India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, delivered a letter from Modi to US President Donald Trump at his inauguration on Monday. Jaishankar's presence at the inauguration is a common practice for India, sending special envoys to attend the swearing-in ceremonies of heads of state and government. The letter's content remains undisclosed.
New Delhi, while opting not to retaliate yet to the American tariffs, has in recent weeks sought to reinforce its friendship with Moscow, and recalibrate its ties with Beijing rather than surrender to Washington's diktats.
India has voiced regret over the Ukraine conflict's 'collateral consequences', including prices of fuel, saying countries of the Global South have been left to fend for themselves, as Delhi underscored that diplomatic efforts hold the promise to end the war and bring lasting peace.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit India next week, marking the first high-level trip from Kabul since the Taliban's rise to power. The visit follows a temporary exemption to a UN travel ban and is expected to enhance India's relations with the Taliban government.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addressed the controversy surrounding the absence of women journalists at a recent press interaction in New Delhi, stating there was no intention to exclude them. He also discussed trade and investment opportunities between Afghanistan and India.
Soon after he was sworn in by Vice President J D Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi for his first multilateral meeting as the top American diplomat.
China promised to address three key concerns of India, the sources said.
China has expressed surprise over India's clarification regarding its stance on Taiwan, following reported comments by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Beijing claims India's position is inconsistent with facts and undermines China's sovereignty.
The opposition on Saturday termed the absence of female journalists from a press conference of visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi "unacceptable" and an "insult to women", and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the "emptiness" of his slogans on Nari Shakti.
'Trump is not shy when he is frustrated with countries'
India responds to US President Trump's claim that PM Modi assured him of halting Russian oil imports, stating it is diversifying energy sources to meet market conditions and safeguard consumer interests.
India has always been open to legitimate return of undocumented Indians to their country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, noting that New Delhi is still in the process of verifying those from the United States who can be deported to India and the number of such individuals cannot be determined yet.
'Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing.'
Social media feeds and immigration forums lit up with questions from workers and families who feared they might be stranded abroad, unable to return to their jobs or reunite with loved ones.
'I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation'
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as "a big step" in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Jaishankar said India-China ties have been abnormal since 2020 when peace and tranquillity in border areas were disturbed due to Chinese actions.
He said that the two nations will have issues in the foreseeable future. However, there are ways of addressing those issues and what happened in 2020 was not the way to address those issues.
'He was really the legend of our times.' 'I couldn't have imagined that one day I'd be sharing a stage with him.'
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that it is imperative for the two sides to view each other as partners and opportunities rather than rivals or threats, and invest their valuable resources in development and revitalisation.
The minister's statement in the Rajya Sabha came amid opposition protests over the treatment meted out to 104 Indians, who were deported from the United States.
Voting for the Delhi Assembly elections began on Wednesday, with prominent leaders like President Droupadi Murmu, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi casting their ballots early in the day. Other notable figures who participated in the electoral process included Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, and Delhi Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz. The election is a triangular contest between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress, with the AAP aiming for a third consecutive term. Polling is underway at 13,766 stations across Delhi's 70 assembly constituencies to decide the fate of 699 candidates. The results will be announced on February 8.
The 30-year-old man from Telangana, who was allegedly shot dead by the United States police, had claimed that he was a victim of 'racial hatred and discrimination'.
'India is cosying up to Xi Jinping. They don't need the Russian oil. It's a refining profiteering scheme.'
If the visit had taken place, then it would have been the first ministerial visit from Kabul to India after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
'Pakistan is uncomfortable with the Indian presence in Afghanistan. They want the Taliban to ensure that there is no Indian presence in Afghanistan.'
'Pakistan wanted India out of Afghanistan to which again the Taliban told Pakistan to take a walk.' 'Six months after they came back to power in 2021 India was back in Afghanistan at the request of the Taliban.' 'The Taliban realised that India has no agenda of its own in Afghanistan.'
'During the 5-day visit, Amir Khan Muttaqi would have, conceivably, bumped into our powerful security agencies one way or another and some interaction would have ensued, which, in turn, can lead to future dealings.' 'Indeed, this will be the one crucial template of the Indo-Afghan relationship that Pakistan will be monitoring closely,' points Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
"I understood tariffs better than any human being in the world. And now with my tariffs, they were all dropping them. India was the most highly tariffed nation... And you know what, they've offered me no tariffs in India anymore. No tariffs," Trump said.
Vance also hinted that the US may drop additional tariffs on countries if the US make a deal with Russia, and also apply more tariffs on the countries to bring this war to a close.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar clarified the process of deportation of Indian nationals from the US, stating that it is not a new phenomenon and has been ongoing for several years. He assured the Rajya Sabha that the government is engaging with the US to ensure that the deported Indians are not mistreated during their transit. Jaishankar also emphasized the need for strong action against the illegal migration industry while ensuring ease of visas for legitimate travellers. The minister provided details about the number of Indians deported from the US since 2009, highlighting the peak in 2019 with 2,042 deportations.
India has announced the resumption of tourist visas for Chinese nationals, signaling an effort to improve bilateral relations following border tensions.
He added that India sells to the US, its biggest "client", "massive" amounts of goods, "but we sell them very little - Until now a totally one sided relationship, and it has been for many decades."
India received FDI equity flows from China worth $2.67 million in FY25, which was 0.01 per cent of the total FDI equity receipts by India in FY25.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday (local time) hailed India as 'one of the top relationships that the US has in the world today' during the Senate confirmation hearing for Sergio Gor, US President Donald Trump's nominee for US Ambassador to India.
The Galwan clashes indicate to the limitations in relations if they do not address border stability, points out Srikanth Kondapalli.
The Galwan clashes indicate to the limitations in relations if they do not address border stability, points out Srikanth Kondapalli.
Jaishankar said, "The immediate part which awaits us is what we call the de-escalation, which is the build-up of forces along the Line of Actual Control."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for border talks with NSA Ajit Doval, ahead of PM Modi's visit to China for the SCO summit. The visit aims to improve bilateral ties after recent tensions.
A White House official claims Donald Trump ended several conflicts, including the one between India and Pakistan, and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. This claim is disputed by India.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances