Rail Freight Diplomacy: India’s first direct commercial container freight service from Kolkata Port to Nepal’s Biratnagar customs terminal cut the usual border transfer step, signaling a shift from building rail links to moving trade. AI at Scale: Nandan Nilekani says India can lead the next AI wave by focusing on real-world, population-scale use cases in Indian languages and voice, not just chips and models. Cloud Infra Push: Microsoft launched its India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad, expanding to four regions and betting on rising enterprise AI demand. UPI Policy Debate: Think tank GTRI warns India not to rewrite UPI rules under US pressure, stressing competition, autonomy and a sustainable funding model without broad merchant charges. Food Regulation Clash: Dabur moved to Delhi High Court against an FSSAI order stopping “100%” purity/natural/organic claims on multiple products. Energy & Industry Cooperation: BRICS Industry Ministers wrapped up in Jaipur under India’s chairship, adopting a joint declaration under PartNIR to build resilient, innovation-driven industry. Space Milestone: Gaganyaan’s human-rating systems cleared major development and ground testing milestones, bringing the mission closer to launch readiness. Maritime Security: Ports minister Sonowal called for technology-led maritime security as India’s port network expands. Water Loss Fix: IIT Madras-linked pipeline inspection robots won $5.5M to tackle India’s massive treated-water leakage.