Semiconductor Push: PM Modi kicked off SEMICON India 2026 and marked commercial production at CDIL (Mohali) and Suchi Semicon (Palsana), with Semicon 2.0 now targeting a wider chip ecosystem—about Rs 1 lakh crore in commitments, ~1 lakh jobs, and support for 200+ chip-design startups plus 1 lakh technicians. Energy Security vs US Pressure: India said it’s monitoring the US “Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act” after the US House cleared a bill enabling up to 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil and gas; MEA stressed energy security for 1.4 billion people via diversified sourcing and “all necessary measures” to protect trade interests. Trade & Manufacturing: India-New Zealand FTA implementation is set for late October after NZ Parliament passed the enabling law; separately, India’s construction equipment exports are projected to top 20,000 units in FY27, helped by Stage V norms and new tariff concessions. Standards & Industry Inputs: BIS launched a Rs 38.72-crore upgrade of 21 cotton fibre testing labs to standardise quality checks for domestic and export markets. Consumer Tech: iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max starts selling in India today, with Blinkit offering quick delivery in select cities. Policy Watch: India is considering cutting vegetable oil import taxes to cool prices ahead of the festive season.