Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

CJI Gavai succeeds Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on May 13, and will hold office till November 23, 2025. He is the 52nd Chief Justice of India.

Born on November 24, 1960, at Amravati in Maharashtra, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge of the high court on November 12, 2005.

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has launched the National Esports Championship 2025 (NESC25) to select India's official contingent for the 17th World Esports Championship (WEC), organised by the International Esports Federation (IESF).

ESFI has also finalised India's squad for the BRICS Esports Championship 2025, where Gurashish "Soul" Singh and Shubham Khorwal will represent the nation in Tekken 8, according to ESFI release.

The IESF's flagship tournament is the most prestigious international esports competition on the calendar, bringing together elite talent from across the globe. The national qualifiers, running online from May 22, will feature top Indian athletes competing in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and DOTA 2, with registrations open till May 19. Matches will be streamed live on ESFI's official YouTube channel. Furthermore, last year's NESC winner in eFootball will be granted a direct slot at the 17th WEC, following the game's removal from the previous edition's lineup.

Google is launching a new program called the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First to support AI startups in India. The program is being run in partnership with the MeitY Startup Hub and focuses on startups working with Agentic AI and Multimodal AI—two areas that are expected to play a big role in the future of AI.

If you're a startup in India that’s Seed to Series A funded and building AI products or models, you can apply for the program before June 30th, 2025.

So, what’s in it for the startups? Here’s what they’ll get:

–They’ll get one-on-one advice from Google experts and mentors from teams like Google DeepMind, Health, and Cloud.

Shri Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited said that, the robust performance during FY25 is primarily driven by better physical & financial performance across all major segments. Despite challenges in global economy, our company had a landmark year, reaching unprecedented financial milestones and achieving the highest-ever EBITDA, PBT and PAT in GAIL’s history. The Board of Directors has recommended a final dividend of Rs 1 per equity share (face value of Rs 10 per equity share) for the financial year 2024-25, subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is in addition to the interim dividend of Rs 6.50 per equity share Consequently, the dividend pay-out ratio for the Financial year stands at 43.59 per cent. He further stated that the Company has incurred a Capex of Rs. 10,512 Crores during the FY25.

He further informed that GAIL Gas Limited (GGL), a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL was incorporated in May 2008 for developing City Gas Distribution business as its focus area. GGL currently owns & operates 16 GAs across India. Further GAIL received PNGRB authorisation for development of CGD network in 6 GAs i.e. Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhubaneshwar & Cuttack in March 2018. In order to have a single entity for development of GAIL’s CGD Business and for bringing business synergy, efficiency & retail focussed business approach, the Board has recommended to transfer the 6GAs of GAIL to GGL subject to the approval of CCEA.

Harvansh Chawla, Founder and Managing Partner of K.R. Chawla & Co. Advocates, has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This appointment recognizes his extensive experience in international law and his commitment to fostering legal collaboration among BRICS nations.

Chawla is a distinguished member of several international legal associations, including the International Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and the Indo-US Business Council.

Beyond his legal practice, Chawla actively engages in social causes, reflecting his commitment to using the law as a tool for societal benefit. His leadership in the BRICS is expected to enhance legal cooperation among member countries, facilitating the exchange of best practices and the development of unified legal frameworks.

BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry serves as a platform to collaborate on issues of mutual interest.

The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of shareholding in EPL Limited by Indorama Netherlands B.V.

The proposed combination envisages the purchase of 24.9% equity share capital of EPL Limited by Indorama Netherlands B.V.

Indorama Netherlands B.V. is a limited liability company established in the Netherlands. It is an indirect subsidiary of Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited.

EPL Limited is engaged in the business of manufacturing and sale of packaging products, including laminated and extruded plastic tubes.

Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

In a landmark decision aimed at enhancing global visibility and consistency in observance, the Government of India has designated September 23 as the date for celebrating Ayurveda Day each year.

This change, notified through a Gazette Notification dated March 23, marks a significant shift from the earlier practice of observing Ayurveda Day on Dhanteras, which follows a variable lunar calendar, according to the Ministry of AYUSH.

Ayurveda Day has been commemorated annually to promote Ayurveda as a scientific, evidence-based, and holistic system of medicine that plays a pivotal role in preventive healthcare and wellness. Until now, Ayurveda Day coincided with Dhanteras, a festival observed in the Hindu month of Kartik (usually October or November). However, as the date of Dhanteras fluctuates each year, the observance of Ayurveda Day lacked a fixed annual date.

The United States and Saudi Arabia today signed a strategic economic partnership agreement. The pact was signed by US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The agreement covers several sectors, including energy, mining, and defense. It aims to bolster economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia, with the hope of fostering growth in these key areas. Several other agreements were signed between US and Saudi Arabia, including on military cooperation. President Trump reached Riyadh this afternoon on the first leg of his three-Nation tour to West Asia. Upon arrival, President Trump was warmly received by the Saudi Crown Prince. He will travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates later this week. This is President Trump’s first major international trip of his second term as he works to shore up relations with a trio of key allies and prove his might as a dealmaker on the world stage.

Indian defence stocks continue to be in the spotlight. The share prices have skyrocketed in Tuesday’s trade session as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for ‘Made in India’ military gear.

Shares of Defence companies surge

The share price of Bharat Dynamics surged the highest among the defence stocks, jumping 9.4% to Rs 1,718 on the National Stock Exchange.

The share price of Bharat Electronics, recently added to the Nifty 50, rose 4.6% to an intra-day high of Rs 337.75. It was the top gainer in the Nifty 50.

Hindustan Aeronautics share price gained 4.6% to trade at an intra-day high of Rs 4,645.

India marked a major milestone in its semiconductor ambitions on Tuesday with the inauguration of Renesas Electronics’ new design centres in Noida and Bengaluru, which will include the country’s first facility working on cutting-edge 3 nanometre chip designs.

Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw presided over the opening and described the 3nm design effort as a leap forward for India’s semiconductor sector, which has previously seen progress at 7nm and 5nm levels.

“Designing at 3nm is truly next-generation,” the minister said, adding that the development places India firmly on the global semiconductor innovation map.

The new centres are part of India’s broader strategy to build a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, including design, fabrication, assembly and testing and supply chain capabilities.