Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

In a significant diplomatic move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu at <keyword id="20751669" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyderabad-House" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyderabad House" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyderabad House">Hyderabad House</keyword> in Delhi on Monday. This visit is widely seen as an effort to reset ties between the two nations after a year of tense relations. <keyword id="20101322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="President-Muizzu" source="keywords">President Muizzu</keyword>, who arrived in India on Sunday for a five-day visit, received a red carpet welcome. During a joint press briefing, President Muizzu expressed heartfelt gratitude to India, thanking President Droupadi Murmu, <keyword id="19899320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM-Modi" source="keywords">PM Modi</keyword> and the people of India for their warm reception. He emphasised the Maldives' deep-rooted ties with India, noting that tourism — especially Indian visitors—remains a crucial pillar of the Maldivian economy. “India is our largest source market for tourists, and we hope to welcome even more Indian visitors in the future,” Muizzu remarked. Key areas of cooperation discussed included economic ties and maritime security, critical given the Maldives' position in the Indian Ocean. Following their talks, India granted the financially struggling Maldives a rollover of USD 100 million in Treasury bills, in addition to formalising a <keyword id="23458604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="currency-swap-agreement" source="keywords">currency swap agreement</keyword> and a ₹3,000 crore currency swap. Prime Minister Modi characterised the "development partnership" as a key component of India-Maldives relations, asserting that India has consistently prioritised the needs of the Maldivian people. "Our development partnership is vital to our relationship with the Maldives, and we have always placed importance on the priorities of its people. This year, SBI rolled over USD 100 million in Treasury Bills, and a USD 400 million currency swap agreement was signed based on the Maldives' requirements," he explained. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="106837748" title="Withdraw troops by mid-March, Maldives tells India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In September, India announced that the <keyword id="19934368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="State Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="State Bank of India">State Bank of India</keyword> would purchase Maldivian government bonds worth USD 50 million, following a similar USD 50 million transaction in May 2024. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi and President Muizzu witnessed the first <keyword id="20563654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RuPay-card" source="keywords">RuPay card</keyword> payment transaction launched in the Maldives and virtually inaugurated the runway at Hanimaadhoo International Airport. Modi stated that India and the Maldives would soon be connected through UPI. "Recently, we launched the RuPay card in the Maldives, and in the future, we will link both countries via UPI," he said during a joint press briefing. Muizzu also expressed his desire to conclude a <keyword id="19945642" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Free-Trade-Agreement" source="keywords">Free Trade Agreement</keyword> with India, a step he believes will open the door to greater Indian investment in the Maldives. Modi emphasised India's commitment to supporting the Maldives through various initiatives, including supplying essential commodities and Covid vaccines, inaugurating airports, and constructing social housing. He noted that a new drinking water project is now operational on 28 islands, providing clean water to over 30,000 residents. The leaders also discussed the opening of consulates in Addu and Bengaluru. Tensions between India and the Maldives escalated following Muizzu's election last year, which saw a shift towards a pro-China stance and the promise to withdraw Indian troops stationed in the archipelago. His visit to China before India in January had raised eyebrows in New Delhi, as it was perceived as a slight. However, since attending Modi's swearing-in ceremony for a third term in June, Muizzu has moderated his anti-Indian rhetoric, signalling a thaw in relations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has stated that the discussions provided "a new impetus" to the relationship. This meeting likely marks a positive turn in Indo-Maldivian relations, setting the stage for further cooperation between the two South Asian neighbours. (With inputs from agencies) <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112094153" title="Maldives President Muizzu thanks India for economic support, affirms hope of signing FTA" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Maldives President Muizzu met with PM Modi in Delhi today. Here’s how it went!

India's gold and silver imports from its free trade agreement (FTA) partner UAE have skyrocketed 210 per cent to USD 10.7 billion in 2023-24 and there is a need to potentially revise the concessional customs duty rates under the pact to mitigate the arbitrage driving this surge, a report said on Monday. Economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (<keyword id="15910220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GTRI" source="Orion">GTRI</keyword>) said this sharp rise in gold and silver imports is primarily driven by import duty concessions granted by India to the UAE under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). India allows 7 per cent tariffs or customs duty concessions on import of unlimited quantities of silver and a 1 per cent concession on 160 metric tonnes of gold. CEPA was signed in February 2022 and implemented in May 2022. Additionally, India facilitates gold and silver imports by allowing private firms to import from the UAE through the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) in Gift City. Previously, only authorised agencies could handle such imports, the report said. "While India's total imports from the UAE fell 9.8 per cent from USD 53.2 billion in FY23 to USD 48 billion in FY24, imports of gold and silver skyrocketed 210 per cent, from USD 3.5 billion to USD 10.7 billion," it said. "Import of all remaining products fell 25 per cent, from USD 49.7 billion in FY23 to USD 37.3 billion in FY24," it said. GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said the current import of gold and silver from the UAE is unsustainable as the UAE does not mine gold or silver or add sufficient value to imports. "High import duties in India on gold, silver, and jewellery at 15 per cent are at the root of the problem. Consider lowering tariffs to 5 per cent. This will cut large-scale smuggling and other misuse," Srivastava said. Trade in gold, silver, and diamonds has been prone to misuse due to their low volume but high value and high import duties in India. Low tariff imports of gold, silver only benefit few importers who keep all profits arising through tariff arbitrage and never pass it to consumers, he said. Srivastava suggested the government implement certain measures to help India balance its <keyword id="21681862" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-policies" source="keywords">trade policies</keyword>, protect domestic revenue, and ensure fair competition in the import of precious metals and jewellery. It suggested reassessing and potentially revising the concessional duty rates under CEPA to mitigate the arbitrage driving the surge in imports of gold and silver. "At least, implement yearly import quotas (tariff rate quotas) for silver, similar to those for gold, to control the volume of imports and prevent revenue loss," it said, adding that India should rigorously verify the claimed value addition by Dubai-based refiners in gold and silver imports to ensure compliance with CEPA rules of origin. It also asked to tighten regulations around the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) at Gift City to control the volume and nature of <keyword id="22080399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="precious-metal-imports" source="keywords">precious metal imports</keyword> and the exchange should not allow country-based exemptions. As increased imports contribute to a higher current account deficit and since gold and silver act more like financial instruments than regular trade items, India should avoid including them in any FTA. "India has granted <keyword id="20542001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tariff-concessions" source="keywords">tariff concessions</keyword> for these items in many FTAs and under the DFTP (duty-free tariff preference) scheme, so a comprehensive review is needed. India announced the scheme for LDCs (least developed countries) in 2008. Under this, India provides duty free/preferential market access on about 98.2 per cent of India's tariff lines (or product categories). Further, the report stated that silver imports from the UAE increased multifold to USD 1.74 billion in 2023-24 from a meagre USD 29.2 million in 2022-23 due to India charging an 8 per cent duty under the CEPA versus a 15 per cent duty from other countries. "The large 7 per cent tariff arbitrage resulted in a loss of revenue for India of Rs 1,010 crore in FY24. Revenue loss will increase as India has committed to make tariffs zero on unlimited quantities of silver from the UAE within next 8 years," it added. It said this trade is unusual because the UAE just imports large silver and gold bars, melt and convert these into silver grains and unwrought gold for exports. "A check with global refiners will show that value addition in such process is much less than 1 per cent as opposed to 3 per cent required under the FTA," it said. On gold bars, the report said India agreed to import 200 metric tons of gold annually from the UAE with a 1 per cent tariff concession and due to this gold imports rose 147.6 per cent from USD 3 billion in FY23 to USD 7.6 billion in FY24, causing India to lose Rs 635 crore in revenue in FY24. Similarly, India's jewellery imports have increased 187.6 per cent from USD 1.1 billion in FY23 to USD 3.3 billion in FY24, whereas these imports from the UAE have increased 290 per cent from USD 347 million in FY23 to USD 1.35 billion in the last fiscal.

Gold, silver import from UAE surged 210% in 2023-24; Need duty revision in FTA: GTRI

India remains highly dependent on imports for minerals critical to accelerating its <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword>, with a full reliance on shipping in lithium, cobalt and nickel, according to a report released Monday. The report, published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said that India's demand for <keyword id="19978839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="critical-minerals" source="keywords">critical minerals</keyword> is expected to more than double by 2030, while domestic mining operations may take over a decade to start producing. It stresses that India needs a carefully crafted import strategy to mitigate potential trade risks while balancing international relationships to secure these essential minerals. IEEFA's report examines five critical minerals (and their compounds) - cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium and nickel - from the perspectives of import dependency, trade dynamics, domestic availability, and global price fluctuations. The findings show that India remains largely import-dependent for these minerals and their compounds, with 100 per cent import reliance for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. "India should strive to de-risk its critical minerals sourcing by identifying new international resources and expediting <keyword id="20681115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-production" source="keywords">domestic production</keyword>. A concerted effort to partner with and foster bilateral relations with <keyword id="23713985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mineral-rich-nations" source="keywords">mineral-rich nations</keyword> should be a priority for India," said the report's co-author Charith Konda, Energy Specialist, IEEFA. "The country can also explore investment opportunities in resource-rich, friendly nations, such as Australia and Chile, as well as African countries like Ghana and South Africa," he added. The report said India depends heavily on China for synthetic graphite and natural graphite and it should explore cooperation initiatives with countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil and Tanzania which are some of the highest graphite producing countries. "As part of the Global South cooperation initiatives, these countries could be favourable partners for India for <keyword id="23713984" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="graphite-trading" source="keywords">graphite trading</keyword>," said the report's co-author Kaira Rakheja, Energy Analyst, IEEFA. India is also highly import-dependent for copper cathodes and nickel sulphates from just two countries - Japan and Belgium. The report suggests India could look at the US, the fifth largest producer of copper in the world, to diversify its suppliers and enhance <keyword id="23714709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supply-security" source="keywords">supply security</keyword>. For minerals like lithium oxide and nickel oxide, the dependency is low on one country, but overall imports largely come from Russia and China, both countries with potential trade risks. "Developing domestic lithium refining capacity will help India integrate with the global lithium supply chain," said Rakheja. The report also notes the significant efforts that the Indian government is making to improve domestic production of critical minerals with the auctions by the Ministry of Mines and the planned Critical Minerals Mission. "The critical minerals mining block auctions can serve as an opportunity for India to focus on building refining and processing capabilities to emerge as a global value-adding hub," said Rakheja. "Government support in the form of viability gap funding and technology development will help promote such auctions and ultimately the domestic production of critical minerals. "A stable supply of critical minerals is imperative for India to achieve its <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> goals," Konda said. India has committed to achieving 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel-based electricity installed capacity by 2030. Currently, the country's renewable energy installed capacity stands at 201 GW, with solar energy accounting for 91 GW. According to another study, the fast-developing South Asian nation needs to install around 7,000 GW of renewable energy capacity to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

Energy transition: India remains highly dependent on imports of critical minerals, says report

India has signed mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with <keyword id="551085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customs-authorities" source="Orion">customs authorities</keyword> of seven nations and is actively pursuing negotiations for such pacts with other countries, a top official said. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and the Federal Customs Service, Russia, this month signed the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) MRA to provide reciprocal benefits to accredited and trusted exporters of both signatories in the clearance of goods by the customs authorities of the importing country. "The CBIC and the Federal Customs Service, Russia signed the <keyword id="21760232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Authorized-Economic-Operator" source="keywords">Authorized Economic Operator</keyword> (AEO) Mutual Recognition Agreement, which is a major <keyword id="20467509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-facilitation" source="keywords">trade facilitation</keyword> boost for Indian importers and exporters. While this is the 7th MRA that has been signed by <keyword id="20001024" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-customs" source="keywords">Indian Customs</keyword>, negotiations are being actively pursued with many other Customs' administrations," CBIC Chairman <keyword id="159142" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Kumar-Agarwal" source="Orion">Sanjay Kumar Agarwal</keyword> said in a communication to field formation. The AEO programme enables Customs administration to identify safe and compliant exporters and importers and to provide them with better facilitation. AEO MRA is already in place for seven countries, including Korea, UAE, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

India signs customs mutual recognition agreements with seven nations; Actively pursuing more, says CBIC chief

India’s diamond industry is grappling with a severe downturn as both imports and exports have significantly declined over the past three years, triggering defaults, <keyword id="23043782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="factory-closures" source="keywords">factory closures</keyword>, and widespread <keyword id="20013745" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-losses" source="keywords">job losses</keyword>, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (<keyword id="19962754" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GTRI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="GTRI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="GTRI">GTRI</keyword>). The think tank highlighted that the sector is struggling with unsold <keyword id="20237406" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rough-diamonds" source="keywords">rough diamonds</keyword> and increasing competition from lab-grown alternatives. Ajay Srivastava, Founder of GTRI, pointed out that the downturn in India’s diamond industry has had devastating effects. "This has led to defaults, factory closures, and widespread job losses. Tragically, more than 60 individuals from Gujarat’s diamond sector have taken their own lives, highlighting the intense financial and emotional stress," Srivastava said. He emphasised the urgent need for intervention to address these issues and ensure the survival of the sector. <h2>Declining imports and exports</h2>Data from GTRI paints a grim picture of the industry. Imports of rough diamonds have dropped by 24.5%, from USD 18.5 billion in 2021-22 to USD 14 billion in 2023-24, reflecting weakened global demand and fewer orders for diamond processing. After accounting for re-exported rough diamonds, net imports saw a 25.3% decrease, signalling reduced interest in processing diamonds in India. The situation is even worse on the export front. Exports of cut and polished diamonds fell by 34.6%, from USD 24.4 billion in FY 2022 to USD 13.1 billion in FY 2024. Net exports experienced an even sharper decline, dropping by 45.3% from USD 15.9 billion to USD 8.7 billion, indicating a weak global market and rising inventories of unsold diamonds. <h2>Rising inventories and market competition</h2>The report also highlighted that the percentage of unsold diamonds returned to India increased from 35% to 45.6% during this period. Additionally, the gap between net rough diamond imports and net exports of cut and polished diamonds widened from USD 1.6 billion in FY 2022 to USD 4.4 billion in FY 2024, signifying a growing stockpile of unsold inventory and insufficient export demand. Several factors contribute to this crisis. Global economic uncertainty, inflation, and geopolitical tensions — particularly in key markets like the US, China, and Europe — have led to decreased spending on luxury items such as diamonds. Fluctuating global diamond prices have added to this uncertainty, causing buyers to hesitate in purchasing rough diamonds. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113445065" title="&amp;#39;The pressure became too much for her&amp;#39;: Mother blames &amp;#39;work stress&amp;#39; for 26-year-old EY employee&amp;#39;s death" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has disrupted the global diamond supply chain, with sanctions on Russia, a major producer of rough diamonds, further complicating trade. This slowdown has impacted the global market, stalling the flow of diamonds and affecting India’s processing sector. Another challenge facing the industry is the shift in consumer preferences toward <keyword id="20662742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lab-grown-diamonds" source="keywords">lab-grown diamonds</keyword>, which are seen as more affordable, ethical, and sustainable. This shift is particularly evident in markets where customers are becoming more conscious of the environmental and ethical implications of their purchases. <h2>Internal regulatory and operational hurdles</h2>Internally, the Indian diamond sector is facing a host of challenges. Many polishing units are burdened with unsold inventories of polished diamonds, discouraging them from importing new rough diamonds. Rising operational costs, including labour, energy, and materials, have also made it difficult for many polishing units to remain profitable. These factors have led to the closure of many shops and significant layoffs, particularly in Surat, the world’s largest hub for diamond cutting and polishing. The sector's heavy reliance on financing has also become a problem. Tighter credit conditions and reduced lending from banks have made it increasingly difficult for businesses to purchase rough diamonds, further stalling production. Additionally, a significant number of cut and polished diamonds exported from India are being returned due to quality issues, overstocking, and price fluctuations, creating costly delays and adding to the strain on exporters. <h2>Dubai's rising influence</h2>An interesting development highlighted by GTRI is the increasing share of rough diamond imports from Dubai, which does not produce diamonds itself. Instead, Dubai imports diamonds from countries like Botswana, Angola, South Africa, and Russia and re-exports them to India. Dubai’s share in India’s rough diamond imports surged from 36.3% in FY 2020 to 60.8% in FY 2024, further rising to 64.5% in April-June 2024. In contrast, Belgium’s share of these imports fell from 37.9% in FY 2020 to 17.6% in FY 2024. One major reason for Dubai's increasing role is India’s high corporate tax regime, which pushes foreign suppliers of rough diamonds to re-export their diamonds to Dubai before sending them to India. This has rendered India’s Special Notified Zones (SNZs) in Mumbai and Surat largely ineffective. <h2>Revitalising the sector</h2>To help revitalise the struggling sector, GTRI has proposed several measures. These include extending export credit terms, exempting foreign rough diamond sellers from corporate taxes in India, regulating the lab-grown diamond industry, and reconsidering the zero-tariff import of cut and polished diamonds from Dubai under the India-UAE trade agreement. The think tank also suggested that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extend the export credit period for cut and polished diamond exporters from six months to 12 months, as buyers are increasingly demanding longer credit terms. India’s strong foreign exchange reserves make this feasible. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113449316" title="Small businesses generated 35 million job applications till Aug 2024, 14 million were from women: Report" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The Indian diamond industry, which consists of over 7,000 companies — many of them small or medium enterprises — provides direct employment to about 1.3 million workers, with Surat alone employing nearly 8,00,000 people. The industry is also crucial for millions of indirect jobs in sectors like logistics, transport, and retail. With the sector being such a vital part of India’s economy, immediate and coordinated efforts are needed to address its current challenges and ensure its long-term viability. (With inputs from PTI)

India's diamond sector faces major crisis amid plummeting imports, exports, and massive job losses

New Delhi, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> does not 'rush' into any Free Trade Agreement (<keyword id="20000557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fta" source="keywords">FTA</keyword>) if the pact is not equitable, balanced, and fair for the country, Commerce and Industry Minister <keyword id="19895367" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="piyush-goyal" source="keywords">Piyush Goyal</keyword> on Friday said. He said that the ground realities in India have changed now and the offers made by partner countries in these agreements are "not at all" comparable to what India is offering to the world. At present, negotiations for FTAs with the UK, Oman, and the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are nearing conclusion. EFTA members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The minister also said that India should never rush for trade negotiations as they are going to impact the country for years and years to come. "We enter into negotiations with our eyes wide open, we do extensive stakeholder negotiations...we do a lot of inter-ministerial consultations. We crystal gaze into the future and see that India offers the best business opportunities. "Sometimes trade negotiations take time because the other sides take time to understand what really is happening in India, how the India story is panning out, how new India is emerging. And some people also live in a colonial mindset of the past, so it takes us some more time to get them to understand that ground realities have changed. What is on the offer on their side is not at all comparable to what we are offering to the world and therefore unless it is a very equitable, balanced, and fair trade agreement, India does not rush into trade agreements anymore," he said. <keyword id="19895372" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goyal" source="keywords">Goyal</keyword> said this at the Raisina Dialogue 2024 here. He was replying to a question about why trade negotiations with the UK and the EU (<keyword id="19895384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="european-union" source="keywords">European Union</keyword>) are proving more complicated. He added that some free trade agreements signed by the previous government have issues as adequate due diligence was not followed. In some cases, a little bit of rush to enter into an FTA was also there earlier, he said. India and the UK launched the talks for an FTA in January 2022 with a view to boost economic ties between the two nations. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights. The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23 from USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22. The seventh round of India-European Union talks is underway here. In June 2022, India and the EU restarted the negotiations for the long-pending trade and investment agreement after a gap of over eight years.

India does not rush into trade agreements if it is not fair, balanced, equitable: Goyal

Boost in domestic <keyword id="19914449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing" source="keywords">manufacturing</keyword> due to PLI (production linked incentive) schemes and increase in <keyword id="19916774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exports" source="keywords">exports</keyword> on account of free trade agreements are expected to bridge the country's <keyword id="20201391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-deficit" source="keywords">trade deficit</keyword> further, <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Economic-Survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> said on Monday. However, it said that fluctuations in <keyword id="19936629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="commodity-prices" source="keywords">commodity prices</keyword>, especially for critical imports like oil, metals, and agricultural products, can impact India's trade balance and inflation levels. The Survey said that though ongoing geopolitical headwinds impacted India's merchandise exports, lowering international commodity prices ensured a lower trade deficit in FY24 than in FY23. The country's merchandise trade deficit narrowed to USD 240 billion in 2023-24 from USD 265 billion in 2022-23. It added that changes in trade policies by major trading partners or geopolitical developments can affect India's export opportunities and market access. "In the coming years, India's trade deficit is expected to decline further as the <keyword id="19981334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PLI-scheme" source="keywords">PLI scheme</keyword> is expanded and India creates a globally competitive manufacturing base in several product categories," the Survey said. It added that the recently signed FTAs (free trade agreements) are expected to increase the <keyword id="22374533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-market-share" source="keywords">global market share</keyword> of the country's exports. The PLI scheme for sectors like mobile manufacturing, information technology (IT) hardware, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and food product are helping to increase manufacturing and cut imports. India has implemented <keyword id="20000557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FTA" source="keywords">FTA</keyword> with Mauritius, Australia and the UAE. It added that a narrowing merchandise trade deficit and rising service exports have improved the CAD (<keyword id="20054874" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="current-account-deficit" source="keywords">current account deficit</keyword>), ending with a surplus of 0.6 per cent of GDP in Q4 of FY24. However, the risks to the performance of India's external sector are on the downside due to the persistence of current <keyword id="19955176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="geopolitical-tensions" source="keywords">geopolitical tensions</keyword> and policy uncertainty, it said. Some of the challenges listed by the survey includes fall in demand from major trading partners like the US, rise in trade cost, and volatility in commodity prices. Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and drought in the Panama Canal have resulted in trade flows being re-routed, increasing journey time and costs. India's merchandise trade relies heavily on maritime trade, so disturbances in major shipping routes can impact its economy. "It is critical to explore what these changing paradigms mean for India. Policies need to be a mix that straddles security concerns with economic considerations," the survey said, adding India's push towards manufacturing in complex and niche sectors through schemes such as PLI and Make in India aims to balance these goals. Further, the survey emphasised on the need to focus on improving India's competitiveness in many product areas. For example, it said, India has tremendous potential in becoming a large global exporter in agricultural commodities. Fostering stronger regional trade ties and adding more markets for Indian goods will help mitigate global demand fluctuations. "In an era when global economic growth is likely to be buffeted by geopolitical tensions and protectionism, growing India's exports of goods and services will be a stiffer challenge than before," it cautioned. Commenting on this, Rumki Majumdar, Economist, Deloitte India, said that despite global uncertainties, India's exports are recording positive growth rates. "That shows the resilience of our exports amidst global uncertainties," she said, adding, "by transforming our export basket and focusing on higher margins and value addition across various sectors, India will easily achieve its ambition of USD 2 trillion in exports by 2030-31."

You Searched For "india australia trade agreement" and got 7 results

Maldives President Muizzu met with PM Modi in Delhi today. Here’s how it went!

BI India Bureau

Gold, silver import from UAE surged 210% in 2023-24; Need duty revision in FTA: GTRI

PTI

Energy transition: India remains highly dependent on imports of critical minerals, says report

PTI

India signs customs mutual recognition agreements with seven nations; Actively pursuing more, says CBIC chief

PTI

India's diamond sector faces major crisis amid plummeting imports, exports, and massive job losses

BI India Bureau

India does not rush into trade agreements if it is not fair, balanced, equitable: Goyal

PTI

India's trade deficit expected to decline further: Economic Survey

PTI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides