India soybean meal exports fell 11% to 20.23 lakh tonnes as high domestic prices reduced international demand.
India's soybean meal exports declined 11% to 20.23 lakh tonnes in the oil marketing year 2024-25, driven by comparatively high Indian prices that reduced international demand; Germany, France, Nepal, Bangladesh and Kenya together received about 55% of shipments.

Tiruppur textile hub hailed as symbol of entrepreneurship; vice president says exports will double and urges youth to persevere.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan characterised Tiruppur as a symbol of entrepreneurship, forecast that the textile hub's exports will double, urged youngsters to pursue goals with focus and consistent effort, and noted the role of teachers; during a brief visit he attended temple prayers and a felicitation at CODISSIA where he received a Guard of Honour and his office shared the event on social media.

HPCL-Mittal Energy halts Russian crude purchases pending sanctions compliance and enhanced shipping due diligence and policy review.
HPCL-Mittal Energy suspended purchases of Russian crude after new Western restrictions, stating past purchases were on a delivered-at-port basis with suppliers arranging shipping and that vessels delivering to India were not on OFAC sanction lists at delivery; the company affirmed compliance with law and government policy and described due diligence measures including KYC, sanctions screening, vessel history and prior port-clearance while noting limited visibility over prior carriage and transshipment practices.

India-EU free trade talks continue on steel, autos and carbon border adjustment aiming to resolve tariff and regulatory barriers by end-2025.
Negotiations between India and the EU on a proposed free trade agreement will continue with focused discussions on sensitive areas-steel, automobiles, the carbon border adjustment mechanism and deforestation-related regulations. India has sought preferential treatment for labour-intensive sectors and redress for both tariff and non tariff barriers, while both sides aim to finalise non sensitive industrial tariff lines, intensify technical engagement, and conclude the negotiations by the end of 2025.

India EU Free Trade Agreement aims for year end completion to deepen trade, tech ties and strategic cooperation.
India and the European Union aim to finalise a balanced, mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement by year-end to deepen trade, investment and technology ties; parliamentary engagement and ratification by bodies such as the European Parliament's trade committee are central procedural components. The FTA is framed alongside a proposed Security and Defence Partnership and broader cooperation on innovation, climate, connectivity, mobility and global governance as key deliverables of the new EU India Strategic Agenda.

India's software policy and procurement shifts are creating opportunities for local firms to scale through government adoption and data localization.
Preferential procurement and data localization policies are creating regulatory and commercial advantages for indigenous software providers by positioning government adoption as a launch pad that provides scale, operational validation, and reduced market risk. Local firms' proximity to regional compliance, language and connectivity needs, together with shifts away from pure offshoring, support a transition to innovation led growth through IP, platforms and R&D investment. Scaling, governance, partnerships and trust building are essential for converting policy preference into sustained market leadership.

FTA duty elimination on most exports to UK to boost Rajasthan exporters' competitiveness and market access.
The Free Trade Agreement between India and the United Kingdom reduces duties to zero on 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UK, creating tariff-driven improvements in competitiveness and market access. The operative effect is near-total tariff elimination, which is expected to benefit duty-sensitive sectors-particularly gems and jewellery, handicrafts, textiles, engineering goods, renewable energy equipment and IT services-by improving price parity, facilitating sample marketing abroad, and prompting exporters to adjust strategies to capture expanded UK market opportunities.

India-EU FTA talks target conclusion by end of 2025, focusing on tariffs, non tariff measures and sensitive sectors.
Negotiations target concluding an India EU Free Trade Agreement by end 2025 with a focus on balanced treatment of tariffs and non tariff barriers, preferential treatment for labour intensive sectors, and finalising non sensitive industrial tariff lines; high sensitivity issues such as steel, autos, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and new EU regulations will require further discussion, with continued technical engagement including an EU team visit to India to pursue identified solutions.

US-South Korea talks stall over a USD 350 billion investment demand, loan guarantees, swap lines, tariffs and visa tensions.
Negotiations stalled over a U.S. demand for USD 350 billion in direct investment from South Korea, with Seoul preferring loans, loan guarantees and a currency swap line to avoid destabilising cash outflows; disputes remain on investment structure, formats and profit distribution, and tensions over U.S. immigration enforcement and an automobile tariff disparity complicate prospects for a final agreement.

Trump-Xi meeting to negotiate TikTok divestiture, rare earth export controls, semiconductor export restrictions, and fentanyl linked trade measures.
The leaders will negotiate strategic bilateral economic and security issues including formalising a sale of a Chinese social media asset to designated US firms, resuming or pausing China's rare earths export controls, and Beijing's request to lift semiconductor export restrictions affecting AI development; talks may tie tariff adjustments and cooperation on chemicals linked to fentanyl flows to reciprocal concessions and implementation terms.

India-US hydrocarbons trade, AI cooperation, and strengthened counter-terrorism ties highlighted amid near-concluding trade negotiations.
Discussions centered on advancing a proposed bilateral trade agreement emphasizing increased hydrocarbons trade, with five negotiation rounds completed and the deal described as very near, alongside caution against rushed concessions amid tariff disputes. The talks also addressed cooperation on societal applications of Artificial Intelligence and strengthening counter-terrorism collaboration to address regional security and cross-border terrorism.

Ador Powertron launches a 30kW indigenously built EV charger converter supporting mandatory localisation and modular fast charging.
Ador Powertron launched a domestically designed 30kW AC DC converter module for DC fast chargers (Yonder), ARAI tested to IEC 61851 21 2 / IS 17017 21 2, with 96% peak efficiency, ~0.99 power factor, forced air cooling, stackable architecture, and a dedicated manufacturing line with annual capacity up to 100,000 units. The product is promoted to substitute an import dependent sub assembly, support Make in India tender thresholds, and align with the government's move to mandatory localisation of converters in DC fast chargers by end 2025.

Free trade agreement talks progress on tariffs, with technical visits planned to finalize tariff and market access details.
Negotiations between India and the European Union on a proposed free trade agreement have advanced on tariff issues and will continue via an EU director's visit to New Delhi to conclude technical tariff talks. The talks address a broad set of chapters including trade in goods, services and investment, rules of origin, customs and trade facilitation, dispute settlement, intellectual property rights, and geographical indications, with both sides pursuing tariff reductions, sectoral market access and non tariff facilitation measures to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

Currency depreciation pressures persist as weak equities, fund outflows, and import demand weigh on the rupee amid policy uncertainty.
The rupee depreciated against the US dollar amid weak domestic equities and foreign fund outflows, with month-end importer dollar demand and caution ahead of a US monetary policy decision weighing on the currency. Softer crude prices and a weaker dollar cushioned losses, while optimism over a bilateral trade deal could support the rupee; elevated US-origin crude imports reflect supply diversification that may affect import-driven dollar demand.

India has sufficient crude supply options; companies decide imports subject to legal restrictions and sanctions compliance.
India has adequate access to global crude supplies with consumption rising to about six million barrels per day; its expanding refining capacity supports exports and offsets projected global refinery closures. Companies, not the government, decide crude purchases subject to legal restrictions, and recent sanctions on Russian suppliers underscore the need for sanctions compliance; India has also met 10% ethanol blending ahead of schedule, supporting energy expansion for economic growth.

Ukraine's strikes and Western sanctions aim to reduce Russia's oil export revenues and scale Ukrainian weapon production.
The article reports a claimed 20% reduction in Russia's refining capacity from Ukrainian long-range strikes and emphasizes Ukraine's need for foreign financing to scale production and training for those weapons; it also describes new US and EU sanctions targeting Russian oil companies intended to reduce hydrocarbon export earnings and notes efforts to secure import reductions by major buyer states.

Rupee weakens to 88.27 amid equity weakness, foreign outflows and caution ahead of US Fed decision; US crude imports rise.
The rupee depreciated to 88.27 per US dollar amid weak domestic equities and foreign fund outflows, with month-end importer dollar demand and caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve decision cited as drivers; spot USDINR was expected to trade in a 87.90-88.60 range. Concurrent indicators included a lower dollar index, falling Brent crude futures, declines in benchmark equity indices, FII net selling, and materially increased crude oil imports from the United States as part of supply diversification efforts.

Export oriented unit status enabling cold chain backed agri exports and farmer linked sustainable supply chains to Gulf markets.
Europa Group is an integrated agribusiness focused on cold-chain storage and export-oriented food processing. Its Mansurganj cold storage facility and a potato processing plant operate to reduce post-harvest losses and produce export-quality goods; the processing plant functions as an Export Oriented Unit supported by external financing. The Group combines storage, processing and logistics, uses strategic partnerships for operational and market networking support, and emphasises sustainability and direct farmer contracting to sustain export supply chains.

Asian markets mixed as Trump's regional visits and a potential US-China trade agreement create cautious investor sentiment.
Markets were mixed as investors awaited President Trump's regional meetings and a potential US-China trade agreement; expectations of a near-term US interest-rate cut and upcoming major corporate earnings supported equities and tempered Treasury yields, while diplomatic and trade developments created cautious, watchful conditions across Asian equities, currencies and commodities.

APEC summit focuses on a joint declaration, US-Korea investment disputes, trilateral cooperation uncertainty, and North Korea contingency planning.
Seoul is pursuing adoption of a joint declaration at APEC and mediating US-China trade differences to preserve multilateral trade commitments. Parallel negotiations with the US over a USD 350 billion investment package remain unresolved due to dispute over direct cash payments, affecting tariff avoidance. Trilateral cooperation with Japan and the US is uncertain given political changes in Tokyo and US trade policy, while Seoul maintains contingency plans for potential US-North Korea re-engagement and seeks to strengthen economic ties with China under a pragmatic diplomacy approach.