Indian startups, products, funding, policy and research.
England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20I in Rajkot, defending 171/9 as India finished on 145/9. England’s bowlers, including Adil Rashid and the pace attack, did enough to overturn expectations that the total was under par and keep the series alive.
The European Union and India signed a Security and Defence Partnership on 27 January 2026 on the margins of the EU–India Summit. The pact is designed to structure cooperation across areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, reflecting a widening strategic agenda between the two sides.
The 38th National Games began on 28 January, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the event. The Games are being hosted across multiple cities in Uttarakhand and will run through mid-February, bringing together athletes from teams across India.
A report flags India’s evolving approach to AI governance, proposing structures that combine policy and oversight with practical implementation, including the idea of tracking AI failures through an incident database.
Animal welfare groups have alleged another incident of mass killing of stray dogs in Telangana, pushing the claimed toll since December 2025 to around 1,100. Activists have urged authorities to investigate and take action, while police have linked new complaints to existing cases and ongoing probes.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on 28 January 2026 after a Learjet 45 chartered from Mumbai crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport. Authorities confirmed there were no survivors, and an investigation has been launched into the cause of the accident.
Microsoft has announced Maia 200, its next-generation in-house AI accelerator designed for inference workloads and multi-model serving. The company said Maia 200 is being deployed in its US Central datacentre region near Des Moines, with additional regions planned.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated Bharat Parv 2026 at the Red Fort, positioning the festival as a platform to strengthen cultural heritage and tourism promotion.
Uttarakhand has brought the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 into force after the Governor’s assent. The changes include tougher penal measures related to coercion and fraud in marriage and live-in relationships, along with administrative and procedural revisions.
Payments infrastructure company Juspay has raised $50 million from WestBridge Capital in a round that values it at about $1.2 billion. The deal includes primary and secondary components, providing liquidity to early investors and employees, and makes Juspay the first Indian startup to turn unicorn in 2026.
India and the EU have concluded a long-pending free trade agreement, with broad tariff liberalisation and a major phased reduction in duties on imported European cars, while protecting select sensitive categories.
At the UN, India pushed back against Pakistan’s narrative on Operation Sindoor, calling it false and asserting India’s response was measured and aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure after the Pahalgam attack.