FX Shock to Consumers: The US and Japan intervened to lift the yen, with USD/JPY at 157.40—its strongest since early May—raising the odds of near-term cost pressure across Asia. Digital Credit for Shopping: Flipkart launched “Pay Later” across Flipkart, Myntra and Flipkart Minutes with 30-day pay, “Pay in 3,” and EMI options, expanding checkout financing for mobiles, electronics, appliances and more. Retail Deals: Bajaj Electronics kicked off “Apple Days” (Aug 1–15) with cashback up to ₹15,000, exchange bonuses up to ₹10,000 and up to 24-month No Cost EMI. Auto Sales Momentum (India): Hyundai Motor India posted record July sales of 75,360 (+25.4%); JSW MG Motor India hit 8,158 wholesales (+22%) with NEVs over 80% of mix; Nissan Motor India said July domestic wholesales jumped 218% as Tekton deliveries begin. Consumer Protection: A rail consumer commission ordered Northern Railways to pay Rs 80,000 after a handbag theft on a Rajdhani train, citing staff negligence. Food Safety Watch (NZ): New Zealand consumer groups flagged concerns after an Australian probe found limited inspection and possible contamination in imported foods, including processed tomatoes linked to China. Weather Disruption (China): Heavy-to-torrential rain triggered alerts and flooding disruptions across multiple provinces. Cross-border Payments: Maldives and India went live on a Favara-UPI corridor for real-time transfers, boosting travel and commerce convenience. Energy Security Push (India): Cabinet approved “Samudra Manthan” (₹84,084 crore) to expand offshore exploration and cut long-term oil and gas import dependence.