The number of foreign tourists who arrived in India this year during January-June is 106 per cent more than the figure for the corresponding period in 2022.

Also  there has been a growth in foreign exchange earnings for this period in 2023 compared to the corresponding figures last year.

The number of foreign tourists who arrived in India this year during January-June stood at 43.80 lakh, which is 106 per cent higher than the figure (21.24 lakh) for the corresponding period in 2022.

As far as domestic tourism is concerned, the figure stood at 677 million in 2021 and grew to 1,731 million in 2022.

A 36-year-old man working as a senior manager with e-commerce giant Amazon was shot dead in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura area . The incident took place on  Aug 29 when five unidentified people opened fire at Harpreet Gill and his maternal uncle Govind Singh  in Subhash Vihar. 

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has called for stronger relationships with India, South Korea and Japan to reduce the US' economic dependence on China and Taiwan.

Ramaswamy, 38, whose poll numbers have surged following the maiden Republican presidential primary debate last week, spelt out his plans and foreign policy views on Aug 29 .

He attacked another Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who had slammed him for his inexperience on foreign policy issues.

The entrepreneur-turned-politician Ramaswamy said he favours strategic clarity and advocated that the US must defend Taiwan vigorously until America achieves semiconductor independence, then resume the posture of strategic ambiguity when the stakes are lower for the US.

He said the US should rapidly arm and train Taiwan with Anti-Access/Area Denial weapons while running at least one Destroyer warship through the Taiwan Strait each week.

The US should also fortify its own homeland defence, which is at present dangerously vulnerable to major conflicts with China, he said, adding this includes improving nuclear, super electromagnetic pulse, cyber and space defence capabilities.

His campaign said that Ramaswamy is the only US Presidential candidate to date who has clearly stated that the US will defend Taiwan.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed Geetika Srivastava, as the first woman charge d'affaires at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Women diplomats have been posted to Pakistan earlier, but not at the highest level. It is also considered a tough posting since Islamabad was declared a “non-family” posting for Indian diplomats some years ago. That usually limits women officers from taking up the assignment in Pakistan.

Geetika Srivastava is currently serving as joint secretary at the headquarters of the MEA and will replace Suresh Kumar, who will return to Delhi soon.

Srivastava, who is from the 2005 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, served in the Indian embassy in China during 2007-09. She has also had stints at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata and as a director of the Indian Ocean Region division in the External Affairs Ministry.

The last Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad was Ajay Bisaria, who was withdrawn after Pakistan decided to downgrade the status of the High Commission following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

The Indian and Pakistani high commissions in Islamabad and Delhi are being headed by their respective charge d'affaires after Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has chosen Saad Warraich, currently director general of the Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey desk at the foreign ministry, as the new chargé d’affaires in New Delhi.

Salman Sharif, the previous Pakistani chargé d’affaires, was recently called back to Islamabad.

Affordable carmaker Maruti Suzuki plans to infuse nearly Rs 45,000 crore and double its annual capacity to 40 lakh units in the next eight years. The company has reached 20 lakh units in production and sales through 40 years and aims to double that in the next eight years, according to Maruti Suzuki chairperson RC Bhargava. He was speaking with shareholders at the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The company is targeting to add another 20 lakh units production capacity with 28 different models in the market by 2030-31. Maruti Suzuki plans to strengthen its market position with the introduction of six new electric vehicles to its portfolio, aligning with the consumer trends. The production of these vehicles is expected from 2024-25, with the roll out of the first electric vehicle in the market by 2024-25. The company has sold around 2 million cars in the 2022-23 fiscal.

The country’s biggest carmaker plans to open two new manufacturing facilities -- one at Kharkhoda in Haryana, which is under construction and expected to be commissioned in 2025. It will have the capacity of 10 lakh units per annum. It is also looking for a location for another facility with a capacity of 10 lakh vehicles per annum.

The company already has three manufacturing sites at Gurgaon, Manesar at Haryana and plans to acquire Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) facility in Gujarat from parent Suzuki Motors, aiming to make electric cars. On the criticism that Maruti Suzuki is late to the EV party, RC Bhargava says though the company is behind some companies in launching EV but that doesn’t mean it is late in the market.

Shares of Jio Financial Services (JFS) received a big boost after Mukesh Ambani announced the entry of the company into insurance sector. JFS shares surged 5% on the stock exchanges on Aug 29 , a day after the Reliance Industries’ Chairman told shareholders that the recently demerged entity of RIL will offer life, general, and health insurance products.

The Indian insurance market consists of 55 players, with 26 life insurance providers and 31

general insurers, including five standalone health insurance providers. Total premiums written by Indian life insurers stood at `8.14 lakh crore, while those written by general insurers was at `2.65 lakh crore in FY23.

JFS was listed on the stock exchanges on August 21 after its demerger with Reliance Industries. 

The Enforcement Directorate investigation has revealed that 12 entities profiteered by short-selling Adani Group stocks ahead of the publication of the Hindenburg Report. Sources said that out of these 12, three entities are based out of India, while one is an Indian branch of a foreign bank.

Sources further said that four entities, which made gains by short-selling Adani Group stocks, are based in Mauritius and one each in France, Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, Ireland and London. Two of the three Indian entities are based in Delhi, while another one is from Mumbai.

According ED investigation, short sellers made a profit by selling the stock prior to the release of the Hindenburg report and squared off their positions by buying cheaper after stock prices had fallen sharply following the release of the Hindenburg report.

Between January 24, 2023, and February 27, 2023, the market capitalization of the Adani stocks saw significant erosion estimated to be around Rs. 12.4 lakh crores (or nearly USD 150 billion) in value terms.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), which is investigating various allegations levelled by the Hindenburg Report against the Adani group, is also looking into unusual trading patterns in Adani Group stocks pre- and post-Hindenburg Report.

Sebi in its report submitted to the Supreme Court has said that it has investigated such unusual trading patterns for the period from 18 January 2023 to 31 January 2023. The Hindenburg report was released on 24 January.

In this matter alone, Sebi has examined over 100 documents with over 5,000 pages and recorded statements from seven persons.

Novak Djokovic is back at the U.S. Open and will now be back at No. 1 in the rankings.

Djokovic made a winning return after missing the tournament last year, rolling to a 6-0, 6-2 and 6-3 victory over Alexandre Muller on Aug 28 night.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion had to wait through Coco Gauff's three-set victory to open the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, followed by an opening-night ceremony marking 50 years of equal prize money at the U.S. Open.

Djokovic was not allowed to travel to the U.S. last year because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. Aug 28  was his first match in Flushing Meadows since falling to Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 final, a loss that prevented the Serbian from completing the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men's tennis since 1969.

The No. 2 seed took the first set in just 23 minutes and won the first eight games before Muller finally got on the board, raising his arms in triumph after cutting it to 2-1 in the second set.

Djokovic improved to 17-0 in first-round matches at the U.S. Open and assured he will regain the No. 1 ranking on Sept. 11. Because he couldn't play last year and had no rankings points to defend, Djokovic needed only get to the second round to guarantee he would take the top spot back from Carlos Alcaraz. It will be Djokovic's 390th week atop the rankings, extending his own record.