The deal shifts the US posture towards India from hostile to neutral, and that matters for growth, points out T T Ram Mohan.
As India marks a decade of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the focus is shifting towards enhancing efficiency through artificial intelligence, data sharing, and process simplification. The reform, which unified India's indirect tax system, has significantly broadened the tax base and boosted revenues, with future plans including a streamlined two-tier rate structure and continued technological integration to reduce compliance costs and combat evasion.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday withdrew the invitation extended to Canada to join the Board of Peace.
With the Iran war escalating sharply and crisis deepening in the global energy market, India on Monday unveiled a coordinated plan to support exporters and shippers caught in the fallout.
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed striking the Guinea-Bissau-flagged oil tanker MT Jalveer, carrying 20 Indian seafarers, in the Gulf of Oman for allegedly violating the US blockade against Iran. This incident marks the third commercial vessel attacked by US forces in the region this week, with three Indian seafarers previously losing their lives in an attack on the MT Settebello.
The Beijing summit may have reduced immediate diplomatic uncertainty, but it did not resolve the deeper structural contest between the United States and China. That contest appears likely to define the coming decade, notes Varun Arya.
'We are profoundly energy-dependent on the Gulf. That dependency must now be redirected towards the United States, because we require American permission to procure oil.' 'We additionally require Iranian permission to acquire oil from that source. So India now has to seek two separate permissions merely to secure its energy supply.' 'Should we be compelled to source from America, or from Venezuela -- which is, in effect, American-controlled supply -- that will inevitably carry a price premium, an elevated shipping cost, and a considerably extended delivery timeline, given the distances involved.'
Conflicting reports emerge regarding the effectiveness of the US blockade on Iranian ports, with Iran claiming successful transit of vessels and the US asserting complete maritime dominance.
The amazing story of how a little known cheese from Ladakh stunned the world!
Iran has presented a multi-layered proposal to the US in an attempt to break the deadlock in peace talks, focusing on de-escalation and nuclear programme discussions.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
An Iranian tanker successfully bypassed the US Navy to deliver crude oil to the Asia-Pacific region, despite ongoing tensions and a US blockade.
Afghanistan national cricket team players visited injured civilians in Kabul hospitals after deadly airstrikes, as calls grow for an international investigation.
Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, has surpassed Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's richest person, with a net worth of USD 92.6 billion, placing him 19th globally according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
At the upper end of that range, the bourse would rank among the seven most valuable listed firms in the country.
The Indian government has issued an updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for processing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) applications, aiming to clear all proposals within 12 weeks, a two-week extension from the previous 10-week target, to ensure a fully paperless and transparent process.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A Pakistani delegation, led by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, has arrived in Tehran to mediate the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, following initial talks in Islamabad.
Adelaide Oval is exploring the possibility of hosting a regular-season Indian Premier League match as early as March next year.
US President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the request of Pakistan, aiming to allow Tehran's leadership time to form a unified proposal to end the seven-week war.
The US blockade on Iranian ports is aimed to curb Iranian energy exports, thereby crippling its economy to force Iran back to the negotiating table, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
India has initiated a probe into imports of subsidised paperboard from China and Indonesia following complaints from domestic manufacturers. The investigation will assess the impact of these imports on the Indian paper industry and determine if anti-subsidy duties are warranted.
India has initiated a probe into imports of subsidised paperboard from China and Indonesia following complaints from domestic manufacturers. The investigation will assess the impact of these imports on the Indian paper industry and determine if anti-subsidy duties are warranted.
'Nepal today is far more aware, self-confident, aspirational, and assertive.' 'India's policy so far has not been geared to this shift. It is time to redraw our Nepal strategy.'
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
A Thai cargo vessel was struck by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving three crew members missing and prompting a rescue operation by the Royal Navy of Oman.
US President Donald Trump asserted that the trade deal with India remains intact despite a Supreme Court ruling against his tariffs, while also claiming he used tariffs to stop a war between India and Pakistan.
India will now face a lower reciprocal tariff of 10 per cent, down from 25 per cent, after US President Donald Trump announced a new global levy on items imported into America in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict against his sweeping duties on several nations.
The US Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, escalating tensions as ceasefire talks face uncertainty. The incident raises concerns about the fragile ceasefire and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing the 36th extraordinary session of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) held on Thursday in London, the Indian envoy said, "India remains deeply concerned about the evolving situation and continues to call for de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy, with utmost restraint and priority being given to the safety of civilians."
At Border Pillar 609 at Babliyan near Jaisalmer, the one thing that dominates the landscape is something entirely different, something central to our identity -- the Tiranga -- flying boldly above the blazing desert.
Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of the Iranian President, has confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is 'safe and sound'. This comes after certain reports claimed that he had been injured during the ongoing strikes by the United States and Israel, according to Al Jazeera.
India has commissioned its new indigenously-built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Aridaman into service, further strengthening the naval component of its nuclear triad. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also highlighted the Indian Navy's role in securing maritime trade routes.
Guterres emphasised that global structures and institutions must reflect the complexity and the opportunity of the "new times and realities"
Trump repeated the assertion that Sharif had claimed he saved "25 million lives" when he stopped the war between India and Pakistan.
'We are getting used to the constant alerts to take shelter, listening to sonic booms from jets flying above us, hearing news of neighbouring ports being targeted, and being the only ship in the terminal.'
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
