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A joint military exercise of Indian and British troops concluded on Sunday, with the drill this time focusing on peace-enforcement operations in a counter-terrorism environment, officials said. This was the eighth edition of the biennial Army exercise 'Ajeya Warrior'. "The A (AMBOOR) Company 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles of the British Army, and the 21st Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army have been undertaking complex training at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan since the start of the exercise on November 17," the British High Commission said in a statement here. Continuing the trend of increasing complexity and interoperability, the exercise this time focused on conducting peace-enforcing operations in a counter-terrorism environment as mandated under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, it said. This involved executing simulated operations in a multi-domain urban and semi-urban environment. During the exercise, the two armies shared standard operating procedure
Exporters in Rajasthan are expecting a sharp rise in gems, jewellery, handicrafts and textiles shipments to the United Kingdom once the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India comes into effect. As part of the FTA, which was signed in July this year and is likely to come into effect next year, duties on 99 per cent exports to the UK will be reduced to zero. Jaipur-based jeweller K B Goyal of Dwarka Jewellers said the removal of the 3-3.5 per cent duty on jewellery items in the UK will give Indian jewellers a strong edge in global markets. "The duty removal will help jewellers in sales and marketing of jewellery samples abroad... We will give tough competition to China, Thailand, and Hong Kong," Goyal told PTI on Wednesday. He said India's estimated export of gold, silver, and platinum jewellery to the UK stands around USD 400 million, with Rajasthan contributing nearly 40 per cent. "We expect this export to increase 1.5 times in the next 2-3 years," he added. Trade policy expert Ri
The free trade agreement between India and the UK will help boost the country's exports and attract investments from Britain, according to experts. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed on July 24 and is likely to come into force next year. Gulzar Didwania, Partner, Deloitte India, said the signing of the CETA is expected to deliver significant gains for India by boosting exports, attracting investments, and providing duty-free market access for nearly 99 per cent of Indian exports across key sectors, such as textiles, automotive components, footwear, and pharmaceuticals. "A key highlight of the agreement also lies in the service sector, where it will open wider opportunities for Indian IT, financial, healthcare, and professional service providers in the UK market," he added. Additionally, Didwania said, the pact will facilitate smoother movement of skilled professionals, promote mutual recognition of qualifications, and strengthen collaboration in ...