Daily digests (5-8 items/day).
The Unified Payments Interface, launched on 25 August 2016 by NPCI under RBI oversight, completed ten years in August 2026. Yearly transactions rose from 1.78 crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26, worth about ₹314 lakh crore. The IMF recognises UPI as the world's largest real-time payment system by volume.
25 Aug 2026
On 24 August 2026 the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT, released provisional Service Producer Price Indices for Q1 of 2026-27, base year 2022-23. They cover seven services. The air passenger index jumped to 126.4, up 31.94 per cent year on year, while the banking service price index fell 3.35 per cent.
24 Aug 2026
On 24 August 2026 the Health Ministry announced amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017. Under Rule 44, makers who outsource sterilisation to a licensed facility no longer need a separate loan licence. Under Rule 63, the European Union joins the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan as a recognised jurisdiction for waiving clinical investigation.
24 Aug 2026
The third meeting of the India-Cambodia Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment was held in Phnom Penh on 24 August 2026. Bilateral trade grew over 36 per cent to $406.78 million in 2025-26, from $299 million a year earlier. Both sides discussed a customs MoU, the Bilateral Investment Treaty and UPI links.
24 Aug 2026
At a side event of UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar on 24 August 2026, the Environment Minister said India brought 21.76 million hectares under restoration during 2011-2020. The work generated about 1.22 billion person-days of employment. The figures come from India's Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge, under which India has pledged 26 million hectares by 2030.
24 Aug 2026
On 24 August 2026 the Vice-President launched India's first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Musunuru in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh. It was developed by Gourmet Popcornica, a homegrown firm. India had long depended on imported hybrid technology for good popcorn maize, so the seed should save foreign exchange.
24 Aug 2026
A PIB Backgrounder of 23 August 2026 explains regenerative agriculture: farming that rebuilds soil health and biodiversity instead of only maintaining them. India promotes it through natural farming, micro-irrigation, agroforestry, integrated farming and soil testing. Natural farming clusters cover 8.80 lakh hectares, and 25.89 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated since inception.
23 Aug 2026
On 22 August 2026 the Union Home Minister reviewed the security of the Siliguri Corridor with central and West Bengal officials and agencies. He reviewed infrastructure projects critical to security, and discussed illegal immigration, demographic change and border issues. He asked all agencies to apply a quadrangular approach to border security and keep the corridor free of encroachments.
23 Aug 2026
The Indian Navy's sail training ship INS Sudarshini arrived at Lisbon, Portugal, on 22 August 2026 as part of its Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition. The three-masted barque sailed in through the Tagus River. Lisbon was the ship's 15th port visit in seven months, with exchanges with the Portuguese Navy and the Indian diaspora.
23 Aug 2026
On 23 August 2026 the Prime Minister met CEOs of Indian space startups and said the government must stay consistent in its decisions so that private players can take risks. The startups spoke of a private orbital launch, new engines, debris removal and space pharma. India's space startups have grown from one in 2014 to over 400 in 2026.
23 Aug 2026