ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated key development works in Kevadia, Gujarat.

PM Modi said Indian youth excels at innovation and technology, quoting GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke who lauded India for being the fastest-growing developer population on the planet.

PM Modi paid tribute to Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his Guru Pooja yesterday. 

India-China disengagement completed

India-China complete disengagement: Following the border patrol agreement between India and China, according to Army sources, troop disengagement has been completed at Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh, adding that patrolling modalities to resume soon.

Deals, predictions and estimates

Energy storage funding jump: According to the Mercom Capital Group report, Corporate funding for energy storage companies reached $17.6 billion in the first nine months of CY 24, marking a 15% YoY increase.

GSK acquires experimental drug from Chinese biotech company: GSK, an Indian biopharma company, acquired an experimental drug from Chinese biotech company Chimagen Biosciences worth $850 million. GSK will pay $300 million upfront.

Japan’s political instability may affect India: Against the backdrop of major local grievances, Japan’s ruling LDP's heavy loss for the first time in its history may slow down certain Indian engagements with Tokyo.

SBI cautious about lending to NBFCs: The State Bank of India’s (SBI) managing director stated, that SBI is “now cautious” about lending to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), respecting the concerns raised by the regulator, and expects renewables and real estate to drive corporate loans.

Tata joins hands with IndusInd for financing solar ventures: Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) and IndusInd Bank signed an agreement to provide ₹10 lakh to ₹2 crore (up to $240,000) collateral-free solar financing for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs).

Drop in the index of core industries: The Index of Core Industries (ICI) dropped to an eight-month low of 154.8 in September, indicating that output levels in India's eight core sectors—which make up around 40% of the nation's industrial production—continued to lag.

JSW signed an agreement with a South Korean company: Jindal’s JSW Group signed an agreement with South Korea’s Posco Group to set up an integrated steel plant in India with an initial capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). According to estimates, this is an investment opportunity of ₹40,000-45,000 crore ($5 billion).

TCS signs $245 million deal with Irish department: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said it has secured a 15-year contract from Ireland’s Department of Social Protection (DSP) to implement the country’s new auto-enrolment retirement savings scheme known as the “My Future Fund.”

1,100 Inidians sent back from the US

1,100 illegal immigrants sent back to India from the US: A senior official of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced, that around 1,100 Indians, who were illegally living in the US, have been repatriated to India through charter and commercial flights during the 2023-24 American financial year ending September 30.

Opposition accusing the government

RJD MP attacks election commission: Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Member of Parliament, Manoj Jha, sarcastically congratulated the Election Commission of India for being a part of the “agenda” now.

Congress blames BJP for India’s economic condition: The Congress said that India's consumption-driven growth story had entered a "reverse swing" and that the price increases over the past few years were "directly attributable" to the Modi government's "cronyism" and favouring of conglomerates.

Congress says the country needs to shift to renewable energy: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asserted that one of India's biggest public health issues is air pollution, saying that cracking down on stubble burning is insufficient and that India's economic and sustainability model needs to be reimagined with a significant shift to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and public transportation.

King Charles in India

King Charles visits Bengaluru: Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla were on a private visit to Bengaluru where he stayed at a sprawling integrative medical facility.

Rift in parliamentary committee

Rift in Waqf committee continues: Disagreements continued in the Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, over the deposition of the Delhi Waqf Board administrator despite the objection from Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.

Views from the Op-Eds: Maharastra Assembly Elections.

Suhas Palshikar (Indian Express) writes that neither of the coalitions has announced the chief minister candidate because "this is natural in view of shaky coalitions". Mentioning a BJP candidate's remarks on the daughter of a Congress candidate, he adds, that incidents in the campaign are manifested by the determination of political parties to engage in warfare without a cause. In conclusion, he feels BJP might edge out Congress in the election, who have no answer to the Hindutva agenda.

Arvind Kumar (India Today) writes that Ambedkarite politics is being sidelined in upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections with all focus on BJP and Congress-led fronts. He believes the fragmentation has further intensified with the absence of a pan-state charismatic leader who could inspire a state-wide Ambedkarite movement.

KV Prasad (NDTV) writes voters will be urged to choose the best candidates in a divided political environment who can uphold Maharashtra's pride. He believes, that even though the 2024 general assembly elections gave a morale boost to Pawar-Thackeray, BJP would still be able to gain the upper hand. He adds deep distress in the agrarian sector and the demand for reservations for the Maratha community will drive the voters. However, he also acknowledges the politics of freebies might work in Maharashtra as it did in Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi Today: Plenty of sun.