The State Bank of India (SBI) has revealed slight decreases in its primary lending rates and certain term deposit rates, starting December 15.

The interest rate for deposits with a maturity of 2 to less than 3 years has been lowered to 6.40 percent from 6.45 percent. Senior citizens will enjoy a 50 basis points advantage, bringing their rate down to 6.90 percent from 6.95 percent. Other retail term deposit categories remain unchanged, as stated in an announcement.

These adjustments affect domestic retail term deposits under Rs 3 crore, the Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR), the External Benchmark Linked Rate (EBLR), and the Base Rate.

The bank has also reduced the rate for the well-known 444-day “Amrit Vrishti” deposit to 6.45 percent from 6.60 percent.

Additionally, SBI has lowered the borrowing costs for home, auto, and MSME loans by decreasing the MCLR rates across all tenors by 5 basis points.

The MCLR for overnight and one-month loans has been decreased to 7.85 percent, while rates for three months, six months, one year, two years, and three years have been set at 8.25 percent, 8.60 percent, 8.70 percent, 8.75 percent, and 8.80 percent respectively.

Moreover, the External Benchmark Lending Rate (EBLR), which is used to set the rates for many floating-rate retail loans, has been reduced by 25 basis points to 7.90 percent from 8.15 percent.

The Base Rate or BPLR for a small group of legacy borrowers has been adjusted down to 9.90 percent from 10.00 percent, effective on the same date.

Earlier this week, the government announced that there has been no capital infusion into public sector banks since the financial year 2022-23, as these banks have notably enhanced their financial performance, becoming profitable and strengthening their capital base.

In the meantime, the anticipated reduction in goods and services tax (GST) is projected to decrease consumer price index (CPI) inflation by about 25 basis points during the September–November 2025 period and could lead to a reduction of 35 basis points this fiscal year (FY26), according to a report by the State Bank of India (SBI).

P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), emphasized India’s position on the global stage as a nation with a rich civilization and diverse heritage, drawing upon the principles of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the concept of the world as one family—and Sarva Dharma Samabhav, which champions equal respect for all faiths.

According to the MEA, P. Kumaran led India’s delegation at the 11th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he presented India’s national statement during the High-Level Meeting of the Group of Friends of UNAOC.

In his speech, he underscored the significance of UNAOC in fostering harmony among nations and cultures worldwide.

The 11th UNAOC, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh from December 14–15, revolves around the overarching theme, “UNAOC: Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity — Advancing a New Era of Mutual Respect and Understanding in a Multipolar World.”

In a press release, UNAOC noted that this global forum arrives at a pivotal moment in history, characterized by increasing divides, widespread conflicts, and diminishing confidence in the effectiveness of global governance structures and the multilateral system.

It gathered political leaders, international and regional organizations, religious figures, and faith representatives, alongside members of the private sector, civil society, academia, youth, arts, sports, and media, all aiming to renew their collective commitment to the enduring significance of dialogue, mutual respect, and understanding.

As UNAOC approaches its third decade, the forum presents a perfect opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of UNAOC and to outline its future direction in the quest for lasting peace.

Established in 2005 as a political initiative by Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, the UNAOC was co-sponsored by the Governments of Spain and Turkey.

Annan formed a High-Level Group of experts tasked with investigating the roots of polarization between societies and cultures and suggesting a practical action plan to address the issue.

The report produced by the group offered an analysis and presented actionable recommendations that serve as the foundation for UNAOC’s implementation plan.

Actor director Dhanush rlaunched the captivating trailer for director Suresh Rajakumari’s “Sirai,” which stars Vikram Prabhu and L K Akshay Kumar, was released on Friday.

Renowned producer S S Lalit Kumar’s Seven Screen Studios produced the movie.

Seven Screen Studios announced on their X timeline, “The #Sirai trailer is now available! This marks a significant milestone as @iamvikramprabhu stars in his 25th film. Featuring #VikramPrabhu @lk_akshaykumar @iamanishma @t_ananda98. Hitting theaters worldwide on December 25.”

The newly released trailer opens with Vikram Prabhu portraying a police officer whose responsibilities include escorting inmates to courts and returning them to prisons, as he is tasked with accompanying a prisoner named Abdul Rauf to the Sivagangai court.

Accompanied by two fellow officers, Vikram Prabhu takes the prisoner into custody and they commence their journey to the courthouse.

In the trailer, the prisoner begs Vikram Prabhu not to restrain him while escorting him from the bus terminal to the court. However, the officers refuse, stating that individuals who commit murder will indeed be handcuffed and paraded through the streets. “You should have considered all this before taking a life,” they remind him.

The trailer then reveals that the prisoner, Abdul, finds himself in this situation due to his girlfriend, who also faces challenges in her home life. Abdul manages to escape from the officers, complicating the situation further by seizing one of their rifles. The officers now face the dilemma of either recapturing Abdul or potentially spending their lives imprisoned…

The film’s narrative, which draws inspiration from real-life events, comes from director Tamizh, who is acclaimed for his work on the film ‘Taanakaran.’ It is believed that Tamizh crafted this story based on a personal encounter.

Director Suresh Rajakumari, who is well-known for collaborating with esteemed director Vetrimaran, has both scripted and directed this project.

Vikram Prabhu takes on the lead role in this film, while actress Anantha plays his love interest. This film will also mark the acting debut of producer SS Lalit Kumar’s son, L K Akshay Kumar. Actress Anishma will be paired with Akshay Kumar in his film debut.

Reports indicate that producer S S Lalit Kumar has invested significantly in this high-budget film, which features an outstanding technical crew.

The film’s music has been composed by the renowned Justin Prabhakaran. Cinematography is handled by Madesh Manickam, while editing is managed by one of the industry’s finest, Philomin Raj. Stunt sequences are choreographed by Prabhu. The project also has Arun K and Manikandan serving as executive producers.

Filming, which took place in various locations including Chennai, Sivagangai, and Vellore, has now been completed. The project has entered the final stages of post-production.

Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have created a robotic system aimed at engaging with people in a highly human-like way.

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), the social robot is capable of comprehending everyday language, executing spoken commands, answering queries, and participating in real-time discussions that go beyond scripted replies.

Additionally, it can identify users’ emotions by analyzing facial expressions, including happy, neutral, or sad. The robot can welcome users, give instructions, and respond with natural, conversational speech.

This system can be utilized in various settings such as households, schools, workplaces, hospitals, and community areas. It also has the ability to recognize simple gestures like waving and raising a hand, responding accordingly.

Dr. Anup Nandy, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Rourkela, stated, “The indigenously developed robotic system is well-aligned with the Government of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Unlike currently available global systems, NIT Rourkela’s social robot presents a uniquely integrated framework that merges gesture, emotion, speech, and LLM-based conversational capabilities within an economical platform tailored for Indian contexts.”

The Institute has also successfully obtained a patent for the innovative system.

The robot employs a Raspberry Pi system to process user inputs like spoken commands or text queries.

The LLM evaluates the input, identifies the context, and generates a suitable, human-like response. This response is then conveyed through the robot’s speech system utilizing Google Text-to-Speech.

The robot features a wheel-based platform and a navigation system for effortless mobility. Its built-in distance-sensing module aids in avoiding obstacles and ensuring safe navigation within crowded environments.

As detailed in a paper published in the journal Computers and Electrical Engineering, the anticipated cost of the developed robot is between Rs 80,000 and Rs 90,000, depending on production scale and component optimization, according to the researchers.

India is swiftly becoming one of the most appealing locations worldwide for investments in artificial intelligence (AI), as three major tech companies—Amazon, Microsoft, and Google—have declared a combined commitment of $67.5 billion to shape the country’s digital future.

A youthful demographic, affordable internet access, and a rapidly expanding digital landscape are propelling India into a significant center for AI-driven innovation, capturing remarkable interest from corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

Amazon, the leading e-commerce company in the U.S., has announced plans to invest over $35 billion in India by the year 2030, enhancing its three critical areas: AI-powered digitization, export growth, and job creation.

The company indicated that its investments would enhance AI capabilities, improve logistics systems, and assist countless small enterprises throughout the nation.

Microsoft has revealed an equally ambitious initiative, pledging $17.5 billion over the next four years (2026–2029) to enhance cloud and AI infrastructure, expand training programs, and bolster sovereign-ready digital abilities across India.

This announcement came after CEO Satya Nadella‘s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed confidence that India’s youth will seize this opportunity to “innovate and harness the power of AI for a better planet.”

He also mentioned that the nation is on a trajectory to become the largest developer community globally by 2030.

Emphasizing the country’s expanding talent and its emerging role in next-generation AI innovations, Nadella stated, “India is anticipated to have 57.5 million developers by 2030, establishing the largest developer base worldwide.”

Google has also made a significant pledge, unveiling a $15 billion investment to create a premier AI hub in Visakhapatnam (Vizag).

In collaboration with AdaniConneX and Airtel, Google will establish the largest AI data center campus in India, powered by renewable energy and supported by a subsea cable network.

Experts suggest that this investment signifies a transformation in India’s technology landscape beyond Bengaluru and Hyderabad, potentially establishing a new global-scale innovation center along the east coast of the country.

Microsoft, the global technology leader, revealed on Tuesday its plan to invest $17.5 billion in India over the next four years (2026-2029) to promote the spread of AI throughout the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that India’s youth “will seize this opportunity to innovate and utilize the power of AI for a better planet.”

“We are pleased to announce our largest investment in Asia — $17.5 billion over four years (CY 2026 to 2029) — to advance India’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, workforce education, and ongoing operations. This commitment follows our earlier announcement of a $3 billion investment made earlier this year, which we are on schedule to complete by the end of CY2026,” Microsoft stated.

This news followed a meeting between Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and Prime Minister Modi.

“I appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a motivating discussion about India’s AI potential. To support the nation’s goals, Microsoft is pledging US$17.5B—our largest investment ever in Asia—to aid in developing the necessary infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities for India’s AI-driven future,” Nadella shared in a post on X.

In response to Nadella’s message, PM Modi remarked: “When it comes to AI, the world is hopeful about India!”

“I had a fruitful discussion with Mr. Satya Nadella. I am pleased to note that India will be the recipient of Microsoft’s largest-ever investment in Asia. The youth of India will capitalize on this opportunity to innovate and utilize the power of AI for a better planet,” PM Modi stated.

Microsoft indicated that India is at a critical juncture in its AI journey, characterized by widespread impact and determination to lead. As technology emerges as a catalyst for inclusive growth and economic change, the nation is becoming a leading player in AI.

Nadella is currently in India for a tour focused on AI. During the conversation with PM Modi, both leaders reviewed the nation’s AI strategy and growth objectives.

Microsoft’s investment in India is concentrated on three key areas—scale, skills, and sovereignty—in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of creating a holistic ecosystem that fosters AI innovation and accessibility at a national level, as stated by the company.

This new funding will be directed towards further enhancing Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure, education initiatives, and long-term operations throughout India.

This involves the company’s team of over 22,000 employees in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurugram, Noida, and others, representing the diverse nature of Microsoft’s operations. They are involved in all aspects of the company’s product development and innovation.

Their efforts support innovation across Microsoft’s entire AI ecosystem—from infrastructure and application platforms to final products—while managing hyperscale datacenters and providing sales and support to customers nationwide. These teams are not only fueling India’s digital transformation but also creating significant AI impact globally—through Copilot Studio, Azure AI Search, AI agents, AI speech and translation, Azure Machine Learning, and beyond.

Daily, they work closely with India’s top businesses, developers, and institutions to harness the potential of AI for the country, according to the Microsoft release.

A major focus of Microsoft’s investment is the establishment of secure, sovereign-ready hyperscale infrastructure to facilitate AI adoption in India. Central to this initiative is the substantial development taking place at the India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad, which is scheduled to launch in mid-2026.

This will be the largest hyperscale region for Microsoft in India, consisting of three availability zones—approximately equivalent in size to two combined Eden Gardens stadiums, as noted in the statement.

The company announced that it will also proceed with the expansion of its three operational data centre locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune.

This development offers organizations throughout India increased options and resilience, ensuring low-latency, critical performance for enterprises, startups, and public sector organizations.

Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated: “As AI transforms the digital economy, India is dedicated to innovation based on trust and sovereignty. Microsoft’s significant investment indicates India’s emergence as a dependable technology partner globally. This collaboration will establish new standards and propel the country’s transition from digital public infrastructure to AI public infrastructure.”

Microsoft India and South Asia President Puneet Chandok mentioned: “Building on the $3 billion investment revealed in January 2025, Microsoft’s new commitment of $17.5 billion and strong collaboration within India’s technology ecosystem aim to convert India’s AI aspirations into tangible outcomes for every citizen. This transformation is centered around three key elements: hyperscale infrastructure for scalable AI operations, sovereign-ready solutions that maintain trust, and skill development programs that enable every Indian to not only participate in the future but also to influence it.“

Hardik Pandya‘s outstanding all-round display, coupled with the collective efforts of the bowlers, secured India a 101-run win in the first T20I against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium.

This victory gave the hosts a 1-0 advantage in the five-match series, marking a strong start to their T20 World Cup 2026 preparations.

While defending a target of 176 runs, the Men in Blue experienced a fantastic beginning as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Quinton de Kock for a duck with just the second ball of the innings. Tristan Stubbs aimed to make an impact quickly upon entering the field, but his time was cut short by the Indian pacer, who captured his second wicket in the third over.

Markram and Dewald Brevis rapidly gained momentum, not allowing the loss of two early wickets to disrupt their progress, but a change in bowling brought Axar Patel into the attack during the powerplay, resulting in the Protea captain’s dismissal for a run-a-ball 14.

Returning to bowl for India after a considerable break, Hardik Pandya struck on his very first delivery, removing the dangerous David Miller and earning his team another crucial breakthrough.

The South African batting line-up fell apart as the Indian bowlers consistently claimed wickets at steady intervals. Although Marco Jansen briefly reignited hopes by hitting a few sixes, Varun Chakaravarthy ended his innings by bowling him out, plunging the visitors into deeper trouble.

Bumrah came within one wicket of reaching 100 T20I wickets and accomplished the milestone by getting Dewald Brevis out in the 11th over, quickly followed by dismissing Keshav Maharaj in the same over. The Proteas faced their ninth wicket loss shortly after, in the 12th over, when Anrich Nortje returned to the pavilion, courtesy of Axar.

Shivam Dube sealed the innings with a catch by Abhishek Sharma that led to Lutho Sipamla’s dismissal. Consequently, South Africa was bowled out for their lowest-ever score in a T20I, finishing with a mere 74 runs.

In terms of the first innings, Shubman Gill’s long-awaited return was brief, as Lungi Ngidi dismissed him in the opening over before striking again to remove Suryakumar Yadav, unsettling India early on. Captain Suryakumar mounted a brief counterattack with a six and a four, including his trademark ‘supla’ shot, before falling to a poorly timed shot.

Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma stabilized the innings, leading India to 40/2 at the end of the powerplay, but the opener’s dismissal by Lutho Sipamla stalled the progress. The middle overs dragged on as Varma and Axar Patel encountered difficulties in achieving fluency before the former was dismissed after scoring 26 off 32 balls.

Axar provided support, but the innings significantly relied on Pandya’s impactful performance. The all-rounder hit six boundaries and four sixes, boosting India’s total with an assertive conclusion. Contributions from Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma added crucial runs in the closing phases.

On a pitch that turned even routine strokes into challenging efforts, Pandya delivered an innings of exceptional quality.

With the surface gripping and the ball not coming onto the bat, India’s top order found it hard to gain fluency; both Tilak Varma and Axar Patel showed potential but ultimately fell short.

South Africa tightened their grip through Lungi Ngidi’s three-wicket haul and Marco Jansen’s economical bowling, dismissing batters just as partnerships seemed to settle.

In the midst of the battle, Pandya seemed almost unaffected by the challenging conditions. He accelerated play with precision and assurance, taking control and returning the contest to a state of equilibrium. His innings has kept India firmly in contention despite the obstacles posed by the pitch and the South African bowlers.

With India now leading the series, the two teams will clash again for the second T20I on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Brief Scores:
India 175/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3-31, Lutho Sipamla 2-38) beat
South Africa 74/10 (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Axar Patel 2-7, Arshdeep Singh 2-14) by 101 runs.

A total of 350 players are scheduled to participate in the IPL 2026 mini auction on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, as the BCCI disclosed the Player Auction list for the upcoming season on Tuesday.

Out of 1390 players who registered for the Player Auction, 350 players were chosen for consideration.

Among the 350 players selected, 240 are from India, and 110 are international players. The list features 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players, introducing significant new talent to this year’s auction lineup.

Franchises will vie for a total of 77 available positions, including 31 designated for overseas players.

A total of 40 players have set their base price at the maximum of Rs 2 crore, with only Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi being the two Indian players among them.

Previously, a total of 173 players were retained across different teams, including 49 overseas players. A combined budget of Rs 237.55 crore will be available at the auction for the 77 player positions.

South African wicketkeepers Quinton de Kock and George Linde, as well as Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage, who were not part of the initial list, have now been added to the final roster.

As the auction approaches, the Kolkata Knight Riders hold the largest purse of Rs 64.3 crore among the franchises, allowing them to fill up to 13 slots, including six for overseas players. The Chennai Super Kings follow with the second-largest budget of Rs 43.4 crore, aiming to fill a maximum of nine available positions.

Australia’s Cameron Green is anticipated to become the highest-priced player at the forthcoming IPL auction, as both KKR and CSK, who possess the largest budgets, are likely to place aggressive bids for the allrounder.