Author: News Desk

To strengthen the country’s economic foundation and reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to limit the use of four major imported items: crude oil, gold, vegetable oils, and fertilisers. This appeal comes after data showed that India spent $240.7 billion (over ₹20 lakh crore) on importing these four items alone in the financial year 2025–26. This accounts for about 31% of the country’s total import bill. The largest share of this spending goes to crude oil, which alone costs $134.7 billion. Rising global oil prices, driven by conflicts in West Asia, are putting…

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are increasingly facing banking access problems linked to Indian mobile numbers used abroad, especially for receiving OTPs required for net banking, UPI, and financial transactions. Many Indian banks continue to rely heavily on OTP-based authentication systems tied to Indian SIM cards. However, NRIs living overseas often face delayed message delivery, roaming issues, or even SIM deactivation due to prolonged inactivity. This can temporarily block access to bank accounts and digital payment services. Experts advise NRIs to keep their Indian SIM active through periodic recharge plans and regular usage while enabling international roaming before leaving India. Linking email-based…

India has reportedly received support from six Muslim-majority nations amid ongoing regional and geopolitical tensions, marking a notable moment in the country’s diplomatic outreach across the Islamic world. According to reports, countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain have shown varying degrees of support or cooperation with India on issues linked to regional security and diplomatic engagement. The development reflects India’s steadily strengthening ties with West Asian nations over the past decade through trade, energy cooperation, infrastructure partnerships, defence engagement, and people-to-people connections. Experts say India’s balanced foreign policy and growing economic importance have…

Ram Shriram, the Silicon Valley investor best known for writing Google’s first cheque during the company’s early days, is now playing a key role in India’s fast-growing private space sector. His investment firm, Sherpalo Ventures, recently co-led a $60 million funding round in Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, helping the company become India’s first space-tech unicorn. The latest funding round has pushed Skyroot Aerospace’s valuation to around $1.1 billion, marking a historic milestone for India’s private space industry. Investors in the round included Sherpalo Ventures, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, BlackRock-backed funds, and several Indian investors. Founded in 2018 by former ISRO…

Thailand is stepping up its appeal to long-term visitors with a new visa designed for today’s flexible, work-from-anywhere lifestyle. Known as the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), it is being positioned as a five-year multiple-entry option for people who want to stay longer than a typical tourist trip. A Long-Term Visa Built for Modern Travel The DTV allows eligible foreigners to stay in Thailand for up to five years, with each visit permitting a stay of up to 180 days. That stay can be extended once, meaning visitors could remain in the country for nearly a year at a stretch. Since…

While the world marvels at the luxury archipelagos of Dubai or the massive land reclamation projects in China, the true record-holder for the world’s largest man-made island is located in the heart of Europe. The Flevopolder, situated in the Netherlands, is a staggering 970 square kilometer landmass that holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest artificial island created by land reclamation. What makes Flevopolder unique is that it is a “polder”, a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea and protected by dikes. Entirely surrounded by the freshwater lakes of IJsselmeer, Markermeer, and various border lakes, it…

India has begun working on a new policy push to strengthen its shipbuilding ecosystem by focusing not just on shipyards, but also on the domestic manufacturing of critical components and parts, according to sources. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is preparing a promotional scheme aimed at building a strong supplier base for the industry. The idea is to reduce dependence on imports and create a complete local ecosystem for ship construction as India moves toward its goal of becoming one of the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. Officials said the plan will likely include capital expenditure support…

A broader energy crunch linked to disruptions from the Iran conflict has led to long queues for cooking gas cylinders across parts of India. While supply pressures and panic buying have affected access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), some rural households are turning to alternative fuels. In Uttar Pradesh’s Nekpur village, about 90 kilometres from New Delhi, 25-year-old Gauri Devi relies on biogas generated from cow dung to cook daily meals. Using a simple household setup, she feeds dung mixed with water into an underground digester that produces methane for cooking. “It cooks everything,” she said, adding that even when…

Wing Commander Vijayalakshmi Ramanan holds a historic place in India’s military history as the first woman to be commissioned into the Indian Air Force. She began her journey in 1955 through the Army Medical Corps and was later seconded to the IAF, marking a groundbreaking moment for women in the armed forces. A trained doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, she served in multiple Air Force hospitals across the country. Over a distinguished career spanning more than two decades, she rose through the ranks to become a Wing Commander before retiring in 1979. What makes her legacy even more remarkable…

Courtyard by Marriott has announced the launch of its new property, Courtyard by Marriott Kochi Infopark, located in Kakkanad within Kochi’s Infopark IT corridor. The hotel is positioned as a convenient stay option for both business and leisure travellers visiting the city’s growing commercial and technology hub. Speaking on the expansion, Marriott International highlighted that the property aligns with its focus on strengthening presence in fast-growing business districts across India. The company noted that Kochi Infopark continues to emerge as a major commercial centre, creating demand for modern, efficient, and comfortable hospitality options. The hotel is operated in partnership with…