India

Brics' influence growing among countries of Global South, says China

China on Tuesday said the appeal and influence of the BRICS bloc is growing more saliently as it is becoming the main platform to promote solidarity and cooperation between the Global South. With the partner countries on board the BRICS family, the BRICS cooperation is elevated to a new height, the BRICS mechanism has greater representation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told the media here while responding to a question on Russia announcing new BRICS partner countries. Mao said a list of BRICS partner countries was finally agreed on with consensus among the member countries. The list included Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Uganda. BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been admitted as new members. China stands ready to work with other BRICS members and partner countries to follow the spirit of openness, ..

Who is Sriram Krishnan, the Chennai techie chosen by Trump as AI advisor?

Sriram Krishnan is expected to shape the Trump administration's AI policy. In 2021, Krishnan and his wife Aarthi Ramamurthy gained recognition as the hosts of a podcast

Nita Ambani to lead India's global influence at Harvard India Conference

The India Conference at Harvard (ICH) announced on Sunday that Nita Ambani, a trailblazer in philanthropy, education, and culture, will take centre stage at the highly anticipated India Conference at Harvard, scheduled for February 15-16, 2025, in Boston. "As one of India's most influential voices, Ambani has profoundly impacted over 80 million lives through her social equity initiatives and continues to advocate for India's global potential," a statement by the organisers said. Her recent achievements -- including hosting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in India after four decades and championing India's bid for the 2036 Olympics -- symbolise the nation's growing influence on the global stage. The India Conference at Harvard is one of the largest and most influential student-led India-focused conferences in the US. An annual event hosted jointly at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School fosters dialogue on India's evolving role in global affairs, ...

India, Sweden can strengthen ties in climate solutions: Swedish officials

India and Sweden can deepen their collaboration in innovation and green technology with a focus on addressing global climate challenges through sustainable industrial practices and renewable energy solutions, Swedish officials said. Officials of the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, during an interaction with PTI, emphasised the shared potential for innovation and large-scale implementation of sustainable practices. "Sweden is a leader in green technologies while India has unparalleled capacity for large-scale implementation of the same. Together we can explore technologies like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices," said Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden. He highlighted areas like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices as promising avenues for collaboration. Kamill also pointed to Sweden's strides in renewable energy and transport electrification, noting that over 50 per cent of Sweden's energy already

Kia unveils Syros subcompact SUV: Bold new design meets smart tech | Car reviews and ratings

India to brace up in future to deal with potential duty measures: Official

India will have to prepare itself in future to deal with issues like non-tariff and unilateral duty-related barriers like the EU carbon tax, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said that countries like the US and the European Union (EU) are trying to boost their domestic manufacturing through such measures. "So the US has been trying to boost its domestic manufacturing through the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act, the EU is trying to do it through CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism)...deforestation regulation is another mechanism of putting non-tariff barriers on goods coming from developing economies. "So both the combination of non-tariff measures as well as potential tariff measures in clear violation of WTO (World Trade Organisation) commitments is something which India has to brace up in future to deal with," Sarangi said. He was speaking at CII's export competitiveness conclave. Asked about

'If they tax us, we tax them': Trump threatens reciprocal tariffs on India

US President-elect Donald Trump vows reciprocal tariffs on India, criticising high taxes on US goods

Swiss MFN move won't impact $100 bn EFTA investment commitment: Barthwal

Under the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), Switzerland had reduced the withholding tax on Indian entities operating in that country to 5 per cent from 10 per cent earlier

Google appoints Preeti Lobana as new country manager, VP for India

Sanjay Gupta, President of Asia-Pacific, Google said India's vibrant digital landscape has been a source of immense inspiration and innovation for the company

India to continue backing Sri Lanka's sustainable economic growth: Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said India would continue to support sustainable economic development of Sri Lanka as its close and trusted partner. Welcoming Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and his delegation to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, she congratulated him for his victory in the recent presidential and parliamentary elections. President Murmu also hosted a banquet in his honour. She said that Sri Lanka is an important part of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and SAGAR Vision, according to a statement issued by her office. President Murmu said that as a close and trusted partner, India would continue to support the Sri Lankan government's efforts for the sustainable economic development of Sri Lanka. Disanayaka, who is on a three-day visit to India, held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day. As a trusted and reliable partner, India has conveyed its continued commitment to working closely with Sri Lanka in advancing its defen

India sees 72% rise in electrical, electronic waste in 5 years : Govt

The country saw an increase of around 72 per cent in e-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) such as smartphones, computers, television sets and refrigerators over the past five years, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. According to a written reply to a question by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, 10.14 lakh tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2019-20 and the figure climbed to 17.51 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Sahu said 13,46,496 tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2020-21, 16,01,155 tonnes in 2021-22 and 16,09,117 tonnes in 2022-23. Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, 21 EEE items were notified and information about e-waste generated from these items is available for the last four years (2019-20 to 2022-23). These 21 items include laptops, telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones, smartphones, television sets, air-conditioners (excluding centralised air-conditioning plants) and washing machines. Accordi

‘India supported us immensely during economic crisis,’ says Sri Lankan President Dissanayake

India has 1,065 dams 50-100 years old, 224 are hundred plus: Govt

India has 1,065 large dams that are between 50 and 100 years old while 224 are over a century old, the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Monday. There are a total of 6,138 constructed and 143 under-construction dams in the country. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the government enacted the Dam Safety Act, 2021 to address the challenges posed by ageing dams and to prevent disasters arising from dam failures. He said dams, apart from serving irrigation and power generation purposes, play a significant role in mitigating floods. According to the National Register of Large Dams (NRLD-2023 edition), compiled jointly by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and CWC, there are 6,138 constructed and 143 under construction dams which aggregate to a total of 6,281 large dams. Of these numbers, only 224 dams are more than 100 years old and there are 1065 large dams which are 50 to 100 years old. Choudhary said the governm

India has cut malaria cases, deaths significantly, says WHO report

India has significantly reduced its malaria incidence and mortality and exited the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) group of endemic countries officially in 2024, according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Malaria Report released on Wednesday. The malaria caseload in India was slashed by 69 per cent from 6.4 million (64 lakh) in 2017 to two million (20 lakh) in 2023. Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased from 11,100 to 3,500 (a 68-per cent decrease) in the same period. The WHO South-East Asia Region had eight malaria endemic countries in 2023, accounting for 40 lakh cases and contributing 1.5 per cent to the burden of malaria cases globally. In 2023, India accounted for a half of all estimated malaria cases in the region, followed by Indonesia, which accounted for just under one third. The estimated malaria deaths in the region fell by 82.9 per cent, from 35,000 in 2000 to 6,000 in 2023. India and Indonesia together accounted for about 88 per cent of malari

India in top 3 contributors to tourism emissions in decade to 2019: Study

India, the US and China, were together responsible for 60 per cent of increase in tourism emissions between 2009 and 2019, a study has found, attributing it largely to population and a strong growth in travel demand. China's domestic tourism expenditure expanded by 17 per cent per year over the past decade and pushed global emissions up by 0.4 gigatonnes, followed by domestic tourism in the US (0.2 gigatonnes) and India (0.1 gigatonnes), the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found. Rising income levels, especially among the "emerging economic powerhouses of China and India", too could be a driving factor, researchers led by those at the University of Queensland, Australia, said in the study. They tracked international and domestic travel for 175 countries during 2009-2019 and found that greenhouse gas emissions from tourism have been growing more than two times faster, compared to those from the rest of the global economy. Carbon footprint from tourism was foun

India's democracy in danger, like Pak, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka: Nana Patole

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday sought to compare India's democracy with that of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and claimed that it was in danger and being discussed at the global level. Speaking with the media in Nagpur, Patole questioned the Maharashtra assembly poll results and said a mass movement is shaping up at Solapur district's Markadwadi village, where residents had raised doubts about EVMs and wanted to conduct a repoll using ballot papers. He said people in many cities and villages have also cast aspersions on the victory of the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, and its subsequent government formation. Patole accused the government of suppressing the voice of the people of Markadwadi, referring to a police case against several villagers over their plan to conduct a re-election using ballot papers. Gram sabha are passing resolutions demanding elections on ballot papers, claimed the Congress leader, who retained his Sakoli seat by a marg

India raises concerns over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh; Dhaka denies claims

India calls for stability, unity and territorial integrity of Syria

A day after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad's authoritarian government in Syria, India on Monday joined leading nations to call for stability and preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab nation. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is monitoring the unfolding developments in Syria and advocated a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process going forward in that country. The Syrian government collapsed on Sunday as the rebels seized control of the capital Damascus after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. Assad fled the country after the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus, marking the end of his family's 50-year rule. "We are monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of ongoing developments. We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the MEA said in a statement. "We advocate a peaceful and ..

India's copper demand rises by 13% to hit 1,700 kilo tonnes in FY24

India's copper demand grew by 13 per cent annually to hit 1,700 kilo tonnes in FY24, driven by the rapid pace of infrastructure development and building constructions, the International Copper Association India said on Monday. Traditionally, building construction and infrastructure account for 43 per cent of copper demand while contributing 11 per cent to GDP, International Copper Association India said in a statement. As per the study undertaken by the International Copper Association India, the copper demand in the country witnessed a 13 per cent year-on-year growth in FY24, reaching 1,700 kilo tonnes (kt). This surge is attributed to overall economic expansion. After the Covid pandemic, the average annual copper demand increased by 21 per cent between FY21 and FY24, the industry body said. It further said that the demand for the commodity will continue to rise in the next financial year as well, fuelled by rapidly growing infrastructure and building construction sectors in the .

Will question in LS: Nishikant Dubey targets Rahul over George Soros link

Notwithstanding the US' dismissal of BJP's allegations that it is backing attempts to destabilise India, party MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday said he will ask Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi 10 questions in the Lok Sabha on the issue. In a post on X, Dubey alleged that media portal Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros have colluded with the opposition to ruin India's economy and defame the Modi government. The US on Saturday rejected BJP's allegations that organisations funded by its State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world. Reacting to the US embassy's statement, Dubey said, "Yesterday I read the ...