Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that innovation, deep technologies, startups, MSMEs and globally competitive manufacturing will drive India’s next phase of economic growth and help realise the vision of a developed India by 2047.Addressing the 22nd J.R.D. Tata Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, Mr Goyal said the country must strive for excellence and ensure that Made in India products earn global respect through quality, innovation and competitiveness.

The Minister highlighted several initiatives to promote innovation, including the one lakh crore rupee Research, Development and Innovation Fund, the IndiaAI Mission and the Second Semiconductor Mission. He said these initiatives will further strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and accelerate the development of emerging technologies.

Mr Goyal said the Government is creating an enabling business environment by reducing the compliance burden, decriminalising outdated laws and improving the ease of doing business. He added that skill development should become an industry-led movement, supported by the Government through an enabling ecosystem. The Minister noted that India continues to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy despite global uncertainties.

Calling upon industry to invest more in research, innovation and skill development, Mr Goyal urged entrepreneurs and investors to support home-grown deep-tech startups at an early stage and help them move from innovation to commercialisation and global scale.

The Commerce and Industry Minister also paid tribute to J.R.D. Tata, saying his vision of excellence, innovation and nation-building continues to inspire Indian industry. He expressed confidence that these values will help realise the vision of a developed India by 2047.

Odisha remains on high alert as swollen rivers continue to threaten vast stretches of the state, even as the India Meteorological Department has forecast another spell of heavy to very heavy rainfall.

With the Mahanadi expected to witness a medium flood and several river basins under close surveillance, the administration has intensified relief and preparedness measures. Bhadrak continues to be the worst-affected district, while authorities have urged people in vulnerable areas not to leave designated relief centres.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued an Orange warning for Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall today, while Yellow warnings remain in force for 18 other districts.

Educational institutions have been closed in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Bhadrak as a precautionary measure. The State Government has cancelled the leave of officers in eight districts to ensure uninterrupted disaster response. Authorities maintain that the overall flood situation is under control and have appealed to people in vulnerable areas to remain in designated relief centres until conditions improve.

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the theme for the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi. The 10th edition of Asia’s largest digital technology forum will be held from 7th to 10th October in New Delhi.

Organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), IMC 2026 will bring together global technology leaders, telecom operators, innovators, startups, investors, researchers and policymakers to shape the next phase of India’s digital transformation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Scindia said the theme, ‘Scale without Boundaries’, reflects India’s ambition to take its telecom innovations, technologies and digital solutions beyond national borders for global benefit. He said the next phase of India’s telecom journey should focus on exporting home-grown innovations and shaping global technology standards.

Mr Scindia said nearly 500 million people have been connected to 5G services within two-and-a-half years through investments of about 4.5 lakh crore rupees and the rollout of around five lakh telecom towers. He expressed confidence that 6G technology will integrate physical, digital and intelligence ecosystems, with India aiming to become a global leader in the field.

The Minister also said the 10th edition of IMC is anchored around four key pillars — Srishti (Building the Future), Suraksha (Strengthening Trust), Sashakt (Expanding Opportunities) and Samvardhan (Fueling Growth) — reflecting India’s vision of building a digitally empowered, secure and growth-oriented future.

Mr Scindia also highlighted initiatives such as the Bharat 6G Alliance, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom manufacturing and the Sanchar Saathi portal, saying these are strengthening innovation, domestic manufacturing and digital security. He said IMC 2026 will showcase emerging technologies, including 5G, 6G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, satellite communications, cloud and edge computing, quantum technologies and green technologies.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, said the past decade has been unprecedented for India’s telecom sector and the India Mobile Congress provides a global platform to showcase the country’s achievements in telecommunications. He added that IMC also serves as a platform for collaboration between the government and industry, enabling startups to showcase their innovations while providing investors with opportunities to support India’s growing digital ecosystem.

Polling has begun for by-elections to three Assembly constituencies in Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Voting is taking place for the Bankipur constituency in Bihar, Manjalpur in Gujarat and Datia in Madhya Pradesh. Polling, which began at 7 AM, will continue till 6 PM.

 

In Bihar, the bye-election for the Bankipur seat was necessitated after BJP President Nitin Nabin vacated the Assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha.

 

In Gujarat’s Manjalpur Assembly seat, the BJP has fielded Satish Patel, while the Congress has pitted Bhikhabhai Rabari against him. The Election Commission has introduced 100 per cent webcasting, mobile deposit counters outside polling stations and cVIGIL facilities for online complaints related to the Model Code of Conduct. The by-election was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Yogesh Patel, who had represented the Manjalpur Assembly constituency multiple times.

 

In Madhya Pradesh, the Datia seat became vacant due to the disqualification of Rajendra Bharti.