India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: An interim trade deal between India and the United States appears to be on the verge of being finalized, possibly as early as this week, as Indian negotiators have extended their stay in Washington for critical last-minute talks.While both sides are hopeful, New Delhi has emphatically stated that it will not cross its "red lines," particularly concerning market access for agriculture and dairy products. Agriculture a Non-Negotiable Point for India The primary hurdle in the negotiations remains the US demand for greater access to India's agriculture and dairy markets, including for genetically modified (GM) crops. Indian officials have maintained a firm stance, with sources stating there would be "no compromise on the interests of Indian farmers."This position has been reinforced by top government ministers, who have clarified that protecting the nation's vast small-scale farming sector is a non-negotiable "red line" for India in these discussions. Racing Against the July 9 Tariff Deadline The negotiations are taking place under significant pressure, with a July 9 deadline looming. After this date, a 90-day suspension on proposed 26% reciprocal US tariffs on Indian goods is set to expire. The White House has indicated that a deal is "very close," expressing optimism for a positive outcome. This provisional agreement is viewed as the initial phase of a more comprehensive trade partnership, with talks for a full Bilateral Trade Agreement expected to be completed by the autumn of 2025.
NEW DELHI: Indian negotiators currently in the US for last-minute talks to finalise an interim trade deal on Monday extended their stay by three more days, raising hopes of a deal before the July 9 deadline when the Trump tariffs will kick in if there is no pact. A commerce ministry official said the Indian team would stay till July 1. The negotiators were originally scheduled to stay for two days -- June 26 and 27. The Indian team is headed by Rajesh Agrawal, special secretary, Department of Commerce. Last week, US President Donald Trump had hinted at the possibility of a big trade agreemen ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): At least 51 people have lost their lives and 22 others are missing in Himachal Pradesh as torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides continue to wreak havoc across the state during the ongoing monsoon season, according to the latest official data. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), under the Department of Revenue, Government of Himachal Pradesh, released a cumulative damage assessment report on July 2, covering the period from June 20 to July 1. The report reveals significant damage to human lives, private properties, livestock, a ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Trade talks between India and the US appear to be back on track, as President Donald Trump hinted that a "very big" agreement with India will be forthcoming soon. In a presser at the White House, Trump said, "Everybody wants to make a deal and have a part of it. Remember a few months ago, the press was saying, 'You really have anybody of any interest? Well, we just signed with China yesterday. We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we're going to open up India, in the China deal, we are starting to open up China.""We're not going ...Read More >
Jaipur: Police in Didwana have stepped up their probe into a cross-border smuggling case in which they arrested two arms and drug smugglers on June 27 for supplying Austrian Glock and Chinese Norinco pistols. It has emerged that the case has links to a massive Rs 300-crore heroin consignment seized by Punjab's Amritsar police near the India-Pakistan border in Barmer on June 30. Canada-based Joben Kaler was identified as the main overseas handler of the heroin consignment. Didwana-Kuchaman police had arrested Mohammad Ilyas from Khunkhuna and Amarjeet Singh Takhar, alias Prince, from Jalandhar ...Read More >
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia and Canada on Monday signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that aims to strengthen economic ties between the two G20 members, three years after negotiations began. The agreement will take effect in 2026 and was signed in Jakarta by trade ministers of both countries. Indonesia's trade minister, Budi Santoso, said Indonesia appreciated Canada's support for its plan to prioritise its critical minerals sector, which was vital for its sustainable growth. "Together, we advance sustainable critical mineral management, supporting Indonesia's net ...Read More >
As per Moneycontrol's calculations, a 7 per cent growth in the remaining two quarters will put India's GDP at 6.5 per cent. The Indian economy would find it challenging to achieve over 7 per cent growth for the fourth consecutive year, economists said. They pointed out that the second-quarter (Q2) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, which was announced on November 29, has made the task even more daunting for the government. "A sharper than expected growth slowdown in Q2 has tilted risks to our outlook of 6.8 per cent for the current fiscal downwards," said DK Joshi, chief economist, Crisil. ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Trade talks between Indian and U.S. officials have been extended into next week as both sides seek consensus on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, aiming to finalise an interim deal before a July 9 deadline, Indian government sources said. A U.S. delegation led by senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) held two days of discussions in New Delhi with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the sources said. "The two countries are actively engaged in focused discussions to facilitate greater mark ...Read More >
Mumbai: Indian stock markets opened on a positive note Friday, buoyed by optimism over a potential "great" trade deal between India and the United States, as hinted by former US President Donald Trump. Early morning trade saw gains led by PSU banks and IT stocks, with benchmark indices climbing steadily. At 9:15 AM, the BSE Sensex was up 150.40 points or 0.18%, trading at 83,906.27, while the NSE Nifty gained 54.50 points or 0.21% to trade at 25,603. Speaking at the 'Big Beautiful Event' held at the White House, Trump indicated a significant bilateral trade deal with India could soon materia ...Read More >
SRINAGAR, July 2: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today jointly chaired a high-level review meeting of the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors of Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was attended by Minister for Agriculture Production & Panchayati Raj Javid Ahmad Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Secretary GoI Alka Upadhyay, Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Secretary (CDD/IT) and other senior officers from the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. Principal Secretary ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah began his Gujarat visit on a spiritual note early Friday morning by participating in the Mangala Aarti at the historic Shri Jagannathji Temple in Jamalpur, Ahmedabad. The visit coincides with the auspicious occasion of the annual Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra, a major religious event that draws thousands of devotees every year. Arriving at the temple at 3:15 a.m., HM Shah joined in the sacred rituals and offered prayers to Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Sharing his experience on social media platform X, he posted, "On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, par ...Read More >
India and the US are in crucial trade talks. New Delhi is firm on its stance regarding market access in agriculture. This includes GM crops and dairy. India hopes for a deal before July 9. After July 9, reciprocal tariffs from the US will take effect. India will not compromise the interests of its farmers.The India-US trade pact talks are at a crucial stage with New Delhi sticking to the red line on the issue of market access in agriculture, genetically modified (GM) crops, and dairy, people privy to the development said. However, efforts are on to stitch the trade deal before July 9, when 26 ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the state police on Tuesday said it has arrested two accused wanted in several bomb blasts and communal murder cases after being on the run for over 25 years. The key accused among the two is Abubacker Siddique of Nagore. He is allegedly involved in the attempt to plant a pipe-bomb during the rath yatra of former home minister LK Advani in Madurai in 2011, among others. Other cases he is allegedly involved include the bomb blast at Hindu Munnani office in 1995 in Chennai, an explosion in Nagore the same year, and coordinated planting of bo ...Read More >
U.S. and India are negotiating a tariff deal with a focus on agriculture. Trump threatens higher tariffs, while India resists reducing tariffs on key agricultural imports, highlighting farmer interests. Trade talks intensify to reach a deal benefiting both countries economically and strategically beyond just the agricultural sector. As trade negotiations intensify, U.S. and Indian negotiators aim to finalize a significant tariff-reduction deal before President Donald Trump's set deadline. However, they face a critical impasse over U.S. dairy and agricultural imports, which remains unresolved ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) Alcoholic beverage maker's body CIABC has urged the government to adopt a phased reduction in import duties on liquor products under the proposed India-EU free trade agreement (FTA), while calling for strong safeguards to prevent misuse of trade concessions under the pact. In a submission to the commerce ministry, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has proposed slashing the effective customs (or import) duty on bottled products like wines and spirits from the current 150 per cent to 100 per cent immediately and then down to a resting customs d ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): After a federal court of the United States struck down a reciprocal tariff announced by US President Donald Trump, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that India should proceed cautiously in its ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the US. A Manhattan-based federal court on May 28 struck down Trump's move to impose reciprocal tariffs on the trading partners of the US and ruled that he can't use emergency power to impose tariffs on foreign countries; it has to come from Congress. The order of the court determined that the tariffs, ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) India has hardened its position on issues related to agriculture as negotiations with the US team in Washington have entered a crucial stage, an official said on Monday. The official also said that the stay of the Indian team, headed by special secretary in the department of commerce Rajesh Agrawal, is expected to be extended further. The team is in Washington for negotiations on an interim trade agreement with the US. Both sides are rushing to close a deal ahead of the July 9 deadline for the full implementation of a 26 per cent reciprocal tariff which has been suspe ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Ravada A Chandrasekhar took charge as the new State Police Chief on Tuesday. He succeeds Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired on June 30. His tenure will run until July 1, 2027. A 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau, Chandrasekhar is on central deputation. He was selected over Nitin Agarwal, who topped the official list of probables. The appointment order, issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on behalf of the Governor, was released soon after a cabinet meeting held on Monday. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Godav ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 5 (Reuters) - Indian and U.S. are holding high-level talks this week, aiming to finalise tariff cuts in sectors such as farm and automobiles as part of an interim deal, two government sources said, with an announcement likely later this month. A U.S. delegation led by senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) began closed-door, two-day discussions in New Delhi on Thursday with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal ...Read More >
India must ensure any trade deal with the U.S. is fair, not politically driven, and protects its farmers, digital ecosystem, and regulatory sovereignty, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said on Friday. With India's chief negotiator in Washington and a July 9 deadline approaching (marking the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90-day tariff suspension), a limited mini-deal appears likely.Any trade agreement with the US must not be politically driven or one-sided and India should protect its farmers, digital ecosystem, and policy space, economic think tank GTRI said on Friday. With ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): India stock benchmarks continued to remain in the red after the latest rally, in what analysts attribute it as profit booking by investors. Besides, analysts opine uncertainties around extension in Trump reciprocal tariffs beyond July 9, and a India-US bilateral trade agreement weighed on the Indian stock indices this week. Today, the benchmark indices witnessed profit booking at higher levels, said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities The Nifty ended 88 points lower, while the Sensex closed 288 points lower. Among sectors, Metal index o ...Read More >
New Delhi: The clock is ticking. Only a few days left before the July 9 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hopes of a limited trade deal between India and the United States still linger. But the mood around the negotiating table feels anything but settled. The White House has publicly hinted that the deal is all but done. In New Delhi, officials have echoed a similar sentiment, calling the potential agreement "big, good and beautiful". Trump claimed it would open Indian markets to American goods. But behind closed doors, things remain tangled in tough back-and-forth. Key concerns h ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (ANI): India stock benchmarks extended declines on Thursday, weighed down by continued profit booking, following last week's sharp rally. At the end of the trading session, Nifty was down 48.10 points or 0.19 per cent at 25,405.30 and the BSE's Sensex was down by 170.22 points or 0.20 per cent, reaching 83,239.47. Also Read | The Nutritional Impact of Refined Cooking Oil Is Significant. "The domestic equity market continued to consolidate as profit booking followed last week's sharp rally," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited. ...Read More >
New Delhi: Leading industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Thursday said that the Indian economy is expected to grow between 6.4 to 6.7 per cent. Highlighting the magnitude of the current unprecedented geopolitical global shocks, it has also said that India continues to lead as the world's fastest-growing major economy amidst global flux. Besides, the industry body is also hopeful that there will be a balanced and reasonable free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the US in the initial phase. "Indian economy is expected to grow by 6.4-6.7 per cent during the current fin ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6: Indian and U.S. officials engaged in high-level trade negotiations here to arrive at an interim deal on tariff cuts, ahead of the July 9 deadline, have decided to extend their ongoing talks into next week, according to a senior official. India's negotiating team, headed by Additional Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, has held talks over two days with senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), who arrived in Delhi for weekend talks. "The two countries are actively engaged in focused discussions to facilitate greater market access, reduce tari ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) Indian team, headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agarwal, has reached Washington for the next round of trade talks with his US counterparts, an official said on Thursday. The visit is important as both the countries are engaged in negotiations for an interim trade deal and are trying to finalise the pact before July 9, though there are challenges in areas like agriculture and dairy. "The Indian team is in Washington for two-day trade talks," the official said. Agrawal is special secretary in the department of commerce. The high tariffs, announced by the US on April 2, ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) With US President Donald Trump announcing that a "very big" trade deal is on the cards with India, the Congress on Friday took a swipe at the government and said it seems that India gets to know decisions of great importance to it from the White House. The opposition party's swipe at the government came after President Donald Trump said a "very big" trade deal is on the cards with India, hinting at significant progress in the negotiation process of a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement between the two countries. "We are having some great deals. We have one coming u ...Read More >
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump abruptly froze trade talks with Canada this week because Ottawa plans to begin collecting a digital tax from big technology companies, including American giants like Google, Amazon, Meta and Uber. Trump did not hold back. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he called the tax a "direct and blatant attack on our country". He said the United States would respond within days with fresh tariffs on Canadian goods. The move did not come out of nowhere. Quietly passed in June 2024, the Canadian law charges a 3% levy on digital services revenue earned from Can ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that government think-tank NITI Aayog has withdrawn a working paper on Indo-US Agriculture trade relations. The Aayog in a working paper, titled Promoting India-US Agricultural Trade Under the New US Trade Regime, had suggested that in the aftermath of 'reciprocal tariffs' by the US, India should adopt dual-track approach and selectively reduce high tariffs on non-sensitive agricultural commodities imports from Washington, while also strategically offer concessions where domestic supply gaps exist. "This was the NITI Aayog ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) Hectic negotiations between India and the US enter the sixth day on Tuesday in Washington, with the talks reaching a crucial stage and New Delhi demanding greater market access for its labour-intensive goods, an official said. The Indian team, headed by special secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, is in Washington for negotiations on an interim trade agreement with the US. The stay of the Indian officials has been extended. Initially, the delegation was scheduled to stay for two days, with the talks having commenced on June 26. These talks are also ...Read More >