EPFO is working on a framework to let self-employed people, gig workers and those in the unorganised sector join the provident fund system, The Times of India reported. The proposed universal PF scheme would allow them to save for retirement while offering tax benefits. Annual contributions of up to ₹2.5 lakh, along with the interest earned, could be tax-free.

A hoax bomb threat scribbled on a handwritten note was found inside an Ahmedabad-bound IndiGo plane's lavatory in Bengaluru. About 25 minutes before the plane's departure, a crew member found the note tucked inside the forward lavatory, with the message saying, "Don't go. Bomb hai! Please." IndiGo then filed a police complaint, based on which an FIR was filed.

Foreign Institutional Investors have turned net buyers in July after a ₹2.6 lakh crore sell-off in 2026. Easing crude oil prices, a recovering rupee, steady GDP growth and sustained domestic institutional participation helped improve market sentiment, according to analysts. However, they warned that fresh inflows represent portfolio rebalancing rather than a wholesale return to Indian equities.

Hemant Mohapatra, Partner at Lightspeed Venture, said he receives 300-400 cold startup pitches every month, adding 90% of those are AI-generated. "100% of those I can't even read beyond the first paragraph...Pretends to story-tell but falls flat," he described the pitches. He suggested founders to manually write pitches and send to dozens of investors as it might generate better response.

Chinese smartphone brands lost more ground in India during the June quarter as demand for budget phones weakened amid rising prices, according to Counterpoint Research. Overall smartphone shipments fell 10% year-on-year, marking the steepest June-quarter decline in six years. Brands including Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Realme lost market share as consumers delayed purchases and sought cheaper options.

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Friday, defying weak global cues and fresh concerns over the Strait of Hormuz. The BSE Sensex surged 964.58 points or 1.25% to close at 78,151.45, while the Nifty 50 gained 261.55 points to settle at 24,334.30. The rally was driven by information technology and financial stocks.

Maruti Suzuki has responded to a Raipur consumer court's order, which directed it to replace a customer's car after its engine was damaged by E20 fuel. "There's evidence of contamination in the fuel collected from the customer's vehicle," Maruti said, noting that their car was already E20 compliant. It announced that it'll challenge the court's order.

Pakistan's move, seeking arbitration after India put Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, backfired as it's paying arbitration costs for both India and itself, ET reported. Pakistan has spent ₹5.7 crore to keep arbitration alive, with costs expected to rise further. India had put the treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack, which is forcing Pakistan to bear arbitration costs.

Google DeepMind AI safety researcher Alex Turner has resigned over the company’s Pentagon deal, citing concerns around killer robots and mass AI surveillance. Turner said he spent months trying to change Google’s stance before leaving after the agreement with Google, Microsoft, Amazon and OpenAI. “I couldn’t stay at Google in good conscience, so I left,” he said.

Uber is set to acquire German food delivery company Delivery Hero for $14.8 billion (over ₹1.4 lakh crore). The deal would create the largest food delivery company outside China, strengthening Uber's position against rivals such as DoorDash and Just Eat. The deal will expand Uber's taxi and food delivery services in 58 markets, up from 34 markets currently.