Week of 28 Sept – 4 Oct 2026
5 articles this week.
Monday, 28 September 2026
World Tourism Day 2026: Theme "Digital Agenda and AI to Redesign Tourism"; India Rises to 31st in WEF Travel & Tourism Development IndexWorld Tourism Day 2026 was observed on September 27 in El Salvador under the theme "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism." Simultaneously, the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026 ranked India 31st out of 110 economies — a jump of 9 places from 40th in 2024 — driven by cost competitiveness and rich cultural resources. India's tourism sector contributed 5.22% to GDP and supported 8.46 crore jobs in 2023–24.NTPC and EDF Power Solutions Form 50:50 Joint Venture for Pumped Storage and Low-Carbon Energy ProjectsNTPC Limited and EDF Power Solutions India signed a 50:50 joint venture agreement on September 25, 2026 to develop pumped storage hydropower, hydropower, and other low-carbon energy projects in India and neighbouring countries. The JV targets India's 100.8 GW pumped storage capacity goal by FY2035–36, against a current installed base of only ~7 GW — a gap of ~93 GW in nine years.TDB Allocates ₹200 Crore to Agnikul Cosmos for Agnibaan Reusable Launch Vehicle: India's First Private RLV ProgrammeThe Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, signed a ₹200 crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) fund agreement with Agnikul Cosmos on 25 September 2026 to develop the Agnibaan Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 to TRL 8 — marking the largest government investment in India's private space sector for reusable rocket development.India's First Port-Based e-Methanol Plant at Kandla: ₹2,300 Crore DPA-APCL Joint Venture for Maritime Green FuelIndia laid the foundation stone for its first port-based e-methanol production plant at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat, on September 26, 2026. The ₹2,300 crore joint venture between DPA and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (APCL) will produce 150 tonnes of green methanol per day — among the cheapest globally at ~$750/tonne — to decarbonise shipping on the Asia-Europe trade corridor and advance India's Net Zero 2070 commitments.OECD Raises India's FY2027 GDP Growth Forecast to 7.1%: 80 Basis Points Upgrade in September 2026 Interim Economic OutlookThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) raised India's GDP growth forecast for FY2026–27 to 7.1% in its September 2026 Interim Economic Outlook — an upgrade of 80 basis points from the June 2026 estimate of 6.3% — citing resilient domestic demand, rural recovery, and easing global commodity prices. India remains the fastest-growing major economy in the OECD's projection table.