The Hindu Daily Brief, 22 Oct 2026: Core Sector Hits 7.9%, SAF Mandate, Jio IPO Closes

Top stories Core industries: Output grew 7.9% in September, the highest since the series began in April 2024. Coal, refinery products and iron ore drove the rise. SAF mandate: India is expected to require 1% sustainable aviation fuel blending on international flights from 2027, rising to 2% in 2028 and 5% in 2030. A national SAF policy is still pending. Pinarayi Vijayan case: The Supreme Court stayed the police probe into the CMRL-Exalogic case for a week and sent the appeals back to the Kerala High Court. Jio Platforms IPO: The issue closes on 23 October, with a price band of ₹1,065–₹1,119 per share. Delhi air quality: The AQI reached 245 ("poor"), the first time since July. GRAP Stage 1 is now in force. Delhi and politics Delhi Police completed a safety audit of 1,600 parks and flagged broken walls, faulty CCTVs and a shortage of guards. Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were released on bail, which has renewed debate over the powers of Special Executive Magistrates. The RTR flyover ramp towards Vasant Vihar is closed for repairs and is expected to reopen around Monday. Bengal formed a six-member SIT to probe the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede. Kuki-Zo groups have demanded President's Rule in Manipur. Business eMudhra leaked eight private keys, and browsers are revoking trust in the affected certificates. The RBI MPC raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.5%. The rupee gained for an eighth straight session, closing at 94.46. Navratri auto retail sales rose 27% over Navratri 2024. World Putin agreed to resume three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the U.S., possibly from 10 November. The Houthis hit Saudi positions in Yemen, and the Saudi-led coalition intercepted six drones. Turkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a defence accord. Sport India begin a five-match T20I series in New Zealand under Shreyas Iyer, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning. PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in the Champions League. Delhi drew with Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy but took a first-innings lead.