Online marketplace liability: Amazon held responsible for defective TV and ordered refund plus damages and interest.
The commission found the online marketplace liable under vicarious liability for a defective TV sold through its platform, reasoning that the platform's active facilitation, commercial benefit and post sale engagement place it in a position of trust and responsibility to ensure products are free from defects; it rejected the intermediary defence and directed refund with interest plus compensation for mental distress and legal expenses.

Royal Enfield and KRAFTON bring the Bullet 350 and Continental GT 650 into BGMI with themed in game rewards and login events.
KRAFTON India and Royal Enfield will introduce the Bullet 350 and Continental GT 650 as rideable motorcycles inside BGMI as part of the BGMI 4.2 update; Royal Enfield themed in game content and a SPIN event will run from January 19 to February 22, 2026, offering permanent Mythic (Red Tier) rewards including branded cosmetic sets, weapon skins, equipment and the two rideable motorcycles. The collaboration also implements a login based mechanic granting Event Crates for 60 minute daily logins, up to 34 crates during the event, to drive sustained player engagement.

Stock markets slip as Sensex and Nifty decline amid sector weakness, foreign outflows and tariff uncertainty.
Equity indices fell for a second day as weakness in IT, consumption and select banking blue-chips, escalating geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty pressured markets; the Sensex dropped about 245 points to 83,382.71 and the Nifty fell about 67 points to 25,665.60, with foreign institutional investors selling ~Rs 1,499.81 crore while domestic institutions bought ~Rs 1,181.78 crore, and Brent crude easing to about USD 64.82 per barrel.

Maharashtra delegation to Davos: state agency to fund travel, allowances paid per government norms, report due within one month.
Maharashtra will send a state delegation led by the Chief Minister to the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos; the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation will bear travel and accommodation costs. The Confederation of Indian Industry is the nodal coordinator for the India Pavilion and the national industry promotion department will participate to promote investment. The Ministry of External Affairs has approved the visit; members are entitled to travel expenses and per diem as per government norms, absence will be treated as on duty, and a detailed report is required within one month of return.

Fusion CX acquires Skycom BPO, expanding nearshore bilingual CX capacity and adding about $25M in annual revenue.
Fusion CX announced the acquisition of El Salvador-based Skycom BPO, adding about USD 25 million in annual revenue and expanding its nearshore bilingual customer experience delivery across Latin America and the Caribbean; Skycom's operations and sector-facing programs will be merged into Fusion CX's global delivery framework as part of a strategy to build a resilient, culturally aligned network and pursue capital market plans.

Rupee falls as central bank intervention hopes are offset by strong dollar, outflows and tariff-ruling uncertainty.
Anticipated central bank intervention to support the rupee was outweighed by a strong US dollar, foreign institutional outflows, and higher crude prices, leaving the currency lower at 90.29; traders also flagged a pending US Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the Liberation Day tariffs as a near-term catalyst affecting USDINR volatility and the expected intraday trading range of 89.95-90.50.

Kerala budget session begins Jan 20 to present, scrutinise, and pass the 2026-27 state budget with committee review.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly budget session will run from January 20 to March 26, beginning with the Governor's policy statement and including presentation, debate, and passage of the 2026-27 state budget. The budget presentation is set for January 29 with general discussion on February 2-4; three days are allotted for the motion of thanks. Committees will scrutinise departmental fund requests during a February 6-22 recess, and detailed consideration of appropriation requests will occur from February 24 to March 19 over 13 days.

Film Jana Nayagan: producer appeals interim stay on order directing CBFC to grant certification, dispute over review referral.
The producer appealed the Madras High Court division bench's interim stay of a single-judge order that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification to immediately grant certification for Jana Nayagan, while the division bench held that the CBFC had not been given sufficient opportunity to file a reply and stayed the single-judge direction pending further hearing.

Garuda Aerospace and BEL sign MoU to jointly develop indigenous unmanned aerial systems for Indian defence and security forces.
The MoU establishes a cooperative procurement framework for indigenous UAS where one party will act as Team Leader and Lead Bidder and the other as Technology and Teaming Partner, combining systems-integration and drone manufacturing capabilities to deliver mission-capable indigenous UAS. The arrangement is a non-binding framework to coordinate bids and capability delivery, to be followed by a separate Teaming Agreement that will define binding scope of work, work-share distribution, and other terms based on end-customer requirements and applicable procurement processes.

India Sports Floorings secures certification for wooden and synthetic badminton courts, enabling venues to meet tournament eligibility standards.
The manufacturer obtained international certification for its wooden and synthetic badminton flooring systems, confirming compliance with technical and performance benchmarks-shock absorption, surface friction, durability, and player safety-required for professional play. As certified products, these systems satisfy venue eligibility criteria for sanctioned tournaments, enabling domestic installation of tournament-ready courts and supporting standardized, compliant playing environments for state associations, academies, institutions, and professional venues.

ACME 400 MW solar project with battery storage progressing rapidly under FDRE, backed by fast-track clearances and land support.
ACME Group's 400 MW solar project with integrated battery storage has progressed to construction within four months under the Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) framework, targeting 2026 commissioning; state-facilitated measures including ready land banks, transmission support, and a single-desk clearance system are cited as the procedural enablers aimed at enhancing grid stability and accelerating investment in renewables and storage.

Gujarat tourism partnership with Thomas Cook India to boost destination marketing, training, and regulatory facilitation.
A Memorandum of Understanding creates a strategic public-private collaboration to promote Gujarat tourism through coordinated destination marketing across key domestic source markets, integrated leisure and MICE positioning using Thomas Cook India's omnichannel model, structured training for travel specialists and channel partners, and governmental facilitation to obtain permissions, registrations, approvals and clearances under applicable state policies and regulations.

Industry-academia partnership powers student electric racing team with advanced EV power solutions and mentorship for eBAJA 2026.
REPLUS Engitech partnered with Team Predators Racing to supply advanced electric power solutions and technical expertise, providing industry-grade technology and mentorship that enable practical exposure to EV systems, power electronics, energy management, battery and performance optimisation, and system integration to bridge classroom learning and industry application.

US ambassador presents credentials and signals intent to rebuild ties and pursue a trade deal despite prior tariffs.
The United States' newly appointed ambassador formally presented credentials to the Head of State, completing ambassadorial accreditation and commencing official duties. He signalled an intent to rebuild bilateral relations and pursue a negotiated trade deal, contextualised by a prior downturn attributed to significant tariffs and additional duties imposed by his government.

Export Preparedness Index 2024 ranks states by export readiness, stressing stronger domestic export ecosystems for FTA opportunities.
The Export Preparedness Index 2024 ranks states by export readiness using a composite, data-driven framework that evaluates export policies, business environment, infrastructure quality, and export outcomes; indicators are sourced from state and central agencies and weighted by importance, with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat topping the overall list and Uttarakhand leading among smaller states.

Orange One offers a one-time annual payment for a 114+ marker checkup and year-round access to essential tests.
Orange One is an annual subscription health plan priced at 4999 that starts with a comprehensive full-body check of 114+ blood markers and then allows subscribers to obtain any of 100 essential tests, including thyroid, lipid and HbA1c tests, free during the year to enable continuous monitoring rather than episodic, pay-per-test diagnostics.

Wholesale price inflation rose to 0.83% in December as manufactured and non-food prices firmed.
Wholesale price inflation rose to 0.83% in December 2025, reversing two months of deflation due to price increases in food, non-food articles and manufactured items. Manufactured products inflation rose to 1.82% and non-food articles to 2.95%, while fuel and power remained in deflation at 2.31%. Retail inflation also increased to 1.33%, and monetary authorities have cut policy rates cumulatively by 1.25 percentage points, lowered the fiscal-year inflation projection to 2.0%, and raised the GDP growth projection to 7.3%.

VAT amendment bill eases compliance for small dealers with a one-time composition option and two-year refund limit.
The bill allows eligible small dealers a one-time election into the composition scheme that remains effective until voluntary exit or loss of eligibility; Schedule E dealers within the turnover limit may pay tax at a fixed rate, payable in lump sum or instalments. Composition dealers cannot claim input tax credit, charge VAT on invoices, or issue tax invoices to other dealers, and must maintain separate accounts for multiple business classes. The amendment also sets a final filing date for Section 31B settlement applications, creates a right of appeal to the VAT Tribunal for Section 31B orders, and imposes a two-year limitation for VAT refund claims from the close of the relevant financial year, subject to limited exceptions.

Kolkata realtors seek a Budget to raise affordable housing caps and rationalise GST to boost mid income demand.
Developers urge Budget measures to revise the affordable housing definition (raising the price cap to ~Rs 80-90 lakh), rationalise GST on under construction properties, expand unit size norms, and provide higher housing loan interest deductions and incentives for first time and mid income buyers, alongside faster clearances, a digital single window, support for rental and mixed use developments, and increased housing infrastructure investment to boost demand and project viability.

Hong Kong to host Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, celebrating its dual global hospitality wins.
Hong Kong will host Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 on 25 March 2026, the first time the ceremony is held in the city. The Hong Kong Tourism Board frames the hosting as recognition of the city's gastronomic standing after venues secured dual international No. 1 recognitions, and describes a week of celebrations, industry gatherings, and collaborations to bring chefs and tastemakers from across Asia to spotlight Hong Kong's contributions to regional gastronomy.