Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that negotiations for the India-US trade agreement have reached a 'plateau', indicating limited scope for further concessions from either side, while also highlighting the US's aim to reduce its trade deficit with India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on October 20 for talks aimed at strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Discussions will cover energy, trade, defence, and critical technologies. The visit also includes celebrations for the 250th anniversary of US Independence. This meeting follows earlier confusion regarding Rubio's visit and will also touch upon the India-US bilateral trade agreement, which both sides are close to concluding. The MEA clarified that hosting foreign dignitaries outside Delhi is a common practice.
Xi's bilateral meeting with Modi was substantial and readouts from both sides gave indications of rapprochement, if not a reset of bilateral relations between India and China, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
India has strongly criticised the US decision to suspend the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program for eight major IT firms, including Indian giants like TCS and Wipro. New Delhi also condemned US Vice President JD Vance's description of foreign professionals as "indentured servants," calling it "unwarranted and deeply offensive." The move is expected to impact thousands of Indian tech professionals seeking permanent residency in the US and further strains bilateral ties.
India has significantly improved its position as a global foreign direct investment (FDI) destination, climbing two places to 11th in 2025, with inflows surging by nearly 44 per cent to $38.89 billion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) World Investment Report 2026.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has publicly acknowledged India's intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, engaging directly with both Kyiv and Moscow. India is focusing on critical issues like Black Sea shipping safety, grain exports, and energy supplies, moving beyond its previous advocacy role. Jaishankar also highlighted India's historical ties with Russia and discussed the evolving global geopolitical landscape, including the repositioning of the US and the rise of China.
Who is running the show in Dhaka? This kind of flip-flop, culminating in a last-minute decision to skip a maiden visit, can happen only when the remote is in the hands of one of the competing lobbies within the BNP -- one that appears determined to play a game of chess with India.
In a major setback to Trump's pivotal economic agenda for his second term, the US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 verdict written by Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled that the tariffs imposed by the president on nations around the world were illegal.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India expects to operationalise nine free trade agreements (FTAs) within the next 10 months, with plans for an additional three to four significant pacts over the coming year, reinforcing India's ambition to become a global manufacturing and investment hub.
If we really want to curb the further depreciation of the rupee and make the rupee appreciate, we want to come out of the mindset that the exchange rate is merely a number, bring policy corrections to help reduce the outflow of foreign exchange by imposing suitable tariffs to discourage imports and bring self reliance, discipline FPIs, and correcting rules governing royalty outflows, suggests Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convenor, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch.
Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi on Saturday said that Iran has prepared a "professional mechanism" to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through a designated route, which will be unveiled soon.
Guterres emphasised that global structures and institutions must reflect the complexity and the opportunity of the "new times and realities"
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were 'proceeding nicely' and argued that several Muslim and Arab nations should formally recognise Israel and join the Abraham Accords once a deal is reached.
'Workers are the people who create all the wealth in this country. How can you call them anti-national?'
President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from over 60 international organisations, including United Nations bodies and the India-France-led International Solar Alliance, calling the institutions 'redundant' and 'contrary' to America's interests.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on India and China to view each other as partners rather than rivals, emphasising the importance of cooperation for regional stability and development.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has alleged a rise in targeted attacks on Hindus in Delhi, demanding a high-level review and the formation of a special task force to counter radical networks.
Following an examination and discussions held in the aftermath of the United States' decision to withdraw from dozens of international organisations, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa'ar, has decided that Jerusalem will immediately sever all contact with several United Nations agencies and international bodies, citing what the government described as persistent bias, politicisation and actions hostile to Israel.
The JD(U) stated that it supported the BJP for the Bihar chief minister's post to reciprocate past support, as the new government prepares for a vote of confidence.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's energy decisions are guided by national interest.
India and the US have entered a new phase in their relationship, marked by greater parity, point out Harsh V Pant and Vivek Mishra.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
Following a Supreme Court setback, Donald Trump has announced an increase in global tariffs from 10% to 15%, impacting international trade relations and raising concerns about economic repercussions.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
India succeeded in busting the Pakistani narrative on Operation Sindoor, particularly among the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member nations, where Islamabad sought succour after carrying out terror activities across the border, Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde said.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Despite the enormous commodity potential in developing countries, agricultural finance has been decreasing steadily over the past 20 years
Despite the enormous commodity potential in developing countries, agricultural finance has been decreasing steadily over the past 20 years and new modes of financing are needed, says UN.
Lavrov, who addressed the UN General Assembly shortly before External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's speech at the high-level General Debate, said India and Russia share a "particularly privileged strategic partnership".
Predicting a gloomy economic future, a top United Nations trade and development agency today said the governments still have a long way to go to tide over the financial crisis.
This is the first Budget in my memory of Budgets over the last half a century which has embraced upfront, enthusiastically and emphatically, technology, modernity and fiscal sobriety, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
Though the countries are lowering international trade restrictions, there is still fear that they may resort to policies that discriminate foreign investors due to weak economic recovery.
Indian exporters have more trouble in store, as the global merchandise outlook has worsened with UN body UNCTAD estimating 11 per cent decline in international trade in 2009.
Foreign Direct Investment to Asia reached record heights in 2011, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2012.
Net inflows were $18.4 billion for the rolling 12-month period ended January 2024 compared to $32.7 billion for the rolling 12-month period ended January 2023.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India will never compromise the interests of its farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers, asserting that he would be ready to pay any price.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says Operation Sindoor conveyed India's resolve to act against terrorism, following UN Security Council's call to bring Pahalgam attackers to justice.
However, the net job loss in the export sector is estimated to be 7,48,000 since some sectors like plantation may witness a positive growth. The study said, during 2009-10, India's total exports are likely to dip by 2.2 per cent.
