Page 2 - External Affairs Defence Security News

Never allowed territory for activities against Bangladesh's interests: Govt

India on Sunday asserted that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of Bangladesh and pressed for holding the upcoming parliamentary polls in that country in a peaceful atmosphere. India's reaction came hours after the Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Indian envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, and conveyed its concern over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "incendiary" statements from Indian soil. According to a readout released by Dhaka, the foreign ministry also brought to Verma's notice the activities of some members of Hasina-led Awami League while staying in India. "India categorically rejects the assertions made by the interim government of Bangladesh in its press note," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said India has consistently reiterated its position in favour of free, fair, inclusive and credible elections in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere. "India has never allowed its territory to be used for activi

Defence R&D: Parliamentary panel calls for adequate budgetary provisions

The committee said the ministry is adopting emerging technologies of warfare and it has recommended that adequate budgetary provisions for research and development be made available to the armed force

Raft of agreements may be signed during Putin's India visit next week

Both nations look to deepen defence cooperation, and expand trade ties in 'national currencies'

India inks helicopter support agreements worth ₹7,995 crore with US

The ministry said that the agreement will eventually strengthen India's capabilities in the long run and lessen reliance on the US for such support

India needs a national defence innovation authority: SIDM President

Navy chief says more than 150 new start-ups and MSMEs have entered the defence ecosystem

India, Israel ink terms of reference to formally launch FTA talks

India and Israel on Thursday inked terms of reference (ToR) to formally launch negotiations for a free trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. The ToR include market access for goods by eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers, investment facilitation, simplification of customs procedures, increasing cooperation for innovation and technology transfer, and easing norms to promote trade in services. "We have signed the ToRs today. Now we will soon finalise the dates for starting the negotiations for that," Goyal told reporters here. Goyal is leading a 60-member business delegation to Israel. He will meet leaders and businesses to discuss ways to boost bilateral trade and investments. The TOR was signed by Goyal and Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat. Goyal said that the Israeli side has conveyed that they will not seek market access in sensitive areas such as dairy, rice, wheat and sugar. He also informed that Israel has come out with a ...

EAM S Jaishankar bats for strong economic links among SCO countries

Time SCO adopted English as an official working language: Jaishankar

Hindustan Aeronautics revamp study to be ready by March next year

Govt ropes in BCG to conduct study in view of firm's growing order book

India, Angola sign MoUs to boost cooperation in trade, marine sectors

India and Angola on Sunday exchanged multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to strengthen bilateral ties on subjects like fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources during the first day of President Droupadi Murmu's official engagements in the African country. The President is on a four-day state visit to the country between November 8-11. This is the first visit by an Indian president to Angola. Murmu was officially welcomed at the Presidential Palace here by Angolan President Joo Manuel Gonalves Loureno, starting with a 21-gun salute and a ceremonial guard of honour. The two leaders later sat down for delegation-level talks, following which MOUs were exchanged between the two countries, followed by a joint reading of statements before the press. Murmu said the partnership between India and Angola was built on "mutual trust, respect and a shared vision for the prosperity of our peoples." She thanked the Angolan people and the government for hosting her delegation in their

President Murmu visit to Angola to strengthen energy cooperation: MEA

President Droupadi Murmu's six-day tour of Angola and Botswana will focus on energy ties, agriculture collaboration, and deepening India's strategic engagement across Africa

India, US working to resolve sensitivities in trade pact talks, says Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India and the US are holding continuous discussions for the proposed bilateral trade agreement. "Talks are going well...and are continuously going on. ..kaee samvedanasheel mudde hai, kaee gambheer mudde hai, toh svaabhaavik hai ki thoda samay lagega (There are many sensitive issues, many serious issues, so it is natural that it will take some time)," he told reporters here. He was replying to a question about the progress on India-US negotiations on the pact. Goyal is here on a four-day official visit. He is leading a business delegation. Five rounds of talks have been completed so far for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement between the US and India. A team of Indian officials, headed by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, was in Washington last month to hold trade talks with their US counterparts. The three-day talks ended on October 17. In February this year, leaders of India and the US directed official

India, Israel sign defence pact to boost tech sharing and co-production

India and Israel on Tuesday signed a defence pact that will facilitate sharing of advanced technologies and promote co-development and co-production of key weapon systems and military hardware, in a major move to further bolster their already robust strategic ties. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Tel Aviv following a meeting of India-Israel joint working group (JWG) on defence cooperation. The MoU on defence cooperation was signed to provide a "unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries," the defence ministry said. "India-Israel defence partnership is long-standing based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests," it said. The ministry said a wide range of areas for cooperation have been identified in the MoU that will benefit both countries. "Important fields include strategic dialogues of mutual interest, training, defence industrial cooperation, and capabilities including science an

Indo-Pacific must be free from coercion, stresses unity, says Rajnath

India's emphasis on rule of law and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific is not against any country, but to safeguard interests of all stakeholders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday amid mounting global concerns over China's aggressive military posturing in the region. In an address at a conclave of defence ministers of ASEAN member states and the bloc's dialogue partners in Kuala Lumpur, Singh said India believes that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from any form of "coercion". He also pitched for an approach of "collective security" to ensure sovereignty of every nation in the region. "India's emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific, are not directed against any country but are meant to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders," he said. His remarks came amid consistent ...

Early conclusion of India-EU FTA can make big difference: Jaishankar

An early conclusion of the proposed free trade agreement between India and the European Union can make a "big difference" in terms of stabilising the global economy and strengthening democratic forces, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. He said this after meeting a high-powered trade delegation from the 27-nation bloc. The seven-member delegation is in India to push for finalisation of the long-awaited bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides. "Discussed how India & the European Union can maximize convergences and deepen cooperation. This can stabilize the global economy and strengthen democratic forces," Jaishankar said on X. "The early conclusion of the India-EU FTA can make a big difference to these objectives," he said. Jaishankar remarks came as the two sides looked to wrap up negotiations for the mega trade pact. In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their ...

Jaishankar holds talks with Malaysian PM on sidelines of Asean summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's best wishes for the successful event. Honoured to meet Prime Minister @anwaribrahim of Malaysia. Conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister @narendramodi for a successful ASEAN Summit, Jaishankar, who is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, posted on social media. Value his thoughts on strengthening our bilateral cooperation and people-to-people linkages, he added. The External Affairs Minister also met the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Cho Hyun, on the sidelines of the summit and discussed cooperation in automotive, electronics, semiconductor, defence and shipbuilding sectors. Delighted to meet @FMChoHyun of RoK, on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Malaysia. Appreciate the deepening of our Special Strategic Partnership. Discussed

We aim to conclude Asean-India trade deal this year: Malaysian PM

The comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the ASEAN grouping is emerging as a powerful foundation for global stability and growth amid uncertainties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. In a virtual address at the India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) annual summit, Modi reaffirmed New Delhi's strong support to the grouping's centrality in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners. Malaysia is hosting the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping. In his remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there has been "some real progress" in the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and that the grouping wants to conclude it by this year. Modi declared 2026 as the "ASEAN-India year of maritime cooperation".

Willing to pay extra to build resilience in our supply chains: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said the government is addressing supply chain issues across all sectors to build resilience, even if it involves spending "extra buck". Addressing UNCTAD's Ministerial Roundtable on 'Towards Resilient, Sustainable, and Inclusive Supply Chains and Trade Logistics' in Geneva, Goyal said India has launched the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative to make the country self-reliant. "We are addressing each and every supply chain sectorally to see where our vulnerabilities are, where we need to expand capacity, and we are willing to pay that extra buck to be able to have resilience in our supply chains," Goyal said. The government has launched initiatives, like a production-linked incentive scheme to boost domestic manufacturing, and a policy to promote semiconductor production in the country. To boost infrastructure development, he said, India has launched a trillion-dollar national master plan. The government itself spends about USD

Goyal to meet German leaders, businesses to boost trade and investment

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Berlin, Germany this week to meet government officials and businesses to discuss ways to boost trade and investments between the two countries, an official statement said on Wednesday. During the visit on October 23, Goyal will hold bilateral meetings with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche, and Economic and Financial Policy Advisor at the Federal Chancellery and Germany's G7 and G20 Sherpa Levin Holle. "Discussions during the meeting will focus on further strengthening the dynamic Indo-German economic partnership and exploring new avenues for enhanced trade and investment cooperation," the commerce ministry said. He will also participate in the third Berlin Global Dialogue (BGD) -- an annual summit that brings together leaders from business, government, and academia to deliberate on issues shaping the global economy. The minister will hold bilateral meetings with CEOs of leading German ...

Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya meets PM Modi to discuss bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday discussed a range of issues such as development cooperation and the welfare of Indian fishermen with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. Amarasuriya met Modi at his official residence here. "Glad to welcome Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ms. Harini Amarasuriya. Our discussions covered a broad range of areas, including education, women's empowerment, innovation, development cooperation and welfare of our fishermen," Modi said in a post on X. "As close neighbours, our cooperation holds immense importance for the prosperity of our two peoples as well as the shared region," Modi said.