India’s Export Recalibration Towards Russia India has identified close to 300 high-potential products to significantly expand exports to Russia, signalling a decisive shift in its trade strategy. The move is aimed at correcting a widening bilateral trade imbalance—currently estimated at USD 59–68 billion—while advancing the shared ambition of achieving USD 100 billion in two-way trade by…
Mexico Approves Steep Tariffs, India Scrambles to Respond Mexico’s Senate has approved sweeping tariff increases of up to 50 percent on 1,463 product categories, a move set to take effect from January 1, 2026. The decision targets imports from countries that do not have a free trade agreement with Mexico, placing India squarely in the firing…
Hopes Fade for a 2025 Agreement Optimism surrounding a landmark EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) has dimmed, with negotiators now signaling that finalization by December 2025 is unlikely. Bloomberg reported on December 12 that talks have hit roadblocks over steel tariffs, automobile quotas, and carbon taxes. Earlier in 2025, high-level meetings—including Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s engagement with…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
