Author: News Desk

The Indian Navy is set for its largest fleet expansion in a single year, planning to commission 19 warships in 2026. This surpasses last year’s tally of 14 vessels, which included a submarine. Officials say this reflects the unprecedented pace of production and the growing maturity of India’s domestic shipbuilding industry. Peak of Fleet Expansion The Navy’s expansion will see the addition of more Nilgiri-class multi-role stealth frigates. The lead ship was commissioned in January 2025, followed by INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri in August 2025, with at least two more expected this year. Other additions include a survey vessel of the Ikshak class and a diving support vessel of the Nistar class. Integrated Construction…

Indian Railways is set to revolutionize travel with the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR), India’s first bullet train system. Years of planning, engineering, and construction have gone into this project, and the official launch is scheduled for August 15, 2027, aligning with the country’s Independence Day celebrations. Faster Travel Between Mumbai and Ahmedabad The corridor will connect Mumbai in Maharashtra with Ahmedabad in Gujarat, covering 508 kilometres in under three hours. Currently, the same journey by conventional trains takes 7–8 hours, making the bullet train a major time-saver. The corridor is being built to international high-speed rail standards and features a 21-kilometre underground tunnel and a 7-kilometre undersea section beneath Thane Creek, showcasing…

Reliance Industries is tapping into nostalgia to drive its consumer business, bringing back iconic Indian brands such as Campa and BPL. The strategy aims to appeal to Indians’ fondness for brands of the past while boosting Reliance’s FMCG and consumer electronics ventures. Rapid Growth in FMCG What started with Rs 3,000 crore in FMCG sales in FY24 accelerated to Rs 11,500 crore in FY25, with the July–September FY26 quarter alone contributing Rs 5,400 crore. Campa, in particular, has emerged as the largest contributor to Reliance’s FMCG business, but the company plans to replicate the success across other legacy labels, including Ravalgaon in confectionery and Velvette in personal care. Reliance is also reintroducing Kelvinator…

Italian sportswear brand Lotto has announced a renewed partnership with tennis star Sania Mirza, who will serve as both brand ambassador and chief advisor for Women’s Sports. This collaboration continues Mirza’s long-standing relationship with Lotto, which began when she was just 19, establishing herself as a rising athlete with promise both on and off the court. A Partnership Built on Trust and Individuality Lotto first recognized Mirza’s confidence and individuality early in her career, well before her Grand Slam victories and other professional milestones. The brand’s support helped shape her journey as an athlete and public figure. Abhishek Ganguly, CEO of Agilitas Group, said, “Sania represents what Lotto…

Four Indian-origin founders have been featured on the latest Forbes “40 Under 40” list, highlighting self-made billionaires who achieved massive wealth before turning 40. Together, these entrepreneurs hold a combined net worth of over $11 billion. The list recognizes 40 individuals worldwide who reached billionaire status at a young age. Among them, Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Bengaluru-based Zerodha, is the only entrepreneur from India. Ankur Jain: U.S.-Based Tech Visionary New York-based Ankur Jain ranked 19th, with a net worth of $3.4 billion. He is the founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards, a home rental rewards platform valued at $10.8 billion by private investors. Prior to Bilt, Jain co-founded Humin,…

Uber on January 6, 2026, released data highlighting how Indians used the ride-hailing platform throughout 2025. Across the year, users travelled over 11.6 billion kilometers, a 26.5% increase compared to 2024. Of this, 365 million kilometers were completed using electric vehicles. Top Cities for Uber Trips The cities with the highest Uber usage last year were Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune. Meanwhile, Kochi Uber users earned the highest ratings in India, with an average score of 4.91 out of 5. Nearly 98.3% of riders in Kochi received five-star ratings from drivers. Thiruvananthapuram followed with an average rating of 4.87, while Pune and Chandigarh also ranked among the top cities for highly rated…

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat on January 6, 2026, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which has been renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board. During his remarks, Trump discussed tensions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing dissatisfaction over tariffs imposed by the United States on India’s purchases of Russian oil. Modi Not Entirely Pleased, Trump Says Trump said, “I have a very good relationship with him. He’s not that happy with me because, you know, they’re paying a lot of tariffs now because they’re not doing the oil, but they…

Cochin International Airport (CIAL) has once again solidified its position as Kerala’s leading airport by handling over 10 million passengers for the third consecutive year. Between January and December 2025, the airport recorded a total of 1.15 crore passengers, marking a 4.85% growth compared to 1.09 crore passengers in 2024. This increase of roughly 5.33 lakh passengers highlights the airport’s consistent performance and balanced growth across both domestic and international travel. Peak Traffic Months Highlight Robust Operations May 2025 emerged as the busiest month, with passenger traffic surpassing 11.07 lakh. Other strong months included January and December, with 10.44 lakh and 10.06 lakh passengers respectively. These figures demonstrate the airport’s ability to maintain…

Days after U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump revealed his first concrete plan regarding Venezuelan oil. He announced that Venezuela would provide up to 50 million barrels of oil, which will be sold at market prices. In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that the interim authorities in Venezuela would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality, sanctioned oil to the United States. “I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States…

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Bangladesh’s appeal to move its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures from India to Sri Lanka. On January 4, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally requested a venue change for its Group C matches, citing security concerns. During a virtual meeting on Tuesday, the ICC reportedly informed the BCB that the request had been rejected and that Bangladesh would have to travel to India for its matches. The ICC also warned that failing to play in India could result in forfeited points, though the BCB maintains that no such ultimatum was…