Latest India News Today
1. Ax‑4 Mission: ISRO & Private Sector Mark Space Milestone
India's Axiom‑4 mission will unberth from the International Space Station on July 14 at 4:30 PM IST, marking a milestone for the country's young private space sector. Aboard is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla. The collaboration with ISRO demonstrates India's growing space capabilities, including public-private cooperation (The Times of India, The Economic Times).
2. Monsoon Mayhem: Lifeline and Disruption
Prolonged monsoon rains continue to lash Delhi NCR, Haryana, and Rajasthan through July 13. While bringing seasonal respite from the heat, heavy downpours have wrought damage to infrastructure, flooding roads and disturbing normal life (The Economic Times).
⚖️ 3. Sulphur Rule Rollback: Coal Industry Gets Relief
In a reversal of the 2015 directive, India's environment ministry has exempted sulphur-emission norms for roughly 79% of coal power plants that are not near densely populated regions. Just those plants within 10 km of large cities must install flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems by December 2027—a distinct policy reversal (Reuters).
4. Inflation Hits Six-Year Low, RBI Easing Likely
India's CPI inflation in June ought to dip to a six-year low of around 2.5% due to a favorable spring harvest. Core inflation remains benign. This contributes to the trend of consumer price moderation and warrants further RBI rate cuts (Reuters).
5. Ladybird Frenzy at Lord's: Test Match Drama
England and India remain locked in their tightly-contested third Test at Lord's with first innings level at 387. The epic contest was briefly halted by a sudden invasion of ladybirds on July 10—a surreal twist in a high-stakes cricket match (The Times).
6. India-Australia Trade Talks: Strategic, Not Rushed
Facing U.S. pressure over trade deals, India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that India would not be rushed into agreements that don't align with national interests. Talks on agriculture and dairy tariffs remain sensitive, with India emphasizing mutual benefits (Reuters).
Additional Headlines:
- Electoral shake-up: BJP's Rekha Gupta sworn in as Delhi’s new Chief Minister; AAP lost majority after 10 years (en.wikipedia.org).
- Policing incident: Delhi police arrest intoxicated Audi driver who injured five sleeping pedestrians in Vasant Vihar (ndtv.com).
- India-US LPG deals: India to buy ~10% of its cooking gas from the U.S. from 2026 to curb trade imbalance (Reuters).
- Healthcare reforms: Health insurance claims portal under heightened surveillance to curtail soaring treatment costs (Reuters).
Why These Stories Matter
India is going through a period of dynamic contrasts:
- Domestic resilience is on full display—from the skies (Ax‑4 mission) to the monsoon-battered streets.
- Economic policy reversals, such as rollback of environmental regulations and easing inflation, are affecting growth and industrial strategy.
- Geopolitical restraint is evident through cautious trade negotiations.
- Cultural pulse is still visible, from cricket eccentricities to local environmental initiatives.
✅ What's Next?
- Tomorrow's highlight: Look out for the Ax‑4 undocking at 4:30 PM IST.
- Inflation update: RBI awaits official June CPI print on July 14.
- Cricket fans: Follow the conclusion of the India–England Test at Lord's.
Ax‑4 undocking India coal emission rollback India inflation June 2025 India News Today India trade policy monsoon India Test cricket India England