Author: Shradhanjali Mukherjee

The US Department of Commerce has issued a final affirmative determination that producers and exporters of hard empty capsules from India received countervailable subsidies, a finding that could result in the imposition of countervailing duties on Indian exports. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the investigation covered the period from April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. The Commerce Department concluded that subsidies provided to Indian manufacturers met the legal standards required for countervailing duties under US trade law. The department determined a net countervailable subsidy rate of 7.06 per cent ad valorem for ACG Associated Capsules…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25 inaugurated the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a landmark national memorial created to celebrate the life, principles, and lasting influence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The inauguration coincided with Vajpayee’s 101st birth anniversary, giving the occasion both symbolic and historical significance. Addressing the gathering, Modi described the memorial as a reflection of India’s enduring commitment to dignity, unity, and public service. During his address, the prime minister extended Christmas greetings to people across India and around the world, expressing hope for peace and harmony. He noted that December 25…

 India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3 achieved another major milestone with the successful deployment of the BlueBird Block-2 communications satellite into low Earth orbit during an early morning launch from Sriharikota. The mission marked the rocket’s sixth operational flight and its third dedicated commercial assignment, further strengthening India’s position in the global satellite launch market. Weighing approximately 6,100 kilograms, BlueBird Block-2 became the heaviest satellite ever launched by an Indian rocket from Indian territory. According to ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, the satellite was placed into an orbit of about 518.5 kilometers, closely matching the planned altitude of 520 kilometers. The precision…

The Board of Directors of the institution formerly known as Orlando Health Sciences University has officially announced a significant transformation with the adoption of a new name, Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel University, abbreviated as KPGU. The university is the parent institution of the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine, Florida’s newest medical school. This decision recognizes the exceptional philanthropic impact of Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel, who are widely regarded as the most influential benefactors within the osteopathic medical community. University leadership stated that the new name reflects the institution’s evolving mission to emerge as a globally respected center for…

India and New Zealand have concluded negotiations on the Financial Services Annex under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral economic and strategic cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. The India–New Zealand Financial Services Annex goes beyond standard commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and comprises 18 comprehensive articles. The agreement strengthens cooperation in financial services through forward-looking provisions covering digital payments, fintech, data transfers, back-office services and regulatory collaboration. The pact is expected to position India as a fintech hub while expanding its…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have announced the successful conclusion of a historic and ambitious India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a major milestone in bilateral relations. During a telephone conversation on Monday, the two leaders expressed confidence that the agreement would help double bilateral trade over the next five years. They also highlighted New Zealand’s plans to invest $20 billion in India over the next 15 years, reflecting growing economic confidence between the two nations. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, negotiations for the FTA began in March this…

Before launching her own venture, Kalyani Ramadurgam worked at Apple, focusing on high-stakes compliance to ensure that individuals on terrorism watchlists could not use Apple Pay. While the work was critical, what struck her was the outdated approach. Even at a top tech firm, compliance processes relied heavily on manual labor, requiring teams to pore over thousands of pages of regulatory documents, often overwhelming staff and slowing operations. That experience inspired her entrepreneurial journey. Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 USA 2026 in Finance, Ramadurgam teamed up with Ashi Agrawal, a former software engineer at Affirm, to co-found Kobalt Labs…

 Vineeth Sendilraj, a 19-year-old Indian-origin computer science student at Georgia Tech, has joined Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, as an engineer, describing the opportunity as a “full circle moment.” His announcement comes shortly after a viral moment at xAI’s December 2025 hackathon. Sendilraj first gained attention when images and videos from the hackathon circulated online, showing him intensely drinking water in a room full of engineers. While initially shared lightheartedly, the clip became part of a larger controversy when Nik Pash, a senior AI executive at the tech firm Cline, posted a comment deemed racist and anti-South Asian. Sendilraj…

US President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping prescription drug price cuts under a “Most Favoured Nation” (MFN) policy has brought India’s pharmaceutical sector into sharp focus, as the United States plans to benchmark domestic drug prices against those paid in other countries. Addressing the nation on Wednesday, Trump said his administration negotiated sharp reductions in drug prices by directly confronting pharmaceutical companies and foreign governments. He claimed the policy would slash prices by up to 400–600 per cent and reverse decades of rising drug costs in the US. The MFN policy aims to link US drug prices to the lowest…

Chandrashekhar Joshi, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been named the first holder of the Mukund Padmanabhan Term Chair in Excellence. The three-year term chair is one of two established in 2024, each supported with a $500,000 donation from Mukund Padmanabhan, an accomplished UCLA alumnus. The Samueli Foundation has matched these contributions with an additional $1,000,000. The second Mukund Padmanabhan Term Chair in Innovation is yet to be filled. Over the years, Padmanabhan has endowed multiple faculty chairs, scholarships, graduate fellowships, and research initiatives at UCLA Samueli. Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the…