MoEF&CC Inaugurates CoE on Human-Wildlife conflict in Coimbatore, TN
In July 2026, the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife conflict at Wildlife Institute of India-Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (WII-SACON), Coimbatore, TamilNadu (TN).
The CoE will serve as a national hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and sharing best practices to strengthen scientific and evidence-based management of human-wildlife conflict.
Portal: During the inaugural session, the National Human-Wildlife Conflict portal was launched to facilitate data management, knowledge sharing and decision support for conflict mitigation.
QCI and NSIC Sign MoU to Strengthen Quality, Competitiveness and Market Access for MSMEs
In July 2026, the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the quality standards, competitiveness, and market access of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across India.
ICMR to Set Up India’s First Centre for High-Altitude Medicine in Himachal Pradesh
In July 2026, Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) laid the foundation stone of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh (HP).
The Centre will be India’s first dedicated institution for research on high-altitude medicine and public health.
The Centre will conduct long-term research on high-altitude and tribal populations, focusing on tribal health, disaster preparedness, and digital health innovation, while deploying telemedicine, drone-based logistics, and real-time surveillance to enhance healthcare delivery in remote areas.
MSME Mandates TReDS for Settlement of All MSME Invoices by CPSEs
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) through its official notification issued on June 30 2026, mandated all operating Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) invoices for goods and services procured from MSMEs through Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platforms authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
This move gives effect to a key announcement made by the Government of India (GoI) in the Union Budget for the Financial Year 2026–27(FY27).
Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Australia from July 8-10, 2026
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi undertook a 3-day official visit to Australia, 2nd leg of his three-nation tour (Indonesia, New Zealand), from July 08 to July 10 2026, at the invitation of Anthony Albanese, PM of Australia.
The visit aimed at strengthening cooperation across sectors, including agriculture, science and technology, space, innovation and clean energy.
Investment Announcement: During the event, AustralianSuper, largest pension fund of Australia pledged an investment of AUD 500 million in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India. With this latest announcement, the total investment by the Australian pension fund in India now reaches AUD 3.3 billion.
Launch of PACTS: India and Australia launched “Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies, and Supply Chains (PACTS)”, a new framework aimed to promote secure supply supply chains, trusted digital infrastructure, technology innovation and cyber resilience across the Indo-Pacific region.
EIU’s Global Liveability Index 2026: Delhi Ranked at 120th Among 173 Cities; Copenhagen Tops
In July 2026, the Economist Intelligent United (EIU) released the latest edition of Global Liveability Index 2026. As per the index, New Delhi (Delhi) topped among all the Indian cities featured in the index, securing 120th spot globally with an overall score of 48.1.
Copenhagen (Denmark) retained the top position for the 2nd consecutive year, leading across all the categories which include perfect scores (100 out of 100)in stability, education and infrastructure, followed by Vienna (Austria), Melbourne (Australia), secured 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.
RBI Launched Three Key Surveys to Gather Inputs for Monetary Policy Formulation
In July 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH), Rural Consumer Confidence Survey (RCCS), and Urban Consumer Confidence Survey (UCCS) to gather household feedback on inflation, economic conditions, employment, income, and spending across 19 cities and 31 States/Union Territories (UTs).
The surveys aim to assess inflation expectations and consumer confidence, providing key inputs for monetary policy formulation ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for August 3–5, 2026.
About RBI’s Three Monetary Policy Surveys:
IESH: It was Conducted across 19 cities captures household assessments of price movements based on individual consumption baskets through qualitative responses on general and product-specific price changes over the next three months and one year, along with quantitative estimates of current, three-month-ahead, and one-year-ahead inflation.
RCCS: It collects household perceptions and one-year-ahead expectations on the general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, household income, and spending across rural and semi-urban areas in 31 States and UTs.
UCCS: It is conducted across 19 cities to gather qualitative responses from households on the general economic situation, employment scenario, price levels, household income, and spending for the current period and one year ahead.
World Bank approves USD 890 million for India’s rooftop solar programme
In July 2026, the World Bank Group (WBG) approved a USD 890 million financing package to accelerate India’s Prime Minister Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), aimed at expanding rooftop solar installations, bringing clean energy to millions of households, and creating 1.7 million jobs across the renewable energy value chain.
The financing will support residential rooftop solar adoption, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and mobilise private investment to achieve India’s clean energy targets.
Funding: The financing comprises an USD 820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), an USD 60 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), and a USD 10 million grant from the IBRD Livable Planet Fund.
Private Insvestment: The World Bank(WB) will mobilise USD 4.2 billion in private financing through commercial loans to support rooftop solar installations for households.
Vision: The programme promotes residential rooftop solar, lowers electricity bills, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and creates jobs.
AU Small Finance Bank Partners with Zaggle to Launch Co-Branded Retail Credit Card
In July 2026, AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU SFB) partnered with Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services Limited (Zaggle) to launch the AU Zaggle Co-Branded Retail Credit Card, on the Visa and RuPay networks through the zagg.money platform.
The card offers customizable rewards, Zagg Coins-to-cashback, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and contactless payment benefits, aiming to provide a personalized credit card experience with flexible rewards and digital convenience.
GoI Approves Dixon-Vivo JV for Domestic Smartphone Manufacturing
In July 2026, the Government of India (GoI) approved the proposal of formation of a Joint Venture (JV) between Dixon Technologies (India) Limited and Vivo Mobile India Limited (VMI) for the manufacturing of electronic devices and smartphones in India.
As per the JV agreement and shareholders’ signed by the both entities, the JV will act as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for electronic devices, specifically smartphones.
- Shareholding: As per the JV agreement, Dixon will own 51% stake in the proposed JV, while VMI will hold the remaining 49% stake.
- Paid-up Capital: The newly approved JV will be formed with initial paid-up capital of Rs 5 crore by both entities in proportion to their shareholding.
DoT’s Samriddh Gram Wins WSIS Prize 2026 Under Action Line C6
In July 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, Government of India (GoI), received the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2026 under Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment for its flagship initiative, “Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by BharatNet.
- The award was presented during the WSIS Forum 2026 held in Geneva, Switzerland. The initiative was declared the Global Winner by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- Recognition: This recognition highlights India’s innovative use of digital public infrastructure and telecom connectivity for inclusive rural development through an integrated service delivery model.
SBI Sells 1.42% Stake in SBI Funds Management for Rs. 1,655 Crore Ahead of IPO
In July 2026, the State Bank of India (SBI) sold a 1.42% stake in its asset management subsidiary, SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFM), to 30 institutional investors for Rs. 1,655 crore through a pre-Initial Public Offering (IPO) placement.
The stake was sold at Rs. 574 per share, the upper end of the IPO price band, ahead of the Rs. 11,700 crore IPO, scheduled to open on 14 July 2026.
Pre-IPO Placement: SBI sold 2.88 crore equity shares to 30 institutional investors, including Tata AIG General Insurance, Go Digit General Insurance, 360 ONE Funds and Bennett Coleman.
Ownership: SBI and Amundi India Holding will together divest about 10% of SBIFM’s paid-up equity. As the IPO is an OFS, SBIFM will not receive any proceeds from the issue.
China Achieved First Controlled Recovery of Reusable Long March-10B Rocket Booster
In July 2026, China successfully achieved its first controlled recovery of an orbital-class reusable rocket booster following the maiden launch of the Long March-10B carrier rocket from Hainan Province, China.
The achievement marks a major milestone in China’s reusable space technology, more than a decade after SpaceX became the 1st to recover an orbital-class rocket booster in 2015.
Mission: The Long March-10B, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), successfully placed its payload into orbit, while its first-stage booster was recovered on a sea-based net platform, marking China’s first controlled recovery of an orbital-class reusable rocket.
Sourav Ganguly became the 12th Indian to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame
In July 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) inducted former India captain Sourav Ganguly into the ICC Hall of Fame during its Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, recognising his outstanding contribution to international cricket.
The honour, conferred on his 54th birthday, made Ganguly the 12th Indian overall and 10th Indian male cricketer inducted into the Hall of Fame, celebrating players whose achievements have left a lasting impact on the game.
Career: Ganguly represented India in 424 international matches, scoring 18,575 runs, including 38 centuries and 107 half-centuries, establishing himself among India’s greatest left-handed batters.
National Fish Farmer’s Day 2026 – July 10
National Fish Farmers’ Day (NFFD) is annually observed across India on 10 July to recognise the valuable contributions of fish farmers, aquaculture professionals, scientists, and other stakeholders towards the development of sustainable aquaculture and fisheries in the country.
10 July 2026 marks the Observance of 26th NFFD.