Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), the government-backed open ecommerce network that allows buyers and sellers to connect through multiple apps, has promoted Vibhor Jain as its managing director and chief executive officer effective April 7.
Jain has been ONDC’s acting CEO since former chief executive Thampy Koshy quit in April 2025.
Jain was previously COO at the company.
ONDC reported a 127% surge in total revenue at Rs 33.41 crore for 2024-25. The network had posted Rs 14.7 crore revenue in the previous fiscal year. Despite the sharp topline growth, net loss narrowed to Rs 147.13 crore in FY25 from Rs 195.6 crore in the previous year.
The government notified the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the "umbrella law" that will regulate recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of service for the officers of the CAPFs.
All CAPFs -- the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -- are governed by their respective Acts.
The rules under these Acts govern the recruitment and conditions of service for 'Group-A' general duty officers and other officers and members of the CAPFs.
The new Act provides that 50 per cent of the posts will be filled through deputation from the Indian Police Service (IPS) in the rank of an inspector general and a minimum of 67 per cent of the posts through deputation in the rank of an additional director general.
The posts in the ranks of special director general and director general shall be filled through deputation only, it says.
"The proposed CAPF Regulation Bill, 2026, assumes considerable importance. Any legislative intervention affecting the command structure, service conditions and leadership opportunities,
within CAPFs inevitably carries implications not only for institutional morale but also for the operational effectiveness of forces responsible for protecting India's internal stability and border security," the group said in a press statement on March 20.
The Indian Army contingent has departed for Egypt to participate in the fourth edition of the India - Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise, Cyclone - IV, scheduled to be conducted at Anshas from 09 to 17 April 2026.
The exercise is a continuation of the growing military cooperation between India and Egypt and follows the successful conduct of the previous edition in India.
The Indian contingent, comprising 25 personnel from Special Forces units, will train alongside their Egyptian counterparts in a realistic operational environment.
The exercise aims to enhance joint mission planning capabilities and improve interoperability through the exchange of best practices in special operations.
The exercise aims to enhance joint mission planning capabilities and improve interoperability through the exchange of best practices in special operations. The participating troops will undertake a series of training activities focused on special operational tactics, techniques and procedures in desert and semi-desert terrain.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Fortune Global 500 company and a Maharatna PSU announced that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sanjay Khanna, currently Director (Refineries), as the Chairman & Managing Director (C & MD) of the Company.
The appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet based on the recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC), under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Khanna will assume charge, effective from the date of assumption of office, and will hold the position till his superannuation on May 31, 2029,or until further order
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), in consultation with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has enabled the notification of two institutions - Referral Centre Bhavasagara at CMLRE, Kochi and MACS Collection of Microorganisms and National Fungal Culture Collection,
at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune - as designated repositories under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The Section empowers Central Government to designate institutions as repositories for different categories of biological resources.
These repositories will support the safe custody of biological materials, including voucher specimens, and strengthen the documentation of newly discovered species, as well as biological resources used for research and commercial purposes.
The repositories are entrusted with maintaining biological materials in safe custody, and any person discovering a new taxon is required to notify the designated repository and deposit the corresponding voucher specimens. To facilitate this process, the NBA has issued guidelines outlining the criteria for institutions seeking designation as repositories.
Fair trade regulator CCI cleared Advent International's proposal to acquire a 14.3 per cent stake in Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd.
The development came after the boards of Aditya Birla Capital and Aditya Birla Housing Finance, in February 2026, approved a proposal for a primary capital infusion of Rs. 2,750 crore in ABHFL, from Indriya Ltd
Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd (ABHFL) is engaged in the business of providing home loans, loans against property, construction finance loans, and lease rental discounting loans. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL).
Indriya Ltd- one of the entities of Advent International.
In a separate release, the competition watchdog granted its nod for the acquisition by Citrus Investment LLC (Citrus) of additional shareholding of 0.4 per cent in Hitachi Construction Machinery Co, Ltd (HCM) and sole control of its 50:50 joint venture, HCJI Holdings K K (HCJI).
Citrus operates as an investment vehicle to hold shares and is not engaged in any other businesses or activities in India or globally, while HCM is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is engaged in the business of manufacturing construction equipment.
In another release, CCI approved the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity shareholding of KNR SPVs by Indus Infra Trust from KNR Constructions Ltd.
Indus Infra Trust is a Sebi-registered infrastructure investment trust, while KNR SPVs has been incorporated as special purpose vehicles by KNR.
Meta released an artificial intelligence model, Muse Spark, it touts as smarter and faster than what it offered before shaking up its Superintelligence Labs unit.
Muse Spark succeeds Llama 4, released by the Silicon Valley-based firm a year ago, and will power Meta's AI app and smart glasses along with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger features.
For now, Muse Spark is only available in the United States.
The new AI model was described as being small and fast by design, capable of reasoning through complex questions in science, math and health.
It is the first in a new Muse series, with the next generation already in development.
Llama 4 lagged in the fierce AI race as heavyweight rivals from China, France, and the United States produced improved models at a rapid-fire pace.
That prompted Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to overhaul its AI team, which saw the departure of its research boss Yann LeCun.
On the occasion of Sindhi Bhasha Diwas on 10th April, 2026, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Hon’ble Vice-President of India, released the updated version of the Constitution of India in Sindhi language, both in Devanagari Script (First edition) and Persian Script (Second edition) at a function held at the Vice President’s Enclave.
The event saw the presence of Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) Law and Justice, Shri Vasudev Devnani, the Hon’ble Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly, Shri Shankar Lalwani, Hon’ble MP (Lok Sabha) and Dr. Rajiv Mani, Secretary, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice, senior officers of the Department besides eminent persons and scholars of Sindhi.
The event marked a significant step toward making the nation’s foundational document, in its updated version, accessible in more regional languages.
The members of the Sindhi Community who had come from all corners of India to attend this event displayed overwhelming enthusiasm.
In a significant step towards strengthening India’s cultural diplomacy and global outreach, Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on April 7, 2026, at Doordarshan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Under the MoU, ICCR will provide cultural content and performances, while Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) will undertake their coverage and dissemination across multiple platforms, including television channels, radio networks, OTT platforms, and social media.
The arrangement also facilitates the broadcast of recorded cultural content received from Indian Missions overseas, thereby ensuring wider access to India’s cultural expressions across geographies.
The agreement will remain in force for a period of three years, with provisions for extension through mutual consent.
The MoU further enables Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) to explore monetisation opportunities arising from the content generated under this collaboration, contributing to the sustainability of cultural broadcasting initiatives.
