Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Groups protesting in Ladakh are demanding a ‘credible dialogue’ with Delhi over legislative and administrative rights
- The government has introduced new stricter rules for NGOs receiving foreign funds
Here is a roundup of some of the top headlines that are getting India talking on Wednesday, June 24:
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Skip next section Flipkart, Amazon to ramp up quick commerce business06/24/2026June 24, 2026
Flipkart, Amazon to ramp up quick commerce business
Walmart-owned Flipkart has said that it is planning to expand its quick commerce services in India.
Quick commerce, which allows the delivery of items within 30 minutes from neighborhood warehouses, is quite popular in India.
The company said that it is going to focus on smaller cities and increase its store count from 1,000 to 1,500 in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Amazon has also ventured into the quick commerce business and is also looking to expand it in the country.
In a statement, Amazon said it was expanding its ultra-fast delivery service “Now” to 300 Indian cities, a massive jump from the some 15 cities it is now active in.
Amid the service’s growing popularity in India, the government in January ordered companies to stop promoting their grocery deliveries as a “10-minute” service, with rider safety concerns in mind.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5FyZpSkip next section Government tightens foreign funding rules for NGOs06/24/2026June 24, 2026
Government tightens foreign funding rules for NGOs
India’s Home Ministry has introduced changes to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) which will impose higher penalties on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS) for several offences related to the receipt and usage of foreign contributions.
NGOs that utilize other than the permitted 20% of the foreign contributions on administrative expenses will now face a penalty of Rs 1 lakh or 5% of the excess amount spent, whichever is more, according to a report by Indian newspaper Financial Express.
Rules regarding the registration under FCRA is where heavy revision has been made.
Reportedly, the new rules oblige organizations applying for foreign funding to clarify its exact purpose.
“Every application for registration shall mention the purpose or purposes for which registration is sought” and the states or Union Territories where the association proposes to undertake activities.
Under the religious purposes, activities range from construction to renovation, and maintenance of religious places, religious education, and promotion of devotional music, among others.
Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has tightened restrictions on non-profit groups, suspending many and banning others from receiving foreign funding, accusing them of funneling the funds toward “anti-national activities.”
In 2020, a major FCRA amendment banned the transfer of foreign funds between NGOs, cutting administrative expense limits from 50% to 20%.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FyH2Skip next section Ladakh businesses shutdown amid standoff with Delhi06/24/2026June 24, 2026
Ladakh businesses shutdown amid standoff with Delhi
Businesses were shut in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh on Tuesday, at the calls of two main political groups representing the two regions that make up the Union Territory.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) called for the protests to express their disagreement with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Business establishments and private institutions remained closed in most parts of the Union Territory. Thousands joined a rally demanding a “credible dialogue” with the Union government.
The groups have alleged that the government omitted agreed upon proposals regarding authority over the bureaucracy as well as constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.
The two groups accused the government of widening a “trust deficit” by failing to include key understandings reached during talks on 22 May in the official Minutes of Meeting (MoM).
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What do we know about the Ladakh talks with Delhi?
The central government and the groups have held several rounds of talks since 2023. The talks were paused when four people were killed and over 80 injured in alleged police firing during protests in Leh last September over demands of statehood.
LAB and KDA have warned that if the “two essential” agreements are not reflected in the final minutes, they would return to their original demand of “full statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.”
Inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution will safeguard tribal lands, local employment, and the fragile Himalayan ecology from outside conglomerates.
In 2019, the Indian government abolished Article 370 which resulted in the region’s separation from Jammu and Kashmir and its redesignation as a separate Union Territory.
The decision was initially welcomed by the Ladakhi residents but soon concerns grew over inadequate political representation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FxvqSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/24/2026June 24, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Midhat Fatimah | Rana Taha Editor
Hello! This is Midhat from DW’s New Delhi Studio. I am here to bring you all that’s making headlines in Indiatoday.
India’s Himalayan region Ladakh saw protests over government policies. Both Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh observed business shutdown to register their discontentment.
The Indian government has also revised foreign funding rules making them more strict for Non-governmental Organizations.
The biggest change has been made in the religious category.
Meanwhile, Walmart’s e-commerce company Flipkart is looking to expand its “quick commerce” business in India.
Stay tuned as we bring you more on this and other developments from across the country.
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