Chandigarh University launches AI Fest 2026 to accelerate AI innovation, competitions, startup funding, certifications and incubation.
Chandigarh University launched AI Fest 2026, a three day innovation platform comprising CU InnovFest, Campus Tank and Sandbox to accelerate AI and deep tech startups by offering competitions across 35 events, mentorship, access to a pooled $6 million funding opportunity via Campus Tank, SAS certifications, publication and patent support, and incubation through CU TBI; registration is open on the university website.

Cardiac care evolution: India emerging as a global innovator in precision-guided interventions and scalable medtech.
The PRISM-PCI framework prioritizes precision-guided interventions-integrating imaging, physiology, advanced devices, and hybrid strategies-to manage growing procedural complexity. India's emergence as a developer of coronary stents, imaging-guided solutions, and transcatheter devices is identified as reducing import dependence and expanding access, contingent on strong clinical evidence, integrated platforms, and scalable manufacturing. Prevention and early detection are emphasized as necessary complements to interventions for sustained population health impact.

OTM 2026 brings 2,200+ exhibitors and 50,000+ trade visitors to Mumbai to boost India outbound market access.
OTM 2026 is a market-access travel trade exhibition in Mumbai (5-7 February 2026) designed to connect global travel suppliers with India's growing outbound market. The event will host 2,200+ exhibitors from 60+ countries, 45+ national tourism organisations, 50,000+ trade visitors and 1,000+ hosted buyers, and is structured to deliver measurable ROI via 50,000+ pre-scheduled B2B meetings and curated buyer programmes. Complementary OTM Forum sessions will address India's outbound growth, demand drivers, agentic AI, corporate travel and intermediary roles.

India's MSMEs expand credit access and formalisation despite tariff and trade pressures, with NBFCs as key financiers.
The 4th MSME Sampark Report finds that India's MSMEs have increased credit uptake and formalisation, lifting their GDP share to around 30% in FY25 despite sectoral revenue pressures from tariffs, weak global demand and low cost imports. Secured lending rose markedly while unsecured lending expanded in specific sectors; 83% of surveyed MSMEs reported no difficulty accessing credit, with NBFCs as key financiers. The report links sustained MSME momentum to government credit guarantees, targeted policy interventions including PLI adjustments, and greater digitalisation and formalisation.

Mittal Builders' Matunga redevelopment JV with Godrej features tenant conversions, 3BHK luxury units, and strategic expansion plans.
The document reports a 1.4 acre Matunga East redevelopment undertaken by Mittal Builders in joint venture with Godrej Properties, with GDV above INR 900 crore, premium 3BHK units, and a tenant conversion mechanism affecting 130+ tenants transitioning from tenanted redevelopment to ownership; it also highlights planned expansion in Five Gardens and Wadala and the developer's zero bank debt position and large portfolio as contextual factors for project delivery.

Steel plant explosion: multi agency probe launched, site sealed, and statutory compensation ordered for victims.
A dust settling chamber leak at a sponge iron/steel plant caused fatalities and injuries; authorities sealed the site, deployed rescue and forensic teams, and constituted a multi departmental probe under the Sub Divisional Magistrate including industrial health and safety, police and revenue officials. Labour department personnel were tasked to ensure victims' families receive compensation as per statutory norms, and officials signalled strict enforcement action against those found responsible.

Markets rebound as easing geopolitical tensions lift Sensex and Nifty, with FIIs selling and DIIs buying ahead of major economic data.
Benchmark equity indices rebounded after a three day slide, with Sensex up about 398 points to 82,307.37 and Nifty up 132.40 points to 25,289.90, supported by easing geopolitical tensions and positive global cues. Key movers included public sector, industrial, financial and selective consumer and technology stocks. Foreign institutional investors were net sellers of Rs 1,787.66 crore while domestic institutional investors bought Rs 4,520.47 crore. Market attention remained on U.S. GDP and core inflation data and the Bank of Japan policy decision; Brent crude fell to USD 64.52 per barrel.

IndiGo faces DGCA-imposed 10% winter schedule curtailment after disruptions, with profit plunging 78% this quarter.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a temporary schedule curtailment of 10% on the carrier's winter timetable until February 10 in response to extensive operational disruptions in early December. The airline reported a 78% decline in quarterly profit to Rs 549.1 crore for the three months ended December 2025, while total income rose to Rs 24,540.6 crore from Rs 22,992.8 crore year on year, as disclosed in its regulatory filing.

Indian travelers can pay Danang merchants by scanning UPI QR codes via 9Pay, testing QR and stablecoin cross-border payments.
The IFC sandbox permits supervised pilots of cross-border QR and stablecoin payment solutions; 9Pay's B2B2C model lets Indian consumers pay Danang merchants by scanning UPI-compatible QR codes while operating under a legal framework supported by an Intermediary Payment Services License and a foreign currency receipt and payment license from the State Bank of Vietnam, enabling merchant access without local entity formation.

RXIL declares 21.6% interim dividend as TReDS platform returns capital to stakeholders reflecting financial sustainability and profitability.
RXIL declared and paid an interim dividend of 21.6% on face value, marking the first TReDS platform in India to return capital to stakeholders. The dividend follows sustained scale and profitability-throughput rising from Rs. 223 crore in FY18 to Rs. 80,457 crore in FY25, cumulative invoice financing exceeding Rs. 2.6 lakh crore, profitability from 2023, and wiped-off accumulated losses in FY24-supported by a network of over 3,200 buyers and 70+ financiers and monthly volumes around Rs. 12,000 crore.

Aditya Birla World Academy's Infinity maths challenge emphasizes collaborative reasoning and conceptual problem solving for students.
Infinity is a three-day, school-led mathematics programme that prioritises reasoning, conceptual understanding, and collaborative problem solving through a combination of individual and team rounds assessing logical reasoning, methodological approach, and accuracy, culminating in category winners and the Mathematician of the Year.

TaskOPad: an India-built task management platform with full-feature access per user, 24x7 human support, and industry templates.
TaskOPad is an India-built task and team management platform that grants every user complete access to all product features under a user-based subscription model, consolidating task, project, workflow, collaboration, timesheets, reporting, integrations, and HR-adjacent functions in a simple interface. The platform couples 24x7 direct human support and proactive onboarding outreach with industry-specific templates to accelerate adoption, and reports an average 27% user productivity improvement driven by clearer task ownership, reduced follow-ups, and enhanced workflow visibility.

Board of Peace launched to mediate Gaza and broader conflicts, with US-led delegation and proposed UN cooperation.
The President launched the "Board of Peace" at Davos as a new international mediation and advisory body, initially tied to Gaza but expanded to broader conflicts, and signalled cooperation with the United Nations while emphasising a Western Hemisphere-oriented presentation. The US delegation includes senior advisers and envoys, and attendees span Middle Eastern and South American governments though major European participation is limited and full membership remains unclear.

Rupee edges up to 91.62 on suspected RBI support and equity gains, but remains vulnerable to geopolitical risk.
Rupee recovered slightly to 91.62 per US dollar, driven by suspected central bank intervention and positive equities, but remains volatile due to global geopolitical uncertainty. Analysts note consolidation is likely and partial recovery depends on improved risk sentiment and finalisation of a pending US trade framework; 92.00 is key resistance while sustained RBI support could pull USD/INR toward 90.50-90.70.

Punjab launches Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna providing free cashless medical cover up to Rs 10 lakh per family with Aadhaar and voter ID eligibility.
The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna provides cashless medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh per family for all 65 lakh state resident families holding an Aadhaar card and a voter card, covering over 2,500 medical procedures in government hospitals and selected private hospitals, supported by expansion of mohalla and village clinics and recruitment of medical staff.

MGNREGA replacement criticised as centralising funding and undermining panchayats; campaign seeks reinstatement as a rights based law.
The piece describes political opposition to replacing MGNREGA with the VB GRAMG scheme, arguing the change centralises funding and control, undermines Panchayati Raj authority, and diverts worker entitlements to contractors and bureaucracy. A nationwide campaign, 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram', demands withdrawal of the new scheme and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights based law guaranteeing the right to work and decentralised local administration.

India-EU free trade agreement nearing conclusion to deepen market access and regulatory cooperation between partners.
Negotiations toward a comprehensive free trade agreement between India and the European Union are reaching conclusion, with EU leaders scheduled to visit India to announce the deal. The proposed agreement is presented as a regulatory and market-access framework intended to deepen bilateral economic relations, create a large integrated market, and deliver a first-mover advantage for the EU with one of the world's fastest-growing regions.

US bill creates a Strategic Resilience Reserve to stabilise critical minerals supply and reduce dependence on China.
The bill creates a Strategic Resilience Reserve as an independent government corporation, governed by a seven member presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed board, to stabilise prices, support domestic and allied production (including recycling), establish stockpiles, promote competitive markets, and implement policy backed investments and mechanisms to reduce dependence on a dominant foreign supplier of critical minerals.

Sustainable gardening: Plantify Garden promotes organic, low-maintenance slow-release nutrition to support healthier houseplants and soil.
Plantify Garden offers slow-release organic nutrition for potted urban plants that preserves potting soil health by avoiding harsh chemical fertilisers, supporting beneficial microbes, and delivering gradual nutrients to reduce root stress and overfeeding; products are low-maintenance, minimise waste, and are designed to encourage long-term, sustainable plant-care routines suited to small apartments and balcony gardens.

Fujiyama commissions 1 GW solar cell plant to supply captive panels and meet domestic content norms for subsidy access.
Fujiyama commissioned a 1 GW solar cell facility at Dadri with Rs 300 crore in internal accruals and debt, to supply cells exclusively for captive consumption, reduce reliance on imports, enhance supply reliability, and produce mono perc DCR series cells to align with domestic content requirement norms and access subsidy driven demand.