Author: Deepika chandrasekar

Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of the astronauts selected for India’s landmark Gaganyaan mission, has been honored with the Kirti Chakra, the nation’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award. President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious recognition during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, acknowledging Nair’s distinguished service and dedication to the country. The Kirti Chakra is awarded to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary courage, unwavering commitment to duty, and exceptional service during peacetime. Nair received the honor partly in recognition of his involvement in the Axiom-4 mission, where he served as a backup astronaut as India expanded its participation in missions connected…

India has expressed strong confidence that ongoing trade negotiations with the United States will culminate in a mutually beneficial bilateral agreement, even as New Delhi keeps a close watch on potential tariff measures emerging from Washington’s latest trade investigations. Speaking at a business awards event in Mumbai, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said discussions between the two countries are progressing steadily. He revealed that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to travel to India within the coming weeks, providing another opportunity for negotiators to advance talks on the proposed trade pact. Goyal downplayed concerns surrounding the United States’…

A prominent Indian-American entrepreneur couple has made a significant philanthropic contribution of $5.5 million to expand healthcare services in the Greater Houston area in the United States. The donation is aimed at strengthening medical infrastructure and improving access to primary healthcare in a region where demand for services continues to rise. The contribution from Brij Agarwal and his wife Sunita Agarwal will support clinical programs at St Luke’s Health Sugar Land Hospital. A key part of the initiative includes the establishment of a new Primary Care Community Clinic in a nearby area, designed to improve healthcare access for residents in…

India emerged as a central focus in the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy during recent congressional testimony by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where he repeatedly referenced New Delhi while outlining Washington’s diplomatic priorities. His remarks highlighted India’s expanding role in trade, security cooperation, and regional stability efforts. Appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 4, Rubio discussed the State Department’s budget request and emphasized the importance of strengthening ties with key Indo-Pacific partners. Among them, India featured prominently across multiple areas of cooperation, including ongoing trade negotiations and multilateral strategic frameworks. Responding to questions from lawmakers about…

India and Israel have taken another step toward strengthening their technological partnership by exploring new avenues of cooperation in Artificial Intelligence. The discussions focused on innovation-driven collaboration, emerging technologies, and opportunities to build stronger digital ecosystems between the two countries. The engagement took place in Tel Aviv between India’s Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, and Erez Askal, Head of Israel’s National AI Directorate. Both sides exchanged views on how Artificial Intelligence can be leveraged to enhance economic growth, improve public services, and foster innovation-led development. The talks also emphasized the importance of building long-term partnerships that benefit both nations. According…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez in New Delhi on Thursday, holding extensive discussions aimed at advancing cooperation between the two nations. The leaders reviewed existing areas of collaboration while exploring fresh opportunities to strengthen their partnership across a range of sectors. Recent reports indicate that energy cooperation remains a major pillar of the relationship as India continues to expand engagement with Venezuela. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other senior officials. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the discussions covered the full spectrum of…

The proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the United States has moved significantly closer to completion, with officials from both countries indicating that only a handful of issues remain unresolved. According to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, negotiations have reached an advanced stage, with nearly all major components already agreed upon and discussions now focused on the final details. Speaking during the CITI 2026 India Conference in Mumbai, Gor expressed confidence that the agreement would be finalized soon. He described the remaining issues as largely technical in nature, involving legal language, procedural matters, and implementation timelines rather…

India is preparing to host the second meeting of the BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for June 4–5, 2026, as part of its ongoing BRICS Chairship. The high-level gathering will bring together representatives from BRICS member nations to deepen cultural cooperation and strengthen shared understanding under India’s guiding theme for 2026, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The announcement was made in New Delhi by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, who noted that the two-day meeting will provide a structured platform for dialogue on cultural priorities of mutual interest. Officials from the Ministry of Culture…

India has strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir made in a joint statement issued after the ninth Pakistan-European Union Strategic Dialogue, reiterating that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country. Responding to questions during a media briefing in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs expressed firm opposition to remarks concerning the region in the joint communiqué released following discussions between Pakistan and the European Union in Islamabad. The statement had noted that the Pakistani side briefed the EU on developments related to Jammu and Kashmir. India maintained that…

New York City has introduced an extensive housing blueprint designed to tackle the city’s affordability challenges and significantly expand housing availability over the coming years. The initiative, called Block by Block, outlines a strategy to create 200,000 affordable homes within the next decade while implementing reforms intended to speed up construction and maximize public investment. Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the proposal as a large-scale response to a housing shortage that has made it increasingly difficult for many residents to find affordable places to live. According to city officials, the plan combines direct investments, financing innovations, and regulatory changes to support…