ModiWatch: On the hundred-and-fifty-fifth birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various political leaders paid homage to Gandhi at his memorial in Delhi.

On the tenth anniversary of the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Modi launched and laid the foundation stone for several sanitation and cleanliness projects worth ₹9,600 crore ($1.15 billion).

PM Modi inaugurated the construction of four compressed bio-gas (CBG) plants by Oil India Ltd in Assam’s Guwahati, Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Tinsukia.

PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects worth over ₹80,000 crore ($9.58 billion) in Hazaribag, Jharkhand.

India-France deepen ties

National security advisor meets French President: During the India-France Strategic Dialogue, French President Emmanuel Macron appreciated India’s initiative to bring peace to the world order. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, also discussed India’s plans to procure French planes and submarines for the navy. According to sources, France has also agreed to a “significant reduction” in the cost of buying 26 Rafale-M fighters.

India-France discusses peace: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and shared perspectives on the wars in Europe and West Asia. Doval reiterated India’s commitment to implement the India-France Horizon 2047 roadmap, a long-term strategic plan that strengthens India and France's bilateral partnership.

Indian-French defence ties: During National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval’s visit to France, discussions were held with Emmanuel Chiva, Director General of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), on France's defence planning and procurement systems; defence collaboration; and opportunities for Indian-French startups & tech in future defence technologies and innovation.

Indian diplomats in the US

Jaishankar-Blinken meet: Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “discussed the United States and India's enduring commitment to deepening bilateral ties, coordinating closely on regional and global challenges, and advancing cooperation on critical and emerging technologies,” according to spokesman for the U.S. State Department Matthew Miller.

India-China tension rises: Speaking at a discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) in Washington, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said, Beijing has violated agreements it had with New Delhi about how to keep the border between the two countries tranquil and tensions would continue as long as there was the forward deployment of troops.

Commerce and industry minister in the US: During his current visit to the US, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal discussed new areas of collaboration with American businesses, particularly in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, and sustainable technologies. He also discussed potential investment opportunities in India's electronics manufacturing, data infrastructure, and logistics sectors.

Investment opportunity by the government

₹60,000 crore investment opportunity by railways: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a ₹60,000 crore ($7.19 billion) investment opportunity by the railways in West Bengal. He said, 61 projects are now languishing in the State due to challenges linked to the surrender of land to the railways.

Big deals for Rajasthan

Avaada Group commits ₹1 lakh crore investments in Rajasthan: Avaada Group announced plans to invest ₹1 lakh crore ($11.98 billion) in renewable energy projects in Rajasthan. The investment will be used to establish several green energy projects, including a pumped hydro storage facility, a green ammonia facility, a wind power facility and a solar power facility. 

REC Limited pledges ₹50,000 crore annually: REC Limited, a prominent non-banking financial company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Rajasthan and pledged  ₹50,000 crore ($6 billion) annually till 2030 to finance critical infrastructure in numerous sectors.

Foreign investment growth

Foreign investments in government bonds: Months after India’s inclusion in a JP Morgan bond index, foreign portfolio investment in fully accessible sovereign bonds has increased by around ₹62,919 crore ($7.5 billion).

Foreign investors turning to secondary market: The net inflow of foreign portfolio investments in the secondary market stood at $5,557.3 million in September outpacing their primary market investments of $1,322.2 million.

Strong net inflow from foreign investors: According to data by National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), foreign portfolio investors in September turned positive for their total secondary market investment in Indian equities in CY 24 so far at ₹34,554 crore ($4,140.3 million) compared with a net outflow of ₹11,998 crore ($1,417 million) at the end of August.

Warning for Indians in Iran

Ministry of External Affairs issues warning for Indians in Iran: As tensions continue to escalate between Iran and Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs advised Indians residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran.

Change in chairman of a stock exchange brokers’ forum

Bombay Stock Exchange Brokers’ Forum appoints new chairman: The Bombay Stock Exchange Brokers’ Forum, representing over 650 securities, has appointed Anup Gupta as its new chairman. 

Delhi Today: Very warm with a full day of sunshine.

Rajya Sabha: Not in session.

Lok Sabha: Not in session.