INDIA CHINA Connect

India has transitioned from a closed economy to a global consumer powerhouse since its 1990s liberalization.

Indian student enrolment in the US fell 28% year-on-year in March 2025 due to visa uncertainties, rising costs, and the potential termination of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.

India and Italy are enhancing their partnership in innovation, AI, defence, supercomputing, and space technology, as highlighted at the Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum in New Delhi.

India’s consumer and retail sector achieved its highest deal activity in three years during Q1 2025, with 139 deals worth $3.8 billion—a 65% rise in volume and 29% in value, according to a Grant Thornton Bharat report.

China has expressed willingness to address India’s $100 billion trade deficit by increasing imports of Indian goods and easing trade barriers.

India’s trade deficit with China hit $99.2 billion in 2024/25, driven by surging imports of electronics, solar cells, and batteries. Exports to China dropped by 14.5%, highlighting an imbalance.

At just 14, Siddharth Nandyala, a Dallas-based Indian-origin prodigy, created Circadian AI, an app detecting heart conditions in seven seconds using smartphone-recorded heart sounds.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted progress in India-China relations at the CNN-News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025, noting improved ties through disengagement in key border areas and addressing post-COVID disruptions.

Tommy Hilfiger celebrates 40 years of redefining fashion, acknowledging India’s key role in its journey.

The Golconda Blue, a 23.24-carat vivid blue diamond with origins in India’s historic Golconda mines, is set to debut at Christie’s Geneva auction on May 14, valued at $35–$50 million.