricity for vulnerable households.

Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 to be held in New Delhi to Showcase Global Energy Leadership (Mid of January) ▼

The Ministry of Power (MoP) and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced that the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 will be held from March 19 to 22, 2026, at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
The four-day Summit will be held under the theme 'Electrifying Growth. Empowering Sustainability. Connecting Globally' to showcase India's leadership in the global energy transition.
The event is expected to host more than 500 exhibitors, welcome over 25,000 attendees, and attract more than 1,000 delegates and 300 speakers from India and abroad.
A key feature of the Summit will be a 'Buyer Seller Meet' aimed at accelerating partnerships and unlocking new business opportunities across the global power supply chain.
The Summit will serve as a platform for global policymakers, CEOs, government leaders, electricity experts, investors, regulators, innovators, suppliers, and solution providers to engage and network.

Global Energy Leaders' Summit 2025 to be held in Puri with experts from 7 countries (Mid of November) ▼

Summit Name: Global Energy Leaders' Summit 2025, organised by Department of Energy, Government of Odisha in partnership with Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and IIT Kanpur
Location: Puri, Odisha
Participating Countries: Experts and stakeholders from over seven countries including Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Bhutan, Singapore and Malaysia
Theme: 'Powering India: Sufficiency, Balance, Innovation'
Key Objective: Sharing best practices in energy sector to help states learn from one another and turn innovation into progress

Odisha hosts Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025 to advance India’s renewable energy transition (Start of December) ▼

Odisha is hosting the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS) 2025 at Puri from 5 to 7 December.
GELS 2025 is positioned as a cooperative federalism platform for states to share replicable clean-energy innovations.
Odisha’s Vision 2047 targets at least 33% of the state’s power from renewables by 2036, rising to 50% by 2047.
The summit focuses on execution-oriented themes such as grid management, energy storage, financing mechanisms and demand-side models.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban: Lucknow achieves 100% scientific municipal solid-waste processing

Key Updates:

Lucknow has become the first city in Uttar Pradesh to achieve 100 per cent scientific processing of municipal solid waste under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.
The city now operates three waste-processing facilities, each with a capacity of 700 MT per day, collectively handling over 2,100 MT daily.
Door-to-door waste-collection efficiency has reached 96.53 per cent and source-segregation levels have crossed 70 per cent.

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Gujarat Slum-Free City Initiative: Surat to become India's first slum-free city with over 70 lakh population (Start of January) ▼

The Gujarat state government announced that Surat is poised to become India's first slum-free city with a population of over 70 lakh.
In the past two decades, the population living in Surat's slum areas has decreased from 38% to 5%.
Chief Minister (CM) Bhupendra Patel directed senior officials, including the Chief Secretary (CS), to take effective measures to make Surat the state's first slum-free city.
Surat's population is approximately 70-80 lakh, making this achievement more significant in scale than Chandigarh, which has a population of around 10 lakh.
The Chief Minister (CM) also directed officials to start taking measures to make other cities in Gujarat slum-free in phases.

Goa GWMC Approves Five-Way Waste Segregation in Educational Institutions and Other Initiatives (Start of November) ▼

The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) approved the introduction of five-way waste segregation in educational institutions.
The initiatives were approved to strengthen the state’s waste management system.
Under the new five-way segregation system, dry waste bins will separately collect plastics; paper and cardboard; metal and glass; and non-recyclables such as thermocol, while the wet waste bin will hold food waste.
Domestic biomedical waste such as sanitary napkins and diapers will be segregated separately.
Other approvals include the installation of sanitary waste incinerators and dispensers in all government offices.
An MoU will be signed with the directorate of skill development and entrepreneurship (DSDE) and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to launch a waste management technician course and establish a centre of excellence for training urban local bodies (ULBs).

India’s first dry-fermentation municipal solid waste plant nears reality in Nagpur (End of November) ▼

India's largest municipal solid waste (MSW)-to-compressed biogas (CBG) plant using dry anaerobic digestion technology is nearing completion at Bhandewadi.
The company has constructed a 1,500 MTPD facility, anticipating Nagpur's future waste load.
This positions the Bhandewadi plant not only as India's first large-scale dry fermentation MSW facility, but also among the largest of its kind anywhere in the world.
A standout feature of this project is its requirement to prove the technology on real, mixed Indian waste before full-scale construction.
Dry anaerobic digestion offers clear advantages over conventional CSTR (continuous stirred-tank reactor) biogas systems, which often struggles with unsegregated or semi-dry waste.
The technology digests organic matter with minimal energy input, yields higher compressed biogas (CBG) output, reduces landfill dependence, and sharply cuts methane emissions.
Once operational, the plant will convert 550–600 TPD of organic waste into CBG through 30 fermentation tunnels, generate 400 TPD of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and send less than 10% inert waste to a scientific landfill.
It will also produce compost and soil conditioners while sharply cutting the city's carbon footprint.
The facility is designed to treat all of Nagpur's daily municipal waste.
Municipal Solid Waste received at the plant is passed through a semi-automated segregation unit.
Organic waste is processed in dry fermentation tunnels, producing raw biogas (RBG).
RBG is upgraded into CBG (Compressed Bio Gas), generating CO₂ as a by-product.
Digestate is converted into compost, which is then screened and sent for market use to farmers.
Process water goes to a fermentation tank, is treated through ETP, and reused internally.

Lucknow becomes India’s second UNESCO City of Gastronomy after Hyderabad (Start of November) ▼

Lucknow was officially recognised by UNESCO as a 'City of Gastronomy' on World Cities Day, October 31.
It is the second Indian city, after Hyderabad, to receive the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) City of Gastronomy title.
The recognition celebrates Lucknow’s preservation of Awadhi culinary traditions, including the dum pukht slow-cooking technique perfected in Nawabi royal kitchens.

Atal Pension Yojana extension ensures monthly pension for informal sector

Key Updates:

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) till 2030-31.
The scheme provides a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 from age 60 based on contributions.
Government funding continues for outreach, development work and gap funding to keep the scheme financially viable.
As of January 19, 2026, more than 8.66 crore people have enrolled under APY.

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Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS) provides 50% of last-drawn salary as pension (Start of January) ▼

Fifty per cent of the last drawn salary of government employees would be the assured pension.
Pensioners receiving 50 per cent assured pension would be granted Dearness Allowance hike every six months on a par with government employees.
In case of the death of pensioners, 60 per cent of the pension amount would be granted as family pension to the nominee of the deceased.
If an employee dies in harness, or in case of death at the time of retirement, upto a maximum of Rs 25 lakh Death gratuity would be provided in keeping with the length of service.
After the implementation of the new Assured Pension Scheme, all who retire without completing the qualifying service period for receiving pension will be provided a minimum pension.
In case of retirement, ahead of the implementation of the TN Assured Pension Scheme, of those who joined the government service under the Contributory Pension Scheme, they would be provided a Special Compassionate Pension.
In view of the introduction of the TAPS, the Tamil Nadu government has to provide an additional Rs 13,000 crore to the Pension Fund.
Annually, the TAPS implementation would entail an expenditure of approximately Rs 11,000 crore as the government's contribution.

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) constitutes high-level committee to enable assured payouts under National Pension System. (Mid of January) ▼

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has constituted a high-level committee to formulate guidelines and regulations for establishing a framework for assured payouts under the National Pension System (NPS).
The committee will be chaired by Dr. M. S. Sahoo, Founder of Dr. Sahoo Regulatory Chambers and former Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
The 15-member panel comprises experts from law, actuarial science, finance, insurance, capital markets, and academia.
The committee has been established as a standing advisory committee on structured pension payouts.
Its core objectives include formulating regulations for assured payout products, designing an end-to-end framework for transition from accumulation to payout phase, and enabling legally enforceable, market-based guarantees for assured payouts.
The committee will define operational parameters such as lock-in periods, withdrawal limits, pricing methodologies, and fee and cost structures for service providers.
It will establish capital and solvency requirements for providers and examine tax implications for payout options within the NPS architecture.
The committee will develop standardized disclosure norms to prevent mis-selling and align subscriber expectations with market-based guarantees.

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) enrolments cross 8.34 crore (Start of December) ▼

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has crossed 8.34 crore enrolments.
Women constitute 48% of the total subscribers.
Launched in May 2015, APY aims to build a universal social security system for citizens, particularly workers in the unorganised sector.
The scheme is open to individuals aged 18 to 40 years who have a savings bank or post-office account.
Subscribers receive pension benefits after turning 60, and benefits are expected to begin disbursal from 2035 onward.

Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) Resignation Rules: Forfeiture of Assured Payout (Start of November) ▼

Scheme Name: Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under National Pension System (NPS) for Central Government employees.
Forfeiture Rule: Resignation from service leads to forfeiture of the assured payout under UPS, unless the resignation is withdrawn in the public interest by the appointing authority. (Rule 15, Central Civil Services (Implementation of Unified Pension Scheme under the National Pension System) Rules, 2025)
Lump Sum Payment: The accumulated pension wealth in the individual corpus is payable as a lump sum, processed 90 days after the resignation takes effect.
Death Clause: If the subscriber dies within the 90-day period post-resignation, the accumulated pension wealth is paid to the legally wedded spouse or, if none, to legal heirs.

GeM–WTC Mumbai MoU to Boost MSME Inclusion in Public Procurement

[World Trade Center Mumbai]

Key Updates:

GeM and MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai signed an MoU to foster domestic and international collaboration in public procurement.
The MoU aims to enhance GeM’s global positioning, promote knowledge exchange, and drive inclusive participation for MSMEs, startups, women entrepreneurs, and underrepresented suppliers.
Joint initiatives include global procurement dialogues, capacity-building programs, supplier outreach, and research on AI in procurement, sustainability, and green practices.
A Joint Working Group will oversee implementation, ensuring alignment with Government of India policies on public procurement, data security, and inclusivity.

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Womaniya Initiative: Empowering Over 2 Lakh Women-Led MSEs in Public Procurement (Mid of January) ▼

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated seven years of its Womaniya initiative, a program aimed at bolstering the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement.
According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI), over two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal.
Since its launch on January 14, 2019, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders over Rs 80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7% of the total order value on GeM.
The initiative provides a transparent, digital interface, reducing entry hurdles and eliminating intermediaries to foster gender-inclusive economic growth.
A new partnership with the Women's Collective Forum aims to enhance support for women entrepreneurs and improve market access.

IREDA MoU Performance Review 2024-25: 96.42/100 Score (Start of January) ▼

IREDA secured an ‘Excellent’ MoU rating for the fifth consecutive year with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), scoring 96.42 out of 100.
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi stated the sustained top-tier performance reflects the organisation’s institutional strength, reform-driven governance, and professional execution.
IREDA’s CMD Shri Pradip Kumar Das said the recognition is a testament to the dedication of employees, trust of stakeholders, and consistent guidance of the Government of India.

Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) Scheme with Rs. 277.35 Cr. outlay (Start of December) ▼

The TEAM Scheme is implemented by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises as a sub-scheme of ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP), a Central Sector Scheme.
The outlay of MSME TEAM Initiative is Rs. 277.35 Cr. for the duration of 3 years from 2024 to 2027.
The TEAM Scheme provides MSMEs direct access to Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) which offers ready-made online storefronts, integrated digital payment solutions, and logistics support.
MSME TEAM Initiative envisages to benefit 5 lakh Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) of which 50% are to be women owned MSEs.

EIL and NMDC Energy sign MoU for onshore oil & gas projects in Saudi Arabia (Mid of November) ▼

MoU signed between Engineers India (EIL) and NMDC Energy to cooperate on onshore projects in Saudi Arabia covering Oil and Gas Processing, Refineries, Petrochemicals, Pipelines, Storage Terminals, and Energy Transition
MoU signed on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi
Collaboration aims at joint tendering and executing EPC projects leveraging NMDC’s Ras Al Khair fabrication facilities and EIL’s Al Khobar design center

BHASHINI–Survey of India MoU enables AI-driven creation of National Place Name Database covering over 16 lakh locations

[Survey of India]

Key Updates:

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed an MoU with Survey of India to digitise, transcribe and standardise geographical place names using AI-based speech and language technologies.
Survey of India, the national nodal agency for standardisation and maintenance of geographical names, will integrate BHASHINI’s speech-to-text and language processing capabilities to convert audio recordings into structured digital text for a validated Toponymy Database covering more than 16 lakh locations.
The collaboration will support the National Geographical Name Information System by processing field-collected audio data into multiple scripts including local language scripts, Devanagari and Roman formats, ensuring consistency across national maps and governance platforms.

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Madhya Pradesh and Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) Partner for Multilingual AI-Driven Governance (Mid of January) ▼

The Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable multilingual digital governance.
Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced that Madhya Pradesh will soon introduce a State AI Policy in mission mode, aimed at accelerating responsible and inclusive AI adoption across departments.
The MoU formalises the integration of BHASHINI’s language technologies, translation APIs and AI-powered language tools across state government digital platforms to ensure wider and more equitable access to public services in multiple Indian languages.
The partnership aims to support the deployment of voice-first and multilingual AI solutions across the digital governance ecosystem of Madhya Pradesh to strengthen accessibility and last-mile service delivery.
The collaboration was announced during the Madhya Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 held in Bhopal on 15-01-2026.

India Post-SIDBI MoU for Nationwide Verification of Informal Enterprises to Boost Credit Access (Start of January) ▼

The Department of Posts (DoP) and SIDBI signed an MoU for Contact Point Verification (CPV) of Informal Micro Enterprises registered on the Udyam Assist Platform.
India Post will leverage its 1.64 lakh Post Offices to conduct on-ground CPV including physical verification of business existence, location, activity and key business parameters.
SIDBI will integrate CPV reports into the Udyam Assist Platform to strengthen data credibility and enable informed credit decisions for informal micro enterprises.
A dedicated digital CPV mobile application will drive the initiative, ensuring speed, transparency and nationwide scalability.
The MoU is valid for two years from 31 December 2025 to 30 December 2027, with provisions for extension and includes clauses on data confidentiality, dispute resolution and termination.

Aadhaar Vision 2032: UIDAI's Strategic and Technological Review for Future Digital ID (Start of November) ▼

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun work on preparing Aadhaar for the future and making sure it remains inclusive and up-to-date by leveraging the latest available technology.
UIDAI “has embarked on a comprehensive strategic and technological review to shape the next decade of Aadhaar’s evolution through a new ‘Aadhaar Vision 2032’ framework”.
The review is being conducted to create a “forward-looking roadmap” to strengthen Aadhaar’s “technological foundation, integrate emerging digital innovations, and ensure that India’s digital identity platform remains robust, inclusive, and future-ready”.
An Expert Committee will work to create the technological and strategic roadmap for the future of Aadhaar, integrating AI, blockchain and quantum computing.
Neelkanth Mishra, the chairperson, of UIDAI will also play the role of the chairperson of the high-level expert committee, which includes eminent experts and leaders from academia, industry, and administration.
The Aadhaar Vision 2032 framework will focus on integrating cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Advanced Encryption, and next-generation Data Security mechanisms.
The Aadhaar Vision 2032 document will outline the framework for “next-generation Aadhaar architecture” that will align with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, and emerging global standards of privacy and cybersecurity.

Organised Crime Network Database and Weapons Database Launched to Bolster Law Enforcement (End of December) ▼

Union Home Minister (MHA) Amit Shah on Friday launched two pivotal databases: the Organised Crime Network Database and the Weapons Database.
These databases are intended to bolster efforts of law enforcement agencies nationwide, forming the backbone of the country's zero-terror policy.
Shah advocated for a seamless national-level technology framework, vested in unified databases, to enhance inter-agency efficacy in dismantling organized crime networks.
The conference, attended by top law enforcement officials, highlighted a shift towards a collaborative data-sharing approach.
The launch occurred on 26-12-2025 during the Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025.

SAMPANN Portal Integrated with DigiLocker to Provide One-Click Digital Access to DoT Pensioners

[DigiLocker, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)]

Key Updates:

The Office of the Principal Controller of Communication Accounts (Pr CCA), Delhi has integrated the System for Accounting and Management of Pension (SAMPANN) pension portal with DigiLocker.
SAMPANN is a government-run digital platform designed to make pension services easier for Department of Telecommunications (DoT) retirees.
The integration enables pensioners to access key documents such as e-Pension Payment Orders (e-PPOs), gratuity sanction orders, communication sanctions, and Form-16 online.
The SAMPANN platform was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2018.
The platform is developed and managed by the Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts and handles pension payments and related financial work online.
The platform has digitised the entire pension lifecycle—from initiation and processing of cases to issuance of e-Pension Payment Orders, disbursement, accounting, reconciliation, financial reporting, audit facilitation, and grievance redressal.

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SAMPANN Portal Launch Integrates MTNL Retirees into Digital Pension Framework (Mid of December) ▼

Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA) Smt. Vandana Gupta officially launched the onboarding process for all MTNL employees set to retire in November 2025 onto the SAMPANN portal.
The initiative integrates a total of 45,939 pensioners from Delhi and Mumbai, both current and past retirees, into a modernized digital framework.
The SAMPANN initiative promises precise, rule-based calculations, efficient handling of cases, prompt disbursements linked with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), and improved mechanisms for grievance redressal through multi-modal integration.
Features include direct pension disbursement, online issuance of PPOs, integration of Digital Life Certificates, streamlined grievance management, and a notable reduction in paperwork.

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) constitutes high-level committee to enable assured payouts under National Pension System. (Mid of January) ▼

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has constituted a high-level committee to formulate guidelines and regulations for establishing a framework for assured payouts under the National Pension System (NPS).
The committee will be chaired by Dr. M. S. Sahoo, Founder of Dr. Sahoo Regulatory Chambers and former Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
The 15-member panel comprises experts from law, actuarial science, finance, insurance, capital markets, and academia.
The committee has been established as a standing advisory committee on structured pension payouts.
Its core objectives include formulating regulations for assured payout products, designing an end-to-end framework for transition from accumulation to payout phase, and enabling legally enforceable, market-based guarantees for assured payouts.
The committee will define operational parameters such as lock-in periods, withdrawal limits, pricing methodologies, and fee and cost structures for service providers.
It will establish capital and solvency requirements for providers and examine tax implications for payout options within the NPS architecture.
The committee will develop standardized disclosure norms to prevent mis-selling and align subscriber expectations with market-based guarantees.

National Pension System (NPS) allows 80% lump sum withdrawal for non-government subscribers (Mid of December) ▼

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) notified the amended PFRDA (Exits and Withdrawals under the National Pension System (NPS)) Regulations, 2025, on December 16.
Eligible NPS members can now withdraw up to 80 per cent of their retirement corpus as a lump sum at the time of exit.
The revised rules apply to subscribers under the All Citizen Model and Corporate NPS, bringing relief to non-government sector employees.
The compulsory annuity purchase requirement for non-government subscribers has been reduced to a minimum of 20 per cent of the accumulated pension wealth.
Subscribers with accumulated pension wealth up to Rs 8 lakh can withdraw the entire amount as a lump sum.
For accumulated pension wealth between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 12 lakh, lump sum withdrawal is capped at Rs 6 lakh, with the balance available for annuity purchase or systematic unit withdrawal over a period of up to six years.
For accumulated pension wealth above Rs 12 lakh, at least 20 per cent of the corpus must be used to purchase an annuity, while up to 80 per cent becomes available for withdrawal.

IPPB Partners with EPFO to Offer Digital Life Certificates to Pensioners (Start of November) ▼

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), a 100% government-owned entity under the Department of Posts, has signed an MoU with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
The partnership aims to provide doorstep digital life certificate services to pensioners under the Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995.
IPPB will use its network of around 1.65 lakh post offices and over 3 lakh postal service providers equipped with doorstep banking devices.
Pensioners will be able to submit their digital life certificates from home through face authentication or fingerprint biometric verification.
The service will be free for pensioners as the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation will bear the entire cost.
The agreement was exchanged between IPPB MD & CEO R Viswesvaran and EPFO central provident fund commissioner Ramesh Krishnamurthi.

Atal Vichal Agragami Assam scheme announces Rs 25,000 monthly financial assistance for research scholars

[Assam]

Key Updates:

Under the 'Atal Vichal Agragami Assam scheme', the state government will provide monthly financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to research scholars.
Divyang research scholars will receive enhanced support of Rs 40,000 per month.
The scheme is scheduled to be formally launched on February 11, 2026.

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Assam Government launches monthly financial aid for celibate monks of satras (Start of January) ▼

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scheme to provide a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to celibate monks residing in ‘satras’.
At least 620 ‘Udasin Bhakats’ (celibate monks) will benefit from the welfare initiative.
The initiative reaffirms the Assam government’s commitment to dignity, care and respect for those who uphold Assam’s civilisational heritage.

Sanskaar Shaala inaugurated by Assam Governor to promote value-based education (Start of January) ▼

Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya inaugurated Sanskaar Shaala, a programme for children aged 4 to 14, at Lohia Lions Auditorium in Guwahati.
The Governor emphasised that value-based education is essential to shape responsible citizens and societal harmony.
He highlighted that initiatives like Sanskaar Shaala align with India’s cultural values and support the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Assam Cabinet Approves Bill to Ban Polygamy (Mid of November) ▼

Assam Cabinet on Sunday approved a bill that proposes to prohibit polygamy and grant seven years of imprisonment for the guilty.
The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, is scheduled to be tabled in the winter session of the Assembly from November 25.
The bill, after passage by the Assembly, however, seeks to exempt the ethnic communities and the areas under the three autonomous councils set up under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
These autonomous councils are Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous Council.
Under this bill, polygamy is prohibited in respect of the person who shall not marry if he has a living spouse or is not legally separated from the other spouse by following due procedure of law or is a party to a marriage which is not yet dissolved or annulled by a decree of divorce.
The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025 further seeks to provide compensation to the victim women as they have to suffer immense pain and hardship due to polygamous marriage.
If the bill is passed by the Assembly, Assam will join Uttarakhand in banning polygamy.

Assam launches ‘Prerona’ scheme to support 4.4 lakh Class 10 students with monthly study aid (End of November) ▼

Assam has rolled out the ‘Prerona’ scheme.
The scheme supports Class 10 board aspirants with a monthly Rs 300 allowance until exams conclude.
It was announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday.
The initiative aims to reduce financial stress, curb dropouts, and boost exam readiness for 4.4 lakh students.
The assistance is universal and does not depend on income eligibility.
It covers High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) students under the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) as well as Class 10 students from CBSE-affiliated Adarsha Vidyalayas who are residents of Assam.

India to launch over 50 spy satellites under Space-Based Surveillance-3 after border conflict surveillance gaps

Key Updates:

India plans to launch over 50 spy satellites and add night-time imaging to enhance national security capabilities, people familiar with the matter said.
India encountered surveillance blind spots during a border conflict last year with neighbour Pakistan.
The Narendra Modi-led administration is looking to build ground stations overseas to relay information more quickly and comprehensively, said the people.
These ground stations could be in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Scandinavia, they said.
Plans are underway to enhance satellites with synthetic aperture radar capable of capturing images in dark, cloudy conditions.
Upgrades are being worked on to help transfer data from one satellite to another without relying on a ground station.
The launch of the first 52 satellites under Space-Based Surveillance-3 is being fast-tracked.
India plans to deploy as many as 150 new satellites to boost border security, Mint reported citing Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan.
The estimated cost of placing 150 satellites is about Rs 26,000 crore ($2.8 billion).
India has more than 100 satellites in orbit compared to just eight for Pakistan, according to spacecraft data tracker N2YO.com.
India’s satellites are blind at night or in cloudy conditions, a lacuna highlighted during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan last year.
China provided Pakistan with support during the fighting, helping Islamabad adjust its satellite coverage, a research group under India’s Ministry of Defence said last year.

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India unveils Mission Sudarshan Chakra to boost indigenous defence capabilities (Start of January) ▼

Mission Sudarshan Chakra was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025.
The mission was announced during the Prime Minister's Independence Day address from the Red Fort.
It aims to ensure defence systems are entirely researched, developed and manufactured within India.
The programme seeks to anticipate future warfare scenarios through predictive and advanced technologies.
By 2035, the mission aims to establish a comprehensive national security shield covering both strategic and civilian assets.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra gained prominence in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India Establishes Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid in New Delhi to Strengthen Air Defence Shield (Start of January) ▼

The Indian defence forces are working towards creating a joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) grid to foil any enemy drone attacks.
The joint CUAS grid being created by networking all the CUAS systems of the forces will be separate from the existing air defence networks of the defence forces, such as the Integrated Air Command and Control Systems (IACCS) of the Indian Air Force.
The joint CUAS grid would be established with the existing Joint Air Defence Centres (JADC), including the three services, and deployed to monitor all drone movements.
The Centre is working on Mission Sudarshan Chakra to create a massive air defence shield.
During Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Army tried to target Indian civilian and military installations in a big way by using Turkish and Chinese-origin drones.
Major damage to small drones was caused by the L-70 and ZU-23 air-defence guns of the Indian Army.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed laser counter UAS system.
The Chief of the Defence Staff is responsible for integrating the three forces and enhancing jointness among them.

India test fires 3,500-km K-4 missile from nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat on December 25, 2025 (End of December) ▼

India tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile called K-4, which is designed to hit targets 3,500-km away, from the nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.
The solid-fuelled K-4 can carry a two-tonne nuclear payload and is critical for India to strengthen the sea leg of its nuclear weapons triad.
INS Arighaat, the country's second nuclear-powered submarine with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles (called SSBN in naval parlance), was commissioned on Aug 29 last year.
India will commission its third SSBN as INS Aridhaman in the first quarter of 2026 and the fourth in 2027-28 under the secretive over Rs 90,000 crore ATV (advanced technology vessel) programme launched decades ago.
The operational deployment of K-4 missiles, which will be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000 to 6,000-km range class, will somewhat help India narrow the huge gap with countries like the US, Russia and China.
Her forerunner INS Arihant, which became fully operational in 2018, can carry only the 750-km range K-15 missiles.
The SSBNs impart India's deterrence posture with much more credibility because they are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes in line with the country's 'no first-use' policy.

Indian Army declares 2026 as 'Year of Networking & Data Centricity' and affirms Operation Sindoor still ongoing (Start of January) ▼

The Indian Army declared 2026 as the 'Year of Networking & Data Centricity' to boost connectivity, real-time decision-making, and combat effectiveness.
Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi stated that jointness, self-reliance, and innovation are the core pillars of military power.
Gen Dwivedi confirmed that Operation Sindoor, initiated last year against the enemy's nefarious designs, continues even today.

India and Namibia hold Foreign Office Consultations and agree to deepen collaboration in defence and critical minerals

[Namibia]

Key Updates:

Both sides agreed to further deepen bilateral ties in key areas such as health, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), agriculture, defence and critical minerals.
Discussions were also held on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including cooperation at the UN.
The FOC was co-chaired by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador Charles Josob, Acting Head of Department for Bilateral Relations and Cooperation, Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Namibia.

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India-Angola to deepen defence, energy ties; $200 million LoC for defence sector finalisation underway (Start of November) ▼

India ready to extend $200 million Line of Credit to Angola for defence cooperation: 'We are in the middle of discussions with Angola now to finalise the LOC agreement.'
Energy partnership accounts for ~80% of $5 billion India-Angola trade: 'we have about $5 billion in trade with Angola, out of which 80 per cent is in the energy sector.'
India engaging African partners, including Angola, under National Critical Minerals Mission: 'India is engaging with its African partners in critical minerals...through joint ventures, processing some minerals together.'

India and Netherlands sign Letter of Intent to strengthen defence cooperation (Mid of December) ▼

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel to discuss security and defence topics.
A Letter of Intent on defence cooperation was signed and exchanged between India's Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Netherlands' Ambassador to India Marisa Gerards.
The ministers prioritised co-development and co-production of defence equipment and agreed to craft a Defence Industrial Roadmap.

India-Nepal sign JV agreements for two 400 kV cross-border transmission links (End of October) ▼

Agreements signed between POWERGRID (India) and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for Inaruwa (Nepal)-New Purnea (India) 400 kV and Lamki (Dododhara) (Nepal)-Bareilly (India) 400 kV Double Circuit (Quad Moose) Transmission Links
Two joint venture entities—one in India and one in Nepal—will be incorporated to develop these high-capacity power transmission corridors
Projects aimed to substantially enhance electricity exchange, strengthen regional energy security, improve grid resilience, and contribute to sustained economic growth in both nations

India, US Sign 10-Year Framework Pact for Defence Partnership (Start of November) ▼

India and the US signed a framework agreement for a major defence partnership.
The agreement gives a roadmap for cooperation over the next 10 years.
It includes jointly pursuing capacity building for like-minded partners in Asia, Africa and island countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
The framework will enable collaboration on global challenges like space and missile defence, preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
It will prioritise export licence approvals for weapons and support India's development as a logistics, maintenance, repair and overhaul hub.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh and US secretary of war Pete Hegseth met on the sidelines of the 12th Asean Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur.
The new framework will reflect common defence priorities like safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific region, strengthening interoperability across all domains, expanding collaboration with like-minded nations through forums like the Quad and defeating terrorism in all forms.
The last 10-year agreement was signed in June 2015.

Israel and Azerbaijan accept invitation to join Trump’s Board of Peace

[Israel, Azerbaijan]

Key Updates:

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has agreed to join the board.
Azerbaijan foreign ministry stated: 'Azerbaijan, as always, is ready to actively contribute to international cooperation, peace, and stability.'
Armenia has also joined the Trump-led peace board.
India received an invitation letter dated January 16 from Trump inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the Board of Peace.
Current members of the Board of Peace are: Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina, Belarus.

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India invited to join Donald Trump-led Board of Peace for global conflict resolution (Mid of January) ▼

India was invited to join the Donald Trump-led Board of Peace, which is described as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration meant to embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict!
Donald J. Trump will serve as the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace and will remain in this position even when he is no longer the President of the United States.
The organization offers a tenure of three years for members, but nations can become permanent members if they pay $ 1 billion in cash in the first year of membership.
The Executive Board's founding members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff; Trump’s son-in-law and businessman Jared Kushner; former UK prime minister Tony Blair; American businessman Marc Rowan; World Bank Group president Ajay Banga; and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
The Board's charter allows it to work to secure enduring peace in areas not just affected by, but also threatened by conflict.
The original mandate for the Board was approved by the UN in November 2025 to operate in Gaza until the end of 2027, though the new charter has expanded its scope significantly.
Invitations for membership have been sent to several countries including Hungary, Albania, Greece, Canada, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Paraguay, and Argentina, with Pakistan also reporting an invitation.

Israel severs ties with multiple UN agencies citing bias and hostility (Mid of January) ▼

Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar decided that Jerusalem will immediately sever all contact with several United Nations agencies and international bodies.
The decision was made after a review of organisations named in the United States' announcement and of Israel's own experience with these bodies.
Israel has already severed ties with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, UN Women, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Additional organisations affected include the UN Alliance of Civilisations, UN Energy, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

Israel to award Israel Prize for Peace to United States President Donald Trump after Florida talks (End of December) ▼

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that US President Donald Trump will receive the Israel Prize for Peace, the country's highest civilian honour.
This marks the first time in 80 years the prize is awarded to a non-Israeli citizen and the first occasion the Peace category has been used.
The Israeli government amended the prize rules in July 2025 to allow foreign citizens to be eligible for the award.
Trump and Netanyahu discussed the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, including Hamas disarmament and issues related to the occupied West Bank.
Trump stated he is 'not concerned about anything that Israel is doing' and praised Israel for living up to the plan '100%'.
Netanyahu described the meeting as 'very, very productive' and emphasized strong cooperation between the two leaders.

Israel approves $35 billion natural gas export deal to Egypt, largest in Israeli history (Mid of December) ▼

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has approved a $35 billion natural gas export deal to Egypt, the biggest gas deal in Israeli history.
The gas will be delivered to Egypt over the next 15 years by U.S. energy giant Chevron, a key owner of the gas field off Israel’s coast in the Mediterranean Sea.
Half of the proceeds are expected to go to Israel’s state coffers.
German lawmakers approved an expansion of a defense agreement for Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system, bringing the deal value from $3.5 billion to $6.5 billion, making it the largest Israeli defense export deal ever.

Centre for Trade and Investment Law and National Law University Odisha Organize International Conference on Role of Trade in Global Energy Transition

[Odisha]

Key Updates:

The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), in collaboration with the Centre for International Trade Law, National Law University Odisha (NLUO), organised a two-day International Conference on the theme 'Role of International Trade in Global Energy Transition' at the National Law University Odisha campus in Cuttack, under the aegis of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme.
Justice Biraja Prasanna, Odisha High Court, Prasanna Satapathy, attended as the Chief Guest, and Professor N.L. Mitra as the Guest of Honour.
Ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia, Former Chairperson, World Trade Organization Appellate Body, was present at the event.
Discussions focused on the role of the multilateral trading system at the intersection of international trade and global energy transition.

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Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) launches TRaNJA initiative to reshape WTO and global trade (Start of December) ▼

Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) International launched the global initiative “Trade Not Just Aid: Winners and Losers in the WTO” (TRaNJA).
The TRaNJA steering committee is co-chaired by Shashi Tharoor, MP and former foreign minister of India, and Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the WTO.
The 21-member steering committee includes experts from all corners of the world.
The launch event was organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and held in Tokyo, Japan, on 2-4 December, 2025, with nearly 30 experts from 16 countries participating.
CUTS Secretary General Pradeep S. Mehta stated that around 70% of world trade still occurs on non-discriminatory MFN terms agreed at the WTO.
Mehta highlighted that the predictability and stability provided by the WTO system has raised world trade volumes by over 45 times the level of trade in the 1950s.

COP30 UN Climate Conference convenes in Belém, Brazil, spotlighting 1.5°C target and forest-protection fund (Start of November) ▼

COP30 is being held in Belém, Brazil, from 10–21 November 2025, according to the UN announcement.
Brazil launched a new Brazil-led fund at a pre-COP30 summit to place forest protection at the heart of climate action.
UN satellite tracking now detects major methane leaks, but companies and governments act on only about 12 per cent of alerts.
Developing countries are receiving less than 10 per cent of the money they need to adapt to extreme weather, the UN reported ahead of COP30.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres used the conference to urge a fair, fast and final shift to clean energy, calling it the cheapest source of new electricity in nearly every country.

India Reaffirms 500 GW Non-Fossil Target and 266 GW Renewable Milestone at 16th IRENA Assembly (Mid of January) ▼

India’s Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, delivered the national statement at the 16th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on January 12, 2026.
Joshi reaffirmed India’s target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and Net Zero emissions by 2070.
India achieved 50 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in 2025, five years ahead of its Paris Agreement NDC target.
India’s renewable energy capacity now exceeds 266 GW, with nearly 50 GW added in 2025 alone.
Under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, 2.5 million households gained rooftop solar in under two years, targeting 10 million by March 2027.
PM-KUSUM has been deployed for 2.17 million farmers via diesel pump replacements and solarised agricultural feeders.
India requires USD 300 billion by 2030 for renewables, storage, green hydrogen, grids, and manufacturing.
Joshi urged international collaboration on technology transfer, low-cost finance, capacity building, and standards harmonisation, especially for developing nations.
In a bilateral meeting, Joshi discussed with the UAE's Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, ways to deepen ties in renewables, decentralised energy, manufacturing, storage, and blended finance.

Eighth International Solar Alliance Assembly Curtain Raiser Held in New Delhi (Start of November) ▼

Event: Eighth Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly scheduled from 27–30 October 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Participants: ISA brings together 124 Member and Signatory Countries; launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris.
Key Outcomes: Assembly to focus on four strategic pillars—Catalytic Finance Hub, Global Capability Centre & Digitisation, Regional & Country-Level Engagement, and Technology Roadmap & Policy.

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu confirms new spaceport at Hope Island for private launch missions

[Andhra Pradesh]

Key Updates:

The new spaceport at Hope Island is expected to primarily support private launch providers, adding to India’s expanding launch infrastructure.
India will have three spaceports: the existing Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) at Sriharikota, the upcoming SSLV Launch Complex at Kulasekharapatnam, and the proposed Hope Island facility.
The Hope Island spaceport is being planned with commercial launches in mind, complementing ISRO’s existing facilities.
Launch sites closer to the equator benefit from Earth’s rotation, reducing fuel requirements for eastward launches.
Launches into polar orbits from Sriharikota require a ‘dog-leg’ manoeuvre to avoid flying over Sri Lanka, costing energy—especially significant for smaller rockets like SSLV, Vikram-1, and Agnibaan.
ISRO is building the SSLV launch complex at Kulasekharapatnam, expected to be ready by 2027, to focus on polar orbit missions and support both ISRO and private players.

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Dagadarthi Greenfield Airport: Andhra Pradesh Cabinet clears project for state’s 8th airport (Mid of January) ▼

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved the Dagadarthi greenfield airport project in Nellore district on Jan 10, 2026, to strengthen the state’s multimodal logistics and industrial network.
The project has already received in-principle clearance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for development under a long-term concession framework.
Planned in multiple phases, the airport will be developed over 1,332.80 acres to support manufacturing, exports, agri-logistics, and services-led growth.
Phase I is designed to handle 1.4 million passengers per annum, with capacity scalable to 15 million passengers annually in the long term.
The master plan includes provision for a future cargo facility to support industrial output and port-led trade involving Krishnapatnam and Ramayapatnam ports.

Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd to build world’s first autonomous maritime shipyard in Andhra Pradesh (Mid of December) ▼

Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd has been allotted 29.58 acres of land at the Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour in Bogolu Mandal, SPSR Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, for setting up the world’s first autonomous maritime shipyard and systems centre.
The facility is envisioned as a pioneering hub that will accelerate innovation, reshape industrial practices, and set new international benchmarks in autonomous maritime technology.
The integrated R&D and testing ecosystem is poised to benefit sectors such as logistics, fisheries, disaster response, and port operations.
A dedicated Maritime Test Centre within the project will support end-to-end autonomous system research, development, prototyping, and validation.

Visakhapatnam Port Authority inks ₹29,662-cr MoU for port-cum-shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam (Start of November) ▼

Visakhapatnam Port Authority and the Government of Andhra Pradesh signed an MoU for a ‘major port cum ship building and ship repair cluster’ at Dugarajapatnam with an investment commitment of ₹29,662 crore.
VPA signed a ₹3,000 crore MoU with MECON India for developing modern stack yards and railway sidings.
VPA partnered with NBCC under a ₹500-crore self-financing scheme for monetisation and integrated development of underutilised land in Harbour Park.
VPA entered into a ₹487.38 crore collaboration with HUDCO for mechanisation and modernisation of cargo berths.
VPA signed a ₹535-crore MoU with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited for developing internal flyovers within the port premises.
Collectively, the MoUs announced at India Maritime Week-2025 are set to attract over ₹39,216 crore in new investments.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to commission third launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in four years (End of December) ▼

ISRO is developing a third launch pad at the Shriharikota spaceport and is currently identifying the right vendors for the project.
The new launch pad is required to handle bigger launch vehicles needed for satellites weighing over 12,000–14,000 kg.
Shriharikota complex, renamed Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) on September 5, 2002, covers 175 sq km and is located about 135 km east of Chennai.

NGT Orders Udupi DC and KUWSDB to Curb Sauparnika River Pollution

Key Updates:

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Southern Zone directed Udupi DC and Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) Chairman to file a detailed report on stopping wastewater flow into the Sauparnika River in Kollur.
Commercial establishments—lodges and hotels around Sri Mookambika Temple—are allegedly discharging sewage and sullage water into the river, causing long-term contamination.
Although the Underground Sewerage Scheme (UGSS) was completed in 2020 at a cost of Rs 19.97 crore, river contamination persists.
NGT observed that the Udupi DC’s report filed on November 25, 2025, lacked specifics on waste volume, UGSS carrying capacity, required enhancements, estimated costs, and implementation timelines.
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has been instructed to identify violators and report enforcement actions taken.

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Afghanistan advances Kunar River diversion project threatening Pakistan water supply (Mid of December) ▼

Afghanistan’s technical committee has approved a proposal to transfer water from the Kunar River to the Darunta Dam in Nangarhar.
The Kunar River originates in Pakistan’s Chitral district, flows into Afghanistan, then re-enters Pakistan to join the Kabul River which merges with the Indus near Attock.
Pakistan has no formal water-sharing agreement or arbitration mechanism with Afghanistan concerning transboundary rivers.

Swachh Jal Abhiyan launched to ensure clean drinking water and prevent contamination (Mid of January) ▼

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav launched the 'Swachh Jal Abhiyan' to conduct comprehensive testing of drinking water quality in all urban and rural areas.
A weekly public hearing named 'Jal Sunwai' will be held every Tuesday at the district level for citizens to raise water-related complaints.
A mobile application will be developed for a water pipeline asset survey involving residents to identify leakages and contaminated sources.
The campaign will be implemented in two phases: Phase I from January 10 to February 28 and Phase II from March 1 to May 31.
All drinking water sources will undergo quality testing, and STPs will be regularly monitored to ensure clean water supply.

Dam Safety Act, 2021: NDSA ensures public safety through compliance at Bargi Dam (Mid of January) ▼

The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), under the Union government’s Jal Shakti Ministry, has issued a stern show-cause notice to the Bhopal-based Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) regarding the safety of the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
The notice alleges non-compliance with the statutory provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, stating that the operation and maintenance of the Bargi Dam poses a potential threat to public safety and downstream populations.
The NDSA warned that legal action may be initiated under Sections 41 and 42 of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which include penal provisions for responsible officials if mandatory provisions are not followed.
The Dam Safety Act, 2021 mandates regular inspections, risk assessments, emergency action plans, and modern monitoring systems for all designated dams in the country.
The NVDA has 30 days to respond to the show-cause notice regarding persistent leakage and inadequate monitoring systems at the dam.

NMCG approves first-of-its-kind avifauna conservation project for sandbar-nesting birds in Ganga basin (Start of January) ▼

A new project has been approved to protect breeding habitats of sandbar-nesting birds, including the Indian Skimmer.
The project will use Nature based Solutions for in-situ treatment of the Shastri Park drain, Gaushala drain, and Kailash Nagar/Ramesh Nagar drains in Delhi before they enter the Yamuna.
A comprehensive master plan has been prepared to restore the natural sanctity and cultural identity of the Gomti River’s origin site at Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.

NITI Aayog unveils sectoral roadmaps to decarbonise cement, aluminium and green-transition MSMEs

[NITI Aayog]

Key Updates:

NITI Aayog has proposed setting up a National Project Management Agency (NPMA) and allocating 8-9% of the credit-guarantee fund value to help an estimated 69 million MSMEs in the country go green as India works towards becoming Net Zero by 2070.
MSMEs alone have contributed 135 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2022.
The Aayog has called for supporting MSMEs in terms of technology upgradation, market access, and green transition to fulfil ‘Viksit Bharat’ goals by 2047.
In a separate report on Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation, the Aayog has proposed increased usage of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from municipal solid waste for substituting thermal heating from coal.
It has suggested increased usage of supplementary cementitious materials or clinker substitutes and scaling up Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in the cement industry for capturing CO2 in process emission.
By using these three solutions, the Indian cement sector may reduce 80-85% GHG emission by 2070.
In a third report on Roadmap for Aluminium Sector Decarbonisation a three-stage process to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint.
Aluminium production accounted for approximately 2.8% of India’s GHG emissions or 83 MTCO2 e in 2023, and without intervention, emissions could rise to 376 MTCO2 e by 2070.

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AM Green builds world’s largest green-ammonia complex in Andhra Pradesh (Mid of January) ▼

AM Green is developing India’s first and the world’s largest green-ammonia complex with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum.
The integrated project spans 7.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity, 1,950 megawatts of electrolyser capacity and 2 gigawatts of round-the-clock renewable power supported by pumped hydro storage.
The facility will be commissioned in phases—0.5 million tonnes per annum by 2027, scaling to 1 million tonnes by 2028 and full 1.5 million tonnes by 2030.
Green ammonia produced at Kakinada will be used globally as a clean shipping fuel, for power generation and as a carrier for green hydrogen.

Ministry of Steel targets 300 MT steel capacity by 2030 and 500 MT by 2047. (End of January) ▼

India will host Bharat Steel 2026 in New Delhi to spotlight green and resilient steelmaking.
The two-day summit expects more than 700 international delegates across governments, public sector enterprises, private companies, start-ups and investors.
The Ministry of Steel’s 2024 Green Steel Roadmap envisages greater use of renewable energy, pilot projects for green hydrogen, carbon capture utilisation and storage, and increased scrap use.
The Production Linked Incentive scheme for specialty steel aims to shift output from commodity-grade to higher-grade steels for automotive, aerospace, defence and infrastructure.

India unveils first-of-its-kind R&D roadmap to deploy Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) for 2070 net-zero target (Start of December) ▼

India has launched the first of its kind R&D roadmap to enable the country's net-zero emission targets of 2070 through Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS).
The roadmap will leverage the government's Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) funding pathways to accelerate CCUS development and deployment.
It will guide coordinated action, foster collaboration, and enable investments that accelerate technology deployment for reducing carbon footprints across hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, power and steel.
India early this year unveiled a pioneering national initiative of creating five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first of its kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.

NLC India Renewable Limited (NIRL) and PTC India Limited (PTCIL) form joint venture for renewable energy projects (Mid of December) ▼

NLC India Renewable Limited (NIRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NLC India Limited (NLCIL), signed a joint venture agreement with PTC India Limited (PTCIL).
The joint venture company will undertake the establishment, operation and maintenance of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, hydro, battery energy storage systems, green ammonia and other emerging green technologies.
The collaboration envisages the development of green energy capacity up to 2,000MW, to be implemented in phases, with the first phase targeting around 500MW.

India defeats Kenya to win Roll Ball World Cup 2025

Key Updates:

India clinched the gold medal at the 7th Roll Ball World Cup 2025 in Dubai.
Yash Anil Rashiya scored the match-winning goal in the final against Kenya.
The tournament was held in Dubai.

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Belgium defeats India to win Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 (Start of December) ▼

Belgium clinched the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 by defeating India 1-0 in the final.
Thibeau Stockbroekx scored the decisive goal in the 34th minute.
The final was held in Malaysia.
Belgium won its maiden Sultan Azlan Shah title on its second appearance in the tournament.

India finishes second as China tops ISSF World Cup Final (Start of December) ▼

India secured six medals — its best-ever ISSF World Cup Final performance.
Simranpreet Kaur Brar won gold in the women’s 25m pistol.
Suruchi Phogat claimed gold in the women’s 10m air pistol.
Sainyam, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anish Bhanwala earned silver medals.
Samrat Rana took bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol.
Zorawar Singh Sandhu placed seventh in the men’s trap final.
China topped the medal tally with four gold and nine total medals.

Chess World Cup 2025 Trophy Named Viswanathan Anand Cup (Start of November) ▼

The World Cup winner's trophy will be called Viswanathan Anand Cup.
The trophy features the peacock, the national bird of India in a frozen dance form.
The winner’s trophy was unveiled in a glittering opening ceremony in Goa on Friday.
The marquee competition starts on November 1 and will go on till November 26.
The total prize money fund for the tournament is $2 million.
The winner will get $120,000.
The World Cup will feature 206 players competing in a head-to-head, two-game knockout format over eight rounds.
The FIDE World Cup is the event that offers the top three finishers direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.

Gyaneshwari Yadav and Chandani Sahu receive Chhattisgarh’s top sports awards (Start of November) ▼

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan presented the Gundadhur Samman to international weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav and the Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo Samman to archer Chandani Sahu.
Gyaneshwari Yadav secured fifth place in the World Weightlifting Championship held in Manama, Bahrain.
Chandani Sahu won a silver medal for Chhattisgarh in the team event at the 38th National Games and was part of the four-member Chhattisgarh team that won a bronze medal in the team archery event.