India Allows 100% FDI in Insurance India has taken a decisive step in reshaping its insurance landscape by allowing 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance companies. Cleared by the Union Cabinet on December 12, this move marks the most significant liberalisation since private participation was first permitted in 2000. Yet, the reform is…
A Major Boost for Pakistan’s Airpower The United States has approved a $686‑million package to modernize Pakistan’s existing F‑16 fleet, marking the most significant upgrade to the aircraft in years. Unlike a fresh procurement, this initiative focuses on enhancing networked capabilities, situational awareness, and survivability of the jets, extending their operational life into the 2040s. The…
A Sudden Escalation After the U.S. Tariff Wave Just weeks after the United States tightened duties on a range of Indian products, Mexico has followed with its own sweeping tariff hike—up to 50% on select imports from countries without a free-trade agreement. For Indian exporters already navigating a more protectionist North America, Mexico’s move signals a deeper…
A Sudden Alert After a Violent Night Japan was jolted into heightened vigilance this week after the government issued an unusually rare “megaquake advisory”—a step taken only when seismic activity hints at the possibility of a far larger event. The trigger was a magnitude-7.5 offshore earthquake near Aomori that injured dozens and rattled northern Honshu…
The detention of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra in Thailand marks the latest chapter in a fast-escalating saga that began with a catastrophic nightclub fire in Goa. What started as a domestic criminal investigation has now evolved into an international chase involving suspended passports, Interpol coordination, diplomatic intervention and competing legal narratives about flight, intent and culpability….
Adani Enterprises’ heavily subscribed 250-billion-rupee rights issue marks a symbolic and material turning point in the conglomerate’s recovery after the turbulence triggered by the Hindenburg report. The success of this equity raise—one of the largest in India’s corporate history—signals renewed investor conviction, a pivot toward balance-sheet strengthening, and a sharper focus on transparent capital formation. Structure…
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) are increasingly shaping how nations integrate into global commerce. Ideally, these frameworks reduce barriers, streamline rules, and unlock new avenues for exports and investment. Yet their economic payoff depends not on signatures but on smart design, high utilization, and robust domestic capabilities. India’s accelerating push into new FTAs…
Democratic lawmakers are sounding alarms that Donald Trump’s tariff barrage against India is on a collision course with one of Washington’s most consequential strategic priorities: maintaining a durable partnership with New Delhi at a moment of intensifying rivalry with China and persistent uncertainty around Russia. What was long viewed as a “low-cost, high-benefit” relationship is, they…
A New Financial Orbit for Musk’s Space Empire Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly preparing a public listing of unprecedented scale, targeting more than $30 billion in fresh capital at a colossal $1.5 trillion valuation sometime in 2026–27. If executed, it could eclipse Saudi Aramco’s 2019 debut and instantly become the largest IPO in market history. What…
A Deepening Operational Crisis India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has once again disrupted air travel with hundreds of flight cancellations, prompting unprecedented regulatory intervention. Despite CEO Pieter Elbers’ assurances that operations had stabilised, nearly 220 flights were cancelled on Wednesday alone—137 from Delhi, 21 from Mumbai, and the rest primarily from Bengaluru. The cancellations compound ongoing disruptions that…
