1. Deadly Floods in Northern India
Monsoon fury continues to devastate northern India as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir battle severe flooding and landslides. The death toll has crossed 127 people, with thousands more displaced from their homes.
Delhi recorded its highest rainfall in decades, bringing the capital to a standstill. Roads turned into rivers, and the Yamuna swelled dangerously close to evacuation levels.
Climate experts aren’t mincing words—this isn’t just bad weather anymore. “We’re seeing rainfall patterns that our infrastructure simply wasn’t built for,” says meteorologist Dr. Anand Sharma.
The worst hit? Himachal Pradesh, where entire villages have been cut off. Rescue operations are ongoing, but cloudy skies are making helicopter evacuations nearly impossible. This monsoon season is proving to be one of the deadliest in recent memory.
2. GST Overhaul Announced
India’s tax landscape is about to get a major makeover. The government just announced a sweeping GST restructure that’ll simplify the current mess of multiple tax slabs into just two main rates: 5% and 18%.
Here’s what’s changing—essential items stay at 5%, most goods jump to 18%, and sin goods like cigarettes and luxury cars get slapped with 40%. The finance ministry admits this will cost them ₹480 billion in revenue, but they’re betting on higher compliance to make up the difference.
For regular folks? Your grocery bills might actually go down. Items that were stuck at 12% or 28% could drop significantly.
“We’re choosing simplicity over revenue complexity,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained during yesterday’s press conference. Implementation starts January 2026.
3. GST 2.0 Makes Life-Saving Drugs Cheaper
Finally, some good news for patients battling serious illnesses. The new GST structure brings life-saving drugs under its umbrella with significant tax cuts.
Thirty-three critical medicines for cancer, diabetes, and chronic diseases are now completely exempt from GST. That’s a huge relief for families already struggling with treatment costs.
But here’s the bigger picture—most pharmaceutical products are moving from the current 12% GST rate down to just 5%. We’re talking about everything from basic painkillers to specialized treatments.
Dr. Priya Nair from AIIMS Delhi puts it simply: “This could cut medicine costs by 15-20% for average families.”
The pharma lobby has been pushing for this for years. Looks like the government finally listened. The changes kick in with the broader GST overhaul next year.
4. U.S.–India Tariff Dispute
Things are getting messy between Washington and New Delhi over trade policies. President Trump is pushing the Supreme Court to give him broader tariff powers, and India’s squarely in the crosshairs.
The dispute centers around Trump’s frustration with India’s trade practices, but it’s getting tangled up with Ukraine war diplomacy. India’s refusing to pick sides between the U.S. and Russia, and that’s not sitting well with American trade hawks.
“India’s playing both sides while benefiting from American markets,” complained one White House official who didn’t want to be named.
The Supreme Court case could reshape how America handles international trade disputes. If Trump gets his way, expect higher tariffs on Indian textiles, pharmaceuticals, and IT services.
Indian exporters are already nervous. The rupee dipped slightly on the news yesterday.
5. Trump’s Mixed Messaging on India
The Trump administration can’t seem to get its story straight on India policy. While some officials push for tougher trade measures, others are advocating for stronger strategic partnerships.
Peter Navarro’s recent comments about India “taking advantage” of American generosity have created quite a stir in Delhi. But defense officials are simultaneously praising Indo-Pacific cooperation and joint military exercises.
Prime Minister Modi isn’t waiting around for clarity. Sources suggest he’s pivoting toward China and Russia for certain economic partnerships, hedging bets against American unpredictability.
“Modi’s looking east because he can’t count on consistent American policy,” explains foreign policy analyst Harsh Pant.
The mixed signals are creating uncertainty for Indian businesses planning American investments. Everyone’s waiting to see which voice wins out in Washington’s policy circles.
6. RBI Cancels Sep 5 Bank Holiday
Quick change of plans from the Reserve Bank! The September 5 bank holiday that was supposed to happen today? Cancelled.
All banks across India are open for regular business today, despite earlier notifications suggesting otherwise. The RBI quietly issued a circular yesterday evening reversing their decision.
Instead, banks will observe a holiday on September 8 to accommodate the festival calendar better. “We realized the timing would disrupt too many critical transactions,” an RBI spokesperson explained.
ATMs are functioning normally, and online banking services haven’t been affected. But if you were planning to skip bank visits today, you might want to reconsider.
The change caught many banks off guard—several had already adjusted their staffing schedules. Branch managers across the country had to scramble to ensure normal operations resumed smoothly.
7. Indian Stock Market Moves
The Sensex and Nifty had a sluggish day, with both indices closing in the red. Sensex dropped 245 points while Nifty fell by 78 points—nothing dramatic, but definitely not the momentum investors were hoping for.
Reliance Industries and Infosys were the major drags, pulling down the tech and energy sectors respectively. Reliance’s quarterly results disappointed analysts, while Infosys faced concerns about client spending cuts.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Adani Ports emerged as a standout performer, gaining 4.2% after announcing new infrastructure projects. Banking stocks also showed resilience with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank ending in green territory.
“Markets are digesting mixed global cues,” says equity analyst Ravi Sundar. Foreign institutional investors remain cautious, but domestic buying is providing some support.
8. Corporate Moves: Axiscades & Rolex Rings
Two interesting corporate stories caught attention in today’s business news. Axiscades Engineering Technologies landed a significant new contract worth ₹150 crores from a European aerospace client, sending their stock up 6.8% in afternoon trading.
The Bangalore-based company will be providing engineering design services over the next 24 months. “This validates our global capabilities,” CEO Sudhakar Gande said in a press statement.
Meanwhile, Rolex Rings announced a 1:10 stock split that’ll make their shares more accessible to retail investors. Currently trading around ₹2,800, the split will bring individual share prices down to roughly ₹280.
Investors seem pleased with both moves. Rolex Rings closed 3.4% higher on the split announcement. These kinds of corporate actions often signal management confidence in future growth prospects.
9. Education Rankings Released
IIT Madras has done it again! The prestigious institution topped the NIRF Rankings 2025 for the engineering category, maintaining its position as India’s premier technical university.
But here’s an interesting twist—Jadavpur University from West Bengal claimed the top spot among state universities, beating several well-funded central institutions. Their focus on research and industry collaboration seems to be paying off.
“State universities are proving they can compete with the best,” Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan noted while releasing the rankings.
The complete list shows IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay rounding out the top three in engineering. For overall university rankings, IISc Bangalore retained its crown.
These rankings influence student choices significantly. Expect application numbers to surge for the top-ranked institutions when admissions open next year.
10. Teachers’ Day Celebrations
Today’s Teachers’ Day in India, and schools across the country are celebrating with the usual mix of flowers, speeches, and heartfelt gratitude. But why does India celebrate on September 5 when most of the world observes it on October 5?
It’s all about Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President and a legendary educator. Born on this day in 1888, he believed teachers deserved special recognition for shaping young minds.
UNESCO designated October 5 as World Teachers’ Day in 1994, but India stuck with its September tradition. “Our Teachers’ Day has deeper historical roots,” explains education historian Dr. Meera Chandran.
From primary schools to universities, students are organizing cultural programs and expressing appreciation for their mentors. Social media is flooded with #TeachersDay posts celebrating educators who made lasting impacts on students’ lives.
