India’s GDP is projected to grow at 6.2 per cent in FY26, with CPI inflation around an average 4.0 per cent, a report showed on Friday, adding that it does not expect any further rate cuts from the RBI “unless downside risks to growth materialise”.

The Current Account Deficit or CAD (as per cent of GDP) is projected at 1.0 per cent in FY25 and 0.9 per cent in FY26, while the fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.4 per cent, according to a CareEdge Ratings report.

“The 10-year G-Sec yield is expected to range between 6.0 per cent–6.2 per cent by the end of FY26, and the USD-INR exchange rate is projected to trade between 85 and 87 by the end of FY26,” the report mentioned.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday inaugurated a newly-constructed DTC bus depot at Sector A9, Narela, and flagged off over 100 new Delhi Electric Vehicle Interchange (DEVI) buses, marking a major milestone in Delhi’s push toward sustainable public transport.

The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of several prominent leaders, including BJP MP Yogender Chandoliya and Ministers Pankaj Kumar Singh and Ravinder Indraj Singh.

The electric buses, designed to provide clean, efficient, and comfortable public transportation, are part of the city’s larger initiative to combat pollution and improve last-mile connectivity under the DEVI initiative.

Speaking at the event, Minister Singh underlined the environmental significance of the development.

Rashmika Mandanna, on Friday, took to social media to unveil the first look of her upcoming project “Mysaa,” describing it as her fiercest avatar yet.

The actress shared that the character represents a version of her that even she hadn’t met until now. Taking to Instagram, Mandanna shared the first-look poster featuring her in a fierce and intense avatar. In the image, she is seen partially veiled, with half of her face covered and blood marks visible, adding to the intensity of her look. Draped in a traditional saree with ornaments that echo tribal aesthetics, Rashmika Mandanna completes her look with a distinctive moon-shaped bindi. The intense first-look poster captures her fierce gaze, with visible bloodstains on her face and body, hinting at the raw and powerful nature of her character.

India’s gross sugar production is likely to rise 15 per cent in sugar season 2026 to about 35 million tonnes, aided by above average monsoon, boosting cane acreage and yields in key sugar producing states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, a Crisil report showed on Friday.

The growth is expected to ease tightness in domestic supply and has the potential to boost ethanol diversion and revive exports with appropriate policy support.

In fiscal 2026, with improved supplies and potentially higher diversion of sugar for blending ethanol with gasoline, the operating margin of sugar mills is likely to recover to about 9-9.5 per cent. This should support credit profiles of sugar players, which saw some pressure last fiscal.

Over the past two seasons, while the fair and remunerative (FRP) price of sugarcane has risen 11 per cent, ethanol prices have largely remained unchanged.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday announced that its 12-day military operation against Iran resulted in significant damage to three of the country’s main nuclear facilities, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, dealing a major blow to the Iranian regime’s nuclear infrastructure.

The IDF asserted that Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’ on June 13 intending to damage the Iranian nuclear and missile projects following the identification of progress in the three programmes whose ultimate goal was to “destroy the State of Israel”.

According to the Israeli military, to thwart the future of the program, 11 senior nuclear scientists who were central knowledge centres in the Iranian weapons group were eliminated, and the inactive nuclear reactor at Arak was also attacked to prevent its future use.

Notorious jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants in Punjab’s Batala town, police said on Friday.

Bhagwanpuria is also an accused in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Kaur was going somewhere in an SUV when the goons came on a bike and opened fire on Thursday night near her house in the Urban Estate area, killing her and her driver Karanvir Singh.

She was referred to a hospital in Amritsar, but she succumbed to the bullet injuries, a police official said.

The Bambiha gang has claimed responsibility for the crime.

Showcasing resilient economy amid robust policies, the collective brand value of the top 100 Indian companies reached $236.5 billion in 2025 to date, according to a new report.

The ‘Brand Finance India 100 2025’ ranking results remain stable, reflecting a year of steady gains for major Indian brands across sectors.

Tata Group has once again secured its position as India’s most valuable brand ranked by becoming the first Indian brand to cross the $30 billion threshold. Its brand value is up 10 per cent to $31.6 billion.

As the second most valuable Indian brand, Infosys (brand value up 15 per cent to $16.3 billion) continues to lead in the IT Services sector.

HDFC Group (brand value up 37 per cent to $14.2 billion) is third in the rankings. It has cemented its role as a financial services titan, post-merger with HDFC Ltd.

Sleep patterns are significantly influenced by the day of the week, the season, and geographic locations, according to a study.

The study, led by researchers from Flinders University in South Australia, is based on data from more than 116,000 adults and over 73 million nights of sleep. The team used an under-mattress device to objectively track sleep duration and timing across 3.5 years, news agency reported.

The study finds that sleep is shaped not just by personal habits, but by environmental factors like daylight, temperature, and weekly routines.

"Our findings underscore the seasonal nature of human sleep, and that it is influenced by demographics and geography," said Hannah Scott, a sleep health expert at Flinders University.

The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Friday amid a ‘great’ India-US trade deal possibility, as buying was seen in the PSU bank and IT sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.15 am, Sensex was trading 150.40 points or 0.18 per cent up at 83,906.27 while the Nifty added 54.50 points or 0.21 per cent at 25,603.

US President Donald Trump has hinted at a "very big" trade deal with India, weeks after a team of negotiators from the two countries held four-day closed-door talks on the agreement. Addressing the 'Big Beautiful Event' at the White House, Trump said he has a "great deal" with India.

According to analysts, reports that the July 9th US tariff deadline is likely to be extended are also positive for the market sentiment.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 39 containers carrying 1,115 metric tonnes of Pakistani-origin goods, valued at nearly Rs 9 crore, that were being illegally imported into India by sea via Dubai, officials said on Thursday.

In two separate cases, these consignments were seized at Nhava Sheva port.

The consignments were falsely declared as UAE-origin, masking their Pakistani origin.