Page 30 - India

India starts moving its citizens to safety from Tehran amid conflict

Indian students are being relocated from major Tehran universities to safer locations within Iran as the Israel-Iran conflict enters its fourth day

China's nuclear arsenal growing fastest globally, may hit 1,500 by 2035

Even with 1,500 warheads by 2035, China's nuclear arsenal would still be only about one-third the size of Russia's or the US's current stockpiles

India, France to intensify defence, space & civilian nuclear cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held wide-ranging discussions with French counterpart Jean-Nol Barrot on a range of issues and the two sides agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation in areas like defence, security, space and civilian-nuclear collaboration. Jaishankar also expressed India's "deep appreciation" to France for the strong condemnation of the cross-border terrorist attack that took place on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and thanked Paris for its "steadfast support for India's right to defend itself against terrorism". Addressing a joint press conference in Marseille after the meeting, he underlined that there has been a "very high degree of trust" between India and France over the years as one looks at their relationship and cooperation. He said the two sides also discussed global and regional issues like the situation in the Indian subcontinent, the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. "It has always been our position that

India, China to fast-track process for resuming direct air services

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong during which the two sides reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations and agreed to continue to "stabilise and rebuild ties" with priority on people-centric engagements, the MEA said on Friday. The meeting took place on Thursday and the two sides also agreed to expedite steps involved in resuming direct air services between the two countries. Misri had held talks with Sun earlier on January 27 in Beijing. Sun is on a visit to India from June 12-13, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. During the meeting on Thursday, "the two sides reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Beijing on January 27, 2025 and agreed to continue to stabilise and rebuild ties with priority on people-centric engagements", the MEA said. The foreign secretary appreciated the Chinese side's cooperation for the resumption of the Kailash ...

A Tightrope Between Markets and Welfare: David Engerman on India’s Economic Choices

In this exclusive conversation, historian David C. Engerman, author of Apostles of Development, joins Ankur Bhardwaj to discuss the economists who shaped South Asia’s postcolonial development.

Nepalese Foreign Minister calls for 'green energy cooperation' with India

Green energy cooperation will foster mutual interdependence between New Delhi and Kathmandu, Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzoo Rana Deuba said on Thursday, adding that it can be done by promoting clean and sustainable energy sources. India's commitment to import 10,000 MW electricity over the next decade reflects the growing momentum in Nepal-India energy cooperation, Deuba said while speaking at the NepalIndia Strategic Dialogue organised by think tanks Ananta Aspen Centre and Centre for Innovative Foreign Policy in Kathmandu. Nepal and India had signed a long-term agreement in January 2024 to facilitate the export of 10,000 MW of electricity to India in the next 10 years. The foremost priority in Nepal- India relations is the need to advance our economic partnership by intensifying cooperation in trade, transit and investment, Deuba asserted. Nepal's enormous hydro-potential offers a clean climate resilient and renewable energy source that can be harnessed for generations to come, s

INSCO submits Rs 2,752 crore revised plan for HNGIL takeover after SC order

Independent Sugar Corporation (INSCO) has submitted a comprehensive revised resolution plan worth Rs 2,752 crore for the takeover of debt-ridden glass bottle manufacturer Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Limited (HNGIL), in line with the Supreme Court verdict. The Committee of Creditors (CoC) is likely to consider the revised proposal, and voting is likely to commence on Thursday, sources said. INSCO, a company promoted by the Madhvani Group, having operations in many countries, has submitted a revised resolution plan on June 8, making Rs 2,752 crore offer comprising Rs 2,200 crore in upfront cash and equity valued at around Rs 550 crore. The revised offer comes following the Supreme Court's directive to match the offer previously made by AGI Greenpac. As per the apex court's order, only INSCO's plan will be considered for approval, with the entire resolution process, including voting, to be completed by July 2025. INSCO's plan outlines payment of the entire Rs 2,200 crore .

India's renewable energy capacity rises 17% to 227 CW in May: Joshi

India's total renewable energy capacity grew 17.13 per cent year-on-year to 226.74 gigawatts (GW) in May, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. "India's #RenewableEnergy sector has witnessed unprecedented growth under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. From solar to wind energy, our nation is paving the way for a brighter and more sustainable future!," the Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said in a post on X. The renewable energy capacity has surged 17.13 per cent year-on-year to 226.74 GW in May from 193.58 GW in the same month last year, as per the data shared by the minister in his post. Of the total, solar power capacity expanded 31.49 per cent to 110.83 GW from 84.28 GW in May 2024. Wind capacity witnessed a rise of 10.49 per cent to 51.29 GW against 46.42 GW last year. In a separate post, Joshi said clean energy is shaping India's journey of progress and pride. "Guided by @narendramodi ji's leadership, it has become a powerfu

CAT issues notice to AIR over plea by casual RJs on announcer hiring

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued notice to All India Radio and others on a plea filed by the association of casual radio jockeys (RJs) against the public sector radio broadcaster's notification on appointment of casual announcers. Judicial Member Manish Garg noted the submissions of senior advocate Salman Khurshid that the All India Radio Broadcasting Professionals Association, comprising around 20 casual announcers or RJs, were working for "a long time", and that the matter on the regularisation of "similarly situated persons" was pending in the Supreme Court. The tribunal noted that the association had also filed an application for impleading themselves in the matter before the apex court. In an order dated June 10, CAT said the April 4 notification would be "subject to the outcome of the present original application". "Issue notice to the respondents. Let the reply be filed within four weeks," the tribunal said. The respondents are All India Radio or Akashva

India’s population grows, but fertility rate dips | UN report explained

A new UN report says India’s population is now 1.46 billion. But the bigger headline? India’s fertility rate has dipped below the replacement level. What does that mean for India’s future?

India's natural gas consumption to more than double by 2040: PNGRB study

India's natural gas consumption is likely to rise by close to 60 per cent by 2030 and more than double by 2040, on the back of rise in usage of the fuel as CNG in automobiles and for cooking and industrial purposes, according to a study by oil regulator PNGRB. Consumption of natural gas, which is used to produce electricity, make fertilizer or turned into CNG for running automobiles and piped to household kitchens for cooking, is expected to rise from 187 million standard cubic metres per day in 2023-24 to 297 mmscmd by 2030 under 'Good-to-Go' scenario, the study by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) said. 'Good-to-Go' scenario assumes moderate growth and developments based on current trends and commitments. Consumption of natural gas is projected to rise to 496 mmscmd by 2040 under the same scenario. Under the 'Good to Best' scenario that considers accelerated progress, favourable policy implementation, and enhanced investments leading to higher-than expected growt

India's rice stocks hit record high, wheat reserves strongest in 4 years

Record rice stocks will help the world's biggest exporter increase shipments, while an improvement in wheat inventories will help the federal government tame any price spikes later this year

India's social security coverage rises to 64.3% from 19% in 10 years

India's social security coverage has increased to 64.3 per cent in 2025 from 19 per cent in 2015, according to the ILO data. As per the International Labour Organization (ILO), India now ranks second in the world in terms of beneficiary count, providing social protection to around 94 crore citizens. "The increase marks the fastest expansion in social protection coverage worldwide, reflecting the government's unwavering commitment to 'Antyodaya' i.e., empowering the last mile and fulfilling the promise of leaving no one behind," said Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who was in Geneva to attend the 113th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) of the ILO. According to an official statement, ILO has acknowledged India's achievement and officially published on its dashboard that 64.3 per cent of India's population, i.e. over 94 crore people, are now covered under at least one social protection benefit. It is an unprecedented 45 percentage point surge over the past decade,

India will certainly cross $825 bn exports in FY26: Commerce minister

India's exports of goods and services hit a record $825 billion in FY25, up from $778 billion in FY24. Meanwhile, the World Bank projects global growth at 2.3% in 2025, the weakest in 17 years

India plans to standardise air-conditioning temperature to save power

The plan, although at an initial stage, reflects the government's focus to boost energy efficiency as electricity consumption soars

Corporate India's hiring outlook steady for Jul-Sep quarter: Report

Corporate India has a steady hiring outlook for the next three months, driven by strong growth in the private services sector and hopes of economic benefits stemming from shifts in global trade dynamics, a report said on Tuesday. According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, employers reported a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 42 per cent -- the second highest outlook globally and emerging as a key player in the global employment landscape. The NEO is calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers who anticipate reductions in staffing levels from those who plan to hire. "As we enter the third quarter of 2025, India's employment Outlook remains robust, with a NEO of 42 per cent -- among the highest globally. Despite a slight dip from the previous quarter, the 12-point year-on-year gain highlights sustained employer confidence and growth momentum in the labour market," said Sandeep Gulati, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India and Middle East. As per the ..

Good potential to increase export of leather shoes from India: Bata

Footwear maker Bata sees good potential to boost its exports from India, a top company official said on Monday. "We mainly export leather shoes from India...it's in millions...scope and potential is there (to increase that)," Bata Brands SA CEO Sandeep Kataria said, adding that India will be "our second largest" hub for sourcing. Bata has its main design centre in Italy and over 15 factories across the globe. The company has a design centre in Gurugram (Haryana) in India also and it, along with the Italian team, can design products for emerging markets, he said. On the quality control order for the footwear sector in India, he said it is a good move as it will help set up a quality benchmark. "It can help keep out poor quality (goods)," he added.

Tata Motors to invest up to $4 billion over 5 years for EVs, new cars

India, the world's third-largest car market, is planning stricter emission norms starting 2027 and wants EVs to form 30% of all car sales by 2030