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India has signed a trade agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland on Sunday that includes a commitment of $100 billion investment and creating 1 million direct jobs in India in the next 15 years

India on Sunday signed a trade and economic partnership agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — a grouping of Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland — that includes a binding $100-billion investment commitment. As part of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), EFTA has committed to promote investments to increase the stock of foreign direct investments (FDI) in India by $100 billion in the next 15 years, and to facilitate the generation of one million direct employment in India through such investments, the government said in a statement. «The global leadership of EFTA countries in innovation and R&D across diverse spheres...will open up new doors of collaboration,» PM Narendra Modi said about the trade agreement.

mega trade deal between New Delhi and the four-nation European bloc EFTA will not only open up broad market access for Swiss businesses in India but is set to improve the legal framework and predictability for them, the Swiss government said on Sunday. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with India that came after around 16 years of negotiations. Under the mega trade pact, the four European countries are looking at making an investment of USD 100 billion in India over the next 15 years. The trade deal will provide a window to Indian exporters to access large European and global markets besides allowing companies from the four EFTA countries to expand businesses and investment in India.

free trade pact with a four-member European bloc, Norway on Sunday said it will eliminate customs duties for almost 98 per cent of the imports from India under the framework of the pact. The ambitious trade pact, signed between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprising Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, aims to expand trade across a range of areas including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, new technologies and machinery. After the EEA (European Economic Area) agreement, this could become one of the most important trade agreements Norway has ever entered, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. At a media briefing, Norway's Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre described the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) as a major result-oriented milestone that would not only boost two-way trade but also promote a rules-based trading system.

European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, aiming to boost trade and investments between the two regions. This agreement is expected to bring several benefits to Indian consumers and the economy. Key Benefits for Indian Consumers One of the major benefits of this trade pact is the phased-out custom duties on imported goods, which will enable domestic consumers to access high-quality Swiss products such as watches, chocolates, biscuits, and clocks at lower prices. The agreement includes tariff concessions on a range of products imported from Switzerland, including seafood, mediterranean fruits, coffee, oils, sweets, processed foods, and wine, among others. This will lead to a drop in prices of these products in Indian markets, making them more affordable and accessible to Indian consumers.

India signed a free trade pact on Sunday with a group of European nations — Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein — committing to reduce tariffs, while New Delhi receives $100 billion in investments over the next 15 years. India and the members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) held 21 rounds of talks over 16 years to clinch the broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement. Here are key facts about the trade pact:

India and four-nation European bloc EFTA on Sunday signed a free trade agreement to help promote investments and exports of key domestic services sectors such as IT, audio-visual, and movement of skilled professionals. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, quoting PM Narendra Modi, said, «Despite structural diversities in many aspects, our economies possess complementarities that promise to be a win-win situation for all nations. With the opening up of enormous trading and investment opportunities, we have reached a new level of trust and ambition. The trade agreement symbolizes our shared agreement to open fair, equitable trade, as well as generate growth and employment for the youth.»

Welcome to skijoring: an extreme — and quirky — winter sport that celebrates the unlikely melding of rodeo and ski culture in the U.S. Mountain West. It's a heart-pumping, white-knuckle competition in which horses — and sometimes dogs, snowmobiles and even cars — tow skiers by rope at speeds that can top 40 mph (64 kph) over jumps as high as 8 feet (2.4 meters) and around obstacles as they try to lance suspended hoops with a baton, typically a ski pole that's cut in half.

India is set to tie duty reductions associated with the trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to investments made by companies from member nations, including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, reported TOI. These nations have collectively pledged to invest $100 billion over a span of 15 years. The FTA is scheduled to be signed on Sunday following its clearance by the Union cabinet on Thursday evening. Negotiations for the agreement commenced in 2008 but were halted after the Modi government assumed office in 2014, as per a TOI report.

NEW DELHI, MUMBAI : The proposed free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association is unlikely to address the issue of carbon tax—a key concern for domestic steelmakers looking to export to Europe. The two trading partners will instead address the issue through a separate pact later, two government officials told Mint. EFTA and India are likely to sign a free trade pact on Sunday, these officials said.

Still looking for an amazing deal on a cruise? Four years after Covid-19 shut the industry down, a brief golden age of uncrowded decks and deep discounts has come to an end. With ships sailing at capacity and prime cabins selling out quickly, grabbing an offer as the industry’s traditional “wave season" winds down this month might be wise. Investors are in more luck than travelers: Even though the lowest prices are off the table, bargains remain available in the shares of cruise lines—especially for those not put off by a bit of choppiness.

Mint reported that the four nations making up the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have offered duty-free market access for India’s animal products, fish, processed food and vegetable oils in a trade pact that is expected to be signed next week. The EFTA nations–Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland–have also proposed a $100 billion investment in India by their companies over 15 years, which is estimated to create about a million jobs. The two sides began negotiations for a trade treaty in 2008.

NEW DELHI : The four nations making up the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have offered duty-free market access for India’s animal products, fish, processed food and vegetable oils in a trade pact that is expected to be signed next week, two people aware of the matter said. The EFTA nations—Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland—have also proposed $100 billion of investment in India by their companies over 15 years, which could create about a million jobs, the people said on the condition of anonymity. The two sides began negotiations for a trade treaty in 2008.

Alexander Stubb has been sworn in as Finland’s new president

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The royal house of Norway says King Harald has been implanted with a temporary pacemaker at a hospital in Malaysia’s resort island of Langkawi

Netflix is set to add a late Christmas gift to its lineup with the arrival of the R-rated horror comedy "There's Something in the Barn" in March 2024. The movie, originally a Norwegian film, will make its streaming debut on Netflix in the United States, a report by What’s on Netflix said.

Norway-based Yara has roped in ACME Cleantech for supply of 1 lakh tonne of green ammonia annually from the homegrown entity's plant in Oman. The binding agreement has been signed through GHC SAOC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Acme Cleantech, ACME Group said in a statement on Friday. «Yara, a leading Norwegian company and GHC SAOC today (Friday) signed a firm and binding agreement for supply of ammonia with reduced Co2 emissions on a long-term basis,» it said. The long-term offtake agreement covers the supply of 1,00,000 tonne of renewable ammonia per annum by Acme from phase-1 of its Oman project with an expected start date in 2027, the company said.

Algeria will flex its muscle as a critical supplier for European countries seeking to lessen dependence on Russian gas as it welcomes leaders from other energy rich nations to a summit in Algiers this week

UK Visas and Immigration information on gov.uk, the UK sponsor licence was a must for people who want to employ someone from outside the UK, including citizens of EU member countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after December 31, 2020. Education providers, too, needed a sponsor licence to get overseas students and faculty into the UK.