Author: Malavika Subramanyan

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UK visit, India and Britain will formally sign a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday, officials confirmed. The landmark deal, which was finalized in May after nearly three years of intermittent discussions, aims to boost economic exchange by easing tariff restrictions on key goods. As per Indian officials, New Delhi will cut import duties on British Scotch whisky, automobiles, and selected food items. In return, the UK will provide duty-free access to Indian-made electric vehicles, textiles, and a broad range of other goods. The agreement is currently undergoing legal review and will become operational…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United Kingdom from July 23 to 24, marking his fourth trip there since 2014. A major focus of this brief but significant visit is the finalization of a long-negotiated free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK. Following the UK trip, Modi will spend two days in the Maldives. The FTA is more than just a trade pact—it represents a broader move toward deeper strategic ties, especially in defense. India is preparing to invest heavily in its military modernization, and the UK is expected to emerge as a key partner…

Manasi Anand, an Indian American PhD candidate at Cornell University, has been honored with the 2024-2025 Cornelia Ye Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for her exceptional commitment to teaching. The award, presented annually by Cornell’s Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI), recognizes an international teachingassistant who goes above and beyond in their educational role. Established in 2012 by Mao Ye and Xi Yang in honor of their daughters, the Cornelia Ye Award highlights the importance of fostering learning across diverse cultures and perspectives. Anand is pursuing her doctorate in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment within Cornell’s College of Agriculture…

Dr. Snigdha Jain, an Indian American physician and faculty member at Yale University’s Department of Internal Medicine, has been named a 2025 Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). This prestigious recognition highlights her dedication to enhancing diagnostic precision and minimizing errors in medical care, particularly within critical care environments. The NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence Program supports healthcare leaders who aim to improve diagnosis quality and address systemic shortcomings. Each recipient receives financial support, mentorship, and the platform to develop a project that focuses on equitable, accurate, and transformative diagnostic practices. For Dr. Jain,…

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed newly inducted civil servants at the Guru Samman event hosted by Samkalp Foundation, urging them to play an active role in India’s transformative journey. He emphasized that the nation’s development milestones are not just statistical achievements but real changes that impact lives at scale. Highlighting India’s massive housing initiative, Jaishankar pointed out that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the government has constructed 40 million homes over the past decade. This figure, he noted, is equivalent to providing housing for the entire population of Japan. Similarly, India’s food security efforts are unprecedented, with…

Climate change affects people in deeply personal ways, often motivating them to take action. For Indian American youth activists Padma Balaji and Sarah Adkar, their environmental journeys began with personal and family experiences that inspired them to lead change in California’s Bay Area. Padma Balaji, a senior at Mission San Jose High School, traces her environmental consciousness to her mother’s mindful lifestyle. Her family practices resource conservation, avoiding waste and limiting consumption—values rooted in centuries of Indian cultural traditions. Yet, Padma’s climate awareness deepened when she witnessed the devastation of climate change firsthand through her relatives in Chennai, India. A…

Prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has issued bold predictions about the sweeping impact of artificial intelligence on the global economy and workforce. Speaking on the “Uncapped With Jack Altman” podcast, Khosla projected that within just five years, AI systems will be capable of performing 80% of economically valuable tasks currently done by humans. His comments represent one of the most accelerated timelines for AI integration voiced by a top tech investor. Khosla, co-founder of Khosla Ventures and an early backer of companies like Square and Instacart, described AI as the most disruptive force he has seen in decades.…

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers gathering in Tianjin, China, on Tuesday, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called upon member nations to increase their contributions to Afghanistan’s development and collaborate on fostering a stable, multipolar global order. Emphasizing India’s longstanding dedication to peace and prosperity in the region, Jaishankar highlighted Afghanistan’s crucial role in regional stability. He stressed that the SCO has long prioritized Afghanistan in its agenda and pointed out the urgent need for collective efforts to support the Afghan people. “The international community, especially SCO nations, must intensify development support for Afghanistan. India…

India witnessed a sharp decline in its retail inflation rate in June 2025, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) falling to 2.1%, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This marks the lowest inflation reading since January 2019, when the figure was recorded at 2.05%. In comparison, May 2025 saw inflation at 2.82%, reflecting a substantial month-over-month decline. The reduction in inflation was primarily driven by easing food and fuel prices, alongside favorable base effects. Food inflation, tracked through the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), actually slipped into negative territory. Rural food inflation dropped to -0.92%, while urban…

India has taken a bold step toward green freight transport by rolling out its first-ever incentive program for electric trucks, reinforcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to sustainable mobility. Spearheaded by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, Mr. Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy, this initiative is part of the PM E-DRIVE program aimed at slashing transport emissions and transitioning India’s logistics sector to clean energy. Though diesel trucks account for just 3% of the nation’s total vehicles, they produce a staggering 42% of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. To address this imbalance, the government has targeted electric trucks in the N2 and…