Current Affairs - September 15, 2026 Current Affairs

IIT Bombay hosted the Mumbai City Connect of the MC²⁺ Ignite energy innovation accelerator, organised by ONGC on September 8, 2026. The event aimed to strengthen the energy innovation ecosystem by connecting industry, academia and startups. A tripartite MoU was signed between the MC²⁺ Foundation, IIT Bombay and the Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SINE). The accelerator is designed to support up to 30 high-potential early-stage energy startups. Eligible startups can receive up to ₹2 crore in total potential support through convertible funding and milestone-based funding for validation and pilot projects. SINE serves as IIT Bombay’s technology business incubator.

Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer is the venue for IAF Dronathon 2026, conducted from September 14 to 16. The three-day event provides a realistic operating environment for assessing advanced unmanned technologies. More than 20 defence firms, startups, MSMEs, DPSUs and innovators are participating and showcasing technologies such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, autonomous operations, swarm technology, Electronic Warfare and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The Indian Air Force is using the event to evaluate how these platforms perform in contested and complex environments. The event also supports the development of India’s indigenous unmanned systems ecosystem under the Atmanirbharta initiative.

India’s retail inflation, measured through the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose to 4.82% in August 2026, compared with 4.45% in July 2026. The increase reflected higher price pressures across both rural and urban areas. Rural CPI inflation reached 5.23%, while urban inflation stood at 4.31%. Food inflation, measured through the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), also increased to 5.95% from 5.52% in July. The August CPI figures were based on the new 2024=100 base year and were released provisionally by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Volkswagen Group signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JSW Group on September 13, 2026, to establish a proposed joint venture for passenger vehicle operations in India. Under the proposed arrangement, JSW Group would hold 51% and Volkswagen Group 49%. The venture is expected to involve investments and capital commitments exceeding €1 billion, covering the production of internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles. It would also integrate manufacturing operations, workforce and the existing supplier ecosystem. The partnership covers eight existing Skoda and Volkswagen brands sold in India, with a final binding agreement targeted by December 2026.

₹2,000 is the transaction value limit up to which UPI payments have been specified as charge-free by the government. Banks and payment system providers cannot charge customers for initiating or receiving UPI transactions up to this amount. The same exemption applies to RuPay debit card transactions up to ₹2,000. The clarification was issued amid discussions surrounding amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The measure aims to ensure that consumers and small businesses can continue using digital payments for small-value transactions without additional charges. P2P UPI transactions also remain free for users.

Uttarakhand witnessed the birth of its first OPU-IVF calf in the Badri cattle breed on September 11, 2026. A healthy female Badri calf was born following an embryo transfer using Ovum Pick-Up and In Vitro Fertilisation technology. The initiative was jointly undertaken by ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI), Karnal, and G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Oocytes were collected from elite Badri donor cows and fertilised using semen from superior Badri bulls. The resulting embryo was transferred into a Sahiwal recipient cow. Badri cattle are indigenous to the Himalayan region and are the official State Animal of Uttarakhand.

Amazon partnered with Qualcomm in September 2026 to develop multiple generations of customised AI chips for AWS data centres. The collaboration focuses primarily on AI inference and large-scale data centre infrastructure. The companies also plan to develop high-performance optical connectivity solutions supporting speeds of up to 1.6T, incorporating Qualcomm’s SerDes and optical digital signal processing technologies. Qualcomm will use Amazon Bedrock to manage electronic design automation workloads, with the broader goal of reducing chip design cycle times. The partnership represents Qualcomm’s strategic expansion from its long-standing mobile processing expertise into large-scale artificial intelligence computing infrastructure.

The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project achieved its 41st tunnel breakthrough on September 11, 2026, with the completion of the 10.847-km-long Escape Tunnel-1. The project is being developed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) under the Ministry of Railways at a total cost of ₹37,000 crore. Escape Tunnel-1 is the second-longest tunnel in the project. By September 2026, overall project progress had reached 78%, while tunnel excavation was 97% complete. The 125-km railway line includes 16 main tunnels and 12 escape tunnels and is targeted for completion by December 2029.

Bihar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AIM Global Foundation on September 8, 2026, during the AIM Congress 2026 in Dubai, UAE, to establish a dedicated food processing park. The proposed project aims to create an integrated agri-food and food processing cluster in Bihar that can serve as a sourcing base for Gulf food supply chains. The initiative seeks to attract investment from UAE and wider Gulf-based companies and institutional investors. The agreement was signed by Kundan Kumar, Secretary of the Industries Department of Bihar, and HE Dawood Al-Shezawi, President of the AIM Global Foundation.

Dhiraj Bommadevara became the first Indian man to win the Archery World Cup Final in the men’s recurve event. He defeated Japan’s Nakanishi Junya in a closely contested final held in Saltillo, Mexico. The match was tied 5-5 after five sets, leading to a decisive shoot-off. Dhiraj scored a perfect 10, while Nakanishi scored 9, securing the gold medal for the Indian archer. This victory gave India its first-ever men’s recurve gold medal at the Archery World Cup Final and marked the biggest achievement of Dhiraj Bommadevara’s career.