January 2nd week current affairs (CDSE/OTA 2026)

DEFENCE NEWS

• IA Creates Modern Warfare Force ‘Bhairav’ with Over 1 Lakh Drone Operatives In January 2026, the Indian Army announced creation of ‘Bhairav’, a modern warfare force with over 1 lakh trained drone operatives equipped with advanced drone technology for enhanced combat capabilities. Currently, 15 Bhairav battalions have been deployed across various formations along both borders with plans to raise 25 such battalions in near future, serving as dedicated force for high-speed offensive operations and special forces tasking at tactical to operational depth while making first appearance at Indian Army Day Parade in Jaipur, Rajasthan on January 15, 2026.
• ONGC Signs MoU with MoTA to Empower Tribal Students of EMRS On January 5, 2026, ONGC, a Maharatna PSU, signed an MoU with National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) under Ministry of Tribal Affairs to strengthen Eklavya Model Residential Schools through ₹28 crore Corporate Social Responsibility funding. The initiative covering 144 EMRS in 11 states and UTs will empower tribal students through digital learning infrastructure, career mentorship and counselling, capacity building of teachers, health and hygiene facilities, and entrepreneurship training under central government scheme launched in FY 1997-98.
• Union Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates NIDMS of NSG in New Delhi In January 2026, Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Data Management System (NIDMS) developed by National Bomb Data Centre of NSG through video conferencing at Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana. NIDMS is a secure national level AI-enabled digital platform serving as central repository of all bomb explosion incidents from 1999 to present, accessible to NIA, ATS, State Police Forces, CAPFs, and central agencies, integrated with ICJS-2 supporting ‘One Data–One Entry’ principle linking with CCTNS, e Courts, e-Prisons, and NAFIS for strengthened national security coordination.
• Indian Navy’s 1TS Begins Long Range Training Deployment to Southeast Asia On January 7, 2026, the First Training Squadron of Indian Navy began its Long-Range Training Deployment to Southeast Asia as part of 110th Integrated Officers’ Training Course, with vessels INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata, and ICGS Sarathi making port calls in Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. The deployment provides naval cadets hands-on experience in seamless, navigation, and professional naval operations in varied maritime environments while strengthening India’s Act East Policy ties with Southeast Asia, promoting a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

NATIONAL NEWS

• GoI Launches ₹4,531 Crore Market Access Support Scheme for Exporters On December 31, 2025, the Government of India launched the Market Access Support (MAS) Scheme with a total outlay of ₹4,531 crore for FY26 FY31 under the ₹25,060 crore Export Promotion Mission, aiming to strengthen global market access for Indian exporters with strong focus on MSMEs and first-time exporters. The scheme provides financial support for international trade fairs, exhibitions, buyer-seller meets, and trade delegations to priority and emerging markets, with assistance capped at ₹5 crore per event for BSMs and ₹10 crore for RBSMs.
• MeitY Approves 22 New Proposals Worth ₹41,863 Crores Under Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology approved 22 additional proposals worth ₹41,863 crores under ECMS as the third tranche of clearances, bringing cumulative approvals to 46 projects with total investment of ₹56,567 crore. The 22 approved companies span 11 key electronics product segments including PCBs, capacitors, camera modules, and lithium-ion cells, with geographical spread across 8 states including Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
• MoC&I Launches Two Key Financial Interventions Worth ₹7,295 Crore for MSME Exports The Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry launched two critical interventions—₹5,181 crore interest subvention scheme for pre and post-shipment export credit and ₹2,114 crore collateral guarantee support for export credit—to boost MSME exports and enhance access to trade finance. Eligible exporters will receive 2.75% base interest subvention with additional incentives for exports to under-represented markets, while collateral guarantee offers 85% coverage for micro and small exporters and 65% for medium exporters.
• Union Minister JP Nadda Releases 10th Edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia On January 2, 2026, Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda released the 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP 2026), the official compendium of drug standards in India, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. IP 2026 added 121 new monographs totaling 3,340 and introduced 20 monographs for blood components for transfusion medicine, strengthening drug quality standards and ensuring safe blood transfusions aligned with national regulatory standards.
• Indian Army Declares 2026 as ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’ The Indian Army under Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi declared 2026 as the ‘Year of Networking & Data Centricity’ to drive digital integration, enhance connectivity, and enable real-time decision making for building a future-ready, technologically advanced force. The initiative aims to treat data as a core operational asset through seamless digital connectivity among soldiers, command centres, sensors, and weapon platforms while operation a lising indigenous communication systems and battlefield management platforms.
• GoI Extends PLI Scheme for Textiles Deadline to March 31, 2026 The Ministry of Textiles extended the deadline for fresh applications under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Textiles from December 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026, supporting global competitiveness in selected textile segments. Under the scheme launched in September 2021 with ₹10,683 crore outlay for FY22-FY26, 74 applications have been approved so far with proposed investments of approximately ₹28,711 crore across man-made fibres, fabrics, and technical textiles.
• Indian Army Launches Community Radio Station ‘Radio Sangam’ in Rajouri, J&K On January 2, 2026, the Indian Army in collaboration with civil administration launched “Radio Sangam”, the first community radio station along the Line of Control at Keri village in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, broadcasting on 88.8 FM. Radio Sangam aims to provide reliable information, promote local culture, and strengthen trust between the Indian Army, civil administration, and villagers through awareness campaigns, agriculture tips, cultural programs, and interactive shows.
• Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar Launches ‘IITM Global Research Foundation’ at IIT-Madras On January 2026, Union Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar launched the ‘IITM Global Research Foundation’ at IIT-Madras in Chennai to position the institute as the world’s first multinational university. The initiative includes a dynamic ‘plug-and-play’ framework for technology transfer, joint research projects, and startup expansion, with IIT-M signing MoUs with 3 institutions in USA, 1 in UK, 3 in Germany, 3 in UAE, 3 in Asia-Pacific, and 6 under India-for-Global initiative for initial setup in USA, Dubai, Malaysia, and Germany.
• PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics On January 3, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One” exposition at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi, organized by the Ministry of Culture. The exposition showcases over 80 artefacts from the 6th century BCE to present, marking the historic reunification of Piprahwa Buddhist relics after 127 years through a Public-Private Partnership with Godrej Industries Group, displaying the original monolithic stone coffer alongside sculptures, manuscripts, and gem relics.
• Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Releases 184 New Crop Varieties Across 25 Crops On January 4, 2026, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 184 newly developed crop varieties across 25 different crops at an event in New Delhi, developed by ICAR (60 varieties), state and central agricultural universities (62 varieties), and private seed companies (62 varieties). The varieties include 122 cereals focused on climate-resilient millets, 24 cotton varieties, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, 6 pulses, 6 sugarcane, and individual jute and tobacco varieties to enhance agricultural productivity and food security.
• 42nd Foundation Day of DSIR: Relaxes 3-Year Eligibility Norm for Deep-Tech Startups On January 4, 2026, Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh announced removal of the mandatory 3-year existence condition for deep-tech startups to avail maximum ₹1 crore financial assistance under DSIR’s Industrial Research and Development Promotion Program during the 42nd Foundation Day celebrations. The event also launched 4 new initiatives including Guidelines for Recognition of In-House R&D Centres, PRISM Network Platform, Creative India 2025, and DSIR Disaster Management Plan along with multiple MoUs for technology transfer and skill development.
• Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Inaugurates SGA Farm and Research Institute in Hyderabad On January 5, 2026, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh inaugurated the Smart Green Aquaculture (SGA) Farm and Research Institute in Hyderabad, Telangana, featuring India’s first commercial scale tropical trout farm and state-of-the-art Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) facility. SGA Limited’s project at Kandukur Mandal serves as a live training and demonstration center, providing hands-on learning to youths in advanced aquaculture systems, automation, monitoring, and biosecurity practices for sustainable fish farming.
• India’s AYUSH System Recognised in Bilateral Agreements with Oman and New Zealand In January 2026, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry announced India’s traditional medical system (AYUSH) formal recognition in bilateral agreements with Oman under Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and New Zealand under Free Trade Agreement. The announcement was made during AYUSHEXCIL’s 4th establishment anniversary celebrations, noting that AYUSH and herbal product exports rose from USD 649.2 million in 2023-24 to USD 688.89 million in 2024-25, registering 6.11% growth while AYUSHEXCIL implements the Ayush Quality Mark programme launched by PM Modi.
• India-Pakistan Exchange Nuclear Lists on January 1, 2026 (35th Time) In January 2026, India and Pakistan exchanged the list of Nuclear Installations and Facilities through diplomatic channels at New Delhi and Islamabad simultaneously, marking the 35th consecutive exchange since January 1, 1992. Both countries exchanged prisoner lists as well, with Pakistan handing over 257 Indian prisoners including 199 fishermen and 58 civilians, as mandated under the 1988 Agreement on Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and the 2008 consular access pact.
• GoI Approves Nutrient-Based Subsidy Rates for Rabi 2025–26 Season In January 2025, Government of India approved Nutrient-Based Subsidy rates for Rabi 2025-26 season effective October 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 for Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers with estimated budgetary requirement of ₹37,952.29 crore. NBS rates set at ₹43.02 per kg for Nitrogen, ₹47.96 per kg for Phosphorus, ₹2.38 per kg for Potassium, and ₹2.87 per kg for Sulphur, with GoI raising DAP subsidy to ₹29,805 per MT from ₹21,911 in Rabi 2024-25, while domestic P&K fertilizer production increased over 50% from 112.19 LMT in 2014 to 168.55 LMT by December 2025.
• Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Launches Integrated Standardisation Portal on BIS 79th Foundation Day On January 6, 2026, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched Beta Version of new Bureau of Indian Standards Integrated Standardisation portal and several key initiatives during 79th BIS foundation day celebrations in New Delhi. Key launches included SHINE Scheme promoting women empowerment through SHG sensitization, BIS education literature as comic books in print and 2D animated formats, BIS-SAKSHAM initiative recognizing knowledge and merit, and MoUs with IIIT-Dharwad, IIT Palakkad, and NIT Arunachal Pradesh expanding BIS reach to academia.
• Union Minister Annapurna Devi Launches ‘PANKHUDI Portal’ for Women and Child Development On January 8, 2026, Union Minister Annapurna Devi launched ‘PANKHUDI’, an integrated Corporate Social Responsibility and partnership facilitation digital portal under Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi. The single window portal facilitates CSR and partnerships through real-time tracking and unified digital workflow covering nutrition, health, ECCE, child welfare, and women’s empowerment while promoting Jan Bhagidari and supporting Mission Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• USA Withdraws from 66 International Bodies Including India-led ISA On January 7, 2026, USA President Donald Trump issued an executive order and presidential memorandum announcing withdrawal from 66 international organizations, treaties, and commissions including India-and-France-led International Solar Alliance and several UN-affiliated entities. The withdrawal covers 35 non-UN organizations and 31 UN-affiliated bodies including IRENA, IPCC, IUCN, UNFCCC, UNFPA, and UN Water, with USA formally exiting ISA ending approximately USD 2.1 million contributions made between 2022-2025 as part of “America First” review citing concerns over national sovereignty and resource use.
• UNGA Declares 2026 as International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists In January 2026, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) at its 76th session, with resolution led by Mongolia and backed by 60 Member States and Food and Agriculture Organisation as leading implementing agency. IYRP 2026 aims to share pastoralist knowledge, encourage innovation, build partnerships, and support policies for sustainable rangelands and livelihoods, emphasizing that rangelands covering 50% of Earth’s land surface support over 2 billion people and 50% of world’s livestock while playing pivotal role in biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
• Archaeologists in Pakistan have discovered 2,000-year-old Kushan Empire coins and lapis lazuli fragments at Bhir Mound near Taxila in Rawalpindi. The coins belong to the era of King Vasudeva, one of the last great Kushan rulers. The discovery highlights the region’s ancient trade links, religious diversity, and historical importance during the early centuries of the Common Era.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit India on January 12 and 13, 2026. The high-level visit comes at a crucial time for India–Germany relations, with both countries seeking deeper cooperation in trade, technology, climate action, and global governance. The visit is expected to further strengthen strategic and economic engagement.
• India has launched a new electronic business visa category to simplify and regulate business travel for Chinese nationals. The e Production Investment Business Visa, called the e-B-4 Visa, aims to support legitimate business activities and respond to rising demand for structured business engagement between India and China.
• China has recently strengthened its naval power by commissioning a new advanced warship named Loudi. This development highlights how quickly the Chinese Navy is expanding its fleet in order to match or challenge the naval strength of the United States.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak Appointed as CJ of Jharkhand HC On January 2, 2026, the Department of Justice announced that President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment of Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, a Bombay High Court judge, as Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court under Article 217(1) of the Constitution. Justice Sonak will assume office following the retirement of incumbent CJ Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan on January 8, 2026, bringing expertise in civil, constitutional, labour, environmental, and commercial law practices at Bombay High Court since his appointment as Additional Judge in June 2013.
• HSBC Private Bank Appoints Ida Liu as CEO In January 2026, HSBC Private Bank appointed Ida Liu as new Chief Executive Officer effective January 5, 2026, succeeding Gabriel Castello who served as interim CEO since December 2024. Liu brings over 25 years of global experience in wealth management, strategic advisory and business transformation, having previously served as Global Head of Citi Private Bank since 2007 with senior positions including Head of Citi Private Bank North America and Head of Asian Clients Group.
• K. Balasubrahmanian Assumes Charge as Chairman of AERB In January 2026, the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet appointed distinguished scientist A. K. Balasubrahmanian as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for three years, succeeding Dr. D.K. Shukla who completed tenure on December 31, 2025. Balasubrahmanian brings nearly 40 years of career in design, development, safety assessment, construction, and commissioning of nuclear power plants, previously serving as Director (Technical) of NPCIL and promoting indigenous safety features and self-reliance in nuclear reactor technology.
• GoI Extends Abhishek Dev Tenure as Chairman of APEDA On January 6, 2026, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved one-year extension of Abhishek Dev’s tenure as Chairman of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, effective February 8, 2026. Dev, a 2007-batch IAS officer from Arunachal Pradesh-Goa Mizoram and UTs cadre, previously served as Director in Department of Commerce and was appointed APEDA Chairman in July 2023 to regulate exports of agricultural, processed food, and organic products.
• Justice A Muhamed Mustaque Takes Oath as 24th CJ Sikkim HC In January 2026, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, senior-most judge of Kerala High Court, was sworn-in as the 24th Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court with oath administered by Governor Om Prakash Mathur. Justice Mustaque succeeded CJ Biswanath Somadder who retired December 14, 2025, and brings extensive judicial career including appointment as Additional Judge of Kerala HC in 2014, Permanent Judge in 2016, and Acting Chief Justice from July-September 2024.
• Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta Appointed CJ of Uttarakhand HC In January 2026, the Department of Justice announced President of India appointed Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta, a senior judge of Allahabad High Court, as Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court under Article 217(1) of Constitution. Justice Gupta will assume office following retirement of incumbent CJ Justice Guhanathan (G.) Narendra on January 9, 2026, bringing 25+ years of legal practice in civil, rent control, and constitutional law and serving as Additional Judge since April 2013 and Permanent Judge since April 2015.
• Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak Appointed CJ of Jharkhand HC (See Appointments & Resignations section)
• ESAF SFB Appoints Karthikeyan Manickam as Chairman In January 2026, ESAF Small Finance Bank appointed Karthikeyan Manickam, former Executive Director of Bank of India, as its new Chairman effective January 2, 2026, succeeding Ravimohan Periyakavil Ramakrishnan who stepped down December 20, 2025. Manickam brings over 36 years of public sector banking experience with robust domain expertise across operations, risk management, regulatory compliance, human resources, credit monitoring, financial inclusion, and customer-centric banking.

SPORTS NEWS

• PM Narendra Modi Virtually Inaugurates 72nd National Volleyball Tournament in Varanasi On January 4, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 72nd National Volleyball Tournament (Senior National Championship) at Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing. The tournament scheduled till January 11, 2026 is expected to witness participation of over 1,000 players representing 58 teams across the country, organized by Volleyball Federation of India in collaboration with UP government, with two mascots ‘Nandu’ (Nandi bull for strength) and ‘Neera’ (Ganga River Dolphin symbolizing environmental awareness).
• Asian Games Gold Medalist Runner Jinson Johnson Announces Retirement On January 7, 2026, Olympian and Asian Games gold medalist middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson announced his retirement from competitive running after 15-year international career. Johnson won gold in 1500m and silver in 800m at 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, and bronze in 1500m at 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, while holding national records of 1:45.65 in 800m (2018) and 3:35.24 in 1500m (2019 ISTAF Berlin).
• Renowned Australian Cricketer Usman Khawaja Announced Retirement from International Cricket In January 2026, Pakistan-born Australian cricketer Usman Tariq Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test at Sydney Cricket Ground marking his 88th Test match. Khawaja scored 6,206 runs in 87 test matches and 1,554 runs in 40 ODIs, debuting against England in 2010-11 and scoring his first Ashes century of 171 runs in 2018, as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer with impressive 16 hundreds and 28 fifties in Test cricket.
• IAF Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Tejas First Flight On January 4, 2026, the Indian Air Force marked the 25th anniversary of the historic maiden flight of indigenously developed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, which took place on January 4, 2001 flown by Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal from HAL Bengaluru airport. In late 2025, HAL secured major order for 97 more Mk-1A jets worth over ₹62,370 crore, with VEM Technologies delivering 1st centre fuselage assembly in May 2025 and 2nd in September 2025 to HAL in Hyderabad, strengthening indigenous defense manufacturing capabilities.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• SpaceX Launches Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Satellite On January 2, 2026, SpaceX launched the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation-Flight Model 3 satellite for Italian Space Agency and Ministry of Defence aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, marking the first SpaceX mission and first orbital rocket launch globally in 2026. The upgraded satellite with ~2,205 kg mass carries advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar sensors and improved imaging capabilities for dual-use civilian and defense applications, tracking natural disasters in real-time and supporting national security, maritime surveillance, and strategic planning 24/7 in all weather conditions.
• DRDO Develops Portable Water Purification System ‘SWaDeS’ for Soldiers In January 2026, the Defence Laboratory Jodhpur under DRDO developed ‘SeaWater Desalination System (SWaDeS)’ in manual and engine driven variants to supply safe drinking water to soldiers in remote, coastal, and water-scarce regions. The engine operated variant desalinates seawater with TDS up to 35,000 mg/L to below 500 mg/L for 20-25 soldiers within 2 3 minutes setup, while manual unit supports 10-12 personnel, with both variants featuring Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear water purification modules and suitable for naval operations and inland saline lakes.
• NASA’s Hubble Telescope Discovered First Starless Gas Cloud ‘Cloud-9’ In January 2026, NASA’s Hubble Telescope discovered a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter cloud nicknamed ‘Cloud-9’ located 14 million light-years from Earth near Messier 94, with findings published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’. Cloud-9, a Reionization Limited HI Cloud, contains neutral hydrogen with mass of 1 million solar masses and dominated by dark matter with ~5 billion solar masses across 4,900 light-year diameter, representing rare ‘fossil’ from universe’s early days and discovered in 2023 via China’s FAST radio telescope with 2025 VLA/GBT confirmation and 2026 Hubble verification of no stars within boundaries.
• Indian Scientists Developed First-Ever Supercomputer Powered Simulation to Model Mpemba Effect On January 6, 2026, Indian scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru under Ministry of Science and Technology developed the first ever supercomputer-powered simulation to model the Mpemba effect published in Communication Physics. The supercomputer simulation at molecular level revealed how non-equilibrium thermodynamics, molecular rearrangements, and energy dissipation enable hotter water to freeze faster than colder water, offering technical perspective on material relaxation phenomena resulting from abrupt temperature variations.
• Pakistan Conducts Successful Flight Test of ‘Taimoor ALCM’ In January 2026, Pakistan Air Force conducted successful flight test of indigenously developed Taimoor Air-Launched Cruise Missile deployed from Mirage IIIE fighter aircraft during live-trial exercise. Taimoor, developed by Air Weapons Complex, is a turbojet-powered subsonic cruise missile with 600 km strike range carrying conventional high-explosive warhead, featuring state-of the-art navigation and guidance system for very low altitude operation enabling evasion of hostile air defenses and missile interception systems.
• Pakistan Conducts Successful Flight Test of ‘Taimoor ALCM’ In January 2026, Pakistan Air Force conducted successful flight test of indigenously developed Taimoor Air-Launched Cruise Missile deployed from Mirage IIIE fighter aircraft during live-trial exercise. Taimoor, developed by Air Weapons Complex, is a turbojet-powered subsonic cruise missile with 600 km strike range carrying conventional high-explosive warhead, featuring state-of the-art navigation and guidance system for very low altitude operation enabling evasion of hostile air defenses and missile interception systems.
• MeitY Inaugurates ‘Param Shakti’ at IIT Madras in Chennai In January 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information inaugurated Param Shakti, a state-of-the-art supercomputing facility at IIT-Madras in Chennai powered by PARAM RUDRA supercomputing system with 3.1 petaflops peak performance. The supercomputer developed and built entirely in India by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing will accelerate research in aerospace engineering, materials science, climate and weather modelling, drug discovery, advanced manufacturing, and computational fluid dynamics with 24×7 power backup and advanced cooling systems.
• MIB Sets Up LEDC to Boost India’s Concert & Live Entertainment Economy In January 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting established a Live Events Development Cell (LEDC) constituted in July 2025 under Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to boost India’s concert and live entertainment economy. The LEDC with officials from Centre, states, industry bodies, and event companies will streamline approvals and coordinate large-scale live events to position India as leading global destination for live events by 2030, with India’s organized live events market valued at ₹20,861 crore in 2024 projected to grow at 18% CAGR through 2030.