Prime Minister Narendra Modi Offers Prayers at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Tamil Nadu
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Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
PM Modi defiant as Trump steps up pressure on India's Russia oil purchases
Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a defiant tone in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariff threats, urging the nation to buy local goods as his administration signaled it would continue buying Russian government hasn't given India's oil refiners instructions to stop buying Russian oil, and no decision has been taken on whether to halt the purchases, people familiar with the situation told Bloomberg, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Both state-run and private refiners are allowed to buy from preferred sources, and crude purchases remain a commercial decision, several of the people the weekend, Modi underscored the importance of shielding India's economic interests during uncertain global conditions. The comments came just days after the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the US. The White House is also threatening more action if India continues Russian oil purchases. 'The world economy is going through many apprehensions — there is an atmosphere of instability,' Modi said at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. 'Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.' India has become one of Trump's top targets as he looks to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war in Ukraine. The US president lashed out at India last week, criticizing it for joining the BRICS grouping of developing countries and maintaining close ties with Russia, saying 'they can take their dead economies down together.' The rebuke marked a stunning shift in tone for the US, which for years had overlooked India's close historical ties with Russia as it courted the nation as a counterweight in Asia to China. Now, Trump appears willing to undo that strategy to gain leverage against Putin, who has resisted the US president's efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine. Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, on Sunday accused India of imposing 'massive' tariffs on American goods and 'cheating' the US immigration system in addition to purchasing about as much Russian oil as China. 'President Trump, he wants a tremendous relationship and has had always a tremendous relationship with India and the prime minister,' Miller said. 'But we need to get real about dealing with the financing of this war.''So, President Trump, all options are on the table to deal diplomatically, financially and otherwise with the ongoing war in Ukraine, so we can achieve peace,' Miller last week told reporters he 'heard' India would no longer be buying oil from Russia, calling it 'a good step.' Bloomberg reported last week that refiners were told to come up with plans for buying non-Russian crude, but one of the people said the instruction amounted to scenario planning in case Russian crude were to become New York Times reported Saturday that India would keep buying Russian crude despite a threat of penalties from Trump, citing two senior Indian officials it didn't identify. An Oil Ministry spokesperson didn't reply to messages from Bloomberg seeking comment outside of regular business refiners have been singled out by the European Union and the US for supporting Moscow during its war in Ukraine with the oil purchases. It has become the world's biggest buyer of Russian seaborne exports of crude, soaking up discounted barrels and ramping up its purchases from almost zero to about one-third of its China is the primary economic and diplomatic backer of Russia, Trump's leverage against the world's second-biggest economy is limited due to Beijing's control of rare-earth magnets the US needs to make high-tech goods. The US and China have held talks in recent months aimed at stabilizing the relationship after they both hiked tariffs on each other's goods well beyond 100% earlier this year. India has defended its ties with Russia, one of its biggest suppliers of weapons dating back to the Cold War. The two nations have a 'steady and time-tested partnership,' Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Friday. 'Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country,' Jaiswal said. Asked about ties with the US, he added that he's 'confident that the relationship will continue to move forward.'India expects US trade negotiators to visit the country toward the end of the month to continue talks on a bilateral deal, an official in New Delhi said Friday. The nation will hold its ground and won't give the US access to its dairy and agriculture sectors, the official said, citing political and religious sensitivities. Modi's renewed emphasis on domestic manufacturing and consumption echoes his long-standing 'Make in India' initiative. However, the message has taken on new urgency after the US tariffs.'The interests of our farmers, our small industries and the employment of our youth are of paramount importance,' Modi told the rally on Saturday.
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Business Standard
9 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Sanjay Dwivedi writes to PM Modi, demands aid for Pahalgam victims' kin
Sanjay Dwivedi, father of Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded compensation for the families of the April 22 deadly attack victims and a grant of "martyr status". He also described AAP MP Sanjay Singh as "one of the few leaders who stand with truth", and highlighted the issues of the families of the Pahalgam terror victims in Parliament. Dwivedi, while speaking to the ANI, said, "He is one of the few leaders who stands with the truth. He presented our issues in the Parliament with all his might... I hope he will stand by our demands in the future too... I have written two letters to the Prime Minister (demanding compensation for the families of the victims and for the victims to be given the 'martyr' status). This is not a matter of party politics. This is a national issue." Sanjay Singh on Sunday met the family of the Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi during his visit to Kanpur. After the meeting, he spoke to reporters and called on the Union government to grant martyr status to victims. The AAP Rajya Sabha MP stated that he had also raised the demand during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament. Singh said, "I had raised this point in the Parliament that the victims' families demand that all those who died in Pahalgam should be given the status of martyrs. Shubham's father also demands that the tragic incident that happened cannot be compensated in a lifetime, but the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the government should definitely take the steps they can. This will also be a message against terrorism." The AAP leader also criticised the government over what he termed a "delay" in providing compensation for the families of the victims."The government must provide compensation and jobs to the families of the Pahalgam terror attack victims. There has been a lot of delay in that," Singh said. Shubham Dwivedi was among the 26 people killed when terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists and locals in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam. Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
TG emerging as an international handloom hub: Kishan Reddy
Hyderabad: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has underlined that the Centre, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has actively promoted the textile sector through the 'Make in India' programme and is implementing the '5F' strategy: Farm to fibre, fabric, fashion, and foreign markets. In his speech, after inaugurating a week-long festival to celebrate National Handloom Day on Sunday, he observed that the handloom sector had experienced consistent growth over the past 11 years. According to him, this sector currently contributes 2.3% to the country's GDP, with 13% of industrial production and 12% of exports coming from handloom products. As a result, India has become the sixth-largest exporter of handloom and textiles worldwide, with exports valued at Rs. 3 lakh crore for the 2023-24 period. The Modi government aims to increase this figure to Rs. 9 lakh crore by 2030. Additionally, comprehensive support is being provided through the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The Union Minister emphasised the crucial role of the handloom and textile industry in India's economy, stating that it provided employment to millions and significantly boosted foreign exchange reserves. After agriculture, the handloom sector generated the most jobs, employing approximately 5 crore individuals, both directly and indirectly. Through the National Handloom Development Project (NHDP), the central government supported handloom weavers by providing marketing opportunities in international markets and developing essential infrastructure, the Minister said. Additionally, subsidised loans were available to weavers. The Modi government also offered a monthly pension of Rs. 8,000 to national and state award-winning weavers, along with scholarships of Rs. 2 lakh per year for the children of weavers interested in pursuing higher education in the textile field. Additionally, efforts were being made to recognise weavers by offering them support to participate in both domestic and international exhibitions. 'Approximately 20 handloom workers from Telangana showcased our weaving art at expos in Australia, Germany, Italy, and the United States. Consequently, local handloom workers gained valuable insights into the global market and how to promote our products.' All told, Telangana was emerging as an international handloom hub, with its weaving prowess gaining worldwide recognition. The state had over 17,000 handloom weavers and about 48,000 associated workers, who were essential to the handloom sector. Their artistry was evident in products such as Pochampally Ikat, Gadwal sarees, Narayanapet cotton sarees, Siddipet Gollabhama sarees, Telia Rumal, and Warangal carpets, all of which had attained Geographical Indication (GI) tags and international acclaim. The accomplishments of Telangana's handloom workers, who had successfully brought the state's art to a global audience, 'are a source of pride for all of us'. To further promote this progress, Prime Minister Modi was encouraging weavers, he said. The Secunderabad MP mentioned that the Centre proposed creating seven world-class PM-MITRA parks (PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) across the country and the one allocated to Telangana would significantly benefit the region. The Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal was expected to attract investments exceeding Rs 10,000 crore and create employment opportunities for 2 lakh people, directly and indirectly. Moreover, due to Modi's initiatives, 100 electronic jacquards had been distributed in Telangana, and 31 handloom producer companies had been established, Kishan Reddy stated. The government was quickly implementing programs to revive the production of Himru fabric, Pithambari sarees, and Armoor silk sarees. Clusters in Siddipet, Kamalapur, Dubbaka, and Warangal were being developed, and as part of the Samarth Skill Training Program, over 900 weavers had received training. 'We are providing assistance for adopting modern weaving methods. 'We have provided Mudra loans of Rs 70 crore to establish handlooms and support weavers. Modi is dedicated to advancing the handloom sector in every possible way,' the Minister said. Kishan Reddy urged everyone to support the handloom sector and promote handloom products. 'Only then will our culture receive the recognition it deserves, and our weavers will feel motivated to foster the pride of our nation,' he remarked.
