India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began an official visit to Singapore from October 9 to 11, focusing on strengthening bilateral economic relations, attracting investment and expanding cooperation across strategic industries.

During the three-day visit, Sitharaman is scheduled to meet Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, according to an official statement.

The discussions will focus on advancing the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and implementing outcomes from the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR). Key areas of cooperation include trade, investment, digital financial connectivity, capital markets, taxation, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, workforce development and aviation.

Sitharaman will also interact with Singaporean and international investors, financial institutions and business executives through a roundtable with hedge fund and portfolio fund managers, alongside government-to-business meetings. These engagements are intended to facilitate discussions on India’s economic growth, emerging investment opportunities and changes in the global financial environment.

Her itinerary also includes individual meetings with senior executives from prominent investment firms, banks, healthcare companies and other international businesses. Organizations represented in the scheduled engagements include the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Temasek Holdings, DBS Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, British International Investment, IHH Healthcare, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, B Capital, HPS Investment Partners and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken. She is also expected to meet representatives of Mitsui & Co. and TPG.

India is looking to strengthen Singaporean participation in its investment landscape through platforms such as the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). These institutions could offer additional channels for Singapore-based investors to participate in Indian projects and investment funds.

Singapore remains a major source of foreign investment for India. According to the official statement, cumulative foreign direct investment inflows from Singapore reached approximately $194.68 billion between April 2000 and March 2026. Singaporean institutional investors, including GIC and Temasek, also maintain substantial investments across India’s economy.

The visit underscores both countries’ efforts to deepen financial and commercial connections while creating further opportunities for cross-border investment and cooperation in emerging industries.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its relationships with countries across different regions after receiving congratulatory messages from several world leaders marking his completion of 25 years as head of government.

Leaders from Nigeria, Dominica, Belgium, the Philippines, Bhutan and Botswana extended their greetings to Modi. In his responses, the Prime Minister emphasized India’s longstanding friendships and strategic partnerships while expressing an interest in expanding cooperation with each country.

Responding to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Modi described India and Nigeria as close partners and important voices representing the Global South. He said India remains committed to advancing the two countries’ Strategic Partnership and working together toward a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous international environment.

Modi also thanked the leaders of Dominica and Belgium for their messages. He reiterated India’s interest in building on existing bilateral relationships and creating further opportunities for cooperation between the countries.

In his response to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Modi highlighted the importance India places on its Strategic Partnership with the Philippines. He expressed confidence that the relationship between the two countries can continue to develop through stronger friendship and closer engagement.

The Prime Minister also underscored the special nature of India’s relationship with Bhutan in his message to Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. He described the partnership as being built on mutual trust and understanding, reflecting the close ties between the two neighboring countries.

Responding to Botswana President Duma Boko, Modi expressed appreciation for the congratulatory message and said India attaches significant value to its friendship with Botswana.

The exchange of messages comes as Modi marks 25 years as a head of government, a milestone spanning his tenure as Gujarat chief minister and his subsequent years as India’s prime minister. The responses also highlight the breadth of India’s diplomatic engagement, covering partnerships across Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and its neighboring region.

By emphasizing continued cooperation with each country, Modi’s messages underline India’s focus on maintaining established partnerships while seeking opportunities to deepen bilateral and strategic ties. The outreach also reflects India’s broader engagement with countries across the Global South and other international partners.

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Indian-American student Sai Sri Valli Mogilineedi has been named one of 30 national finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, a leading U.S. STEM research competition for middle school students. She was selected from 1,997 entrants representing communities across the country.

Now a student at Cumberland Valley Ninth Grade Academy in Pennsylvania, Sai Sri Valli conducted the research as an eighth-grader at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg. Her project focuses on developing a controlled-release system for medications used to address Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD.

The idea was inspired by her grandfather’s experience with persistent heartburn and the limited duration of relief provided by conventional over-the-counter antacids. This led her to investigate whether an antacid could be designed to release its active ingredient more gradually and provide longer-lasting relief.

For her project, titled “A Novel Controlled Release System for GERD Drugs Using Immobilization Techniques,” Sai Sri Valli experimented with calcium carbonate, a common active ingredient in antacids, and incorporated it into calcium alginate beads. She used sodium alginate, a substance derived from algae, to create the gel-like structure and then examined how the beads behaved under different pH conditions.

Her experiments found that the calcium alginate beads released calcium carbonate more slowly under acidic conditions similar to those found in the stomach, while the release was faster in a basic solution. The findings indicated that the approach could potentially support a more controlled delivery of the antacid.

The research received recognition at the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair and helped advance Sai Sri Valli to the national Junior Innovators Challenge. The competition selects young researchers for their scientific creativity, research skills and ability to address real-world challenges.

As a national finalist, Sai Sri Valli is set to participate in Finals Week in Washington, D.C., where the finalists will take part in hands-on STEM challenges and present their research to judges. The competition features more than $100,000 in awards, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award.

Beyond science, Sai Sri Valli participates in Science Olympiad and has interests in ecology and forensics. She also plays the violin and oboe, performs Kuchipudi, and volunteers with Caitlin’s Smiles, helping prepare craft kits for children in hospitals. She has expressed an interest in pursuing a career in surgery, reflecting her broader interest in human anatomy, physiology and disease.

Her journey from an eighth-grade science project inspired by a family experience to a national STEM competition highlights the growing role of young innovators in developing creative approaches to real-world challenges.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has highlighted 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, describing the period as one marked by the welfare of the poor, national security, development and India’s growing stature on the global stage.

Modi completed 25 years as the head of a government, beginning with his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001 before becoming Prime Minister in 2014. The milestone has prompted tributes and assessments of his political journey and governance record.

Shah has emphasized the focus on welfare programmes alongside development initiatives under Modi’s leadership. He has pointed to measures aimed at improving access to housing, food, healthcare, financial services and other essential facilities for millions of people.

National security has also remained a central element of the leadership narrative. The government’s approach has placed greater emphasis on strengthening India’s defence capabilities, responding to security challenges and projecting the country as a more confident global power.

The broader assessment of Modi’s 25-year political journey also includes infrastructure expansion, technological development, economic reforms and India’s increasing international engagement. The Union Cabinet has separately passed a resolution commending his continuous leadership and highlighting achievements across welfare, infrastructure, technology, national security and foreign policy.

The milestone has renewed discussion about the transformation of Modi’s leadership from the state level to the national stage and its influence on India’s governance, development priorities and international positioning.

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Negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States are approaching their final stage, although an official announcement is not expected immediately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Thursday. Speaking at the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting, Greer indicated that both countries had identified the main obstacles and were working to resolve the remaining differences.

Greer described the negotiations as being in the “short strokes,” an American expression referring to the final stretch of a process. He said the discussions were nearing completion but cautioned that several issues still required attention before the agreement could be announced.

The US trade representative also referred to a recent conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. According to Greer, the leaders held a constructive telephone discussion on Wednesday morning, US time, and could speak again soon to review progress on the trade negotiations.

“I don’t think there’s something imminent,” Greer said, explaining that both sides had identified the outstanding issues and were working diligently to address them.

Greer also described his meeting with India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal as productive. The two officials met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee. Their teams were continuing discussions to move the agreement toward completion.

Following the meeting, Goyal shared an update on X, stating that he had held productive discussions with Greer aimed at reaching an early conclusion to a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement framework.

The discussions took place alongside the telephone conversation between Modi and Trump, during which the leaders reviewed cooperation in trade, defense, energy, critical technologies, and other areas of shared interest.

Before Goyal’s visit, India’s Commerce Ministry had said the minister would work with his US counterpart to advance a balanced trade agreement and finalize an interim arrangement consistent with the joint statement issued on February 7, 2026.

India and the United States announced the framework for the first phase of their bilateral trade agreement in February. However, subsequent changes in US tariff policies have extended the negotiations.

On September 24, Goyal said the agreement was effectively settled from India’s perspective but indicated that its implementation depended on securing a competitive advantage for Indian exporters in the American market. India’s key competitors in the United States include China, Bangladesh, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The latest discussions signal continued engagement between the two governments as they work to resolve outstanding trade issues and establish mutually beneficial terms. However, the final terms and announcement date remain uncertain.

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Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has called on American manufacturers to increase their presence in India, collaborate with Indian small and medium enterprises and consider joint investments in advanced manufacturing. He made the appeal during a business roundtable organized by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The meeting brought together representatives from both large and small manufacturing companies across the United States. Goyal highlighted developments in India’s industrial sector and its skilled workforce while presenting opportunities for American companies to expand their operations and establish deeper commercial partnerships in the country.

Goyal specifically encouraged US manufacturers to work with Indian SMEs and explore co-investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities. According to the minister, stronger collaboration between companies in the two countries could contribute to more resilient supply chains and create commercial opportunities for businesses on both sides.

The outreach comes as India and the United States continue discussions on a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement. Goyal has been in the US for the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee and is also scheduled to engage with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as part of the ongoing negotiations.

The trade agreement remains a significant part of the broader economic dialogue between the two countries. Goyal has previously described the negotiations as being close to completion while emphasizing the importance of securing competitive market access for Indian products in the United States. A senior US State Department official separately told ANI that the agreement was about 90% complete, with remaining issues still under discussion. These statements represent the respective officials’ assessments of the negotiations.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has also described the proposed agreement as being at an advanced stage, while noting that changes in US tariff policies and the ongoing Section 301 process could affect the timeline for its conclusion.

Goyal’s meetings with American manufacturers are part of a wider effort to expand India-US commercial ties. During his US visit, he is also engaging with businesses and startups across sectors such as manufacturing, technology, consumer goods, agriculture and retail.

The discussions underline India’s efforts to attract greater foreign investment, expand manufacturing partnerships and integrate Indian companies more closely into international supply chains. For US manufacturers, the engagement provides an opportunity to explore partnerships with Indian SMEs and potential investment opportunities in India’s manufacturing ecosystem.

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India and the United States are entering another important phase of negotiations over a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal scheduled to hold discussions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Goyal’s visit comes as both countries seek to move closer to an interim trade arrangement that can eventually support a broader economic partnership. The Indian government has said the talks will continue along the lines of the joint statement issued by the two countries on February 7, 2026.

A central issue for New Delhi is the tariff structure. India is seeking more than a reduction in the overall tariff burden; it wants its exporters to receive preferential treatment compared with businesses from competing economies. Indian officials have indicated that such a tariff differential would be important in determining how the interim agreement is implemented. Earlier in September, Goyal said negotiations were essentially complete in many areas, but the implementation framework still required a mechanism that would give Indian exporters a competitive market-access advantage.

Goyal will travel to the United States from September 29 to October 5. He is scheduled to attend the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 30 and October 1, following an invitation from Greer. Alongside the India-U.S. discussions, India is expected to advocate for a global trading system that is open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) continuing to serve as its central institution.

The minister’s U.S. schedule will also include bilateral engagements focused on expanding trade and investment opportunities. Discussions are expected to cover sectors and groups including farmers, fishermen, women entrepreneurs, startups and micro, small and medium enterprises. The government has described these engagements as part of efforts to strengthen commercial links and broaden opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Beyond government-to-government negotiations, Goyal is scheduled to meet senior executives from American companies in manufacturing, consumer goods, agribusiness, retail and technology in Milwaukee and Chicago. These meetings are expected to highlight investment opportunities in India and encourage stronger business partnerships. The visit therefore combines formal trade negotiations with broader efforts to deepen commercial ties between the two economies.

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Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has reflected on his relationship with son Abhishek Bachchan, discussing how differences in opinions can exist alongside a strong family bond and shared goals.

In a recent post on his personal blog, Amitabh Bachchan shared his thoughts on relationships between parents and children. He noted that fathers and sons may have different perspectives while still remaining connected by common objectives, understanding and mutual respect.

His reflections highlighted the importance of respecting younger generations and finding common ground despite differences in opinion. Bachchan’s comments offered a personal perspective on maintaining strong family relationships while allowing individuals to have their own views.

Alongside his personal reflections, Bachchan continues to remain active professionally. He is the longtime host of the television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati and has continued to appear in major Indian film projects.

Bachchan is also set to return for the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin. The actor is expected to reprise his role alongside Prabhas and Kamal Haasan as the science-fiction franchise moves forward.

The sequel follows the world established in Kalki 2898 AD, which portrayed a dystopian future and brought together characters connected to the arrival of Kalki. The film became a major release in Indian cinema, combining mythology, science fiction and futuristic storytelling.

Bachchan’s latest comments provide a glimpse into his views on family relationships while his professional career continues with television and upcoming film projects.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the 2016 surgical strike during the 138th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, describing the military operation as an important moment in India’s response to terrorism.

The Prime Minister noted that the country is approaching the 10th anniversary of the operation, which was carried out by the Indian Army on September 28-29, 2016, against terrorist targets across the Line of Control (LoC).

Modi said the operation demonstrated the resolve of India’s armed forces and drew international attention to the country’s approach toward countering terrorism.

“Ten years ago, on 28-29 September 2016, the Indian Army carried out a surgical strike on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan,” Modi said while recalling the operation.

He said the soldiers crossed the Line of Control to conduct the operation and described it as an example of India’s response to the threat of terrorism.

The Prime Minister also reflected on India’s long experience with terrorist attacks, referring to incidents including the September 13, 2008, Delhi serial blasts and the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“Terrorist attacks have hurt Bharat for a long time,” Modi said, adding that India has increasingly adopted what he described as a zero-tolerance approach toward terrorism.

He further said that India has demonstrated in recent years that terrorist attacks would be followed by a strong response.

India’s Experience With Terrorism

During his address, Modi recalled the impact of terrorism on India over several decades and said the country’s approach to dealing with the threat has evolved.

He referred to the period when serial blasts and major terrorist attacks repeatedly affected Indian cities and said the experience had strengthened the importance of responding firmly to terrorism.

According to Modi, the 2016 surgical strike was significant because it demonstrated a willingness to take direct military action against terrorist targets following attacks on India.

Modi Recalls 9/11 Attacks

The Prime Minister also recalled the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, noting that Indian nationals were among those who lost their lives.

“This year, it has been 25 years since the 9/11 attacks,” Modi said, referring to the attacks on the World Trade Center and other locations in the United States.

He recalled his visit to the United States in 2014, when he paid tribute to Indian civilians who died in the attacks.

Modi said the experience of terrorism in India and the loss of lives in attacks around the world underline the continuing challenge posed by terrorism.

The 138th episode of Mann Ki Baat therefore focused in part on the 2016 surgical strike and India’s broader experience with terrorism, as the country approaches a decade since the military operation.

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