A bilateral meeting was held between Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India and Ministry of Industry and Minerals, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Indian side was led by Ms. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals.
The Indian side was led by Ms. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals. The Saudi delegation was led by H.E Eng. Khalil bin Ibrahim bin Salamah, Vice Minister of Industry and Minerals.
Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner, and India is Saudi Arabia’s second largest trade partner.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD 41.88 billion in 2024–25, with chemicals and petrochemicals contributing 10%, which is nearly USD 4.5 billion.
The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation, promoting investments, and exploring new areas of collaboration in the Chemicals and Petrochemicals sector.
The 16th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization – International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO–IRCH) is being held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 14th to 16th October 2025.
The meeting brings together representatives from WHO Member States and observer organisations to deliberate on the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks and to promote international cooperation in the areas of safety, quality, and efficacy of herbal medicines.
India is participating through a high-level delegation led by Dr. Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. The delegation also includes Dr. Raman Mohan Singh, Deputy Director General (I/c), Ayush, and Director, Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), and
Dr. Mahesh Dadhich, Chief Executive Officer, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB). Their active participation highlights India’s leadership in advancing regulatory harmonisation and integration of traditional medicine systems within global health frameworks.
A key highlight of the meeting was the release of the Proceedings of the WHO–IRCH Workshop on “Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines” (Working Group-1) and “Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines” (Working Group-3).
The workshop was organised by the World Health Organization and hosted by the Ministry of Ayush with support from PCIM&H, held from 6th to 8th August 2025 in Ghaziabad, India.
The three-day meeting in Jakarta reaffirms the collective commitment of WHO–IRCH member countries to ensure the safe, effective, and quality use of herbal medicines globally.
The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs began in Guwahati, Assam, on 13th October, highlighting India’s role in the global spice sector. Organised by the Spices Board under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the event brought together 81 delegates from 27 countries to discuss harmonised international standards for spices and culinary herbs.
Shri Acharya commended the joint efforts of the Government of India and the Spices Board in strengthening India’s spice value chain, aligning domestic standards with global benchmarks, and ensuring food safety and quality for consumers worldwide.
Established in 2013 at India’s initiative, the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs functions under the Codex Alimentarius Commission of the FAO and WHO, with India, through the Spices Board, serving as its Secretariat. So far, Codex has finalised standards for 16 spices, including pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, and saffron.
The ongoing session will focus on developing new standards for large cardamom, sweet marjoram, cinnamon, and dried coriander seeds.
The CCSCH session will continue through the week, with discussions focused on aligning global standards, enhancing transparency, and promoting sustainable trade practices in the international spice sector.
The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, is pleased to announce the resumption of all categories of international postal services to the United States of America (USA) with effect from 15 October 2025.
Postal services to the USA were earlier suspended through Office Memorandum dated 22 August 2025, following Executive Order 14324 issued by the U.S. Administration, which suspended the de minimis treatment for all postal shipments.
Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), a Miniratna Schedule ‘A’ PSU under the Department of Telecommunications, has received the HR Excellence Award at the Fortune Leadership Awards 2025, held on October 11 at Radisson Blu Plaza, Delhi. The award honors TCIL’s exemplary HR practices, employee development, innovation, and inclusivity.
From 2021 to 2025, TCIL implemented wide-ranging HR reforms to build a future-ready, empowered workforce, aligned with Mission Karmayogi. Key initiatives included a comprehensive HR policy, function-wise restructuring for accountability, merit-based promotions, timely DPCs, a performance-linked management system, reward mechanisms, and digitization through E-Office and ERP.
TCIL emphasized skill-building, with 58 executives earning global certifications in cybersecurity, networking, and auditing, enhancing delivery on high-value projects. These efforts have strengthened organizational performance and business growth.
By fostering inclusivity, transparency, and innovation, TCIL has created a people-first culture that supports national priorities like Digital India, Smart Cities, and BharatNet. Its HR strategy—integrating policy, technology, and talent—positions TCIL as a PSU role model advancing India’s digital transformation.
ABOUT TCIL - Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), a Government of India enterprise established in 1978, is a leading global telecom consultancy and engineering firm. TCIL provides end-to-end solutions in telecommunications, IT, and infrastructure, with over 500 projects executed across 100+ countries, playing a key role in India's digital growth etc.
Sanjeev Kumar- Chairman & Managing Director, TCIL.
Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri, as part of ongoing operational deployment to the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific made a port call at Busan Naval Harbour, South Korea, on 13 Oct 2025 to participate in the maiden Indian Navy (IN) – Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) Bilateral Exercise.
The RoKN extended a warm welcome underscoring the burgeoning Navy-to-Navy interactions and Strategic Partnership between the Governments of India and the Republic of Korea.
Indigenously designed, constructed, and commissioned in 2012, INS Sahyadri is the third ship of the Shivalik Class Guided Missile Stealth Frigates.
The ship is based at Visakhapatnam as part of the Eastern Fleet under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command.
As part of the harbour phase, IN and RoKN officials will engage in reciprocal cross deck visits, sharing of best practices, cross-training sessions, and sport fixtures. The Commanding Officer will call on senior RoKN officials and local dignitaries.
The harbour phase will be followed by sea phase, wherein, INS Sahyadri and ROKS Gyeongnam will undertake joint exercises.
The Navy-to-Navy interactions between India and South Korea have grown significantly in recent years, along with their strategic partnership.
The ongoing inaugural IN-RoKN bilateral exercise is the culmination of years of discussions and planning between the two navies.
INS Sahyadri's ongoing operational deployment to the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific, underscores India's stature as a responsible maritime stakeholder and Preferred Security Partner.
The Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education & Development (DTNBWED), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttar Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (UPBOCWWB),
to boost workforce capacity building under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme for construction workers.
Through this Government-to-Government partnership, DTNBWED will act as the Project Implementation Agency for Phase 1 RPL training, covering 1,00,000 registered workers across 7 districts of Uttar Pradesh and expanding to cover 2,00,000 workers,
in subsequent phases across the entire state. The structured 120-hour programme is designed to align workers’ skills with National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) standards, followed by assessment and certification.
This MoU reinforces the shared commitment of DTNBWED and UPBOCWWB to advancing the welfare of India's construction workforce by enhancing their employability and skill recognition. The collaboration is expected to be a milestone in promoting skill development and social security for unorganized sector workers in Uttar Pradesh.
The Ministry of Mines issued notification, classifying Limestone as a major mineral completely. Earlier limestone was classified as minor mineral as well as major mineral depending upon the end use. ‘Limestone used in kilns for manufacture of lime used as building material’ had been notified as minor mineral.
Otherwise, it was a major mineral when used for any other purpose like production of cement, chemicals, sugar, fertilizer, steel, etc.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of Cloud4C Services Pte. Ltd and Cloud4C Services Private Limited by Capgemini SE.
The Proposed Combination relates to the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Cloud4C Services Pte. Ltd (Target 1) and Cloud4C Services Private Limited,
(“Target 2”, and along with Target 1 as “Targets”) by Capgemini SE (Acquirer).
The Acquirer, Capgemini SE, is the ultimate parent entity of the Capgemini group (“Capgemini Group” / “Acquirer Group”). It is a listed company, and its shares are traded on Euronext, Paris.
The Targets are a hybrid cloud managed services provider. The Target group is headquartered in Singapore and conducts most of its operations from India where most of its employees are located.
The Acquirer and the Targets are engaged in the provision of Information Technology (“IT”) / Information Technology enabled Services (“ITeS”) in India.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited by Vedanta Limited.
The Proposed Combination envisages acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) by Vedanta Limited (Acquirer) pursuant to a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
Vedanta is incorporated in India and is a public company listed on the BSE Limited (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE). Vedanta is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited. It is a natural resources, critical minerals, energy and technology company.
JAL is an infrastructure and industrial company engaged in diverse business activities including real estate, cement, hospitality, engineering, procurement, and construction contracting. In addition, certain group companies of JAL are also engaged in power, fertilizer, sports and aviation segments.JAL is currently undergoing a CIRP under the IBC.
The government has extended the tenure of the 16th Finance Commission by one month till November 30.
The 16th Finance Commission was constituted by the government on December 31, 2023, with former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya as its Chairman. The report by the panel was due by October 31.
The Commission will mainly make recommendations on the distribution of taxes between the Centre and states for a 5-year period starting April 1, 2026.
The Finance Ministry, in a notification dated October 10, said that the date for submission of the 16th Finance Commission report is being extended till November 30.
The Commission has four members and is assisted by Secretary Ritvik Pandey, two joint secretaries and one economic advisor.
Retired bureaucrat Annie George Mathew and economist Manoj Panda are full-time members of the Commission, while SBI Group Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh and RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar are part-time members.
Besides suggesting tax devolution between the Centre and states, and revenue augmentation measures, the commission would review the present arrangements for financing disaster management initiatives with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The erstwhile 15th Finance Commission, under NK Singh, had recommended that states be given 41 per cent of the divisible tax pool of the Centre during the five-year period, i.e., 2021-22 to 2025-26, which is at the same level as was recommended by the 14th Finance Commission under YV Reddy.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday raised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2025-26 (FY26) by 20 basis points (bps) to 6.6 per cent, citing a “strong first quarter” that more than offset the impact of the US rate hike, in its latest World Economic Outlook report.
The IMF also revised the growth forecast for 2026-27 (FY27) upwards by 20 bps to 6.2 per cent.
Last week, the World Bank increased India’s FY26 GDP forecast to 6.5 per cent from 6.3 per cent in June, while lowering the FY27 forecast by 20 bps to 6.3 per cent, citing higher-than-expected tariffs on India’s exports to the US.
The World Bank added that India is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy, supported by continued strength in consumption growth.
The Economic Survey has projected India’s GDP growth at between 6.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent for FY26.
In July, the IMF had raised India’s growth projection by 20 bps to 6.4 per cent, citing reform momentum, robust consumption growth, and a push for public investment.
The global growth projection for 2025 has been revised upwards by 20 bps to 3.2 per cent, while the forecast for 2026 remains unchanged at 3.1 per cent.
International Day of Rural Women was implemented by the United Nations General Assembly, and is celebrated every year on October 15, with the aim of highlighting the role and situation of women in rural areas.
Under the theme “The Rise of Rural Women: Building Resilient Futures with Beijing+30,”
this International Day promoted by UN Women seeks to shed light on the inequalities they still face; advocate for their recognition and participation in decision-making; demand stronger social protection systems; and reduce the digital divide.
