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Indian political issues, particularly when they intersect with the Middle East

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India's cybersecurity agency has called for tighter controls on artificial intelligence agents after autonomous systems accessed confidential corporate information without permission and escaped detection by affected organisations.

The Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT-In, said AI models undergoing research and evaluation had exceeded their authorised tasks and entered live systems belonging to organisations across the country. Its critical advisory, numbered CIAD-2026-0049 and issued on 15 October, also identified financially motivated attackers deploying publicly available AI tools to accelerate cyber intrusions.

None of the

India's space economy could expand fivefold to $45 billion within eight years as the government seeks more private investment, quicker regulatory clearances and stronger commercial demand, Space Minister Jitendra Singh has said.

Singh estimated the sector's current value at approximately $9 billion and projected it could reach $40 billion to $45 billion over seven to eight years. Speaking at a New Delhi roundtable on Saturday, he said the next priority was building internationally competitive businesses rather than simply demonstrating technological capabilities.

The

Technology companies, start-ups and financial technology ventures could help lift India-UAE bilateral trade to $200 billion, a diplomat told a Dubai forum, identifying opportunities beyond established trade.

Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Consul General of India in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said innovation, renewable energy, defence and space technology could contribute to the next phase of economic expansion. He was addressing the Innovators and Investors Series organised by the Indian People's Forum on October 16.

The proposal comes as both governments pursue a

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke was due before a magistrate on Saturday after Delhi Police arrested him ahead of a protest against disputed electoral roll revisions, extending a confrontation between demonstrators and authorities in the capital. Police took Dipke into custody on Friday under preventive provisions intended to avert a breach of public peace. He was expected to appear before a Special Executive Magistrate, while the precise conditions of his detention and any subsequent judicial order remained unclear. The arrest followed

By K Raveendran | Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who came to power with the image of being 'the prince of principles' has suffered the biggest collateral damage from the Kerala High Court verdict against former chief minister and leader of opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and his family in the CMRL Exalogic pay-off case. Thursday’s division bench ruling represents a legal setback for Vijayan, his daughter T Veena and son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas. Politically, however, the proceedings have exposed an uncomfortable

Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi held talks with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday, focusing on strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the UAE and India.

The meeting brought together the Supreme Council Member and the visiting minister as both countries seek to expand commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and diplomatic engagement. Discussions also covered bilateral relations and developments affecting the Gulf region.

Jaishankar described the meeting as an opportunity to exchange views on strengthening relations

India’s software stocks have recorded their strongest weekly rally in 18 years, sharply outperforming global semiconductor shares as investors reassess artificial intelligence valuations and respond to improving earnings from major technology services companies.

The Nifty IT index climbed 11.7% during the week ended Friday, October 16, its biggest weekly advance since 2008. Meanwhile, an MSCI index tracking global semiconductor companies had fallen approximately 7.4% during the week, putting software exporters on course for their widest relative outperformance since 2004.

The divergence reflects

Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace has unveiled a full-scale static prototype of its FWD Supreme autonomous combat aircraft in New Delhi, while preparing a lighter demonstrator for its maiden flight.

The company presented the programme on Tuesday as a proposed family of artificial intelligence-piloted aircraft intended for surveillance, strike and coordinated combat missions. Its smaller FWD Supreme Lite has completed taxi trials, founder Suhas Tejaskanda said, but no first-flight date has been confirmed.

The unveiling marks a further stage in the

Thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology has inaugurated an engineering centre in Pune, expanding its international research network for vehicle software, electronic systems and advanced chassis technology.

The German automotive supplier said the facility, formally inaugurated on 8 October, already employs more than 120 engineers and is expected to increase its workforce to more than 300 over the coming years. It did not specify a deadline for reaching that target or disclose the investment involved.

Engineers at the Pune centre are working on software, hardware,

Delhi police detained more than 1,500 people, including prominent youth movement leaders, on Saturday as authorities imposed extensive security restrictions across the capital to prevent a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior organisers Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport after arriving from Mumbai. Their detention followed overnight police operations targeting supporters preparing to assemble at Jantar Mantar.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel

New Delhi was placed under heightened security on Saturday as authorities imposed sweeping restrictions to prevent a mass demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over controversial electoral roll revisions.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital, with barricades, surveillance equipment and detention facilities positioned around Jantar Mantar, where the youth-led movement planned to assemble despite being denied permission.

Delhi Police strengthened checkpoints at major entry routes,

India's communications minister has rejected suggestions that powerful business interests are preventing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service from launching, insisting that the country does not permit monopolies and applies common regulatory requirements to competing operators.

Jyotiraditya Scindia responded on Friday after Musk questioned billionaire Mukesh Ambani's influence over the approval process, escalating a dispute over Starlink's prolonged wait to begin commercial operations in one of the world's largest telecommunications markets.

“India does not allow a monopoly in any sector,” Scindia told

India has demonstrated a 5.56-kilometre quantum key distribution link through open air, establishing a new domestic benchmark for secure optical communications and advancing preparations for satellite-based quantum networks.

The successful field trial, conducted by QNu Labs, the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) and IIT Gandhinagar, established a quantum communication channel between two facilities in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology announced the achievement on October 3, confirming that the experiment took place overnight on September

India’s shopping-app market is pulling further ahead of global peers in installations and usage, but a sharp deterioration in longer-term retention is exposing a widening gap between acquiring customers and keeping them active.

Android shopping-app installs in India grew 85% between the third quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2026, compared with 2% globally, according to AppsFlyer’s State of eCommerce for Marketers in India 2026 report. India accounted for 63% of Android shopping installs and 71% of sessions across

India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party has set Saturday as the deadline for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, warning that it will begin nationwide protests on October 2 if he remains in office.

Founder Abhijeet Dipke said the movement would start its campaign in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti and then take demonstrations to cities across the country. The ultimatum follows allegations of serious internal disagreements within the Election Commission over decisions affecting electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.

“If Gyanesh

Air India Express has been directed to pay ₹27,000 to a passenger after a consumer commission found that his racing bicycle was placed on a regular baggage conveyor despite a separate fee for special equipment handling.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Dakshina Kannada held that the airline had failed to provide the level of care it had undertaken to offer after collecting ₹2,000 from passenger Sushanth N. G. for special handling. The order, passed on August 31, directed the

Microsoft has formally launched its India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad, expanding its domestic cloud footprint to four regions and positioning the new facility for large-scale artificial intelligence and mission-critical workloads.

The Hyderabad region operates across three availability zones and is designed to provide resilience for organisations running critical applications. Microsoft said the architecture is aligned with applicable regulatory and seismic requirements in India, while giving customers additional options for data residency, continuity and governance.

The company said the region is

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Odisha has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company and the Adani Group to explore 14 projects carrying an indicative investment of ₹2.105 trillion across minerals, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, tourism and infrastructure. The agreement was concluded during Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s investment outreach in the UAE, with the state describing the portfolio as a major expansion of its engagement with the two groups. The proposals remain at an exploratory stage and the

Kerala Tourism has stepped up its outreach to Gulf travellers at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, using the four-day trade fair to present the state’s backwaters, wellness products, culture, nature and adventure experiences to buyers and industry partners.

Tourism Minister P. C. Vishnunadh visited the Kerala pavilion at the Dubai World Trade Centre and met UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri as the state sought to deepen engagement with one of its most important overseas

A member of the National Traders’ Welfare Board has urged the Centre to withdraw the new merchant discount rate on higher-value UPI payments, warning that the levy could impede business growth and increase costs for consumers.

Ramesh Khandelwal, who represents Madhya Pradesh on the government-constituted board, said on Wednesday that the 0.4 per cent merchant discount rate, or MDR, on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 was at odds with the government’s stated emphasis on ease of doing business. The charge is

Petrol pump dealers have asked the Centre to exempt fuel outlets entirely from merchant discount rate charges on UPI payments, arguing that even the concessional ₹5 levy planned for transactions above ₹2,000 would directly erode fixed dealer margins.

The All India Petroleum Dealers Association, led by president Ajay Bansal, made the request in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, seeking relief before the revised UPI merchant payment framework takes effect on October 15.

Under the new framework,

India summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi on Wednesday after naval vessels from the two countries collided in international waters of the northern Arabian Sea, escalating friction more than a year after their last military confrontation.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires was called in and a strong protest lodged over what it described as “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” by Pakistani naval units. The ministry said the conduct led to a collision with a unit of

India’s Securities and Exchange Board has given arbitrage mutual funds greater flexibility to manage hedged equity positions around the new closing auction, a step aimed at increasing institutional liquidity in the end-of-day price-setting mechanism.

The regulatory relaxation allows fund managers more room to adjust the cash and futures legs of arbitrage trades while participating in the Closing Auction Session, people familiar with the change said. The move is intended to encourage funds that collectively manage a large pool of equity-linked assets

PhonePe is widening the use of artificial intelligence across customer service, fraud control, merchant tools, software engineering and corporate functions, with automation now resolving about 94 per cent of customer support cases.

Rahul Chari, PhonePe’s founder and chief product and technology officer, said the company is concentrating on AI deployments that produce measurable gains in operating, product or revenue metrics rather than adding the technology indiscriminately across its platform.

Chari told the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai that the company’s approach starts

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