⛽ Oil crossed $80. Who pays?

Good morning.

September starts with oil climbing past $80 again. If that sounds like a headline you have read before, it is. But this time, the ceasefire that was holding things together has cracked. More on that in a moment.

But first, something from Bengaluru that will stay with you.

When Bela Joshi's son was diagnosed with autism, she visited centre after centre in Bengaluru. Speech therapy in one place, occupational therapy in another, behavioural sessions somewhere else. Nothing felt integrated. Nothing felt like a place her child could belong to.

So, she built Colours Centre for Learning. Therapy happens through everyday activities here, not in separate clinical sessions. 

Over 100 autistic individuals and 290 families have been part of the programme. Every morning begins not with a bell, but with "Happy Morning" greetings.

What happened? Oil prices jumped over 2% after direct conflict between the US and Iran re-ignited following a month-long pause. Brent crude has climbed back above $80 a barrel, with Middle East supply risks firmly back on the table. Read More →

Why did it spike? The ceasefire and MOU signed in June had brought some stability. But renewed strikes and escalation have undone that calm. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil passes, is once again at the centre of the risk.

Why India should care: India imports over 85% of the oil it consumes. Every dollar increase in crude adds roughly ₹10,700 crore to the annual import bill. Higher crude means costlier petrol, diesel, LPG, and aviation fuel. It also puts pressure on the rupee and feeds into the inflation the RBI has already flagged twice in the previous month. More context →

How well do you know your Bollywood films?

I got 20/20. What did you get? Reply with your score. The highest one gets a mention in the next issue.

Multiple award winner, Oscar-qualifying festival selection. A story about love, loss, and the choices that stay with you. (24 min)

✈️ Travel: Starting September 1, Indian airports are discontinuing manual immigration clearance. If you are flying international, the process changes today.

📉 Markets: Indian shares opened cautiously as MSCI rejig puts HDFC Bank in focus. A day for portfolio watchers.

🤖 Policy: India should focus on multi-sectoral AI regulatory sandboxes, says the Financial Services Additional Secretary. Testing AI rules before enforcing them.

🌊 Nepal Floods: The death toll from Nepal and Tibet's floods continues to rise, with rescue operations still underway and glacier collapse alerts active.

💳 Payments: UPI is now accepted in 10 countries after India and Uzbekistan signed a cross-border payments deal.

Sports:
🏏 Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred as India beat Thailand by 94 runs in the Women's Asia Cup 2026.
🎾 India's Abhay Singh won the men's singles title at the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy 2026 in squash.

🐆 Northeast: A rare clouded leopard has been captured on camera in Tawang, hinting at a wider presence in Arunachal Pradesh than previously known.

We have all been through this exact awkward moment. (At least I have)