The southwest monsoon has covered all of India nearly a week ahead of its usual July 8 date, the weather department said. Rainfall so far this season is 6% above normal, boosting kharif sowing. The IMD expects above-normal rain to continue through July across most of the country.

The Reserve Bank of India kept the repo rate unchanged in its latest policy review, citing easing food inflation and steady growth. The MPC voted to retain a neutral stance, signalling room for cuts later this year if price pressures continue to soften. GDP growth forecast was retained.

India's Unified Payments Interface processed over 20 billion transactions in a single month, a new record, NPCI data showed. Transaction value crossed ₹30 lakh crore. Growth was driven by small-ticket merchant payments in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, with credit lines on UPI also gaining traction.

India beat England by six wickets in the fourth T20I to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 166, the top order fired with a 78-run opening stand. The bowlers had earlier restricted England on a slow surface, with the spinners taking five wickets between them.

The Delhi Metro opened a new Phase 4 corridor connecting Janakpuri West to RK Ashram, adding 12 stations to the network. The line is expected to serve over 3 lakh passengers daily and cut travel time across west Delhi by 40 minutes. Driverless operations will begin within months.

Semiconductor supply chains are stabilizing as new fabrication plants in India, Japan and Vietnam begin volume production, industry trackers said. Lead times for mature-node chips fell to their lowest since 2020. Analysts expect prices for consumer electronics to ease modestly through the year.

Venture funding into Indian startups rose 34% year-on-year to $9.2 billion in the first half, led by fintech, deeptech and consumer brands. Late-stage rounds returned after a two-year lull, and eight new unicorns were minted. Investors say discipline on unit economics is holding despite the rebound.

ISRO successfully completed the third landing experiment of its reusable launch vehicle programme at Chitradurga, validating autonomous approach under tougher wind conditions. The winged vehicle was released from a helicopter at 4.5 km altitude and landed precisely on the runway. Orbital re-entry tests are planned next.

An independent Indian animated feature won the top award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a first for the country. Made by a Mumbai studio over five years, the hand-drawn film explores a folk tale from the Western Ghats. A theatrical release across India is planned for October.

Neeraj Chopra threw 90.12m to win the Paris Diamond League meeting, his second career throw beyond the 90-metre mark. The Olympic champion led from the first round and beat a strong field. He said his focus now shifts to defending his title at the World Championships in September.

South Asia added more solar capacity than any other region last year, a UN energy report said, with India accounting for three-quarters of the additions. Falling module prices and rooftop subsidies drove adoption. The report warns grid storage investment must triple to absorb the new capacity.

India's decadal census began its house-listing phase, the first to be conducted primarily through a mobile app. Enumerators will cover 33 crore households over 11 months. Citizens can also self-enumerate online. The count will inform delimitation, welfare targeting and the next Finance Commission's formula.

Major streaming services will invest over ₹12,000 crore in Indian original content in the next two years, an industry report estimates, with regional-language shows taking more than half the budget. Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam originals are growing fastest as platforms chase subscribers beyond the metros.

The Sensex closed at a record high, gaining 720 points as foreign institutional investors turned net buyers for the sixth straight session. Banking and IT stocks led the rally. Analysts credited a stable rupee, cooling US yields and strong quarterly earnings guidance from index heavyweights.