ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Karmayogi Saptah’ (National Learning Week) in New Delhi, aiming to develop a future-ready civil service and boost productivity towards the goal of a developed India by 2047.

PM Modi will visit Russia from October 22-23 for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit.

PM Modi launched new infrastructure projects worth $7.3 billion in Varanasi, focusing on airports, rail-road bridges, and urban development to boost tourism, trade, and employment in Uttar Pradesh.

Africa cooperation to strategic naval drills

Murmu concludes Africa visit: President Droupadi Murmu concluded her visit to Algeria, Mauritania, and Malawi, advancing bilateral cooperation in sectors like energy, mining, and agriculture while signing agreements on cultural, sports, and pharmaceutical partnerships.

India strengthens education ties with Singapore and Australia: Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan will enhance bilateral cooperation in education during his visit to Singapore and Australia from 20 to 26 October 2024, meeting top officials and visiting leading institutions to foster innovation and industry-academia partnerships.

Former Pakistani PM calls for renewed dialogue with India: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged India and Pakistan to move beyond historical grievances and focus on bilateral trade and cooperation, referencing the recent visit by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a positive step.

India seeks critical mineral partnership with US: Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced plans to transition the current critical mineral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US into a formal critical mineral partnership, aiming to pave the way for a broader Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

India, Bhutan strengthen energy ties with hydropower talks: Bhutan's Energy Minister Lyonpo Gem Tshering and India's Power Minister Manohar Lal met in New Delhi to advance hydropower cooperation.

Quad navies deepen maritime cooperation with advanced naval drills: India, Australia, Japan, and the United States bolstered maritime security through back-to-back naval exercises—'Exercise Malabar' (October 8-18) and 'Exercise Kakadu' (September 9-20)—focusing on anti-submarine warfare amid concerns over China's naval expansion in the Indo-Pacific.

Google and India team up

Google partners with India to transform healthcare, sustainability, and agriculture: Google has announced partnerships to leverage its AI technologies in India, focusing on diabetic retinopathy screenings, waste sorting, and opening its Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research Application Programming Interface (API) to improve farming efficiency.

India's $80 billion auto industry set to triple as EVs drive growth: India's $80 billion auto sector, with $15 billion in exports, is projected to reach $250 billion, propelled by electric vehicles (EVs) and sustainability goals.

Tata Projects eyes green hydrogen growth amid expansion plans: Tata Projects Limited, a leading engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor owned by Tata Sons, plans to expand into green hydrogen, green ammonia, and battery manufacturing, aiming for double-digit growth in revenues and profits by 2026, following a $17.2 billion turnover and $16.7 million profit in FY24.

India approves $41.7 million for green hydrogen steel pilot projects: Union Government has approved three pilot projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with a total financial support of ₹347 crore (approximately $41.7 million), aimed at utilising green hydrogen in steel production to strengthen decarbonisation and technology leadership.

India to limit laptop imports to boost local manufacturing: India plans to restrict imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers starting January 2025, aiming to strengthen domestic manufacturing amid concerns over reliance on foreign products.

Research finds limits to scandium nitride's electron mobility: Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have uncovered factors restricting electron mobility in scandium nitride (ScN), offering insights for improving high-performance electronic devices.

India eyes global leadership in growth and infrastructure

World Bank chief praises India's growth and domestic market potential: World Bank President Ajay Banga stated that India's growth rate, driven by the domestic market, positions it as a bright spot in the global economy.

India aims to surpass US road quality: Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced plans for India to achieve better road infrastructure than the US, emphasising road connectivity's role in economic growth and advocating sustainable construction using waste materials.

MOIL partners with Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation for manganese ore mining: Manganese Ore India Limited (MOIL) has signed a draft joint venture agreement with the Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation Limited (MPSMCL) to establish a company with a 51% stake for MOIL, aimed at advancing manganese ore mining and value-added projects in Madhya Pradesh.

Thyssenkrupp AG divests 100% stake in Electrical Steel India: Thyssenkrupp AG has agreed to sell its entire stake in thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel India Private Limited (tkES India), the sole manufacturer of top-grade Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) in India, to Jsquare Electrical Steel Nashik for ₹4,051.4 crore ($489 million), pending approval from the Competition Commission of India.

Petrochemicals sector eyes $1 trillion by 2040: The petrochemicals industry in India is set to grow to $300 billion by 2025, with projections reaching $1 trillion by 2040 amid $87 billion in new investments and a $142 billion boost under the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIRs) Policy.

India to impose temporary safeguard duty to curb Chinese steel imports: India's Steel Ministry plans to introduce a temporary safeguard duty to combat the rising influx of cheaper Chinese steel imports, as domestic producers struggle.

Tenth round of coal auctions sees 44 bids submitted: The Ministry of Coal received 44 bids for its tenth round of commercial coal mine auctions, aimed at enhancing energy self-reliance and fostering a competitive market. Bids were submitted for 67 coal mines, with the evaluation set for today.

By-elections scheduled

By-elections announced for 48 Assembly and 2 Lok Sabha seats: The Election Commission has scheduled by-elections for 48 Assembly seats and 2 Lok Sabha seats across 14 states, with voting on November 13 and November 20 for specific constituencies, and results due on November 23. Uttar Pradesh leads with nine Assembly seats up for grabs, followed by Rajasthan with seven.

Supreme Court dismisses PIL for content regulation on OTT platforms: The Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urging the government to establish an autonomous body for monitoring content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, stating that such matters fall under executive policy-making and require stakeholder consultations.

New regulations for hoax bomb threats: The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation is proposing amendments to the Aircraft Act of 1934 to impose five-year imprisonment and no-fly list bans for offenders of hoax bomb threats, following over 30 threats made against airlines in just four days.

Aviation regulator meets airline CEOs as bomb threat hoaxes continue: India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) met with airline CEOs to address bomb hoax threats disrupting flights for six consecutive days.

Jitendra Singh supports Article 370 abrogation: Union Minister Jitendra Singh asserts that Kashmiris back the revocation of Article 370, with local elections running smoothly and $3 billion in tourism signalling normalcy, while affirming Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will return at an “appropriate time.”

J&K cabinet urges restoration of statehood: Jammu and Kashmir's Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, unanimously resolved to urge the Indian government to restore the region's statehood, citing it as essential for healing and safeguarding constitutional rights.

RBI Governor confirms vigilant oversight amid loan sanctions on Navi Finserv: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das confirmed the bank's proactive monitoring of the financial market, stating it will take necessary regulatory actions, as the RBI ordered Navi Finserv and three other non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to halt loan disbursements effective today due to concerns over usurious pricing.

TRAI issues consultation paper on regulatory framework for ground-based broadcasters: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper proposing a regulatory framework for ground-based broadcasters, enabling the terrestrial transmission of television channels alongside satellite methods.

Security landscape

Militants attack non-local workers in Kashmir: Suspected militants killed a doctor and five labourers near Ganderbal, Kashmir.

Private sector urged to lead defence innovation in India: India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, called on the private sector to lead in defence innovation, supported by initiatives like the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which provides up to $6 million for projects.

General Electric to power Indian Navy’s next gen missile vessels with LM2500 engines: General Electric (GE) will supply six LM2500 marine gas turbine engine kits, worth approximately $1.2 billion, for the Indian Navy's Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) being constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, with deliveries starting in March 2027.

Startups to sustainability

Commerce minister discusses sustainability and economic growth: Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated that advancements in green hydrogen and renewable energy will reduce reliance on crude oil imports.

Goyal champions startups, women entrepreneurs, and tourism for India’s economic growth: Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal urged industry associations to engage with startups and promote women entrepreneurs while highlighting tourism's potential to strengthen the economy.

India-UK trade talks

Badenoch blames visa demands for India-UK trade deal stalemate: Kemi Badenoch, frontrunner to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader, claims she blocked the India-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA) over visa demands, while negotiations are set to resume under the Keir Starmer-led Labour government.

Parliamentary affairs

India strengthens global role at Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, highlighting India’s multilateral efforts, technology-driven governance, and climate initiatives, while securing leadership roles in key IPU committees and endorsing India's start-up success with 118 unicorns worth over $355 billion.

Parliamentary standing committee to prioritise hybrid warfare readiness: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, led by Rahul Gandhi, is prioritising discussions on the Indian Armed Forces' readiness for hybrid warfare, including cyber and non-kinetic threats.

Parliamentary panels target sugar in baby foods, medicine prices, and consumer rights: India’s Parliamentary committees are scrutinising sugar content in packaged baby foods, rising medicine prices, plastic waste management, and consumer protection in banking, with broader focus areas including foodgrain management and ethanol production.

Delhi Today: Sunny and light winds.

Delhi air pollution hits eight times WHO limits: On Friday, Delhi's PM2.5 levels reached over 117.1 micrograms per cubic metre, eight times the World Health Organization's safe limit, prompting the Delhi government to establish a coordination committee targeting pollution sources across 13 hotspots.

Delhi's air quality dropped to 'Poor' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 226 on Saturday.

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