Author: Shradhanjali Mukherjee

India is preparing for a major expansion of its electronics manufacturing industry, with overall production expected to reach $433.43 billion by FY31, according to projections cited in a Kotak Mutual Fund report. The anticipated growth points to a significant shift in the country’s electronics ecosystem, with domestic component manufacturing expected to play a much larger role. Electronic components are projected to be one of the fastest-growing segments. Production is estimated to rise from $10.5 billion in FY24 to $129.90 billion by FY31, representing an increase of more than 14 times over the seven-year period. The projected expansion also indicates that…

Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan has taken on a new national leadership position that could give the California city fresh opportunities in parks, tourism, recreation and community development. Salwan has been selected as Vice Chair for Parks for the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment & Sports Committee. The appointment gives Salwan an opportunity to connect with mayors and city leaders from across the country and examine how other communities are developing their public spaces and attracting visitors. He said he intends to use the position to exchange ideas, identify potential partnerships and explore funding opportunities that could benefit…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on India’s rapidly developing private space industry to expand the use of space technology beyond traditional applications and address challenges across a wider range of sectors. During an interaction with the founders and chief executive officers of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth on Friday, Modi emphasized the potential for Indian companies to become global leaders while attracting international talent, businesses, and investment. The prime minister encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on how space-based technologies can deliver practical benefits to society. He suggested closer cooperation between companies and organizations working in fields such as agriculture…

The US Embassy in India has welcomed New Delhi’s decision to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft systems for the Indian Navy, describing the capability as an important addition to India’s maritime surveillance network. The embassy said the systems would support stronger maritime domain awareness and enable continuous monitoring across the Indian Ocean Region. The Ministry of Defense announced the agreement on August 17 following the signing of a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. The arrangement will provide the Indian Navy with two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems for a period of…

India’s coconut sector is emerging as a major global growth engine, evolving from a traditional farming activity into a diversified and increasingly export-oriented industry. The sector supports the livelihoods of nearly 30 million people, including around 10 million farmers, while creating new opportunities through value addition, processing and international trade. India ranks first globally in coconut production, accounting for 31.24 per cent of global output. The country produced around 20,301.22 million coconuts in 2024-25 across approximately 2.19 million hectares, underlining the scale and importance of the sector to the rural economy. The sector’s export performance has also strengthened significantly. Exports…

Several members of the US Congress used India’s 80th Independence Day on August 15 to recognize the growing importance of the India-US relationship and highlight the contributions of Indian Americans across the United States. Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties shared messages emphasizing cooperation between the two countries, while also acknowledging the Indian American community’s role in strengthening economic, cultural and technological ties. The White House, however, did not release a public message marking the occasion. Representative Adam Smith of Washington said the relationship between New Delhi and Washington has become increasingly significant. He described India and the…

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called for a stronger economic dimension to the India-US relationship, describing the partnership as one of the most consequential global alliances of the 21st century. Speaking at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce National Convention, he said the relationship should now progress from strategic alignment toward concrete economic cooperation. Fadnavis positioned Maharashtra as an important platform for this next stage, emphasizing the state’s strengths in talent, connectivity, industrial capacity and technology. He said emerging opportunities created by changes in global supply chains could help India develop reliable centers for advanced manufacturing, global capability centers and…

The Indian and U.S. navies have completed the eighth edition of their joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 in Kochi, strengthening cooperation and operational coordination in specialized maritime missions. The exercise concluded on August 14 at the Southern Naval Command, following several days of professional exchanges and intensive training. The Indian Navy said the drills were designed to allow personnel from both countries to share operational experience, techniques and best practices related to explosive ordnance disposal. A key part of the exercise involved discussions between subject matter experts on emerging and real-time explosive threats. Participants examined procedures for dealing…

India and the United States continue to engage regularly on negotiations for a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with both countries maintaining their commitment to the framework reached earlier this year. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said on August 13 that discussions between the two sides remain active despite new developments involving tariffs and trade-related measures. Agarwal told reporters that India and the US are working toward completing the framework agreed upon in February. He emphasized that communication between officials from both countries remains frequent as they work to advance the proposed agreement. The negotiations had gained momentum earlier this year, with…

India should pursue a broad package of economic reforms rather than selecting one measure over another, according to Ajay Garg, Chairman and Managing Director of investment bank Equirus. He argues that the country has reached a stage where multiple reforms need to move forward simultaneously to accelerate economic growth. Garg made the comments while discussing a new Equirus roadmap outlining 20 reforms that could potentially help India expand its economy to approximately $20 trillion by 2036. He said that without such reforms, India could still reach that milestone, but the target may not be achieved until around 2047. The proposal…