A knowledge paper on the cocoa sector, developed by Grant Thornton Bharat in collaboration with FICCI and released at the Cocoa Roundtable, has outlined a long-term vision to transform India into a self-sufficient, globally competitive cocoa economy by 2040-41.

The 2026-2040 roadmap towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in cocoa has recommended the establishment of a ‘National Mission on Cocoa’ and the need for research and development (R&D) and innovation in the sector. It also suggested policy and financial support measures, as well as trade and market reforms, in addition to digital transformation in the sector.

China has overtaken the US to emerge as India's largest trading partner in 2025-26, with bilateral trade reaching $151.1 billion, while the country's trade deficit with Beijing widened to $112.16 billion during the period, government data showed.

The US was India's largest trading partner for four consecutive years till 2024-25.

India's exports to China rose 36.66 per cent to $19.47 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 16 per cent to $131.63 billion. The trade deficit swelled to an all-time high of $112.6 billion in 2025-26 as against $99.2 billion in 2024-25.

On the other hand, the country's outbound shipments to the US grew marginally 0.92 per cent to $87.3 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 15.95 per cent to $52.9 billion. The trade surplus declined to $34.4 billion in 2025-26 from $40.89 billion in 2024-25.

In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the state secretariat on Wednesday, a decision was taken to constitute a committee to prepare the draft for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), marking the state’s formal move towards a unified personal law framework.

The committee will be headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The Chief Minister has been authorised to nominate the remaining members of the panel.

Chhattisgarh follows various personal laws based on religion regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. Citing Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, the state government noted that a unified law is essential to simplify legal procedures, ensure gender equality and remove discrepancies arising from diverse personal laws.

India’s target to become the 3rd-largest economy by 2028 is hitting a bump amid the weakening rupee and strengthening of the US dollar, according to the latest International Monetary Fund data cited by Moneycontrol. The country slipped to the world’s sixth-largest economy in 2025, though it remained the fastest-growing economy in the world.

The IMF data stated that the Indian economy is estimated at $3.92 trillion in 2025, which is lower than the UK at $4 trillion. Japan held the fourth position at $4.44 trillion.

US maintained the top position with a GDP of $30.8 trillion, followed by China at $19.6 trillion and Germany at $4.7 trillion.

India ($3.5 trillion) had ranked fifth in 2024, ahead of the UK at $3.4 trillion.

The major reason for the fall in the ranking is currency depreciation, as global economic rankings are measured in dollars.

India's R Vaishali produced the biggest result of her career on Wednesday, winning the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament in Cyprus to become the first Indian to claim the title and secure a place in the World Championship match later this year.

The 24-year-old, long seen in the shadow of her younger sibling R Praggnanandhaa, sealed the 2026 crown with a composed victory in the final round, finishing a campaign that gathered momentum as it progressed and stayed alive until the closing day. Her win sets up a meeting with China's reigning champion Ju Wenjun, a five-time world champion who has set the standard in the women's game in recent years. On the other hand, Vaishali's brother Praggnanandhaa signed off with a draw against American star Hikaru Nakamura.

Puthandu (Tamil New Year) 2026 Date: Puthandu, also known as the Tamil New Year, marks the beginning of the Tamil calendar and is celebrated with great joy and devotion, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil New Year is also known as Varusha pirappu and is observed on first day of Tamil month Chithirai. This year, Puthandu falls on April 14, 2026 with the Sankranti moment falling at exactly 9:39 AM.

Observed in mid-April, it symbolises new beginnings, prosperity, and hope for the year ahead. On this day, families clean and decorate their homes, prepare traditional dishes like mango pachadi; which represents the different flavours of life and visit temples to seek blessings.

Agriculture has long constituted a foundational pillar of India’s socio-economic structure, sustaining nearly half of the country’s workforce and shaping its developmental trajectory. Agricultural marketing in India has historically evolved through a network of regulated mandis established under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) framework, facilitating the structured, organized exchange of agricultural commodities across regions.

Prior to 2016, agricultural trade remained largely confined within these mandi systems across States and Union Territories, with each market governed by its own regulatory structure. APMC, as a decentralized model, facilitated robust local trading but also revealed limitations in inter-state market integration and broader market access. With the expansion and diversification of agricultural production, the need for a more integrated market structure that enhances market access, improves efficiency, and ensures transparent price discovery has become increasingly evident. In this context, the Government launched the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) in April 2016 as a pan-India electronic trading platform to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. By digitally integrating existing mandis, e-NAM enables seamless online trading, transparent price discovery, and broader market access for farmers, traders, and buyers nationwide.

India is poised to remain the fastest-growing economy in the world with a projected GDP growth at 6.5 per cent in 2026 and 6.5 per cent. The high growth projection despite global headwinds, including the West Asia crisis, reflects a strong resilience of the Indian economy, supported by a strong domestic cushion and manageable external shocks.

IMF warns that slowdown in growth and increase in inflation are expected to be particularly pronounced in emerging market and developing economies.

In comparison to India, the world economy is projected to grow at a pace of 3.1 per cent in 2026 and 3.2 per cent in 2027.

India’s neighbour China’s GDP growth rate is expected to be around 4.9 per cent in 2026 and 4.8 per cent in 2027.

Among the developing countries, United States will lead with a projected GDP growth at 2.3 per cent in 2026 and 2.1 per cent in 2027.

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5.4 Cyber, a variant of its latest flagship model designed for cybersecurity use cases. The announcement comes shortly after Anthropic revealed its own advanced system, Mythos, signaling rising competition in AI-driven security tools.

The new model is positioned for defensive applications such as identifying vulnerabilities, analysing threats, and supporting security researchers.

What is GPT-5.4 Cyber

GPT-5.4 Cyber is a fine-tuned version of OpenAI’s broader GPT-5.4 model, tailored specifically for cybersecurity workflows. The company said the model is designed to assist with vulnerability discovery and analysis across software systems, including operating systems and web applications. READ MORE

It’s easy to see discarded plastic as nothing more than waste. Much of it ends up in landfill, breaking down into microplastics that seep into water supplies and threaten the environment, and potentially human health. But what if the same plastic waste could instead be transformed into life-saving medicines?

In a recent study published in Nature Sustainability, scientists at the University of Edinburgh have shown that everyday plastic waste is not just an environmental burden but an untapped source of embedded carbon – the carbon atoms locked within plastic’s chemical structure. They demonstrated that engineered E coli bacteria can convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – commonly used in bottles and food packaging – into levodopa, a key treatment for Parkinson’s disease.