Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos Fávaro, to review ongoing bilateral cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration in agriculture and allied sectors. Chouhan highlighted the deep-rooted and friendly ties between India and Brazil, anchored in shared democratic values and strengthened through regular high-level engagements, including the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Brazil for the BRICS Summit. He also appreciated Brazil’s participation in the India AI Impact Summit, describing it as a meaningful step toward
India is seeking to diversify its crude oil and coking coal imports, with a proposed trade agreement with the United States expected to support that strategy, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at the Global Economic Cooperation Summit in Mumbai. He noted that India remains dependent on a handful of geographies for coking coal, leading to price volatility, and expressed interest in sourcing high-quality American coking coal. Of the 50% additional tariffs previously imposed by the US, 25% linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil have been removed. The remaining 25% reciproc
The first phase of the MTerra Solar project in the Philippines has reached a major milestone with the successful grid synchronization and initial energization of the facility on the Luzon grid. The project, being developed on the island of Luzon, is planned as a 3.5 GW solar plant combined with a 4.5 GWh battery energy storage system, making it the world’s largest integrated solar-plus-storage facility once completed. According to Meralco PowerGen Corporation, the initial switch-on confirms system readiness and safe grid connection. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines descri
The India–UAE economic corridor has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing trade partnerships, reflecting a deepening strategic and economic convergence between two key global economies. Anchored by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2022, bilateral trade between India and the United Arab Emirates crossed the landmark $100 billion level five years ahead of the original 2030 target. In January 2026, leaders announced a new and more ambitious goal: $200 billion in bilateral trade by 2032. The scale of economic engagement is underpinned by strong diversifica
Australia, the Philippines, and the United States have conducted a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, reinforcing trilateral defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The MCA was carried out on February 15–16, 2026, and featured the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba, supported by a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The activity also involved the Philippine Navy vessel BRP Diego Silang with its embarked AW109 helicopter, Philippine Air Force FA-50PH and A-29 S
Trade agreements with the United States and the 27-nation bloc European Union have opened up an export opportunity worth nearly $400 billion for India’s agriculture sector, an official said on Monday, underlining the growing significance of trade diplomacy for farm growth. At present, India’s agricultural exports to the US stand at around $2.8 billion, while imports from the country are limited to $1.5 billion, reflecting a favourable trade balance. Overall, India’s imports of agricultural goods are valued at about $35 billion, while exports are in the range of $51–52 billion, with
Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined three key priorities for the next decade: structural reforms, deeper innovation, and simpler governance, stating that his government’s “Reform Express” is delivering tangible benefits to citizens. In an interview with a news agency, he said the Union Budget reflects India’s aspiration to become a developed nation, calling it a “we are ready” moment driven by preparation and confidence rather than compulsion. The Prime Minister noted that the impact of defence reforms was visible during Operation Sindoor, stressing that India must remain pre
Bengaluru has once again emerged as the undisputed leader in India’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) landscape, capturing more than one-third of the country’s total GCC leasing. As per the report titled “Workplaces 2025: India Commercial Real Estate Reimagined”, GCCs accounted for nearly 40% of office leasing across India’s top cities in 2025, with Bengaluru alone clocking over 12 million square feet. This places it far ahead of its nearest peers, Pune with 4.8 million sq ft, and Hyderabad and NCR with 4.5 million sq ft each. With around 875 GCC centres, Bengaluru commands over
Singapore has unveiled a comprehensive set of initiatives to harness artificial intelligence (AI), including tax incentives for businesses and expanded training support for workers. Presenting the country’s Budget, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the formation of a new National AI Council, which he will chair, to steer the responsible development and use of AI in line with national priorities. A key initiative is the “Champions of AI” programme, which will provide customised support to firms seeking to transform their operations through AI, including enterprise restructuring a
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has urged India’s medtech startups to look beyond domestic markets and leverage the country’s expanding network of trade agreements, noting that India now enjoys market access to nearly 70 per cent of global GDP. Speaking at the Pfizer INDovation Startup Showcase Programme in the national capital, the minister highlighted the growing global opportunities for Indian innovators in the medical technology space. He emphasised that affordable, scalable, and innovative healthcare solutions developed in India have the potential to address chal