Author: Bhakti Narayanan

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a series of senior appointments across critical city agencies on February 10, aimed at improving service coordination and delivery across government departments. Among the new leaders, Nisha Agarwal was named Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities, where she will oversee efforts to ensure city programs, infrastructure, and services are accessible and inclusive for all residents. Mayor Mamdani highlighted Agarwal’s extensive background in government, law, and advocacy as key to her ability to collaborate with city agencies and the disability community. He emphasized the importance of accessibility, stating that New York…

Rolls-Royce has announced plans to significantly scale up its operations in India, signalling deeper collaboration across defence, civil aviation and energy sectors. The company is exploring opportunities to co-develop a next-generation combat jet engine, marking a potential milestone in India’s pursuit of indigenous military capabilities. The proposed collaboration includes the development of a 120 kN class combat jet engine core, positioned as a fast-track pathway for India to achieve an indigenous next-generation propulsion system. The offer includes full technology transfer and intellectual property ownership for India, supported by dedicated design and manufacturing infrastructure. The British engineering major indicated that these…

 India expects to finalise and sign the legal framework for its interim trade agreement with the United States before the end of March, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said during an exclusive interview at BIOFACH 2026 in Nuremberg. He noted that while the joint statement between the two nations has outlined the main contours of the deal, converting it into a legal document requires careful coordination and drafting. Agrawal expressed cautious optimism about the timeline, acknowledging potential delays but emphasising that both sides are working to make the agreement operational by March. He highlighted that India’s competitive strength lies in labour-intensive…

India’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Rajeev Kumar, met Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation across key sectors. The meeting focused on expanding areas of mutual interest and reinforcing the growing partnership between the two countries. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening diplomatic engagement and enhancing collaboration in development, security and people-to-people exchanges. The engagement builds on the momentum generated by recent high-level interactions between the two nations. India has steadily expanded its outreach to Pacific Island countries, positioning Papua New Guinea as a key partner in the region. Earlier engagements between…

The White House has issued an updated factsheet on the India-US trade framework, a day after its initial release, moderating several key claims regarding India’s obligations on product purchases, tariffs, and digital trade. This revision follows the recent announcement of an interim reciprocal trade agreement, aimed at strengthening bilateral commerce, which was finalized after a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. In the initial factsheet, the US stated that India “committed to buy more American products, including over USD 500 billion of energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other goods.” The updated…

The US–India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has unveiled plans to spearhead the most extensive American corporate delegation ever assembled for India, marking its role as an official partner of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The high-profile gathering is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from February 16 to 20, in close coordination with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, underscoring the growing centrality of artificial intelligence in bilateral engagement. USISPF confirmed that more than 120 top executives and senior technology leaders from the United States will participate in the summit, describing the move as a pivotal moment…

During Seychelles President Patrick Herminie’s state visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $175 million special economic package aimed at bolstering key sectors in the island nation. The package is designed to fund concrete initiatives in social housing, healthcare, defence, maritime security, e-mobility, and vocational training. Modi highlighted that the investment would create job opportunities and skill-building programs, particularly benefiting the youth of Seychelles. Addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi emphasized that the development partnership between India and Seychelles has always focused on the priorities and needs of the island nation. “Today, we are unveiling a $175…

India and Argentina have held discussions to strengthen defence cooperation, with both sides agreeing to explore new opportunities to deepen bilateral ties. The talks reflected a shared commitment to expanding collaboration in defence and strategic domains. India’s Ambassador to Argentina met Argentina’s Minister of Defence to review existing defence relations and discuss future areas of cooperation. Both sides agreed to move forward with the signing of a cooperation agreement on defence matters at the earliest opportunity, signalling growing strategic trust between the two nations. The Indian side also briefed Argentine leadership on the arrival of the Indian Army Sailing Vessel…

Poland is looking to significantly deepen its engagement with India, particularly in defence cooperation and green technology, as New Delhi’s economic growth and global standing continue to rise, according to Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski. Highlighting the positive momentum in bilateral ties, Bartoszewski said India and Poland are building on their strategic partnership signed in 2024, calling the relationship wide-ranging and future-oriented. He emphasised that cooperation now spans business, politics, security, technology and innovation, with several high-level exchanges planned in the coming months. He noted that both countries are actively exploring collaboration in military technology, including advanced systems and…

The National Alliance of Indian Organizations (NAIO) hosted its Founders and Leadership Meeting on January 31, 2026, at the Hyatt Centric in Wall Street, New York, gathering leading Indian American professionals, organization heads, and community leaders from across the U.S., both physically and virtually. This landmark meeting reinforced NAIO’s mission to create a unified national platform to promote collaboration, community empowerment, advocacy, and stronger Indo–U.S. relations. The session began with a welcome address by Naveen Shah, who emphasized the importance of collective leadership, unity, and coordinated efforts during this pivotal period for the Indian American community. Dr. Raj Bhayani, NAIO’s…