Karnataka to import 2.5 lakh tonnes of coal at $86 per tonne

“The state has given an order for 2.5 lakh tonnes of coal. We have issued orders by calling tenders. We will not disclose from where it will be brought. It will be imported coal, which generally comes from Indonesia. The rate is 86 USD per ton,” Gaurav Gupta said at a press conference.

Days after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened to target Israeli vessels in the Red Sea over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, they seized a ship owned by an Israeli businessman and rerouted it towards the Yemeni coast. The seizure threatens not just Israeli shipping but the whole traffic in the Red Sea, […]

Underlining the UK’s expertise in clean mobility solutions, the project, ASPIRE, has brought together UK-based NPTC Wales and Snap E, an electric taxi provider in Kolkata, to collaborate with the West Bengal government in providing training to women to drive electric cabs, it added.

India is developing sea protocols for fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit to promote their exports through ocean routes. The protocols include understanding voyage time, scientific understanding of ripening, harvesting timing, and farmer training.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn has urged India to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) for greater market access. He argued that all partners would benefit from the inclusive, open, and rule-based trade pact. The RCEP, a free trade area, comprises 10 ASEAN members and five dialogue partners.

India and Australia bolstered defence ties and strategic collaboration during their 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, focusing on critical minerals, trade, and security. Discussions addressed China’s regional influence, with ministers emphasizing multifaceted relations spanning defense, trade, energy, and education. The meeting highlighted historical military cooperation, honoring fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial.

Exporters from Tiruppur, the Tamil Nadu town that accounts for 55% of the country’s apparel exports, said global brands have bought low-priced garments like simple t-shirts that cost around $2 per piece, in contrast to fashion garments and jackets priced $8-10 per item that they bought last year during the holiday season.

In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that those companies can obtain the physical delivery of the consignment through International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)-registered vaults located in special economic zones.

“In the medical devices sector, a lot of issues related to rules of origin are still there. Demand for customs duty concessions is also there,” the official said, adding negotiations are going on between the two countries to resolve the differences in both goods and services sectors.

In the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between the UK and India, the demand for heightened protection of Geographical Indication (GI) products from Britain’s agriculture sector remains an unresolved point. GIs like Scotch whisky and Stilton cheese signify distinctiveness linked to their specific origins, prompting discussions to address differences in protection levels.