India and US very close to trade deal: Trump
'We're very close to a deal with India where they open it (the market) up,' Trump told reporters at the White house on Wednesday. Later in the day, he reiterated that the deal with India was 'very close' when asked about upcoming trade agreements in an interview with broadcaster Real America's Voice.
India and the US have been locked in intense negotiations over the past few months, aiming to reach an agreement before steep tariffs kick in. Trump had first announced 27% tariffs on Indian goods in 2 April as part of a wider trade policy move.
While the tariffs were initially paused until 9 July, the US later extended the deadline to 1 August. An Indian delegation is in the US this week for discussions on the agreement, Reuters reported, citing sources in the Indian government. Last month, a team of Indian officials extended their stay in Washington for another round of talks.
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First Post
7 minutes ago
- First Post
Op Sindoor debate in Parl today, PM Modi says precision strikes a message for terrorists
PM Modi set the tone of the government as the Parliament prepares for a fiery debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Prime Minister warned that there will be no safe havens for terrorists read more As the Indian parliament gears up to debate the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the precision strikes of Pakistani terror camps in May were India's message that there are no safe havens for terrorists and their masters. While speaking at an event in Tamil Nadu's Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the prime minister said that India places the highest priority on its national security. He emphasised that Operation Sindoor has created a new awakening and a new self-confidence across the country. PM Modi was attending the event to honour Chola emperor Rajendra Chola when he made his stance on the matter clear. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The world witnessed India's firm and decisive response to the threat against its sovereignty during Operation Sindoor, and it has sent a clear message: there is no haven for terrorists and enemies of the nation,' the prime minister said in his address. PM Modi sets the tone of the government ahead of the debate Many believe that with this address, the prime minister has set the tone for the government's response to the debate in parliament, which will take place in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Meanwhile, the Opposition is planning to open the front by talking about the big terror attacks under 'PM Modi's watch'. The debate in Lok Sabha is coming after a first week of disruption of Parliament's Monsoon session and is expected to be a fiery one. The two sides have agreed to a marathon 16-hour debate in each House, which invariably stretches longer in practice. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the debate immediately after the question hour in the Lok Sabha. Sources close to the matter told The Times of India that Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be speaking on the issues amid indications that the PM may intervene to convey his government's 'robust' stand against terrorism. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in LS and RS - Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge - would lead the charge against the government along with Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav. It is believed that Congress is planning to attack the government and particularly PM Modi over national security. The Opposition is most likely to point toward the repeated big terror attacks under PM Modi's watch. Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress and the opposition have been pointing out that the terrorists singled out the tourists by religion to execute them. Ahead of the debate, Congress also raised the issue of US President Donald Trump's claims of halting Operation Sindoor and calling for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed out that since May 10, Trump has claimed '26 times' that he stopped the operation by 'threatening to cut off trade with India, and claimed that five fighter jets may have been shot down'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Even though Congress had been demanding a special two-day session of Parliament immediately after Operation Sindoor was abruptly halted, that demand was ignored. Nevertheless, better late than never,' he wrote in a post on X.
Time of India
7 minutes ago
- Time of India
With new energy, JSW Group gets ready to disrupt EV market
Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group has set up a dedicated automotive vertical-JSW Motors. This will be an umbrella platform under which the group will launch passenger cars focussed on new energy vehicles at an investment of up to $3 billion over the next five years with launches set to begin in the second half of FY26. It will be separate from the group's joint venture with China's SAIC, JSW MG Motor India. JSW Motors is in talks with three-four companies across Italy, Germany, South Korea and China for collaborations to design and develop these cars, which will be sold under the JSW brand, newly appointed chief executive officer Ranjan Nayak told ET in his first media interview. All vehicles will be made in India, with the earmarked resources deployed for commissioning the manufacturing facility, research and development. JSW's automotive hub, spread across 630 acres, is coming up at Bidkin in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. Elaborating on the expansion strategy, Nayak said JSW Motors is aiming to disrupt the domestic electric vehicle (EV) market by manufacturing "world class automotive products in the country" by leveraging the best technologies from across the globe, including Italy, Germany, South Korea and China, and combining that with India's own strengths in robust supply chain and digital integration. "We are looking at rapidly scaling up our in-house automotive technology, and not remain dependent on any external entity. Our integrated approach allows us to combine global excellence with local relevance, ensuring high performance, affordability and sustainability," Nayak said, adding, "Our first New Energy Vehicle (NEV) under the JSW badge will hit the roads in the second half of FY2026." Nayak said JSW Motors is drawing on "the unique strengths of industry-leading partners" from around the world, without specifying details of the companies it is collaborating with. "We will be combining the craftsmanship and aesthetics of Italian designers and the German precision in manufacturing and engineering with the advanced welding technologies from South Korea and China's expertise in electric propulsion systems, battery innovation and New Energy Vehicle (NEV) technologies with that of the Indian IT sector's deep capabilities in software and digital integration," said Nayak. He declined to share details of the investments the JSW Group has scheduled for its automotive venture. However, industry sources said the group has lined up an investment to the tune of $2-3 billion in its automotive business over the next five years. Similar to its strategy in the steel sector, JSW intends to "energize the auto ecosystem-spurring suppliers and competitors to rise with us" to accelerate India's shift to clean mobility and reduce its dependence on oil, said Nayak, who is also executive vice president and head, corporate strategy, JSW Group. "Our aim is to push New Energy Vehicle penetration to 50%, offering affordable, world-class electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles," he said. Nayak said China is at the forefront of EV and hybrid vehicle innovation and has become an integral part of the global automotive supply chain. As the world rapidly shifts toward sustainable mobility, technologies such as Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), pioneered by Chinese automakers, are redefining the industry landscape. By combining the best global technologies with India's own strengths, JSW Motors intends to bring high-quality, technologically advanced, energy efficient and environmentally responsible vehicles. This approach will deliver "unmatched value to Indian customers and propel the country towards a more secure, sustainable and self-reliant automotive future," he said. "Like global industry leaders-including those from Europe, America (like Tesla and GM), and Japan-we embrace relevant advancements from China and other innovation hubs, integrating them within India's ecosystem. Promoting EV, PHEV and hybrid technologies is also critical from an energy security standpoint." he said.
The Wire
7 minutes ago
- The Wire
Operation Sindoor: Narendra Modi's Image Versus National Interest
Prime minister Narendra Modi should know that seeking the cooperation of opposition parties to project India's case abroad after Operation Sindoor must necessarily be accompanied by showing some respect for the opposition in domestic politics. You cannot seek opposition cooperation to present a unified foreign policy position abroad and continue to treat opposition parties as "enemies" in domestic politics. After all, it was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat who had advised the Bharatiya Janata Party not to treat the opposition as enemies and also constructive engagement after the BJP's disappointing performance at the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In this regard has Modi learnt any lessons from the 2024 Lok Sabha results? The basic attitude and approach doesn't seem to have changed. Modi still believes that he can cynically manipulate the opposition through coercive politics without showing any sincerity of purpose. It is common knowledge now that Operation Sindoor, though a limited success, was badly bungled at several levels and mistakes were made which could have been avoided. This is something the government is yet to admit buy responsible Indian military officers have dropped adequate hints in public fora. When an honest military officer cited " restraint from political leadership" as a reason for some Indian fighter planes going down, he was serving the interest of truth. The Modi government's initial silence on the other hand was meant to protect the prime minister's image. Modi was clearly on the backfoot after operation Sindoor and was unable to fully convince his own constituency (including the RSS) that it was an unqualified success. He therefore swallowed his ego for the first time and approached the opposition parties to take part in a joint delegation to present India's case abroad as no country had explicitly condemned Pakistan's role in the Pahalgam terror attack. The Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi has been been raising tough questions around Operation Sindoor and sought a special session of parliament to discuss everything threadbare. Other opposition parties wanted the same. But then the cynical, coercive and manipulative template of politics is embedded in the regime's DNA. The opening of the parliament session was marked by the unprecedented resignation of vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar. This was the distraction the BJP needed to create chaos and disrupt what might have been a relatively more orderly parliament session with the citizens eager to learn more about the critical issues of national interest such as Operation Sindoor and the stupendous claims by US president Donald Trump on India-Pakistan ceasefire linked to trade talks. The reality is that the president of the world's biggest military power has repeated 25 times that he stopped the India-Pakistan military exchange which was about to spillover to the nuclear domain with the threat of trade. Whether Modi likes it or not, this issue will have to be discussed in parliament. The people of this country cannot be kept in the dark simply because Modi's personal image is to be kept intact. This, in fact, is the nub of the issue. Operation Sindoor and the multiple issues it has thrown up demands an open discussion in parliament to further national interests. But the regime's ecosystem is bent upon creating distractions and confusion to protect Modi's image. So national interest and the ruling ecosystem's attempt to save Modi's image are totally at odds with each other today. This was apparent even during Operation Sindoor. The BJP's media ecosystem projected Modi as a warrior who will not spare Pakistan but the moment the ceasefire happened, Modi's picture was withdrawn and replaced with that of government spokesperson Vikram Misri who announced the ceasefire. This was undisguised manipulation. Similarly, people noticed how Modi used the opposition's cooperation to burnish his own image with his domestic constituency. Even before the opposition delegation had returned, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar was boasting at a public forum that Modi had achieved with the opposition parties what even Indira Gandhi couldn't have done in the 1970s. Thus everything is a personal image building exercise for Modi first, and then something else. One only hopes that Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tiwari have internalised this aspect of Modi's narcissism when they lend unqualified support to Operation Sindoor in "national interest." Don't they see how "national interest" seamlessly converts to Modi's interest in domestic politics? Don't they see how the hyphenation of India with Pakistan, which they speak against in global fora, is paradoxically a key component of Modi's image building politics in the cow belt? They might see more of it in the current parliament session as the ruling party cynically manages everything as it has done in the past. Indeed how Modi treats the opposition parties in domestic politics, as aptly articulated by Mohan Bhagwat himself, is fundamentally the bane of Indian politics and the primary cause of democratic backsliding today. If this is not fixed nothing is fixed.
