India has joined the United States and 24 other nations in a global initiative to guide the development and deployment of next-generation 6G telecommunications networks, the US Department of Commerce announced on Monday.

In a post on X, the Department noted that the agreement was finalised following a bilateral meeting between US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial.

"Secretary Lutnick met with Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial to discuss the future of 6G. Today, we are pleased to announce that India has joined the U.S. and 24 other countries in the effort to ensure that next generation networks reflect our shared security interests, strengthen our competitiveness, and drive innovation in 6G," the US Department of Commerce wrote.

Australia is stepping up its engagement with India’s private space sector, with the two countries signing five new industry partnerships covering satellite communications, research and development, and launch and re-entry technologies.

The agreements were signed over the last two days as part of an Australian business delegation’s engagement with India’s growing space ecosystem, Nathan Davis, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Austrade, New Delhi, told businessline on the sidelines of 9th edition of Bengaluru Space Expo.

One of the partnerships brings together Australian satellite communications company LatConnect 60 and NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), while another involves the University of Western Australia and Space Industry Association of India (SIA) India for research, development and education collaboration.

he Ministry of Coal, along with Coal India Limited (CIL), today celebrated key milestones under its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives — the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) and Nanha Sa Dil — and launched the Comprehensive CSR Framework for Indian Coal Companies, at an event held at New Delhi.

The event was graced by Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, and Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines, along with Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary to the Govt. of India, Ministry of Coal, in the presence of senior officials, medical experts, implementing partners, and beneficiary families.

Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY)
Launched to address the treatment needs of children suffering from Thalassemia and Aplastic Anaemia — rare genetic blood disorders — TBSY has grown from an initial network of 4 hospitals to 21 empanelled hospitals across the country. CIL is the only Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in India to have undertaken a healthcare initiative of this scale for rare genetic blood disorders such as Thalassemia and Aplastic Anemia. Under the scheme, up to Rs. 10 lakh per patient is extended directly to empanelled hospitals for Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), against a total outlay of Rs. 130 crore across four phases. To date, more than 1,050 BMTs have been completed, with the overwhelming majority of treated children now leading normal, healthy lives. The scheme is implemented in coordination with Thalassemics India, with monitoring guidance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India is getting closer to using satellite communication services – such as Elon Musk’s Starlink. As per reports, the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), has approved most of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s recommendations on satellite spectrum. This move clears the way for the government to assign spectrum to satcom companies for commercial services in India.

According to reports from Moneycontrol and Economic Times, DCC gave approval to TRAI’s recommendations last week. The DCC is the apex decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The DoT is expected to take the proposal to the Cabinet for final approval.

Satcom services including Starlink, Amazon Leo, Jio Satellite Communications, and Eutelsat OneWeb, still need security clearances to begin operations in the country.

The Food Ministry has signed an agreement with state-owned FCI to set targets for this fiscal, including modernising foodgrain management and improving operational efficiency.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains.

According to an official statement on Tuesday, the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) and the FCI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this fiscal.

"The MoU establishes a comprehensive performance framework for FCI, with defined targets aimed at improving operational efficiency, strengthening accountability and accelerating modernisation in foodgrain management," the food ministry said.

India and Japan on Tuesday reviewed and strengthened cooperation in the forestry sector during the 7th India-Japan Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on forests held in Bengaluru.

The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries to discuss collaboration in forest management, biodiversity conservation, research, technology and capacity building.

The Indian delegation was led by Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General (Forests), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, while the Japanese delegation was headed by Shimizu Kotaro, Deputy Director General, Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Government of Japan.

The discussions focused on three key areas of cooperation—Tree Outside Forests (TOFs), Forest Genetics and Forest Stack.

India bagged five medals including two gold, two silver and one bronze on the penultimate day of the Stage three of World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad today, with the men’s teams winning the top honours.

Reigning world champion Toman Kumar and Shyam Sundar Swami clinched the gold medal in the Men’s compound team event with a dominant win over Iraq’s Abbas Kadhim and Anwer Aldawod, 152-139.

Men’s duo of double Paralympic medallist Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi overcame Slovakia’s David Ivan and Denis Ivan 6-2 to bag the yellow metal in recurve team title.

India finished fourth amongst 82 nations in the recently concluded Pickleball World Cup held at Da Nang, Vietnam, with a total medal tally of 41 medals, including seven golds, 17 silvers and 17 bronze medals.

The Pickleball World Cup 2026 proved to be a massive jump for India, which finished 7th in last year’s World Cup, according to a release.

India sent a team delegation of 48 athletes who competed in the Kids, Juniors, Open, Seniors and Master’s team events, representing the official Indian Team at the World Cup.

The Indian contingent for the Asian Games 2026 received a grand send-off in New Delhi yesterday in the presence of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. Dr. Mandaviya, along with Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, and Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav, unveiled the official jersey of the Indian contingent in the presence of athletes and support staff.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mandaviya urged Indian athletes to turn pressure into performance, view opponents as opportunities and transform those opportunities into achievements. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Indian sports, he said the Government has created new pathways for athletes to compete and excel at the global level.

Dr Mandaviya also highlighted the growing depth of Indian sport and the emergence of young talent. He said that out of the 503-member contingent, more than three hundred athletes are first-time participants at the Asian Games. Applauding India’s performance at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, the Union Minister said at the last Commonwealth Games, India won 13 gold medals and this time the tally has improved by more than 35 per cent. He said the target is to establish India firmly on the world sporting stage by 2036, when the country aims to host the Olympic Games. He added that this ten-year plan includes an allocation of more than 36 thousand crore rupees for improving sports infrastructure.

Indian Railways is working to run the country’s first hydrogen-powered train at speeds of up to 110 kmph after completing trials at 120 kmph, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar said on Sunday. He said consultations were on with stakeholders to decide the rail sections where the train could run, while technical issues and fuel supply arrangements were also being examined.

Kumar also said the Railways was expanding its Vande Bharat sleeper services, with the first train now operating between Howrah and Kamakhya (Guwahati), four more trains completed and 11 more expected this year. He added that the Railways was preparing for the Simhastha festival in Ujjain in 2028 and was reviewing major infrastructure projects, including the Indore-Manmad railway line.

“The operational speed of the hydrogen train has so far been kept at 75 kmph. However, trials have been completed for a speed of 120 kmph. After that, efforts are now underway to operate it at a maximum speed of 110 kmph,” Kumar told reporters in Indore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on July 17 flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train, which operates on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.