Cosmoserve Space Announces Debris Removal Mission, MHA Designates 23 Terrorists Under UAPA, and UPI Transactions Grow 35% Year-on-Year

July 7, 2026, marks another day of pivotal advancements for India across technology, security, and digital economy. In a major milestone for the private space sector, startup Cosmoserve Space is set to launch its orbital debris-clearing "Mission Embrace" on Skyroot’s Vikram-1 rocket. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has bolstered national security by designating 23 individuals as terrorists under the UAPA, while the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) reports a stellar 35% year-on-year growth in transactions, reinforcing India's global leadership in digital public infrastructure.

🇮🇳 Cosmoserve Space Announces "Mission Embrace" for Active Orbital Debris Removal on Vikram-1

In a significant leap for India's private space industry, the space startup Cosmoserve Space has announced its first orbital technology demonstration mission, named "Mission Embrace." Scheduled to launch during a window from July 12 to August 4, 2026, the mission will ride as a passenger payload on Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 launch vehicle. The mission's primary objective is to demonstrate active debris removal (ADR) capabilities, a critical technological frontier for orbital sustainability.

"Mission Embrace" is designed to validate key proximity operations, rendezvous maneuvers, and autonomous capture technologies in low Earth orbit. As space debris poses an ever-increasing risk to operational satellites and crewed missions, the capability to safely de-orbit defunct objects is becoming globally critical. By developing cost-effective, domestic solutions for debris clearing, Indian space companies are not only supporting global space sustainability but also demonstrating the commercial maturity of the local private space ecosystem, backed by the regulatory facilitation of IN-SPACe.

🔒 Union Home Ministry Designates 23 Terrorists Under UAPA to Curb Cross-Border Networks

On the national security front, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken decisive action against cross-border terror operations. Exercising powers under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, the ministry has designated 23 individuals operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as terrorists. This notification marks a significant expansion of the UAPA registry, bringing the total number of individuals designated as terrorists in India to 80.

The list of designated individuals includes 17 Pakistani nationals and 6 Indian nationals. The government has identified these individuals as key actors in inciting and carrying out terror attacks in India, smuggling arms and explosives using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), facilitating cross-border infiltration, and recruiting youth via online radicalization channels. This measure is part of India's robust "Zero Tolerance Policy" against terrorism, aiming to disable financial pipelines, freeze assets, and dismantle the support infrastructure of these transnational terror networks.

📈 UPI Transactions Surge with 35% Year-on-Year Growth, Reaching 14.44 Billion in July

Highlighting India's digital economy prowess, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has registered a massive 35% year-on-year growth. According to the latest data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for July 2026, UPI processed 14.44 billion transactions during the month, with a total value of ₹20.64 lakh crore. This follows an incredibly strong performance in June 2026, which recorded 22.72 billion transactions valued at ₹28.92 lakh crore, boasting a record-high daily average of 757 million transactions.

The persistent growth of UPI highlights the deep integration of digital transactions in the daily lives of Indian citizens, spanning retail payments, utility bills, peer-to-peer transfers, and merchant checkouts. The continuous expansion of features, such as offline UPI Lite transactions and growing international partnerships, has kept transaction volumes on an upward trajectory. This sustained momentum underscores the success of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model, which continues to drive economic formalization and serve as a global benchmark for real-time payment solutions.

📌 The Bottom Line

• cosmoserve-debris-removal: Cosmoserve Space will launch its "Mission Embrace" on Skyroot's Vikram-1 to test active space debris removal, a major step forward for India's private space capabilities.
• uapa-terrorist-designations: The MHA has designated 23 Pak-based operatives as terrorists under the UAPA, intensifying its zero-tolerance campaign against cross-border terror networks.
• upi-growth-surge: UPI continues its rapid expansion, recording 14.44 billion transactions in July 2026 and a 35% year-on-year increase, cementing India's lead in digital payments.