Updates on 1 September 2026
All of September 2026 →India and Denmark Strengthen MSME Cooperation through 4th Joint Working Group Meeting in Copenhagen
In August 2026, India and Denmark held the 4th meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on MSME development, innovation, and intellectual property in Copenhagen. The meeting featured bilateral discussions involving India's Ministry of MSME and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office, emphasizing technology adoption, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and cluster-based MSME growth. The Indian delegation was led by Dr. Rajneesh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner in the Ministry of MSME. Delegates visited Aarhus University's Innovation Kitchen and Agro Food Park, interacting with Denmark’s innovation support and business cluster ecosystems. The event also included participation in TechBBQ, a major Nordic startup event. India and Denmark, with bilateral trade in goods and services of approximately $2.05 billion and $4.25 billion respectively in 2025, aim to deepen institutional cooperation for innovation and IP-led MSME growth.
Türkiye becomes 71st signatory to NASA-led Artemis Accords in 2026
On August 31, 2026, the Republic of Türkiye officially signed the Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., becoming the 71st member nation. The Artemis Accords, established in 2020, set a framework for peaceful and cooperative civil space exploration with principles including transparency, interoperability, astronaut safety, and preservation of lunar heritage sites. Türkiye joins six other Middle Eastern countries in this U.S.-led international coalition supporting lunar exploration and adherence to space law. This move coincides with Türkiye's advancing space milestones, such as astronaut Alper Gezeravcı’s 2024 ISS mission and the upcoming AYAP-1 lunar mission in 2027. Türkiye is also hosting the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya in October 2026.
MoSPI and Thapar Institute Sign MoU for Predictive Analysis of Monthly Consumption Expenditure
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, on August 31, 2026. The collaboration aims to develop a predictive and analytical framework for Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) in India using data from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey and applying artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to enhance statistical modelling.
NCDEX launches RAINCHNNAI weather futures contract for Chennai's Northeast Monsoon
The National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) has introduced RAINCHNNAI, a weather futures contract based on Chennai's Northeast monsoon rainfall. It uses official data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded at Meenambakkam and Nungambakkam stations. This initiative helps manage financial risks from rainfall variability affecting the region, which receives about 70% of its annual rainfall during this monsoon from October to December. The cash-settled contract complements the earlier launched RAINMUMBAI futures for the southwest monsoon, expanding weather risk management tools across India's monsoon cycle. It uses a Cumulative Deviation Rainfall model against the Long Period Average to settle trades, aiding sectors like agriculture and urban utilities exposed to weather risks.
Gnani Artha Sovereign AI Stack Launched by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan
On 28 August 2026, India's Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an indigenous sovereign Artificial Intelligence stack developed by Bengaluru-based startup GNANI AI. Designed to serve Indian public institutions and enterprises, this AI stack ensures data residency and sovereignty by running within organisations' own infrastructure. Gnani Artha includes Evon v3.3, a 30-billion-parameter language model supporting 11 Indian languages with efficient token usage, and Plexus, an enterprise-grade AI orchestration platform for autonomous workflows. This initiative boosts India's technological self-reliance and supports regulatory compliance for sensitive data handling.