India has made significant strides in building a supportive environment for aspiring entrepreneurs. This progress holds particular significance for a nation where nearly 65% of the population is under 35. Recognising the potential of this demographic dividend, the Government has undertaken a range of initiatives to empower young Indians across fields including entrepreneurship.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was established on 9 November 2014. The day is observed as National Entrepreneurship Day, reflecting the importance of entrepreneurship in India’s development journey.
The Government has recognized over 55,200 startups during FY 2025-26- the highest number of startups recognized in a single year since 2016.
Born on Nov 7, 1888, in Tiruchirappalli, now in Tamil Nadu, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman became the first Asian to receive a Nobel Prize in a scientific field. This year, the Nobel Prize has shared archival footage of the Indian physicist arriving in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1930 to receive his Nobel Prize in Physics. The video was posted on Nov 6, on the eve of Raman's 138th birth anniversary. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. India observes National Science Day on Feb 28 every year to commemorate his discovery of the Raman Effect. Raman died on November 21,1970, aged 82.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was established on 9 November 2014. The day is observed as National Entrepreneurship Day, reflecting the importance of entrepreneurship in India’s development journey specifically towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. With over 2.62 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups, India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, creating employment and expanding opportunities for its youth. Government initiatives such as Startup India, Fund of Funds for Startups, CGSS, SISFS, Atal Innovation Mission and PMEGP support innovation, access to finance, mentorship and enterprise creation.
World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated every year on November 10th. During the World Science Conference held in Budapest, Hungary, in 1999, there was extensive discussion on the social responsibility of science and its role in human well-being. Following this, UNESCO declared this day in 2001. It was first celebrated worldwide on November 10, 2002. The theme for this day in 2026 is "Common Ground Through Science Diplomacy." Its objective is to promote dialogue, cooperation, and trust among countries through science and to ensure the use of scientific knowledge and technology to address common problems.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Nov 9, inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth approximately ₹1,400 crore in Ahmedabad, while calling for a collective effort to make Gujarat drug-free by December 31, 2028. Of the projects, works worth around ₹1,024 crore have been undertaken by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), while projects worth approximately ₹400 crore have been completed or initiated with support from the Gujarat Government’s Roads and Buildings Department and the Government of India.
The Jalasapur Water Treatment Plant was also inaugurated during the programme. The Home Minister urged citizens to report information about the sale or consumption of drugs through the 1033 helpline. He appealed to people to work towards achieving the target of a drug-free Gujarat a year earlier, by December 31, 2028. He announced that a dedicated control room would become operational from December 1, with a mechanism to ensure action within three hours of receiving information related to drugs.
In a significant step towards strengthening India’s banking presence in the United States, State Bank of India has opened a new branch in Texas. This branch marks the first physical expansion of SBI’s California-based subsidiary beyond the state of California. The inauguration was led by SBI Group Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, in the presence of India’s Consul General in Houston, D C Manjunath, and other dignitaries. With this addition, SBI’s California subsidiary now operates eight locations across the United States. SBI also has full-service branches in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, along with a representative office in Washington.
India and the European Union reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral partnership and progress in implementing the Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda on 9 November. The 7th India- EU strategic partnership review meeting was held in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by the Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry Sibi George and Deputy Secretary-General for Geoeconomics and Interinstitutional Issues of the European Union Matti Maasikas. The two sides underscored the importance of strengthening connectivity partnership including Global Gateway, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and trilateral projects in clean energy, climate resilience, green mobility and digitalisation.
Additionally, they agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation towards shaping effective global governance. Both sides also exchanged views on enhancing people-to-people contacts, including in the areas of talent mobility, education and skills development. They also looked forward to the next edition of the India-EU Human Rights Dialogue.
International Master Anuj Shrivatri of Madhya Pradesh has won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Philippines to become India’s 100th Grandmaster and the first from his state to achieve the title. Shrivatri secured the title after scoring seven points from his final eight games, following a defeat in the opening round. All India Chess Federation President Nitin Narang has congratulated Anuj Shrivatri on becoming India’s 100th Grandmaster. He described the achievement as a historic milestone and a proud moment for Indian chess.
Indian shuttlers Tushar Suveer and Rakshitha Ramraj clinched the men’s and women’s singles titles, at the Telangana India International Challenge 2026 on Nov 8. India won three of the five titles. The top-seeded men’s doubles pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy also claimed victory, defeating compatriots Sai Pratheek K and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi 21-12, 21-18. In the men’s singles final, sixth seed Tushar defeated compatriot Bharat Raghav 15-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Top seed Rakshitha also emerged victorious in the women’s singles final, beating ninth seed Rujula Ramu 16-21, 21-15, 21-14. India narrowly missed out on a fourth title when Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Ashwini Ponnappa lost the mixed doubles final to Russia’s Rodion Alimov and Alina Davletova 19-21, 21-11, 21-13.Japan’s Mei Sudo and Mai Tanabe won the women’s doubles title, defeating Thailand’s Phattharin Aiamvareesrisakul and Sarisa Janpeng 21-11, 21-11.
India’s Niveditha Veloor Nair secured a bronze medal in the women’s 25-metre standard pistol at the ISSF World Championship in Doha, Qatar on Nov 8. Niveditha finished third with a score of 567-13x. China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan won gold while Hungary’s Veronika Major claimed silver. India’s Manvi Jain and Simranpreet Kaur Brar finished 8th and 10th, respectively. In the team event, the Indian trio of Niveditha Nair, Manvi Jain and Simranpreet Kaur Brar secured silver with a combined score of 1,682-33x. With this, India’s overall tally at the Doha championship has risen to seven, comprising one gold, five silver and one bronze.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on his 13-year career in the longest format of the game. However, he will continue to represent India in limited-overs cricket. He finished his Test career with 229 wickets from 64 matches at an average of 27.71, including six five-wicket hauls. The 36-year-old fast bowler ended his career as India’s sixth-highest wicket-taking fast bowler in Test cricket, behind Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Javagal Srinath and Jasprit Bumrah.
15 year old badminton player Tanvi Patri has created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the women’s badminton final at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. Tanvi defeated Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in a hard-fought 54-minute semifinal to book her place in the title clash. She had earlier scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals, defeating Thailand’s Kungkaew Kakanik.
Tanvi is the fourth Indian shuttler to reach the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games, joining H. S. Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Aditya Joshi. Tanvi faced China’s Yi Xin Zhang in the finals and bagged the women’s singles silver medal.
H. S. Prannoy (Silver — Singapore 2010)
Lakshya Sen (Silver — Buenos Aires 2018)
Aditya Joshi (2014)
Tanvi Patri (Silver — Dakar 2026)
The inaugural bilateral Tri-Services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise between India and Myanmar, ‘RAHAT MITRA’, concluded in Chennai on November 6 after a two-day engagement involving the defence forces of both countries.
Conducted on November 5 and 6, 2026, the exercise brought together personnel from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, along with a delegation from the Myanmar Defence Forces, to strengthen operational interoperability, improve coordination and facilitate the exchange of best practices in disaster response operations.
The exercise began with joint planning sessions and familiarisation with HADR capabilities. A Table-Top Exercise (TTX), based on a severe cyclone scenario, provided an opportunity for participants to discuss coordinated response mechanisms and joint disaster management protocols.
The Indian Navy’s Flood Relief Teams (FRT) also demonstrated specialised equipment and capabilities for flood relief operations.
Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) capabilities were showcased through coordinated manoeuvres involving a Chetak helicopter and INS Bitra. The Indian Air Force demonstrated casualty evacuation capabilities, with Commodore Aung Niang Win and two other officers from the Myanmar delegation onboard an IAF Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) during airborne operations.
The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2027 are out, and India's highest-ranked institution is IIT Delhi at 66th place. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, follows at 79th, while IIT Bombay takes the third spot among Indian institutions at 83rd. At the top of the Asian rankings, the University of Hong Kong retains first place, followed by China's Peking University at second and Tsinghua University at third. No Indian institution has made it to Asia's top 10.
The latest edition features 1,722 universities across 26 higher education systems, including 195 new entrants.
Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on 5 Nov presented the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award to the Ministry of Railways for securing the top position among Central ministries and departments in equipping buildings with rooftop solar systems. The award was presented at the Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Ministry won in the “Maximum Buildings Solarized by Central Ministries/Departments” category under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Of the 15,868 railway buildings identified as suitable for rooftop solar installations across the country, 12,495 have been equipped with systems, representing 79 per cent of the total.
The Ministry has commissioned 351 MW of rooftop solar capacity against a target of 424 MW. Across 77 Central ministries and departments, rooftop solar systems have been installed on 25,984 of the 39,135 buildings identified, achieving 66 per cent coverage. Railways has contributed a substantial share of these installations. The Ministry said it aims to equip all remaining feasible railway buildings with rooftop solar systems by March 2027 as part of its efforts to promote clean energy and sustainable operations.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Wednesday, November 4, announced the formation of NPCI Tech Solutions Limited (NTSL), a wholly owned subsidiary aimed at strengthening its capabilities in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and digital financial infrastructure. NPCI Tech Solutions Limited will expand the group's capabilities beyond digital payments, focusing on artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital financial infrastructure and Global Capability Centre services.
NPCI also appointed Vishal Kanvaty as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of the newly established company.
