Stories from India

The Gujarat local body elections are scheduled for April 26, 2026. The Congress party is expected to announce its candidates for the municipality and panchayat elections today. The State Election Commission in Gujarat has announced the dates for the 2026 local body elections. Voting is scheduled to take place on April 26. The announcement follows discussions regarding the integrity and format of local election results. This follows recent administrative preparations for local governance cycles.

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a budget outlay of Rs 3.32 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The budget focuses on fiscal discipline and capital growth. This follows optimistic outlooks from the OJK regarding positive growth in the financial sector.

India has currently produced only one gigawatt hour of battery capacity despite an announced ambition of 178 gigawatt hours. Most electric vehicles sold in India rely entirely on imported battery cells. This represents a small fraction of the country's stated energy goals. The reliance on imports persists despite the scale of the domestic EV market. Indian manufacturers rely almost entirely on imported battery cells for production. This dependency creates a obstacle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal to increase manufacturing to 25 percent of India's GDP. China currently shares older technology but maintains strict control over more sophisticated battery innovations. The lack of domestic high-end cell production hinders India's industrial growth ambitions.

Listed companies in India reported a 14.7 percent increase in net profit for Q3 FY26. This represents the fastest growth rate recorded in two years.

The Indian government has labeled a viral video as fake. The video falsely depicts the Prime Minister promoting an investment scheme. Authorities are addressing the misinformation following the video's spread on social media. Authorities clarified that the Ministry of Finance has not endorsed the specific investment scheme or platform shown in the footage. The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a statement denying support for a viral investment platform video. This follows concerns regarding fraudulent investment advertisements circulating online. The denial aims to prevent public financial loss from the unverified scheme.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized 89 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Kolkata. An investigation has been initiated regarding the recovery of these devices. Security measures are being reviewed following the seizure.

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a budget outlay of Rs 3.32 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The budget focuses on fiscal discipline and capital growth initiatives.

West Bengal Police have registered a case following orders from the Home Ministry to investigate the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) known as 'desi bombs'. The investigation aims to arrest individuals involved in the production of these devices within the state. Authorities are conducting searches and coordination efforts related to the case. The matter was initiated after the recovery of seventy-nine such devices in the region. The seizure occurred in the context of upcoming elections in the state. The investigation is ongoing regarding the scope of the manufacturing operation. No specific number of arrests or locations within the state were provided. National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials are conducting an investigation into the matter. This action follows reports from the Election Commission regarding illegal manufacturing activities in the region.

The Knight Riders secured a victory against the Lucknow Super Giants in a Super Over. The match concluded with the Knight Riders winning the encounter. No specific player statistics or scores were provided in the broadcast. The match outcome was confirmed in recent sports reporting. The result was confirmed in sports reporting from New Delhi. The match took place in the Super League context. The result was reported by AIR News 24x7.

Three members of a single family were killed following an argument during a birthday celebration at a gym in Bulandshahr. The incident occurred during a gym birthday bash and resulted in multiple fatalities.