India to lower linen imports, future potential of milkweed, ramie, flax: Textiles minister

Textiles minister Giriraj Singh announced India’s plan to reduce linen fibre imports and begin exporting it, emphasizing the growing demand for blended fibers while asserting cotton’s enduring relevance.

India and Brazil held their 7th Trade Monitoring Mechanism meeting, discussing bilateral trade and investment. The leaders aim to boost trade to $20 billion in five years, with current merchandise trade at $12.19 billion. Sectoral collaborations and market access were also key discussion points.

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has officially expanded to Qatar, offering a convenient payment solution for the large Indian expatriate community and travelers. This rollout allows UPI payments across all retail shops, not just select duty-free outlets. The move aims to facilitate faster remittances and reduce transaction costs for the 830,000 Indian expatriates in Qatar.

An Indian firm, Bagadiya Brothers Pvt Ltd, has won a significant international rice import tender from Bangladesh. The company will supply 50,000 tonnes of rice. This marks the first such tender awarded directly by Bangladesh’s interim government. More tenders are expected, benefiting Indian rice exporters, especially from West Bengal. This development boosts demand and prices […]

Union Minister Piyush Goyal co-chaired the India-Qatar Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation in Doha, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and investment. Discussions included addressing trade barriers, exploring new cooperation areas, and boosting India’s exports to Qatar, aiming to double bilateral trade by 2030.

India’s historic TEPA with EFTA, effective October 2025, marks a new economic partnership with developed European nations. It secures a USD 100 billion investment pledge, creating one million jobs, while offering significant market access for Indian exports and making premium European goods more affordable for consumers, aiming to rebalance trade.

India and Qatar are poised to finalize a Free Trade Agreement by mid-2026, aiming to double bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2030. Discussions are accelerating negotiations, with Qatar’s $10 billion investment commitment in India showing significant progress. Both nations are exploring enhanced cooperation across various sectors, strengthening a key strategic partnership.

Releasing the NITI Aayog’s Trade Watch quarterly report for January-March quarter of 2024-25 on Monday, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said India needs to remap up presence in intermediates, strengthen trade with its neighbours, remove non-trade barriers and improve other factors of production including land and labour.

Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam expressed optimism about an imminent India-US trade agreement, highlighting mutual commitment. He also advocated for India to lower tariffs and market barriers to boost manufacturing competitiveness. While US tariffs haven’t impacted exports yet, future trade could be challenging if the deal isn’t finalized by November.

Erik Berglof from AIIB suggests India deepen trade ties with Asian nations. He advises revisiting the CPTPP decision for economic benefits. India must focus on drawing investments, especially in infrastructure. Increasing women’s workforce participation is vital for growth. Coordinating state-level green transition efforts will also be key. These steps can counter US tariffs.