News on Indian Economy
Unlike arrangements where UPI is accepted only at selected merchants or through individual acquiring networks, the Uzbekistan partnership connects UPI with the country’s national interoperable QR infrastructure, potentially giving Indian users access to a very broad merchant network across retail establishments, hotels, restaurants and service providers.
The latest National Statistics Office estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that India’s real GDP at constant 2022-23 prices increased to ₹81.36 lakh crore in Q1 FY 2026-27, compared with ₹75.46 lakh crore during the corresponding quarter of FY 2025-26. Under the revised national accounts series, growth in the comparable quarter of the previous year stands at 6.9%, meaning economic expansion accelerated appreciably during the latest quarter.
The foundation stones for the projects were laid on 29 August 2026 by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. The programme forms part of the latest expansion of PMGSY-IV, which is focused on bringing all-weather road connectivity to habitations that remain outside the regular road network, particularly in mountainous and geographically difficult regions.
These technologies are emerging from the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, or NM-ICPS, a ₹3,660-crore programme implemented by the Department of Science and Technology. A government technology review released on 31 August 2026 highlighted how the programme is moving from fundamental research towards deployable technologies across healthcare, telecommunications, agriculture, mining, cybersecurity and autonomous mobility.
Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Brazil reached $15.07 billion in 2025-26. Reaching the new 2030 target would therefore require the two countries to roughly double their current trade relationship over the next several years.
Major Rajprasad, an officer of the Corps of Engineers and 7 Engineer Regiment, began developing the system after examining the risks faced by troops while dealing with IEDs and clearing terrorist hideouts. Government records from the earlier stages of the project identify him as Captain Rajprasad R.S. and recognise Xploder under the iDEX4Fauji initiative as an unmanned IED-disposal remotely operated vehicle. The project subsequently matured as he continued his service and development work.
The most concrete initiative so far involves state-owned BEML Limited, which has entered into a strategic partnership with South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries to jointly design, develop and manufacture a new generation of port and maritime cranes in India.
The development is strategically significant for India as it prepares for a major expansion of its civil nuclear programme. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, has rapidly increased uranium production and possesses substantial proven reserves, making the Central Asian country an increasingly important potential source of nuclear fuel for India.
The specialised vessel was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on 31 August 2026, with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan presiding over the ceremony. Its induction gives the Navy another large, purpose-built platform capable of supporting some of the most demanding underwater operations undertaken by a modern naval force.
Total telephone subscriptions increased from 1,348.08 million at the end of June to 1,354.28 million at the end of July 2026, an addition of approximately 6.20 million connections in one month. This represented monthly growth of 0.46%. Wireless connections, including mobile and Fixed Wireless Access services, accounted for the overwhelming majority of the market, rising by 6.02 million to 1,306.27 million, while the wireline base increased by around 185,000 connections to 48.01 million.
