The Taliban-India Detente

Taliban assures it won't allow Afghan territory to be used against India: Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi assured that the Taliban would not allow Afghan territory to be used against India. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the Afghan minister in Dubai on Wednesday to discuss security-related issues against the backdrop of Afghan-Pak tensions and the recent incident of bombings. The meeting marked India's highest-level engagement with the Taliban since 2021. According to The Indian Express, this move comes as an integral part of the process of realignment of the regional powers: Iran is distracted by Israeli strikes; Russia is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine; China is deepening ties with Kabul; and Pakistan's relations with the Taliban are getting soured.

New Revenue Secretary

Tuhin Kanta Pandey appointed as revenue secretary: Just three weeks to go for the Union Budget, there is a reshuffle at the upper echelons of the Finance Ministry. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Wednesday appointed Tuhin Kanta Pandey as Secretary, Department of Revenue. Pandey is also the Finance Secretary. Pandey was serving as Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). Pandey has been the longest-serving Secretary of DIPAM since October 2019 and played a key role in the sale of Air India. In a corresponding move, Arunish Chawla has been reassigned from his position as Revenue Secretary to head DIPAM. The move comes just within two weeks of his appointment as Revenue Secretary. Chawla has also been given the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, and Secretary, Ministry of Culture.

Digital data rules for India

Digital data rules expected by mid-2025, says Vaishnaw: The Union government is aiming to notify and begin implementing the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 — currently in a draft state — by the middle of 2025. Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said in an interview with The Hindu on Wednesday. Vaishnaw said that businesses will have up to two years to fully comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, which the new Rules aim to operationalise. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules have been drafted in order to implement the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), which provides citizens greater control over their personal data. Data Fiduciaries are required to offer transparent information on data processing, while individuals can demand data erasure, appoint digital nominees, and access grievance redressal mechanisms. Parents and guardians are also granted responsibilities to safeguard children’s online presence.

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Nayara Energy plans $8 billion ethane cracker at Gujarat refinery: Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy is set to invest $8 billion to establish a 1.5 million tonne per annum (MTPA) ethane cracker at its 20 MTPA Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, reports The Economic Times. The project marks the first major foreign investment in India’s petrochemical sector. Nayara, which acquired Essar Oil in 2017 for $12.9 billion, aims to diversify into petrochemicals and alternative energy. The company has begun engineering work for the project and recently added a polypropylene unit to its refinery.

Indian government not in touch with murder plot accused

No contact with officials, says the accused in plot to murder Khalistani terrorist: The Indian government has not remained in touch with Nikhil Gupta, who has been detained in the US accused of plotting the murder of a Khalistani terrorist. He was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic seven months ago. Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national indicted by the US Department of Justice for allegedly participating in a murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani activist (designated as a terrorist by the Indian government) and American-Canadian citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, told The Indian Express that no one from the Indian government has gotten in touch with him, despite his family having "raised several requests." He mentioned that his family had written multiple emails to the External Affairs Ministry officials but were not able to meet anyone. He is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in New York.

India drops five places in the passport index: India dropped five places in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, ranking eighty-fifth. The passport provides visa-free access to 57 countries. Singapore reclaimed the top spot in the index, offering visa-free access to 195 out of the 227 countries globally. Japan is second, offering visa-free access to 193 countries.

Stampede kills six

Tirupati stampede, six dead: In a tragic event on Wednesday evening, at least six people lost their lives in a stampede that broke out near the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. The events transpired near the ticketing counter during the distribution of 'darshan' tokens. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman BR Naidu, said that the incident was caused due to “overcrowding”.

Rift in Tata Trusts

Internal rift in Tata Trusts over board composition: Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata’s daughters Maya and Leah have been appointed to the board of trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII), a subset of Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The trustee changeover has resulted in an internal rift, as one departing trustee, Arnaz Kotwal, wrote to colleagues to voice her discontent with the way she was requested to step down to make room for the new trustees.

GDP to grow at 11%

Experts predict GDP growth at 10-11%: According to a Business Standard poll of 10 economists, the upcoming Budget, which is to be presented on February 1, is likely to ensure a nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10-11%. The first estimates released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) had estimated a nominal GDP growth rate of 9.7%. chief economist of Bank of Baroda Madan Sabnavis said GDP growth is assumed to be 10.5% due to the low base effect and a lower inflation print (approximately 4%) which will revise consumption.

Mahindra secures semiconductor supply chain for new electric vehicles: Mumbai-based Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) has safeguarded its semiconductor supply chain for its upcoming electric vehicles (EVs), the BE 6 and XEV 9e, which are to be launched in March. The company’s measures come after the global semiconductor shortage during the pandemic, which severely impacted auto production. M&M has established a backup plan for each chip, ensuring alternative suppliers are in place, as reported by Business Standard.

Rossell Techsys targets 30% growth after demerger, expands into space sector: Rossell Techsys, specialising in aerospace and defence solutions, began trading independently on Thursday after its demerger from Rossell India, according to Business Standard. Managing Director Rishab Gupta shared that the company holds confirmed orders worth ₹900 crore ($108 million) with additional bids submitted for ₹4,000 crore ($482 million). The firm, which recently entered the space sector by supplying wire harnesses for satellites and rockets, aims to achieve annual revenue growth of 30% over the next three to five years.

CII chief calls for 25% rise in public capex: President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Sanjiv Puri, has called for a 25% increase in public capital expenditure (capex) in the upcoming Budget, according to Business Standard. He emphasised the need for targeted support to labour-intensive sectors such as garments, footwear, and tourism through an expanded production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Puri also suggested measures to reduce reliance on Chinese imports and urged the Union government to maintain the fiscal deficit target without further cuts.

Jio’s pre-IPO plans

Jio’s plan for 5G monetisation: Over the next 12 months, Reliance Jio plans to increase the number of customers it has acquired in order to scale up Jio AirFiber, its 5G-based fixed wireless access (FWA) business. The Economic Times reported that it is a part of the company's plan to speed up 5G monetisation in anticipation of a possible IPO by the end of the year.

H-1B and India

Around 30-40% of these visas go to staffing firms offering lower salaries: In an interview with Business Standard, Mukesh Aghi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, warned that Donald Trump’s likely second term as US President could bring stricter measures on H-1B visas. Aghi said that around 30-40% of these visas go to staffing firms offering lower salaries, which fuels opposition from the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) group. He cautioned that cutting H-1B visas by 10% could cost the US economy $86 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and push jobs overseas. Aghi also noted that addressing the $45 billion US trade deficit with India could be expedited if India resumes energy imports from the US.

Musk agrees with Priyanka Chaturvedi’s stance on UK grooming gangs: Elon Musk expressed his approval of the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s post on X. The post objects to the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer using the generic term ‘Asian’ in the context of the child sexual abuse scandal raging in the UK. In a social media post on X, Chaturvedi argued that "they aren't ASIAN Grooming Gangs but PAKISTANI grooming gangs." Soon after, Elon Musk reacted to the post and said, "True." Elon Musk has been running an online campaign against the UK government, criticising its decisions and mismanagement on multiple issues.

ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate Z-Morh tunnel between Gagangir and Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir on 13 January. The tunnel will cut down travel time to 15 minutes and ensure year-round access to the tourist hub.

PM Modi inaugurated the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention on Thursday morning in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The event is organised biennially to honour the contributions of the Indian diaspora to their homeland. 

Delhi Today: Hazy.

Fog disrupts Delhi flights amid worsening air quality: Delhi faced dense fog and poor air quality on Wednesday, delaying over 150 flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is forecasted to worsen to very poor through Saturday.