The Union Cabinet has approved a `11,440 crore revival plan for debt-laden Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), according to a statement released on Friday.

The decision was taken in the Thursday meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Rs 11,440 crore revival package includes fresh equity infusion of `10,300 crore and conversion of `1,140 crore working capital loan as 7 per cent non-cumulative preference share capital redeemable after 10 years to keep RINL as a going concern, the statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has a “special place in the hearts and minds of the people of Andhra Pradesh”. “During yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, it was decided to provide equity support of over `10,000 crore for the plant. This has been done understanding the importance of the steel sector in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.With this revival, Andhra Pradesh will get a major steel plant revived, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, adding that two blast furnaces in the plant will start functioning in the coming days and all three blast furnaces are expected to become functional by August.

BMW India has launched its BMW X1 long wheelbase electric at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 in New Delhi. The X1 electric is BMW's first locally produced electric vehicle. Manufactured at the BMW Group Plant in Chennai, this all-electric SUV is available in the exclusive eDrive20L drivetrain and can be booked at BMW dealerships across India from today.

The BMW X1 long wheelbase electric is available at an introductory ex-showroom price of Rs 49,00,000 (ex-showroom) for the eDrive20L M Sport variant. Buyers can choose from five stunning metallic paint options: Mineral White, Carbon Black, Portimao Blue, Sparkling Copper Grey, and Skyscraper Grey. These are complemented by vegan upholstery in Veganza Perforated Mocha, ensuring sustainability and luxury.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, today inaugurated the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh. The institute, established under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), marks a landmark achievement in advancing mental health rehabilitation and empowering Divyangjan across the country. The ceremony was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including Madhya Pradesh Government Ministers, Shri Karan Singh Verma (Revenue) and Shri Narayan Singh Kushwaha (Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities), along with Shri Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament (Bhopal and Sehore), Shri Sudesh Rai, Member of Legislative Assembly, (Sehore), among other dignitaries from the Centre and State.

In his inaugural speech, Dr. Virendra Kumar lauded the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in establishing a dedicated institution for mental health rehabilitation at the heart of the nation. He underscored the Government’s commitment to empowering Divyangjan, providing them with resources and platforms to showcase their talents through initiatives such as Divya Kala Melas. Shri Karan Singh Verma noted that the Institute would serve not only the local region but also benefit Divyangjan nationwide. Shri Narayan Singh Kushwaha lauded the Government’s efforts to enhance the quality of life for Divyangjan through such initiatives.

Union Minister Jayant Singh Chaudhary launched solar mobile van training units in the national capital on Friday with the aim to provide financial and digital literacy in rural parts of the country.

This transformative initiative is a collaborative effort between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Learning Links Foundation, Dell Technologies, and local stakeholders.

Jayant Singh Chaudhary said, "We are here to announce an initiative. This is the 4th year and we are flagging off two buses, the special thing about these buses is that they are empowered with the latest in technology and are solar-powered. They are going to rural communities across a variety of states, regions and districts in India. This has been running for the last 4 years. In the previous financial year, this program was running in 11 districts, now 7 (districts) more will be chosen and a variety of states will be covered."

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has finalized a Joint Venture Agreement with SJVN Ltd., GMR Energy Ltd., and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the development of the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro-electric Project in Nepal. This strategic initiative aims to strengthen regional energy security and accelerate renewable energy growth.

The joint venture agreement lays out a comprehensive framework for the project development, construction, operation, and maintenance under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, with 25-years project term from the Commercial Operation Date (CoD).

The agreement was formalized today in New Delhi in the presence of senior officials from IREDA, SJVN, and GMR Energy Ltd.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradip Kumar Das, CMD, IREDA, said, “This agreement marks a significant step towards realizing our collective vision of sustainable energy development in the region. By leveraging Hydropower's vast potential, the Upper Karnali project will serve as a model of cross-border collaboration, delivering both economic and environmental benefits.”

India’s digital payment transactions are likely to expand more than three times in volume, from 159 billion transactions in FY 2023-24 to 481 billion by FY 2028-29, according to a report by PwC India. In terms of value of payment transactions, the market is expected to grow double, from Rs 265 trillion to Rs 593 trillion over the same period, the report said.

The report, released at the Global Fintech Fest here, said UPI registered a year-on-year growth in transaction volume of 57 per cent. In FY 2023–24, the total transaction volume was slightly over 131 billion and is expected to grow to 439 billion by FY 2028–29. UPI now accounts for over 80 per cent of the overall retail digital payments in India and is expected to contribute to 91 per cent by 2028-29.

Digital payments in India continue to surge, with a year-on-year (YoY) transactional volume growth of 42 per cent in FY 2023–24, which is poised to grow by three times in FY 2028–29, PwC said. “This growth can be attributed to multiple factors including innovations by ecosystem participants, new business models and opportunities, changing technology and increasing customer awareness,” it said.

The Information & Broadcasting Ministry issued a notification on Friday (January 17, 2025), amending the Cable Television Network Rules to streamline the Local Cable Operator (LCO) registration process.

LCO registrations will now be conducted entirely online, with the Ministry itself as their registering authority. “Upon successful verification of applicant details, including Aadhaar, PAN, CIN, DIN, etc., LCO registration certificates will be issued in real-time. Additionally, a provision for appeal against the denial of registration or renewal for LCO registration has been added,” the Ministry said.

Previously, the registration process was conducted offline at the local head post office in the area where the LCO’s office was located, with the head postmaster acting as the registering authority. “The manual registration process was cumbersome and time-consuming. Furthermore, the area of operations upon obtaining registration was limited to specific regions,” it said.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has granted a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration to ‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama Charitable Trust’ for “religious” purposes, among others. FCRA registration is a mandatory requirement to receive foreign funds. An official with the Trust said that the NGO is not directly linked with the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, but is associated with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which looks after the welfare of the Tibetan community in India. The CTA is headquartered in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamsala.

Israel carried out fresh air strikes on Gaza on Thursday (January 16, 2025) and accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal ahead of an expected vote by its cabinet .The truce, announced by mediators Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, after which the terms of a permanent end to the war would be finalised.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17 inaugurated the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, the largest mobility expo in India, which is expected to witness over 100 new launches across automobiles, component products and technologies. PM Modi said India's automotive industry is fantastic and future-ready.

Addressing the inauguration, PM said, "The Bharat Mobility Global Expo has expanded this year. Last year, more than 800 exhibitors participated and more than 1.5 lakh people visited... This time, along with Bharat mandapam, it is being organised in Dwarka's Yashobhoomi and Greater Noida's India Expo Centre... Many new vehicles will be launched... There is positivity in India regarding the future of mobility."

On ease of travel, PM Modi said it is India's priority. "We are in the third position in the world when it comes to the passenger vehicle market. Once, the reason for not buying cars in India was the lack of good-quality roads. This situation is changing. Ease of Travel is India's priority... In last year's budget, more than 11 lakh crore rupees were allotted for infrastructure development..."

The 21st edition of the Third Eye Asian Film Festival, a cornerstone of Maharashtra’s film culture, started on 10th January 2025 has concluded yesterday at Movie Max Cinemas in Mumbai. This year’s festival held at MovieMax Theatres in Andheri, Sion, and Thane, screened an impressive 61 films from across Asia to cinephiles in Mumbai and Thane. This includes films from countries like China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, and Bhutan. Renowned lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has been felicitated with the Asian Cinema Culture Award. The Satyajit Rai Memorial Award was given to veteran film journalist Rafiq Baghdadi where National award-winning writer Professor Anil Jhankar was given a special award for film writing in memory of Sudhir Nandgaonkar.

The film ‘Gypsy’ won the best film award in the Marathi films category, while Shashi Khandare won the best director award for the same film. Actor Mangesh Arote bagged the best actor award for ‘Gypsy’ while Shraddha Khanolkar won the best actress award for the film ‘Bhera’. Director Anil Bhalerao of the film ‘Chhabila’ and actor Prithviraj Chavan of the film ‘Cineman’ were honoured with the Special Jury Award. In the Indian Cinema category, the film ‘Juiphool’ was selected as the best film at this festival. The Best Director award goes to Samik Roy Chaudhary for the film ‘Beeline’ and Jadumoni Dutta for the film ‘Juiphool’. The best actor award was felicitated to Gaurav Ambre from the film Zunzarpur, and the best actress was Jayashree for the film, The Bird of a Different Feather. Former MP Dr Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, Festival President Kiran Shantaram, and Journalist Sunil Nandgaonkar presented the award to the winners.