India’s Tejaswin Shankar during the men’s decathlon event (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)

NEW DELHI: India ended its campaign at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships with five medals and one gold, finishing sixth overall in the medal standings. Tejaswin Shankar delivered the standout performance for India by winning the men’s heptathlon gold, which was the country’s only gold medal at the event.Shankar scored 5993 points to win the heptathlon, breaking his own national indoor record of 5650 points set in 2021. He led from the first day and maintained his dominance across all seven events. On the final day, he clocked 8.02 seconds in the 60m hurdles, earning 977 points. He then cleared 4.20 metres in the pole vault, adding 673 points, before finishing strong in the 1000m race with a time of 2:43.91, which took his total score to 5993. Shankar is already India’s national record holder in the outdoor decathlon and won silver at the 2023 Asian Games, further proving his status as one of India’s top multi-event athletes.India’s other medal winners also impressed. Pooja won silver in women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.87 metres. Tajinderpal Singh Toor secured silver in men’s shot put with a season-best throw of 20.05 metres, narrowly missing gold. Ancy Sojan claimed bronze in women’s long jump with a best effort of 6.21 metres. Earlier in the competition, Aadrash Ram Jothi Shankar had won a bronze in high jump.China dominated the championships with 34 medals, including 10 golds, finishing comfortably on top of the table. Despite missing out on more golds, India’s athletes delivered strong performances, with several personal and season-best marks, highlighting the country’s growing strength in athletics on the Asian stage.

NEW DELHI: India’s auto component industry is set for a significant boost following the India-US trade deal, with the agreement providing preferential tariff treatment for Indian auto parts exports, including zero-duty access for some products. The joint statement said India will receive a preferential tariff rate quota for automotive parts currently covered under US national security tariffs, creating a pathway for Indian exporters to access the US market at lower or zero duties. They had previously been affected due to steep tariffs with certain auto components facing duties up to 50%. Vikrampati Singhania, president of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), said the move signals a clear intent to strengthen bilateral manufacturing and supply chains. “These measures will lead to enhanced export competitiveness, deepen technology collaboration, and reinforce India’s role as a trusted partner in resilient global automotive supply chains.” Auto component maker Uno Minda said the agreement opens a new phase of export-led growth for the sector. “For Uno Minda, this opens up compelling opportunities to further scale our footprint, strengthen supply-chain agility and expand our contribution to the US market while proudly reinforcing India’s position as a world-class manufacturing hub,” said Ravi Mehra, MD at Uno Minda. Tenneco India said the reduction in US tariffs will significantly improve the cost competitiveness of India-made components. “This will significantly enhance the cost competitiveness of our premium products like shock absorbers and exhaust systems in the US market, positioning us to grow our presence, scale volumes, and strengthen integration within the supply networks of American OEMs,” said Arvind Chandra, whole-time director and CEO, Tenneco India. Bharat Forge described the deal as a “game changer” for Indian industry, adding that it strengthens India’s position in global supply chains. In 2024-25, exports to the US were to the tune of $6.2 billion, while in the first half of this year, it has reached $3.1 billion, according to ACMA.

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: In a positive development, Washington Sundar is all set to join India’s T20I squad in Delhi ahead of the World Cup fixture vs Namibia on February 12. India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed this after the win over USA in Mumbai, informing that the all-rounder is “good.““Washi (Washington Sundar) is joining us in Delhi. He’s good. Everything is fine,” said Surya at the post-match presentation.

Sundar last played a competitive fixture nearly a month ago during the ODI series vs New Zealand. The all-rounder injured himself while bowling in the 1st ODI in Vadodara and went on to miss the remainder of the series, and the five T20Is which followed. As TimesofIndia.com had reported on January 28, the left-hander resumed batting at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and got his workload gradually increased in the coming days.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The BCCI didn’t mention the exact nature of his injury but TimesofIndia.com has learnt that it was a mild fracture in addition to the side strain which delayed the return to match fitness. He even consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala before checking into the Bengaluru facility and the initial few days were more about pain management and allowing the injured area to heal. Even the first batting session, which lasted around 30 minutes, was done with some tenderness around the injured rib region.“Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January. This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and has been advised rest for a few days, following which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury,” read a BCCI statement on January 16.On the reported lines, the Indian management played the waiting game and was in no rush to replace the all-rounder from the World Cup squad. His addition is unlikely to affect the Playing XI dynamics but gives the management an interesting match-up card up their sleeve.

Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma under the weather

Bumrah missed the tournament opener due to illness and even opener Abhishek didn’t take the field during the second innings of the fixture vs USA. The left-hander wasn’t spotted in the dugout, forcing the Indian management to assign fielding coach T Dilip to drinks duties.Abhishek was nowhere to be seen even during the post-match handshakes, and Surya later confirmed that both are still under the weather.

“Bumrah, he was having high fever due to because of weather, like how Abhishek was under the weather,” said Surya.Mohammed Siraj, however, revealed the Abhishek has an upset stomach but assured his return in the next game vs Namibia.“Everything is fine. His stomach was a little upset, so he didn’t come out to field. He’ll be back in the next match and show his magic with the bat,” said Siraj.

NEW DELHI: In a giant leap for the Indian space sector, domestic aerospace company Azista Space has demonstrated a new indigenous capability in space by taking images of objects in orbit from another satellite, a first by any space company in the country. This is often called “in-orbit snooping or space watch”.Using its 80-kg earth-observation satellite ABA First Runner (AFR), Azista Space took images of the International Space Station (ISS), which is orbiting at an altitude of around 400 km from the Earth’s surface.AFR, which was launched in space by SpaceX’s Falcon-9 as part of the Transporter-8 mission on June 13, 2023, has already completed 2.5 years in orbit.In a post of X, Azista Space, which has a manufacturing facility for satellites and payloads in Gujarat’s Sanand, said it has “successfully executed a challenging near-horizon demonstration targeting the ISS. Operating in sunlit conditions at ranges of approximately 250 km and 300 km, the AFR sensor was precisely tasked to track ISS, capturing it in 15 distinct frames. Two independent attempts were conducted, both achieving 100% success.”“The resulting acquisition resulted in the image with 2.2m sampling, validating our tracking algorithms and imaging precision. To our knowledge, AFR is the only Indian built and operated satellite to have demonstrated such a feat,” said the company, which is Asia’s first private satellite factory that annually produces 50 satellites.India currently has more than 50 operational satellites — for communication, navigation, earth observation, and surveillance purposes. Protecting these space assets requires timely information about the activities of other satellites in the vicinity, especially during heightened geopolitical tensions.The rare feat is a key step towards strengthening India’s space situational awareness (SSA), which means comprehensive monitoring, tracking and prediction of man-made satellites, space debris, and natural objects (like asteroids) in Earth’s orbit. It is critical to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities by analysing potential collisions and enabling avoidance maneuvers. “Azista Space also brings strong electro-optical payload, image processing and satellite bus engineering capabilities, enabling the design, development, and delivery of end-to-end SSA satellites and payloads tailored to customer mission requirements,” the company said.The company undertakes design, development, manufacturing and integration of satellites, space-borne systems and payloads, and also manufactures tailored-made satellites and satellite subsystems. Its personnel are also involved in over 12 Isro missions.

In a tournament where clinical precision is the gold standard, Pavan Rathnayake’s dismissal during Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Ireland on February 8, 2026, has sparked intense criticism. Chasing momentum in a sluggish middle-over phase at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Rathnayake fell victim to what many are calling a moment of tactical madness.

Careless shot costs Pavan Rathnayake his wicket in Sri Lanka vs Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 game

The defining moment of Rathnayake’s short-lived stay occurred on the first ball of the 11th over (10.1). Facing Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell with Sri Lanka struggling to accelerate at 68/2, Rathnayake attempted an audacious ramp shot against a delivery that demanded a much straighter bat. Getting down on one knee too early, he looked to guide the ball toward third man, but his lack of footwork and poor execution were exposed as the ball stayed low and skidded through.

Attempting to be overly creative, he seemed caught between an inside-out drive, a late cut, and a possible ramp; the result was a complete loss of shape as the ball held its line and crashed into the stumps. Having labored to just 5 runs off 9 balls, Rathnayake was clean bowled for a disappointing single-digit score, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 68/3 and effectively ending any hopes of a rapid acceleration during the middle overs.

This braindead moment was particularly frustrating for the Colombo crowd, as he had just begun to settle, but his departure instead forced Dunith Wellalage to the crease much earlier than planned, shifting the massive burden back onto the senior batters to repair the damage.

Here’s the video:

#SLvsIRE pic.twitter.com/J4DimaKy52

— Aman (@Amanriz78249871) February 8, 2026

Also WATCH: Nepal players salute Wankhede crowd with lap of honour after heartbreaking T20 World Cup 2026 loss to England

T20 World Cup 2026: Ireland’s spin trap chokes Sri Lanka in Colombo

The dismissal of Rathnayake was the centerpiece of a masterful bowling display by Dockrell, who dismantled the Sri Lankan top order with surgical precision. Dockrell’s spell was nothing short of elite, as he had already claimed the vital wicket of Pathum Nissanka (24) just an over earlier. Ireland’s spinners capitalized on a surface that offered significant grip and low bounce, making it nearly impossible for the Sri Lankan batters to rotate the strike or find the boundary.

However, the late stages of the innings saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Despite being choked for runs for the majority of the middle phase, Kamindu Mendis launched a sensational counter-attack, smashing a brisk 44 off just 19 balls. Alongside Kusal Mendis, who anchored the innings with a gritty 56, the pair took advantage of sloppy Irish fielding, including two dropped catches, to hammer 21 runs off the 17th over. This ‘jailbreak’ allowed Sri Lanka to recover from the depths of 86/4 to a much more competitive 163/6 at the end of their 20 overs. While Ireland’s disciplined approach, spearheaded by Dockrell (2/17) and Gareth Delany, dictated the middle overs, the late surge from the Mendis duo has set up a thrilling second-innings chase in Colombo.

Also WATCH: T20 World Cup 2026: Tim Siefert and Finn Allen’s funny collision leads to Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s lucky escape during NZ vs AGF clash

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NEW DELHI: After a near standstill in business, carpet exporters are now seeing some signs of activity.The punishing 50% US tariffs, including 25% penalty for Russian oil buys, had resulted in buyers putting orders on hold, which resulted in operations in Bhadohi and parts of J&K, the two carpet-making hubs, slowing down considerably.“There are 24-25 processes involved in carpet making. The entire chain had stopped, affecting us and the workers,” said Aslam Mahboob of Alam Rugs.With India being a dominant player in the handmade segment, where it competes with Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan, carpet makers are hoping to regain business they had lost to neighbouring countries. Some business had also moved to Turkiye, which faced 15% tariff, although it is a big player in the machine-made segment.Indian carpets and rugs saw export slipping nearly 9% to $735 million between April and Nov. The US accounted for more than half the exports from the country. In Sept, the decline was to the tune of 32%.“There were some special orders, otherwise orders dried up,” said Mahavir Pratap Sharma of Oscar Expo Design, a Jaipur-based company with units in Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh).There are now early signs of revival.American buyers are now back on calls, checking inventories and asking for photos of what’s there in the stocks. “The US executive order (for 18% tariff) has to be signed but we are giving finishing touches to some of the products we have. The buyers are very excited, and they are planning to come for an industry show in April,” said Sharma.Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad of Ferozson Exports said that carpet players in Jammu & Kashmir have a large European market, but they were also impacted. He is awaiting clarity on whether the zero reciprocal tariff benefit available to silk will also be offered for carpets, some of which are 100% silk.

MUMBAI: State Bank of India has raised its credit growth target for the year after broad-based momentum lifted profitability in the Dec quarter, chairman CS Setty said at a briefing. “On the credit growth advice we had given 12 to 14% credit guidance earlier. We are revising that upwards to 13 to 15% based on the trend which we have seen in the current quarter so far,” Setty said, adding that growth has been “secular” and that double-digit corporate credit growth should continue into Q4. SBI posted a standalone net profit of Rs 21,028 crore for Q3FY26, up 24.5% year-on-year and its highest-ever quarterly profit. Setty attributed the jump to multiple levers. “Profitability in Q3 has come from many levers,” he said, flagging fee income from cross-sell/upsell, govt business, letters of credit, processing charges, recoveries from written-off accounts and broad-based credit growth. Net interest income rose 9% year-on-year, driven by loan growth and lower funding costs. A one-off also helped. “One item which is a dividend, special dividend we have received around Rs 2,200 crore from SBI Mutual Fund. Even when you net off this one-off, I think we have done fairly well,” Setty said, adding that modest credit costs and tighter overhead control supported profits. Growth stayed broad-based. “All the components of RAM – retail, agriculture and SME – have witnessed robust growth. Corporate credit has seen a rebound and has grown by 13.4%,” Setty said, noting the higher guidance is “coming from all the segments.” He highlighted new-economy pockets too. “We are active in data centre financing… wherever data centre capacities are being created, we are part of that journey,” he said, adding that renewables remain core. “Our green portfolio has reached one lakh crore,” he added.

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