INDIA CHINA Connect

India attracted $51 billion in foreign direct investment over six months, signalling strong global investor confidence. FDI rose 17% year-on-year to $26.61 billion in April–June 2025. The government is steering capital toward manufacturing, R&D and technology-intensive sectors, supporting deep-tech startups focused on commercialising advanced research.

India’s textile sector crossed ₹60,000 crore in investments in 2025, with momentum expected to continue in 2026. PM MITRA and PLI schemes are driving capacity, exports and jobs. PM MITRA Parks attracted over ₹14,000 crore and 38,000 potential jobs, alongside rising foreign investment and a sustainability-focused shift to advanced textile technologies.

The initiative revives India’s 2,000-year-old stitched-shipbuilding tradition, retracing historic India–West Asia trade routes without engine power. Inspired by Ajanta cave art and built through Navy–Culture Ministry collaboration, it showcases indigenous craftsmanship and maritime symbolism. The project strengthens India–Oman cultural ties and promotes heritage-led, eco-friendly maritime cooperation.

PM Modi described the Somnath Temple as a symbol of India’s enduring faith, resilience and civilisational continuity. He recalled ancestral sacrifices to protect it, saying repeated destruction failed to erase its spiritual identity. Modi alleged history was whitewashed by downplaying ideological attacks. Somnath Swabhiman Parv commemorates 1,000 years of devotion, resilience and national pride.

India recorded no negative agricultural income growth between 2015–16 and 2024–25, with average farm sector growth of 4.42%, surpassing China and global trends. Farmers’ incomes more than doubled, outpacing manufacturing. Agriculture remained resilient during Covid and climate shocks, underpinning “Viksit Bharat 2047” through jobs, diversification and rising productivity.

Trump’s welfare data triggered online backlash, even though India was not among high-usage countries. Evidence shows Indian-Americans have low welfare dependence, high incomes and strong workforce participation. Despite being only 1.5% of the U.S. population, they contribute 5–6% of tax revenues and play outsized roles in innovation, leadership and job creation.

China has expressed support for deeper BRICS cooperation ahead of India’s 2026 chairship. Beijing backed India’s push to reform global institutions such as the UN, IMF and WTO, signalled through a Chinese envoy’s repost of India’s BRICS launch. India plans to prioritise multilateral reform, economic cooperation, a stronger New Development Bank and expanded people-to-people exchanges.

The first gallery of Delhi’s Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum will open by year-end in the North Block. Envisioned as the world’s largest museum, it will house 80,000–100,000 artefacts across repurposed North and South Blocks. Spanning 155,000 sqm, nearly 30 thematic galleries will trace 5,000 years of Indian civilisation, attracting an estimated 10 million visitors annually.

India’s exports to China rose 33% to $12.22 billion during April–November, the highest in four years. Amid high US tariffs, exporters are diversifying markets. Growth spans electronics, agriculture, marine products and base metals, signalling a structural shift. India is also considering easing 2020 curbs on Chinese firms, which could further strengthen bilateral trade.

India is cautiously considering a phased reopening of economic engagement with China, tied to reciprocal steps. Global trade uncertainty and possible US tariff pressures frame the talks. New Delhi prefers selective, incremental easing over sweeping changes. Visa and travel rules are already relaxed, investment restrictions reviewed, while Press Note 3 remains pivotal, with any revisions carefully negotiated going forward nationally.

The World Bank raised India’s FY27 growth forecast to 6.5%, citing strong domestic demand and resilient exports, keeping India the fastest-growing major economy despite higher U.S. tariffs. It said easing trade tensions could lift exports and foreign investment. Technology and AI may boost productivity and jobs. FY28 growth is seen at 6.6%, with inflation near the RBI target levels expected.

Sergio Gor stresses that India–US relations remain resilient despite policy differences, supported by the personal rapport between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. Trade and tariff talks are difficult but ongoing. The US views India as its most critical strategic partner, with cooperation spanning trade, security, technology, and health, reinforcing a broad and durable bilateral partnership.

Lunar time runs faster than Earth time because of the Moon’s weaker gravity, creating navigation errors during long missions. Chinese scientists developed a highly precise lunar–Earth time model, accurate for centuries. Their LTE440 software simplifies time conversion, highlighting the growing need for a dedicated lunar clock as Moon exploration and activity expand.

India’s exports to Hong Kong rose by $955 million year-on-year to $4.97 billion during April–November FY26, driven by high-value goods. Cut and polished diamonds led growth, adding $477 million. Electronics, silver jewellery and processed stones also saw strong demand, strengthening supply chains and helping India diversify exports amid higher US tariffs.

Indian PhD students alleged discrimination after a 2023 incident over reheating Indian food on a US campus escalated into claims of systemic retaliation. The couple sued the University of Colorado Boulder for civil rights violations. A September 2025 settlement awarded $200,000 and Master’s degrees, highlighting cultural bias, food stigma, and inclusion gaps in academia.

India is home to the world’s largest wild tiger population, with about 3,682 tigers—nearly three-quarters of the global total—spread across 58 reserves and a wide range of ecosystems, reflecting strong habitat protection. Long-term conservation efforts, particularly under Project Tiger, have successfully reversed earlier declines, making India a critical stronghold for tigers as top predators and a key contributor to global tiger survival and ecological balance.