BRICS Diplomacy: China confirmed Xi Jinping will visit India for the 18th BRICS summit on Sept 12-13, aiming to keep the expanded bloc united as Iran-linked tensions test consensus. EV & Grid: EV industry groups urged battery incentives and smart-grid support as July EV sales hit a record 3,27,901 units (+66% YoY), with charging crossing 27,000. Energy Storage: India added 8.2 GWh battery storage in 1H 2026, lifting cumulative capacity to 9.3 GWh, as utilities push storage for grid balancing and renewables integration. Agri-PV Push: SECI floated a tender to lease 20 acres in Delhi for 27-year Agri-PV projects, with bids due Oct 7. Space Partnerships: India and France signed new private-sector space deals on satellite launches, surveillance and microsatellite tech. Nuclear & Industry: Westinghouse said it’s in talks for multiple AP1000 plants in India by 2047; Russia-India talks also point to SMRs and rare-earth cooperation. Payments & AI: NPCI is building an AI agent registry to vet agentic payments on UPI. Aviation Deals: Russia’s UAC signed agreements for 105 Il-114-300 aircraft with Indian airlines, plus a joint training simulator. Solar for Industry: LR Energy signed a PPA for a 6 MWp captive solar project in Haryana for Omega Bright Steel. Infrastructure & Safety: Delhi’s BRICS security has led to school closures on Sept 11, while airport-area structure demolition and FIR demands continue.