Sagar Rath

Messi Mania Meets Mismanagement: What Went Wrong at the GOAT India Tour 2025 in Kolkata

Lionel Messi’s much-hyped GOAT India Tour 2025 was meant to be a celebratory moment for Indian football fans. Instead, the opening event in Kolkata on December 13 descended into disorder, leaving behind damaged property, angry crowds, and uncomfortable questions about India’s preparedness to host global sporting icons. What should have been a landmark spectacle quickly…

Read More

Census 2027: India’s Digital Headcount and the High Stakes of Data Trust

A Long-Delayed Reset of India’s Demographic Baseline India has formally set 2027 as the year for its next national Census, approving an expenditure of roughly ₹11,718 crore for what will be the country’s first fully digital enumeration. The decision closes a prolonged gap caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the postponement of an exercise originally…

Read More

Sharif’s 40-Minute Wait: An Awkward Ashgabat Moment for Pakistan’s Diplomacy

A Public Snub on a Diplomatic Stage Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found himself in an uncomfortable spotlight on Friday after being kept waiting for nearly 40 minutes to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at an international forum in Turkmenistan. The episode, captured on video and rapidly circulated online, left Sharif visibly exposed to questions of…

Read More

India Throws Insurance Open to Foreign Capital—But Keeps Premiums at Home

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…

Read More

US Greenlights $686M F‑16 Upgrade for Pakistan: Implications for India

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…

Read More

Mexico’s Tariff Shock: A New Front Opens for Indian Exporters

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…

Read More

Goa Fire Fallout: Luthras’ Escape Ends in Thailand

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….

Read More

Adani Secures Strong Rebound with Oversubscribed Equity Raise

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…

Read More

India’s Expanding Trade Pact Playbook: Promise, Pitfalls, and the Productivity Question

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…

Read More