India’s approach to free trade can appear contradictory. Officials insist they are serious about closing new deals with the UK and the European Union and improving older ones with countries such as Australia. But they also complain that free trade deals in the past have 'hurt' India or that they serve as a backdoor for unwelcome Chinese goods.

India will need to undertake a lot of very serious structural reforms to meet the aspiration of being an advanced economy by 2047, Krishna Srinivasan, director of the Asia and Pacific Department (APD) at the International Monetary Fund tells Deepshikha Sikarwar in an interview. The IMF in its Regional Economic Outlook has forecast India’s growth at 7% for FY25.

As of 2nd November 2024, a total quantity of 90.69 LMT of paddy has arrived in the Punjab mandis out of which 85.41 LMT have been procured by State agencies and FCI. The paddy is being purchased at MSP @ Rs 2320/- as decided by Govt of India for Grade ‘A’ paddy and the total paddy purchased by Government till date in the ongoing KMS 2024-25, amounts to Rs 19800 crore benefitting 4 lakh farmers. Further, 4640 millers have applied for shelling of paddy and 4132 Millers have already been allotted work by Punjab State Government.

India and Albania held Bilateral Consultations in Tirana on Thursday (October 31, 2024). The discussions, held less than three months after India opened its Resident Mission in Albania, covered the entire gamut of bilateral ties between the two nations.

India and Egypt, both members of Brics, are engaged in negotiations for an agreement on trade settlement in national currencies at a time when the issue has become a matter of focus for the grouping, people familiar with the matter said.

Recovering from weak growth in 2023, South Korea’s economy is expected to improve gradually on the back of export growth, stable inflation, and easing interest rates in the coming years.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, successfully concluded his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the visit, Shri Piyush Goyal participated in the Plenary Session of the 8th Edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII), with representatives from global Governments and the industry. He highlighted the critical role of international partnerships and economic diplomacy in fostering global cooperation, innovation, technological advancement, and investment. He urged global investors to seize emerging opportunities in India, particularly in high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, co-chaired the second Ministerial Meeting of the Economy and Investment Committee under the Saudi-India Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).

The back-to-back visits to India by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez indicate an attempt by New Delhi to engage with Europe’s biggest economies bilaterally.