Energy & Utilities: HiTHIUM unveiled an 8-hour long-duration energy storage system at SNEC 2026, pitching longer battery runtimes as key to integrating more renewables and stabilising grids. Clean Power M&A: Inox Clean Energy agreed to buy Vena Energy’s 6 GW India renewables portfolio (1.2 GW operating, 1.8 GW near-commissioning, 3 GW development), lifting its operating/near-operational base to ~4 GW and expanding its pipeline beyond 12 GW. Retail & Consumer Tech (India): Xiaomi launched the 17T in India with Leica-tuned cameras and a 6,500mAh battery; Motorola followed with the Edge 70 Pro+ featuring a 6,500mAh battery and IP68/IP69 durability. Smartphones & Leadership: Infinix India reportedly lost its CEO as shipments slow and internal restructuring hits its launch cadence. Payments & Policy (India): The RBI held rates at 5.25% and raised its FY27 inflation forecast to 5.1%, citing West Asia-driven energy shocks and rupee pressure. Trade & Tariffs: The US said it will uphold tariff caps in deals with the EU and Japan, while analysts warn new forced-labour tariff threats are meant to pressure India trade talks. Japan Consumer Goods: Yamada and Edion agreed to merge under a holding company to build scale against e-commerce competition. Food & Retail (Japan): Lawson is running a “Super Happy!” challenge with upsized onigiri, sandwiches and cake, plus extreme “too sour” and “too sweet” drinks. Pacific Energy Costs: Fuel prices keep climbing in the Pacific, with Samoa moving to an “amber alert” and preparing power shedding as diesel caps bite. Energy Transition (India Mobility): India is set to launch E85 flex-fuel to speed adoption of ethanol-powered vehicles.