India and New Zealand have concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement that will make Kiwi apples, kiwifruit, and wine more affordable to Indian customers while providing New Zealand exporters a significant advantage over competitors such as the United States. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the deal after just nine months of negotiations, resuming talks that had been delayed for nearly a decade. The agreement will eliminate or sharply reduce tariffs on around 95% of New Zealand's exports to India. More than half of the products will be
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, said India's maritime exports had grown by about 20% in the previous seven months, demonstrating the sector's resilience in the face of ongoing global uncertainty. Responding to queries in the Lok Sabha, the Minister claimed that the increase was achieved despite trade hurdles, such as anti-dumping duties imposed by some nations on Indian fish export establishments. He noted that sustained government efforts are focused on diversifying fish exports to unlock higher growth and reduce dependence on limited markets. Goyal informed the Ho
The Union government aims to boost India's export ecosystem through the Export Promotion Mission, with a financial commitment of ₹25,060 crore from FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31. The proposal, approved by the Union Cabinet on November 12, is intended to boost global competitiveness for micro, small, and medium enterprises, new exporters, and labour-intensive industries that are under increasing pressure in foreign markets. The Commerce Ministry has highlighted the difficulties faced by textile exporters due to their reliance on the United States, emphasising that tariff-related hurdles limit
Gems and jewellery exports increased by over 20% year on year to $2.51 billion in November, owing to increasing international demand and favourable currency movements. In rupee terms, exports increased by more than 25%, indicating strong trade activity throughout the month. Imports, on the other hand, increased at a quicker rate, jumping 36% to $1.89 billion, owing primarily to frontloaded purchases by dealers and manufacturers ahead of peak demand. From April to November, cumulative exports stayed nearly unchanged at $18.87 billion, indicating a marginal increase, while imports rose about
India has reached a significant milestone in its startup journey, with the number of government-recognized firms now exceeding two lakh, according to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. He praised the achievement as a reflection of India's strong innovation culture, expressing confidence that this momentum will continue to fuel economic growth in the coming year. More than 44,000 firms were recognised this year alone, the highest annual total since the Startup India initiative's launch in 2016. The increasing ecosystem has had a tremendous impact on job creation, with acknow
The World Bank has granted over $600 million to finance ambitious clean air initiatives in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, aimed at reducing pollution in one of the world's most affected regions. The financing is estimated to have an impact on air quality outcomes for over 270 million people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and surrounding regions. Haryana will get a $300 million loan for its Clean Air Project, which aims to boost the state's multi-sector action plan to reduce emissions from transportation, agriculture, industry, and developing urban areas. The program aims to increase air qu
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a major announcement during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Microsoft will invest $17.5 billion, approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore, to expedite India's transition to an AI-first future. Nadella described the investment as the company's largest in Asia. He stated that this pledge will boost India's AI infrastructure while also expanding the country's skills and digital sovereignty. Nadella shared an update on X and praised PM Modi for what he described as an encouraging and forward-looking conversation. He stated that India's transformation in the
Germany has pledged nearly EUR 1.3 billion to India to promote climate action, clean energy expansion, and sustainable development efforts. The investment, which was announced during the India-Germany Government Negotiations on Development Cooperation 2025, will largely be provided as concessional loans. The funding will be directed towards climate and energy projects, sustainable urban development, green urban mobility, and responsible natural resource management. The two countries reaffirmed their long-term partnership under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, which guides
Jakarta has been recognised as the world's largest urban area in 2025, marking a defining moment in Indonesia's urban and economic development. The announcement comes in the same year that Indonesia formally joined BRICS as a full member, highlighting the country's growing significance in the Global South. For decades, Jakarta has been regarded as a significant megacity, playing an important role in Southeast Asia's financial, industrial, and cultural development. Its growing urbanisation and diversified population have kept it firmly in the global focus. The city also acts as a gateway to
Maharashtra has set a Guinness World Record by installing 45,911 off-grid solar agricultural pumps in just 30 days, making it India's fastest state to achieve this scale of deployment. The installation places Maharashtra second only to China in terms of the rate and number of solar pump installations by a single administrative region. MSEDCL stated that the achievement promotes clean energy use in agriculture while enhancing daytime irrigation access through PM-KUSUM and the state's Magel Tyala Saur Krushi Pump Yojana. The utility attributed the speedy pace to focused work in the drought-h