Central Minister Hardeep Puri announced strengthening of India-US partnership in LNG imports

Government officials reported that the proposed Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) percentage for UPI transactions will be a nominal amount and will only apply to a limited group of merchants when conducting transactions exceeding a set threshold.

At the same time, the government seeks to assure users that all peer-to-peer transactions will remain free, and consumers making payments will not face any charges.

It was noted that an MDR ranging from 0.25% to 0.4% may be permitted for UPI transactions exceeding the sum of 2000 rupees, while an upper limit for this commission is being established.

This change is viewed as part of the government's broader goal—ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of India's digital payment infrastructure and its ability to serve the country's rapidly growing digital economy.

Against the backdrop of the development of India's aviation sector, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has submitted an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the establishment of a new, independent Civil Aviation Administration (CAA). They argue that modernizing the country's regulatory system is necessary to match the expansion of the industry. Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives were cited as examples.

The Chairman of FIP, Captain CS Randava, noted that India, having become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world, remains an exception among major regional economies because it is still dependent on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The proposal suggests introducing a modern, autonomous, and legally independent regulator instead of the DGCA, possessing greater financial, administrative, and technical freedom.

FIP emphasized that the aviation sector has transformed into one of the fastest-growing areas, contributing to economic development, trade, tourism, and national connectivity. As air traffic constantly grows and aviation technologies become more complex, they believe India requires a modern, independent, and professionally managed regulatory structure to maintain high standards of safety, efficiency, and consumer rights.

It should be noted that the civil aviation sector in India has experienced significant boom over the last two decades. Currently, the commercial fleet in this sector comprises over 850 aircraft, and the number of passengers has exceeded 239 million. The complexity of regulating aviation has also increased with the emergence of new areas such as drones and advanced aerial mobility.

FIP acknowledged the important role of the DGCA in regulating the sector, but its status as an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation created limitations in administrative autonomy, financial flexibility, hiring of technical specialists, and timely decision-making.

The proposal outlined numerous reasons for creating a separate Civil Aviation Administration. FIP pointed to the limited administrative independence of the DGCA, as key regulatory decisions require Ministry approval. Furthermore, its financial powers are restricted by government procedures, and recruitment and procurement are subject to lengthy governmental processes.

The proposal also addressed the difficulties in attracting and retaining aviation experts in public service. Supervising civil aviation requires specialists in areas such as airline captaincy, flight operations inspection, aeronautical engineering, air traffic control, human factors, and fatigue management. According to FIP, salaries in public service may be lower than those of experienced professionals working in the aviation industry, which hinders the attraction and long-term retention of highly qualified personnel.

The month of July registered the sale of 279,578 units of vehicles, covering passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses, making it the best month of the year. According to Fenabrave, this number represents a significant increase of 14.9% compared to July 2025. Observing the first seven months of 2026, 1,699,637 units were sold, which constitutes a growth of 17.9% compared to the same period last year.

July had 23 business days, surpassing the 21 business days of June and the 23 business days of July 2025.

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Arcélio Santos Júnior, president of the entity that brings together various brand associations, attributes the positive market performance to the good functioning of credit for financing and, notably, to the Sustainable Car program. This specific segment showed an increase of 29.4% compared to the period before its implementation in July of last year.

Additionally, the Move Brasil — Taxi and Apps program reached 21,000 interested parties. Santos Júnior expressed optimism about the growth potential of this niche after the creation of the Investment Guarantee Fund (FGI). He mentioned that the approval of self-employed professionals' registrations is subject to common characteristics of governmental programs during election years.

However, Fenabrave warns that these same elections could result in some market slowdown during the second half of the year. Due to the expansion of credit supply in the first six months, there may have been an anticipation movement in purchases, leading Fenabrave to maintain the 2026 closing projection slightly below the Anfavea estimate.

Projections from the consultancy Bright corroborate the end of this cycle of anticipatory purchases. The consultancy recorded that, specifically in the previous month, Chinese brands combined represented 23% of the total sales volume. Among the top ten rankings, besides BYD in fourth place, GWM ranks ninth.

Regarding large pickup trucks, they maintain their space in the market, limited by cost, attracting consumers with higher purchasing power who seek to project an image. Ram removed components from the 1500 Bighorn version without significantly compromising its status. Items excluded from this version include sunroof, leather seat upholstery, external chrome (limited to 20-inch wheels and running boards), and continuous centralization on the road in the Adas system.

Electric controls remain for pedal and steering wheel adjustments (with heating function), electromechanical parking brake, driver's seat (with ten positions and heating), and rear window. The 12-inch multimedia system offers wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as six USB ports (four Type C, faster, and two Type A) and built-in Wi-Fi for eight devices. The vehicle has an inductive phone charger and a sound system composed of nine speakers, a subwoofer, and 506 W. The rear floor is flat.

The three-liter, gasoline, turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine generates 426 hp and 64.8 kgf·m, offering acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, in addition to having a low level of noise, vibration, and roughness. The standard eight-speed torqueFlite 8 automatic planetary transmission (ZF 8HP License) is of good quality. There are four available traction modes: 4x2 and three 4x4 options (Auto, High, and Low). The driver can also select five additional profiles: Towing, Sport, Off-road, Slippery Road, and Automatic. A notable differential is the active radiator grille, particularly useful on highways to optimize energy efficiency.

The rear suspension with coil springs contributes to better driving comfort. However, the total capacity (including load and five occupants) is only 570 kg, despite having a large 1,523-liter bed, more than three times larger than that of a common mid-size SUV. The towing capacity, less valued in Brazil compared to the United States, is 4,490 kg. The announced price is R$ 449,990.