Country Financial News

Nirmala Sitharaman said at a fireside chat at the ET Awards event on March 8. Both sides should have an ambition for a good treaty, and for the sake of Viksit Bharat, India needs to have good traction on that front, the FM said, adding that it still needs to do a lot more to strengthen exports across the board. Each one of the problems that the world in general — and some countries in particular — are facing, such as deflation, tariff or lack of demand, is in fact an opportunity for India — the kind of opportunity the country was waiting for, Sitharaman said.

Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that India is poised to navigate global challenges effectively, even as tensions rise over tariff impositions by US President Donald Trump. Out of al the geopolitical shifts, India will come out in better conditions. The reason is the pragmatism with which we are approaching this. We are looking by seeing what is good for the country," said Ashwini Vaishnaw. «In the first 60 years of independence we did about 20,000 kms of railway tracks and in the last 10 years we have done 45,000 kms. In the last 11 years, we have constructed 34,000km of new railway tracks. That’s more than the entire network of Germany. That’s the pace at which we are working,» added Vaishnaw during the fireside chat.

«The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises — if implemented — swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,» the ministers said in a joint statement. The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders on Tuesday, has been rejected by Israel and by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has presented his own vision to turn the Gaza Strip into a «Middle East Riviera».

Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the banking sector must continue to innovate and lead amid changing global landscape, and exuded confidence that the country's largest bank SBI will embrace technology, sustainability and inclusivity as its guiding principles. Speaking at the launch of Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Foundation Day of State Bank of India (SBI), the minister also said SBI has continuously evolved to meet the changing landscape and retained its position as a market leader despite regulatory tightening. «The world is changing rapidly, and the banking sector must continue to innovate and also to lead. I am confident that SBI will rise to the occasion embracing technology, sustainability and inclusivity as its guiding principles,» Sitharaman said. She said SBI is reinventing its personal distribution channels to align with evolving customer expectations.

Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said there is a «high degree of collusivity,» which must be accepted. «What it means, as far as I am concerned, the two-front threat is a reality,» he said in response to a question on proximity between China and Pakistan during an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here. During the session, he fielded a broad range of questions about the army's preparedness for the future, lessons from ongoing conflicts, the situation in Bangladesh, and at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control. «Now, the second thing that you have brought out is collaboration or the relationship between our western neighbour and Bangladesh.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Last night US President Donald Trump announced – unilaterally – that India has agreed to take its tariffs “way down". For those of us who had hoped reality would somehow turn out more sober than Trump’s rhetoric suggests, his shock decisions have been a rude awakening.

women's safety and framed stricter laws and rules to prevent crimes against them, besides making a provision for capital punishment to those indulging in heinous crimes like rape. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era criminal law (Indian Penal Code), has strengthened the legal provisions related to women's safety and made filing of complaints easier and delivery of justice faster, he said. Addressing a huge gathering at Vansi Borsi village in Navsari district of Gujarat on International Women's Day, Modi said that India is walking on the path of women-led development for rapid progress of the country.

WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan has said. In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit, she also stressed the urgent need for better tracking, preparedness and policy interventions as the country braces for another extreme summer. Asked if India was undercounting heat-related deaths, the former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, «Most likely. We do not really have a good record of every death in the country and so we have to make some estimations. We have to do some sort of calculations or modelling based on what is happening.» But recently, there have been several scientific papers that have actually tracked what are called excess deaths, Swaminathan said.

«Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is in Washington DC to talk trade with the Americans. Meanwhile, President Trump says this...,» he said in a post on X, tagging a video of the US president speaking on trade tariffs. US President Donald Trump said India has agreed to cut its tariffs «way down» as he reiterated his claim that the country charges America massive tariffs that make it difficult to sell products there.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that Nari Shakti in India is breaking barriers, rewriting history and shaping a brighter future for the country. In a post on X, on the occasion of International Women's Day, Sitharaman's office said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's transformative policies and initiatives, women are being empowered with equal opportunities, financial independence, and a stronger role in nation-building. «Nari Shakti in India is breaking barriers, rewriting history and shaping a brighter future for the country,» the post on X reads.

H-1B visa policies have raised considerable concern among Indian IT professionals aspiring to work in the United States. However, the impact on Indian engineers and tech specialists may not be as drastic as expected. This is due to two main factors: a shortage of skilled American workers in specialized technical fields and an increasing emphasis by tech giants like Microsoft and Google on tapping into Indian engineering talent to lead the next phase of technological advancement, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. Indian professionals have traditionally made up the majority of H-1B visa recipients. Although regulatory changes will impact Indian applicants, various factors indicate that the consequences may not be as severe as expected, resulting in fewer opportunities for Indian engineers, IT experts, and other skilled professionals in critical industries. ALSO READ: H-1B visa registration for FY26 opens today: Key things to know

For generations, women in India have carried the weight of this country in silence. Without applause or acknowledgment. Without policies designed with them in mind. They have fed its workers, raised its citizens, sustained its villages, and powered its cities. And all the while, they have been told they do not count. Not in the ledgers. Not in the GDP. Not in the boardrooms or the balance sheets. Even today, we ask what might happen if women were finally allowed to do more than hold the world together quietly in the background. What if they were given the resources, the safety, and the opportunity to build not just homes but enterprises? Not just families but firms?

Women's Day, BJP leader and activist Nida Khan, known for her fight against triple talaq, reflected on the significant improvements in the condition of women over the past two decades. Speaking to ANI, Nida Khan said, «Women today are much stronger and can speak up for themselves, something that was difficult in the past. The law against triple talaq, which was prevalent in Muslim communities, was a major step towards empowering women. This law has helped women raise their voices and stand up for their rights.» Further, she added, " The administration would not even write their report. But now the environment has changed. Women are moving forward. Women are being heard. Helplines are being run for women. A lot is being done for women...."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to women's strength and contributions on International Women's Day, highlighting their role in various fields. In a post on X, he announced that his social media accounts would be taken over by women achievers for the day, allowing them to share their experiences and achievements. «We bow to our Nari Shakti on #WomensDay! Our Government has always worked for empowering women, reflecting in our schemes and programmes. Today, as promised, my social media properties will be taken over by women who are making a mark in diverse fields!» PM Modi wrote.

United States officials are searching across oceans to find enough eggs to ease a shortage that’s sent prices soaring, forcing grocery stores to limit customer purchases and restaurants to add surcharges.

Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has gotten way worse lately, like two friends who can’t stop fighting. Back in the day, Canada and the U.S. were super close, working together on trade and stuff. But now? Things are messy.

Akshay Kumar being the lead actor, these films are patriotic or based on real-life incidents that showcase the themes of national security and heroism. Now, in a recent interview, he shared that his wife now pulls his leg for saving the country many times. During a recent event hosted by Republic World, Akshay Kumar shed light on why he continues to gravitate toward films centered on nationalism and patriotism. He revealed that ever since launching his production house, he has been consciously choosing stories that highlight these themes. Sharing a lighthearted moment from his personal life, he mentioned that his wife, Twinkle Khanna, often teases him, playfully asking, “How many times will you save the country?” Akshay Kumar explained that while growing up, he noticed a recurring theme in movies—whenever the world faced a crisis, whether it was terrorism, natural disasters, or even alien invasions, it was always America that came to the rescue. It made him wonder that if America does everything, then what is the role of India? He shared that this thought eventually led him to make Airlift, a film inspired by true events. Later, he was fascinated by India’s remarkable achievements in space exploration—how the country accomplished extraordinary feats with limited resources. This inspired Mission Mangal. He also mentioned Sky Force as another project that aligned with his passion for showcasing India's achievements.

Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra's revision plea, in which he had challenged the trial court's cognizance and summoning order in a case related to an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The trial court had taken cognizance of the charge sheet in 2020, which pertained to a statement allegedly made by Kapil Mishra in January 2020, when the MCC was in force during the Delhi Assembly elections. «The word 'Pakistan' is very skillfully weaved by the revisionist in his alleged statements to spew hatred, careless to communal polarisation that may ensue in the election campaign, only to garner votes,» the court said while dismissing the plea.

NITI Aayog will soon firm up the list of infrastructure projects to be monetised over the next five years. The government think-tank has invited bids for preparation of the Infrastructure Projects Pipeline and suggesting innovative project and financing structures for accelerated development of infrastructure in the country through private sector investment. “The list is to be prepared on the basis of assets or land parcels proposed by the concerned central ministries and such assets as identified by the consultant,” the Aayog said in the request for proposal (RFP) document floated to invite bids from technical consultants. The exercise is expected to be complete in five months. The asset classes and land parcels may include highways, railways, power, petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation, ports, warehousing and storage, urban infrastructure including housing and transport, coal and mines and telecom.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Syrian government forces are responding to a series of clashes and ambushes launched by partisans of the deposed Assad regime, the biggest domestic military challenge yet to the former rebel group trying to hold the country together with stretched manpower.