NITI Aayog’s IFI 2026: Gujarat Leads Among All Large States, Followed by Maharashtra and TN
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) released its latest report titled “Investment Friendliness Index (IFI 2026)” which provides a comprehensive and data-driven framework to assess the capabilities of states and Union Territories in attracting and sustaining investments. As per the index, Gujarat topped among all large states as well as in the overall ranking with a total score of 56.6.
- It is followed by Maharashtra (overall score of 53.7) and Tamil Nadu (TN) (overall score of 53.3) secured 2nd and 3rd positions in the index.
MoSPI Releases Quarterly Update of PAIMANA Dashboard to Track Infrastructure Sector in India
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the quarterly update of the ‘Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation-building (PAIMANA)’ performance dashboard which presents the performance of key infrastructure sectors through a set of standardized indicators.
- The latest quarterly release has added 44 new indicators, thereby expanding India’s infrastructure monitoring framework to 165 indicators.
Cabinet Approves Developmental Projects: NIPU-2026, Railway Multitracking Projects, & Elevated Corridor Projects
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 for Atmanirbhar Bharat (NIPU-2026), aimed at encouraging new investments in gas-based urea manufacturing units with an estimated 1 crore Metric Tonnes (MT) of additional production capacity.
Other Approvals:
Railways: It also approved two railway multitracking projects of the Ministry of Railways (MoR) Paradeep–Haridaspur Doubling and Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi Fourth Line with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,907 crore covering four districts across Odisha and Jharkhand.
Corridor: It approved two major elevated highway projects in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP), with a combined investment of over Rs. 25,000 crore, to reduce traffic congestion and improve connectivity.
MoHUA Approves Guidelines for PARIVARTAN Scheme to Replace Old Trucks and Buses in NCR
On 16 July 2026, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), approved the operational guidelines for the PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions) Scheme.
- The scheme aims to facilitate the replacement of old, highly polluting trucks and buses operating in the National Capital Region (NCR) with Bharat Stage (BS)-VI-compliant or Electric Vehicles (EVs), supporting Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s vision of cleaner mobility and improved air quality in Delhi-NCR.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Unveils Roadmap for ‘Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan’ at ICAR’s 98th Foundation Day
On 16 July 2026, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) and Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), unveiled the roadmap for ‘Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan’ as a key pillar of Viksit Bharat 2047 during the 98th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi, Delhi.
- During the event, 43 new crop varieties, 17 technologies/products, and 14 publications were released, along with the signing of over 70 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and technology licensing agreements to accelerate technology transfer to farmers.
Highlights of ‘Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan’:
Climate-Resilient : ICAR will establish 100 Climate Smart Villages before its centenary to demonstrate climate-smart farming, integrated farming systems, water conservation, and climate adaptation models.
Mission ICAR-100: Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) will be transformed into innovation hubs, climate advisory centres, startup support centres, and farmer technology demonstration centres, with each KVK covering at least 100 villages.
Digital Outreach: Under the ‘One Institute-One Grand Innovation’ initiative, every ICAR institute will develop at least one transformational innovation within 2 years.
Chhattisgarh Becomes First Indian State to Introduce Risk-Based Business Approval System
On 16 July 2026, the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, led by Chief Minister(CM) Vishnu Deo Sai, passed the Chhattisgarh Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, making Chhattisgarh the first Indian state to introduce a comprehensive Risk-based and trust-based business approval framework.
- The new system aims to simplify regulatory approvals, promote investment, and benefit over 15 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through faster, transparent, and accountable business processes.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Launches White Rabbit Technology-Based IST Distribution Demonstration Network
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), inaugurated the White Rabbit Technology-based Indian Standard Time (IST) Distribution Demonstration Network at the Regional Reference Standards Laboratory (RRSL), Jakkur, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- The initiative, launched under the vision of “One Nation, One Time”, aims to establish a uniform, highly precise, secure, and indigenous IST network, reducing India’s dependence on foreign Global Positioning System (GPS)-based time sources and strengthening digital sovereignty.
Akasa Air and BPCL Sign Landmark MoU to Accelerate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Adoption in India
In July 2026, Akasa Air, an Indian airline, partnered with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) aims to reduce carbon emissions from aviation in India.
Key Details of MoU:
Objective: The initiative will support long-term SAF supply by sharing demand projections, aiding production planning, and progressively raising blending levels as India’s domestic SAF ecosystem matures.
Collaboration: The partnership will jointly promote India’s SAF ecosystem through knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and engagement with government and industry stakeholders.
Focus: The collaboration will focus on establishing a framework for the supply and offtake of SAF-blended Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) at designated airports across India.
Gujarat Bags Agriculture Leadership Award 2026 for Horticulture
In July 2026, Gujarat was honoured with the Agriculture Leadership Award 2026 for its performance in horticulture at the 17th Agriculture Leadership Conclave-2026 held in New Delhi, Delhi.
- Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), presented the award to Jitu Vaghani, Agriculture Minister, Government of Gujarat in the presence of Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Governor of Rajasthan
Skyroot Aerospace Successfully Launches India’s First Private Orbital Rocket ‘Vikram-1’ Under Mission Aagaman
In July 2026, Hyderabad (Telangana)-based Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited successfully launched Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle, under ‘Mission Aagaman(arrival)’ from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
- The mission made India the third country, after the United States of America (USA) and China, to achieve private orbital launch capability following the Indian Space Policy 2023.
Indian Analog Astronaut Capt Aman Johri Conducts Microgravity Space Research on Maharashtra Crops
Captain Aman Johri, Indian Analog Astronaut, successfully completed a microgravity research flight under Project Astra Farm, marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to develop space biotechnology and sustainable food systems for future space missions.
- The mission focused on Maharashtra-grown onions and potatoes, flown aboard a specially designed passive microgravity payload in collaboration with the National Research Council Canada (NRC-CNRC) to study their behaviour in microgravity conditions.
About Microgravity Research Flight :
Experiment:Agricultural samples were exposed to microgravity conditions to study how plant tissues and cells respond to reduced gravity.
- The project is among India’s first initiatives integrating space agriculture, food technology, and crop resilience to support future space missions and food security.
Reliance Jio gets IN-SPACe approval for 1,600-satellite LEO network
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) secured technical approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) for its proposal to deploy a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation of around 1,600 satellites.
- The assessment was carried out in consultation with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
West Indies Cricket Legend Sir Garfield Sobers Passes Away at 89
On 17 July 2026, Sir Garfield Sobers, legendary West Indies cricketer and one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, passed away in Saint Michael, Barbados, at the age of 89.
- He was born on 28 July 1936 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
- Captaincy: He scored a then-record 365 runs against Pakistan in 1958, became the first cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket (1968), and captained the West Indies in 39 Test matches between 1965 and 1972.
Honours: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, named among Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century (2000), inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame (2009), and honoured through the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded annually to the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year
Day of International Criminal Justice 2026 – 17 July
Day of International Criminal Justice (International Justice Day) is observed annually on 17 July to commemorate the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998 and to promote accountability for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
Nelson Mandela International Day 2026 – July 18
The United Nations (UN) observes Nelson Mandela International Day (Mandela Day) annually across the globe on 18 July to commemorates the birth anniversary of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the first democratically elected Black President of South Africa.
- 2026 Theme: “It’s in our hands”
AR Signs MoU with Norway’s Tidal Sail AS for India’s First River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Project
In July 2026, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh (AR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway’s Tidal Sail AS to implement a 500-kilowatt (kw) River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Project, paving the way for India’s first River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Plant.
- The project will be implemented through the Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies (CES&HS) under the India-Norway Green Partnership, with support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Innovation Norway.
Telangana Teams Up with Microsoft to Set Up Green Skills CoE in Hyderabad
The Government of Telangana signed an MoU with Microsoft, a leading American multinational technology company, to establish a Green Skills Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Hyderabad, Telangana to equip students and professionals with industry-relevant green skills and support sustainable workforce development.
About Green Skills CoE:
Objective: The Green Skills CoE, expected to become operational by August 2026, aims to equip youth with skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sustainable manufacturing, while supporting Telangana’s life sciences and green manufacturing sectors.
Collaboration: The centre, with a focus on Green Pharma, is being established in collaboration with Microsoft, the 1M1B Foundation (One Million for One Billion), and the MeitY Startup Hub under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Alignment: The initiative aligns with Telangana’s ‘Next-Generation Life Sciences Policy 2026–30’ and the state’s ‘Green Pharma City strategy.’