Critical Minerals & Rare Earths: India is in confidential talks with Russia’s Rosneft to access the Tomtor rare earth deposit in Siberia, with samples processed in Russia before detailed analysis in India—aimed at reducing dependence on China for EV and defence magnets. Industrial Policy Push: Gujarat unveiled its Viksit Gujarat Industrial Policy-2026, targeting ₹10 trillion investment in five years with 15–50% incentives, plus support for innovation, R&D, skills, sustainability and startups. AI & Deep-Tech Ecosystem: IIT Bombay launched BharatGen at Bharat Innovates 2026, an open multilingual sovereign AI platform for Indian languages; SAP Labs India also rolled out its 2026 deep-tech startup cohort. Defence Manufacturing: India’s defence production hit a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY25–26, up 15.6%, with private industry’s share rising to ~₹42,000 crore. Urban Water Stress: Mumbai’s BMC imposed a 20% cut for industry and halted water to swimming pools and construction sites as lake levels fell to 10.35% amid delayed monsoon. Textiles & Handloom: India reimposed a hank yarn obligation to protect handloom weavers, while cotton yarn sentiment in Mumbai steadied after a prolonged decline. Solar Supply Chain: Navitas Solar plans a 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility plus pilot wafer-ingot production in Gujarat, with commissioning targeted for 2027. Transport & Infrastructure: A new six-lane creek bridge is planned between Thane and Navi Mumbai to ease pressure on existing crossings. Airline Cost Cuts: Air India introduced an optional “Basic Fare” on select domestic routes without complimentary meals.