India won their first Test match in Edgbaston, where they had never won a Test previously, defeating England by 336 runs. In addition to being Gill’s first Test captaincy, this victory in Birmingham was India’s largest away Test victory in terms of runs.

With a batting prowess, he struck 269 and 161 to record 430 runs, which was only 26 runs more than Graham Gooch’s 456, which he coincidentally hit against India in 1990.

India’s captain, Shubman Gill, broke a number of records with his batting display in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, surpassing legends like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

The highest individual Test score for an Indian batter in England was 269 in the first innings at Edgbaston. Additionally, he surpassed Kohli’s undefeated 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019 to become the highest-scoring skipper of India in Test cricket.

After Allan Border, who hit 150* and 153 against Pakistan in Lahore in 1980, he became the second batsman to reach two 150+ scores in a Test.

Tendulkar’s 241 not out at the SCG in 2004 was the previous highest, but Gill’s 269 is now the greatest by an Indian batsman in Test matches outside of Asia. Additionally, this was only the second time an Indian captain had scored a double century in Test cricket away from home; the first being when Kohli did so against the West Indies in 2016.

He surpassed Kohli, who made 449 runs, with 585 runs, the highest total in the first two Test matches as captain. After Graeme Smith’s 621 in England in 2003, it is also the second-highest total in the opening two games of a series. Additionally, he became the player with the highest run total in a series in which he made his leadership debut.

He is only the fifth batter and the first Indian to be included in four-century stands during a Test match. The others are Joe Root (against Pakistan in 2016), Mark Taylor (against Pakistan in 1998), Graham Gooch (against India in 1990), and Hanif Mohammad (against the West Indies in 1958).

After Gavaskar and Kohli, the 25-year-old became the third Indian captain to reach the hundred-mark in both innings of a Test match. Kohli scored 115 and 141 against Australia in Adelaide in 2014, while Gavaskar scored 107 and 182 not out against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in 1978.

Shastri thinks the victory is a testament to the young Indian team’s character over the last five days and a match they will never forget.

“The boys’ ability to recover in this manner is a testament to their character. Although the loss at Leeds was difficult to accept, they had dominated the entire game in terms of bat, ball, and field. “Gill and India will remember this Test match,” Shastri stated on Sky Sports.

To build up the historic triumph, captain Shubman Gill put on an incredible display, scoring 430 runs in two innings—the most by an Indian in a Test match—before Akash Deep’s heroics.

Dinesh Karthik, a former India wicketkeeper batsman, also discussed Gill’s “princely manner.”

“India has a talent for naming cricket players, and Gill is referred to as the prince.” And he plays like a real royal. More significantly, he has mentally prepared for the role and is quite certain of what he wants to do. He has been the most reliable batsman and has been able to figure out what he wants to contribute. India has been the dominant team in Test cricket for nine of the 10 days, Karthik stated on Sky Sports.

The tariff letters that US President Donald Trump has signed on exports from 12 nations are scheduled to be distributed on Monday, July 7.

The US President told reporters on Air Force One that the identities of the nations who will get the letters will only be made public on Monday.

“I signed a few letters, which will likely be sent out around twelve on Monday. He informed reporters, “Different sums of money, different amounts of tariffs.”

“The letters are superior. Sending a letter is much simpler,” Trump continued.

Trump has proposed raising the reciprocal tariffs even further, maybe to 70% for certain nations, and implementing them on August 1.

In April, the US president announced a base tax of 10% on the majority of goods that enter the US, with higher tariffs for specific nations, such as China. Later, those higher duties were halted until July 9.

The United Kingdom and Vietnam are the two nations with which Washington has signed trade deals.

On the delicate subject of trade in dairy and agricultural products, which the US is promoting, India’s high-level official delegation, headed by top negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, has returned from Washington without concluding a deal with US authorities.

There is still some chance, nevertheless, that an interim bilateral trade agreement might be completed by the July 9 deadline at the highest political level in both nations.

From June 26 to July 2, the Indian team was in Washington to negotiate a temporary trade deal with the United States.

India would not rush into negotiating a free trade pact under pressure from any deadline, according to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

Minister Goyal emphasized that India is prepared to enter into trade agreements in the benefit of the country, but that it “never negotiates trade deals with a deadline” while speaking on the fringes of an event in the nation’s capital.

A significant obstacle is the US’s desire for more market access for its dairy and agricultural products; in India, this is a sensitive topic since it affects small farmers’ livelihoods.

In addition to negotiating a temporary agreement before July 9 to obtain an exemption from President Trump’s 26% tariffs, India is also attempting to obtain substantial duty breaks for its labor-intensive exports, including textiles, leather goods, and footwear.

Dr. Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist at Infomerics Ratings, stated on Tuesday that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been one of the most important changes implemented in India in the last ten years.

He claims that in addition to increasing the number of taxpayers in the nation, GST has also made doing business much simpler than it was in the past.

“India has witnessed several important structural changes over the last ten years, and GST stands out among them,” Sharma stated.

The stats make the impact very evident. With an average monthly collection of Rs 1.84 lakh crore, GST receipts in the fiscal year 2024–2025 were Rs 22.08 lakh crore, which was more than 9% more than the previous year. In comparison, Rs 11.37 lakh crore was collected in GST in FY 2020–21, according to Sharma.

He added that the government’s sporadic reforms had led to a notable increase in the number of GST-registered taxpayers.

There were around 60 lakh taxpayers when the GST was originally implemented. That figure has increased to 1.51 crore today, Sharma said IANS.

Sharma acknowledged that there were difficulties during the first phase of the GST’s introduction, but pointed out that many of the problems were resolved by prompt government actions.

“The adoption of GST has grown steadily over time, which is very good for the Indian economy,” he continued.

Sharma concurred with the results of a recent Deloitte survey that indicated 85% of companies thought the GST had improved their operations.

Businesses used to have to cope with a variety of tax rates and compliance requirements. Because of the centralization of the tax system under the ‘One Nation, One Tax‘ premise brought about by the GST, conducting business in India is now considerably simpler, Sharma said.

He added that although there has been significant progress in the last seven to eight years in the implementation of the GST, more can be done.

“We need to concentrate on streamlining the tax process, addressing taxpayer complaints, and guaranteeing quicker refunds in order to proceed more successfully,” he said.

The country’s largest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), stated on Tuesday that it currently contributes 1.1% of the world’s GDP and 16% of India’s GDP. The bank also stated that it now owns more than 25% of the implementation of all government-sponsored social security programs.

SBI has established 15 crore accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), enrolled 14.6 crore through the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), 6.7 crore through the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), and 1.73 crore through the Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

According to the report, the bank contributed 2.53% of corporate income tax (AY26) and made about 40% of the earnings of all public sector banks (PSBs) in FY25.

“With over 52 crore clients, SBI is the third most populated nation on Earth and has a greater customer base than the United States of America. According to figures released by the bank, the size of SBI’s balance sheet exceeds the GDP of 175 nations.

In its 70th year of existence, the largest financial institution in the country has seen its balance sheet climb to Rs 66 lakh crore.

According to the bank, 8.8 crore people have registered for the SBI YONO app, and the number is still rising, placing SBI as the 18th most populated country in terms of YONO users.

As the SBI marks 70 years of service to the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman praised the organization.

With more than 23,000 branches, 78,000 CSPs, and 64,000 ATMs, SBI has a significant presence today and is indeed the banker of all Indians. “Its customers have benefited greatly from the digital transformation it has accomplished over the past ten years,” she wrote in a post on social networking site X.

According to the Finance Minister, the SBI has also played a significant role in helping 1.5 crore farmers, 1.3 crore women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), 32 lakh street vendors under PM SVANidhi, 23 lakh MSMEs, and lakhs of craftsmen through a variety of programs.

The top asset management firm in India, SBI Mutual Fund, announced the release of SBIMF SmartAssist, an AI-powered chatbot accessible on WhatsApp, on Tuesday.

Through a straightforward, WhatsApp chat-based interface, SmartAssist assists users in learning about mutual funds, investing, and portfolio management, with the goal of streamlining every step of the mutual fund journey.

“We are bringing the power of AI straight to our investors with the debut of SmartAssist, our AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot, which will make investing in mutual funds easier and more accessible. Nand Kishore, MD and CEO of SBI Mutual Fund, stated, “This is a major step in our journey to improve investor experience and adopt tech for growth and efficiency.“

As the Modi government’s flagship program, Digital India, enters its 10th year, significant and revolutionary changes have occurred throughout the spectrum, enabling everyone to access and afford technology.

Digital literacy was poor, internet penetration was low, and the majority of government services were provided on paper when the Digital India Mission was started in 2015.

But as digitalization and penetration increased over time, the nation’s digital footprint grew significantly, and it is now ready to expand internationally.

The nation will undergo even more transformation in the upcoming ten years as it transitions from digital governance to global digital leadership—from India-first to India-for-the-world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged the historic day.

Examining the main achievements of Digital India

At first, pessimism played a major role in obscuring India’s digital revolution journey. But ten years later, India is becoming a leader in digital governance, real-time digital payments have become a worldwide model, and rapid 5G rollouts have attracted international interest.

India claims to have the nation’s quickest 5G rollout. Currently, 95% of people live in India, surpassing populations in continents like Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

At about Rs 10/GB, India offers the lowest and most economical internet in the world. For millions of individuals, especially in rural places, the internet is now a reality rather than a pipe dream.

India is currently leading the world in real-time digital transactions. According to reports, this location processes almost half of the world’s monthly real-time digital payments.

Although the success of India’s optical fiber trail may seem unreal to some, it is true. Throughout the nation, more than 42 lakh optical fiber route kilometers have been installed. Today, e-Government is powered by the internet, which connects everything from large metropolis to isolated villages.

There are more ABHA accounts in the nation than there are people in most other nations. With more than 78 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) established, the nation is building the largest digital health ecosystem in the world.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to reach the orbiting laboratory on Thursday when he successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) after a long and arduous 41-year wait.

After 41 years, India now has an astronaut in space. After Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 journey, Shukla, who was born in Lucknow, will also be the second Indian in space.

At 6:30 a.m. ET (4:00 p.m. IST), Shukla and three other passengers from the US, Poland, and Hungary have docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port aboard Axiom Space’s mission -4.

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu are aboard the SpaceX Dragon spaceship “Grace.”

“Docking confirmed!” In a post on the social media site X, SpaceX stated.

The crew boarded a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and took off for the ISS at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“Hello everyone, from space, Namaskar. Being here with my fellow astronauts makes me very happy. What a journey it was. “Let’s just go,” said Group Captain Shukla, “was all I could think of as I was sitting in the capsule on the launchpad.

“Something was pushing you back in the seat when the ride began. The ride was incredible. Then all of a sudden there was nothing. He said, “You are floating in a vacuum,” as he described his time in space.

“I am learning like a baby; how to walk and eat in space,” he stated.

The mission “is the journey of India’s human space flight,” he had previously stated.

To satisfy his appetites for home-cooked meals while in space, Shukla is also bringing carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, and mango nectar.

In addition to being a scientific achievement, the Axiom-4 Mission provides evidence of India’s growing influence as a major player in technology worldwide. It strengthens the country’s capacity to spearhead space innovation, advance sustainability, and make a significant contribution to international missions.

Shukla will carry out groundbreaking research on food and space nutrition once she is on board the ISS.

With assistance from NASA, ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) collaborated to develop these tests, which are intended to advance knowledge of sustainable life-support systems, a critical component of long-duration space flight in the future.

Additionally, the study will examine how edible microalgae—a nutrient-rich, very promising food source for upcoming space missions—are affected by microgravity and space radiation.

In addition to analyzing transcriptome, proteomic, and metabolomic alterations in several algae species in space as opposed to their behavior on Earth, the experiment will assess important growth indices.

According to a survey released on Thursday, India’s online commerce industry is predicted to grow from a base of $30 billion in 2020 to $300 billion by the end of the decade in 2030, contributing to a $1 trillion digital opportunity in the nation.

According to Bessemer Venture Partners‘ research, this shows it is no more a marginal phenomena serving a small section but has solidified itself as a dominant force within the Indian retail environment for a sizable and expanding portion of the population.

“India offers a digital opportunity worth $1 trillion.” The rise of several consumer markets, platforms, and cutting-edge businesses over the last ten years is evidence of India’s evolving ambitions. We are quite hopeful that many more consumer plays will surface in the upcoming years as a result of this,” said Partner Anant Vidur Puri.

The emergence of new generation consumer enterprises has been made possible by a tailwind trinity of developments, including changing demographics, internet penetration, and policy changes.

According to the survey, fresh businesses will succeed in the Indian market in the future due to the development of content platforms, commerce marketplaces, and shifting customer preferences.

In recent years, the rapidly growing online commerce industry in India has experienced a remarkable surge in growth.

The way consumers obtain items has also been further revolutionized by the recent emergence of rapid commerce, or q-commerce, which has added a new dimension to the online retail ecosystem.

This trend has been led by platforms like BigBasket, Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto, which show how profitable and popular quick delivery services are with customers. With firms like Snabbit, Swish, and Slikk meeting specialized needs, this market is witnessing the emergence of the additional trend of verticalized q-commerce.

Also read: The Myths And Realities Of Starting A Successful Ecommerce Business

Last but not least, D2C companies are rapidly serving an aspirational mass-premium market, which is defined by a desire for more recent, more affordable, and higher-quality goods.

The varied tastes of Indian customers for gaming, education, and entertainment are fueling a content revolution in the country. According to the report, “user engagement is rapid, facilitated by frictionless microtransactions or autopay-led subscriptions. Users are characterized by short attention spans and a multitude of accessible platforms across interests, languages, and budgets.”

With brief and interesting content, platforms are adjusting to users’ shortened attention spans. In India, short-form video platforms have seen a 3.6X increase in daily active users over the last five years, putting them in competition with more popular digital platforms.

Additionally, the growth of UPI-enabled microtransactions, which enables businesses to experiment with a variety of revenue models beyond advertisements, is exemplified by the rise of virtual tipping, UPI autopay, and other microtransactions, which are predicted to reach $1.5 billion by 2029.

Spending on wellness services, workout equipment, organic food, protein, and preventive healthcare has increased.

According to the survey, the category of health-focused food and beverage (F&B) has grown from 11% to 16% of F&B spending and is predicted to keep growing as brands have been fast to follow suit.