ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi, to discuss Centre-State cooperation.

PM Modi will inaugurate the first-ever telecom standard conference organised by the UN's International Telecommunication Union in India and the India Mobile Congress today.

Building defence ties

Chief of Army Staff visits Japan: The Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, is on a visit to Japan (Oct 14-17), marking a significant step in bolstering the defence cooperation between India and Japan.

Defence minister meets Australian Secretary of Defence: To aid India-Australia defence cooperation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the Australian Secretary for the Department of Defence, Greg Moriarty in New Delhi.

India-Canada rift

India rejects Canada's allegation: India strongly rejected Canada’s allegations suggesting the involvement of Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder plot. The Ministry of External Affairs described the Canadian allegations as “preposterous imputations” arguing that the matter was linked with the political challenges that the Trudeau government is facing on the domestic front in Canada.

India withdraws officials from Canada: India has withdrawn its High Commissioner, senior diplomats and officials who were earlier declared “persons of interest” by the Canadian government.

Handshakes across borders

President travels to Africa: President Droupadi Murmu departs for her state visits to Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Head of State to these nations. The President will hold bilateral meetings with leaders and interact with the Indian diaspora.

India-China to resume direct flights: India and China are at an advanced stage of discussion focusing on the resumption of direct passenger flights.

Indian ministry partners with Meta: The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced its partnership with Meta to launch an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and establish five Centers of Excellence (CoEs).

India and Russia discuss cooperation: India and Russia discussed targets for Indian-Russian cargo transit, possible training of Indian sailors for polar navigation and development of joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding.

Neighbour relations

No meeting between Pakistan and India: According to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, neither India nor Pakistan have requested a bilateral meeting when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrives in Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference.

Sri Lanka rethinks Adani venture: Sri Lanka’s new government led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the Supreme Court that it would reconsider the approval granted by the previous government to India’s Adani Group for a wind power project.

Decision on space strategy

Space strategy for India: India’s Space strategy will focus on building small satellites and launching them cheaply into orbit rather than challenging heavyweights such as SpaceX head-on. India currently holds only 2% of the market share in commercial space activities.

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Oil exploration

India opens ‘no-go’ area for oil exploration: According to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, India cleared 1 million square kilometres of its 3.5 million square kilometres of sedimentary basin for oil exploration.

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Numbers and predictions

Banks to report soft Q2 earnings: Banks experience softer growth in Q2 FY 25, led by slower credit growth and moderation in net interest margins (NIM).

India surpasses 200 GW renewable energy production: As per data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India surpassed the 200 GW milestone in renewable energy production for September driven by solar and wind energy projects.

Indian conglomerates to spend $800 billion: According to an S&P Global Ratings report, Indian conglomerates will spend $800 billion in the next decade, almost tripling the investments from the decade before.

India to become the top market for RCS messaging by 2029: India is set to become the largest revenue market for Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging by 2029, contributing $544 million.

Wholesale price inflation rises to 1.84%: India's wholesale prices rose from 1.31% in August to 1.84% in September due to inflation, while food prices rose 9.5% from a 10-month low of 3.3% in August as veggies became over 49% more expensive than they were the previous year.

Disagreement in the parliamentary committee meeting

Opposition MPs boycott parliamentary committee meeting: Several opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) walked out of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting tasked with examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Boris Johnson praises Modi

Johnson calls Modi the ‘change-maker we need’: In his memoir ‘Unleashed,’ former British PM Boris Johnson praised PM Modi, calling him the "change-maker we need." Johnson also credited himself and Modi for laying the groundwork for a free trade agreement between the UK and India.

Huge demand for the PM internship scheme

Over 155,000 candidates register for the PM internship scheme: Over 155,000 candidates applied for the Prime Minister Internship Scheme. The dedicated portal for the scheme went live for registration on October 12 and the target for the scheme’s pilot project was to have 125,000 candidates.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited receives special status

HAL gets Maharatna status: The government added Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, to the list of Maharatna companies (public sector companies with special status).

Rajya Sabha: Not in session.

Lok Sabha: Not in session.

Delhi Today: Clear skies with bright periods of sun.

Delhi government imposes ban on firecrackers: In anticipation of a rise in pollution, the Delhi government has announced a ban on the production, storage, sale and use of firecrackers across the city.

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