Himachal cold wave: Tabo records -10.2 C; yellow fog alerts and isolated snow predicted in higher hills.
Piercing cold wave affected Himachal Pradesh with Tabo at minus 10.2 C, multiple stations recording sub zero minima, fresh snowfall in parts of Lahaul and Spiti, and thick ground frost causing slippery roads. The meteorological station forecast isolated high altitude snow or rain on January 6 and issued a yellow alert for dense fog in specified districts, warning of reduced visibility and localized travel risks.

Nava Ltd receives US$50 million buyback proceeds from Singapore subsidiary, triggering long term capital gains tax implications.
Nava Global Pte Ltd will buy back 99,20,635 Nava-held shares for US$50 million, at US$5.04 per share against a book value of US$1.20, based on an independent fair equity valuation of US$1.26 billion. Nava Ltd retains 100% voting rights post-transaction. The consideration, after applying a historical cost of investment of Rs.48.33 crore on a FIFO basis, will be subject to long term capital gains tax.

XLR8AR Innovation Jamboree drew Rs. 5 crore investment interest and spurred cross-border startup collaborations.
XLR8AR's Innovation Jamboree used a curated Startup Runway Table to enable direct investor visibility and follow-up meetings; attendees expressed approximately Rs. 5 crore in collective investment interest in multiple early-stage and growth-stage startups, and the event promoted cross-border and interregional collaboration synergies with commitments toward joint 2026 expansion and co-investment discussions.

Cooperative federalism to spur inter state collaboration for startups, with predictable policy and faster business onboarding.
The piece urges cooperative federalism to advance inter state collaboration for the startup ecosystem, stressing that coordinated state policies, business to government engagement, and knowledge exchange improve trade and innovation. It highlights state policy features-predictability, proactive performance, rapid business onboarding, and digital technology deployment-as mechanisms to enhance ease of doing business and to transition states toward job creation.

Astrikos AI secures strategic investment from Gorilla to accelerate global deployment of its Smart Interop Analytical Platform.
Gorilla Technology Group has invested in Astrikos AI to accelerate global deployment and pipeline development of the Smart Interop Analytical Platform (S!aP) across Smart Cities, Data Centres, and Critical Infrastructure, combining Gorilla's edge computing, video analytics, and cybersecurity capabilities with Astrikos' infrastructure intelligence to deliver AI-ready operational solutions; the release includes forward-looking statements and risk disclosure noting reliance on third-party market projections and integration risks.

Tata Group is conducting an executive search to replace Air India and Air India Express chiefs amid leadership transition planning.
The Tata Group has begun a multi month executive search to replace Air India's CEO and MD and the Managing Director of Air India Express due to anticipated non renewal of incumbent contracts; the process highlights executive succession, contract tenure and renewal, and governance of appointments, and occurs alongside a pending final report on a Boeing 787 8 accident which may affect oversight priorities during the leadership transition.

Arunachal Pradesh GST collections rose 35.7% in Apr-Dec 2025, driven by improved compliance and tax digitisation.
Arunachal Pradesh recorded a 35.7% rise in Goods and Services Tax collections in the first nine months of fiscal 2025-26, rising from Rs 1,324 crore to Rs 1,519 crore. The increase exceeded the national growth average and is attributed to stronger activity in retail, services, tourism, transport and hospitality, improved taxpayer compliance, and revenue measures including ease-of-doing-business reforms and greater digitalisation that widened the tax base.

Varvee Global increases non-denim fabric capacity to 18 lakh meters monthly to support diversification and growth.
Varvee Global Limited increased Non-Denims - Shirting and Suiting Fabrics production capacity by 6 lakh meters per month (from 12 to 18 lakh meters) via optimisation of existing facilities and improved production processes, as part of a diversification strategy toward a targeted non-denim capacity of up to 50 lakh meters and supported by corporate restructuring and a reported debt-free balance sheet.

India's visionaries driving multi sector transformation recognized for leadership, innovation, philanthropy, and sustainable development across sectors.
Kiteskraft Productions LLP announces recognition of ten individuals for cross sector leadership and social impact, summarising each honouree's main ventures and contributions-including business expansion, philanthropy, a historic Indo-China film co production permit enabling broad theatrical release, sustainable urban agriculture, infrastructure project leadership with ESG integration, and long term self funded community services-framed as part of the organiser's program to recognise outcome oriented leadership.

VinFast India launch offers premium VF 6 and VF 7 with inclusive pricing, extended warranty, and nationwide service network.
VinFast's India entry relies on three operative pillars-high-quality vehicles, inclusive pricing, and exceptional aftersales policies-manifested in the VF 6 and VF 7 which pair premium design and features with extended warranties, three years' free maintenance and charging; these commitments are supported by rapid local production, plant expansion plans, and an ecosystem of dealer, service, battery lifecycle, charging, and financing partnerships to reduce adoption risk and ensure long-term presence.

Nayika Bhoomika dance drama premieres in Mumbai, adapting four Tagore stories with Indrani Mukerjea as performer producer.
Nayika Bhoomika, produced by Indrani Mukerjea Enterprise and starring Indrani Mukerjea, premieres January 9, 2026, at St. Andrew's Auditorium, Mumbai; it adapts four Tagore short stories into a dance drama directed by Madhumita and Tony Chakraborty with original music by Shantanu Bhattacharya, emphasising textual clarity and preserving Tagore's emotional core while presenting each story autonomously; tickets available on BookMyShow.

Bribery-linked money laundering arrest prompted suspension; election staff redeployment withdrawn after jurisdictional overreach, legal challenges possible.
An enforcement investigation into alleged bribery and money laundering led to the arrest and suspension of a senior administrative officer, triggering criminal-investigative proceedings and administrative discipline. Separately, a municipal commissioner withdrew directives assigning court staff to election duty after recognizing a jurisdictional overstep and receiving judicial censure; unopposed civic poll victories were noted as amenable to legal challenge by opposition parties.

US tariffs over India's Russian oil purchases and international legal actions include sedition charges and a US drug trafficking appearance.
United States officials signalled readiness to raise tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil while diplomatic channels sought tariff relief; separately, Bangladesh courts and prosecutors moved forward with framing sedition charges and filing a final chargesheet in a murder case, and a deposed Venezuelan leader was scheduled to appear in the US on drug trafficking charges.

Indian envoy reportedly asked to seek tariff relief on duties tied to India's Russian oil purchases.
A US Senator said the Indian Ambassador asked him to request that the President relieve the tariff imposed on India for buying Russian crude; the article frames import tariffs as a policy tool to pressure purchasers of Russian energy, notes reported reductions in India's Russian oil purchases and continued procurement via non-sanctioned channels, and records diplomatic engagement with US legislators about energy, defence and trade cooperation.

NCLT transfer powers under Rule 16(d) to move cases across benches face scrutiny in light of recusal disputes.
The Supreme Court will consider whether the NCLT President may, under Rule 16(d), transfer cases between benches in different states after the Gujarat High Court held such transfers are confined intra-state; the dispute follows recusal and transfer orders in ArcelorMittal matters that the High Court set aside and its direction for local re-allotment or a virtual bench.

US capture of Venezuelan leader prompts modest oil declines, precious-metals surge and Asian equity rallies.
Markets showed a measured reaction to the US capture of Venezuela's leader: oil fell modestly as Venezuela's degraded oil infrastructure and ample global supply limit immediate disruption, while precious metals rose on safe haven demand. Asian equities rallied, led by technology stocks, and currency moves were modest. Participants flagged geopolitical risks, trade tensions and upcoming US economic data as continuing factors for market volatility and positioning.

Hydroelectric projects inspected; expedited sediment removal ordered after termination of Indus Waters Treaty, and dam concreting initiated.
The minister inspected multiple hydroelectric projects, reviewed operational status, safety arrangements and production capacity, laid the foundation for dam concreting at Ratle, and directed the developer to expedite sediment-removal operations at the Salal reservoir to remove accumulated silt and maximise water resource utilisation following termination of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

Astro247 AI astrology platform offers real-time kundli analysis and chat/voice consultations with proprietary agents and 24/7 availability.
Astro247 is an AI-native consumer astrology platform offering real-time kundli analysis and personalised horoscopes via 24/7 chat and voice consultations. It uses proprietary in-house AI agents (Kundali AI, Tarot AI, Numerology AI) under a unified intelligence layer with structured validation and feedback to ensure consistency, explainability and responsible outcomes, and was built with capital-efficient, bootstrapped growth to support planned global scaling.

VCare launches a Centre of Excellence with Single-Day Facial Architecture integrating seven lasers and multi-technology skin diagnostics.
VCare's Centre of Excellence in Chennai introduces India's first Single-Day Facial Architecture, a one-day, glass-skin protocol combining seven advanced laser and energy technologies with AI-driven and multispectral diagnostic platforms, FDA and CE certified therapeutic systems, and transdermal bioactive delivery to provide immediate visible results and progressive improvement over 90 days.

Stock markets decline on tariff-threat linked to US warnings, dragging major blue-chips lower and dampening investor sentiment.
Equity benchmarks fell after US warnings of potential tariff increases against India triggered profit-taking and dampened sentiment; major private banks, IT firms and a large conglomerate were primary laggards while some industrial and consumer names gained. The report links the decline to geopolitical developments and trade-policy signals, notes continued net buying by domestic and foreign institutional investors, and records mixed global market performance with a small drop in Brent crude.