News18 Evening Digest: Key Talking Points Of PM Modi's UK Visit & Other Top Stories
We are also covering: Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation as VP, Andy Byron's kiss scam scandal, and Ahaan Panday's alleged girlfriend.
In today's evening digest, News18 brings you the latest update on key talking points during PM Modi's UK visit, Sharad Pawar's praise for Fadnavis, & other top stories.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his fourth visit to the UK, India-UK ties will see new energy, with the finalisation of the much-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Read more
'How Does He Not Get Tired': Sharad Pawar Praises Fadnavis In Book Released On CM's Birthday
In a coffee book released in honour of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's 55th birthday, NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar is all praise for the BJP leader. Read more
Jagdeep Dhankhar, The Governor Who Refused To Be 'Rubber Stamp', The VP Who Shook Power Corridors
In the summer of 2019, when Jagdeep Dhankhar walked into the stately corridors of Kolkata's Raj Bhavan, probably a few expected that the newly appointed Governor would soon become the principal political antagonist of the state government. Read more
Ahaan Panday Dating Model Shruti Chauhan? Here's The Truth About Saiyaara Actor's Girlfriend
Ananya Panday's cousin, Ahaan Panday, is enjoying the success of his Bollywood debut, Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri. Read more
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India.com
10 minutes ago
- India.com
Green Diplomacy: Modi And King Charles Plant Legacy At Sandringham – One Tree, Two Nations, Countless Mothers
Sandringham (United Kingdom): Fresh from signing a historic trade deal with his U.K. counterpart Keir Starmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Charles III at Sandringham House and handed him a gift – which was not a gold ornament or an official scroll, but a young tree sapling. Its roots held more than soil; they carried the sentiment of a son honouring his mother and a nation honouring its planet. The sapling is a living emblem of India's new green movement, ' Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ', launched by PM Modi earlier this year. It calls upon citizens to plant a tree in their mother's name, turning an act of memory into one of healing. Long known for his commitment to the environment, King Charles embraced the gesture wholeheartedly. 'His Majesty King Charles III is very passionate about nature, environment and sustainable living. His joining the ' Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ' movement is very noteworthy and will inspire people around the world,' Prime Minister Modi posted on X after the meeting. Had a very good meeting with His Majesty King Charles III. We discussed different aspects of India-UK relations, including the ground covered in trade and investment in the wake of CETA and Vision 2035. Other subjects of discussion included education, health and wellness,… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 His Majesty King Charles III is very passionate about nature, environment and sustainable living. Thus, his joining the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (a tree for Mother) movement is very noteworthy and will inspire people around the world. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 The meeting between the two leaders took place at the King's country residence in Norfolk, just hours after Modi and Starmer signed the first-ever comprehensive India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement, a landmark deal expected to redefine economic relations between the two countries. At Sandringham, the mood was gentler, warmer and more personal. A Moment of Connection During their time together, King Charles received the sapling graciously and acknowledged its symbolism. The British Royal Family confirmed the meeting and the gift in a social media post on X, 'This afternoon, The King received the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, @NarendraModi, at Sandringham House. During their time together, His Majesty was given a tree to be planted this Autumn, inspired by the environmental initiative launched by the Prime Minister, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers.' This afternoon, The King received the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, @NarendraModi, at Sandringham House. During their time together, His Majesty was given a tree to be planted this Autumn, inspired by the environmental initiative launched by the Prime Minister, 'Ek… — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 24, 2025 This was not just a photo-op. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders discussed wellness, sustainability and cultural traditions that span centuries. They touched upon subjects close to both their hearts – the wisdom of Ayurveda, the practice of Yoga and the need to restore ecological balance. Prime Minister Modi expressed his happiness at King Charles' return to royal duties and good health. In a world reeling from climate warnings and carbon deadlines, their shared love for nature made for a comforting counter-narrative, a reminder that royal titles and elected offices mean little without clean air, green earth and personal gestures. Trade, Tradition and a Tree in the Ground As the leaders spoke, they also highlighted the new chapter opening between their countries. The just-signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) featured prominently in their discussion. It is the first full-scale trade agreement India has ever signed with a G7 nation. For the United Kingdom, it is the biggest since Brexit. It lays the groundwork for a doubling of bilateral trade by 2030 and carries significance for both economies. Modi informed the King about the vision behind the ' Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ' campaign and how it ties into India's broader climate commitments. He also outlined India's progress in renewable energy and its long-term vision for sustainability. They spoke of joint efforts to address climate change, with India's rapidly evolving green infrastructure and the U.K.'s technological edge forming a natural alignment. The King, who has championed sustainability and environmental justice since his days as the Prince of Wales, found common cause with the Indian PM on many of these fronts. They also spoke about cooperation within the Commonwealth, a shared legacy that continues to evolve. Both leaders expressed hope that the partnership between India and the United Kingdom would inspire collaboration across sectors such as cultural, educational, environmental and economic. One Sapling, Two Histories and a Global Message As the meeting drew to a close, the tree sapling was placed gently into the King's care. It will be planted later this year on the expansive grounds of Sandringham House, its leaves destined to unfurl under an English sky. With it, India's message to honour mothers through action and the earth through memory finds a home in British soil. PM Modi extended his thanks to King Charles for the hospitality and invited him to visit India on a future State Visit. The King's acceptance of the sapling was not merely a royal courtesy, but a commitment, a nod to shared priorities and perhaps, to a friendship that reaches beyond policy into something far more timeless. As world leaders weigh climate targets and trade metrics, the sight of two seasoned statesmen speaking softly about saplings and mothers reminds us that diplomacy, too, begins in the soil.
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Business Standard
10 minutes ago
- Business Standard
FTA with UK adds strength to India's hand in other deals: Sunil Mittal
Soon after India and the United Kingdom (UK) signed the free trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday, industry leaders cheered the move. Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Enterprises and co-chair of the India-UK CEO Forum, and Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), who were in Chequers (near London) for the FTA signing as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's entourage, spoke to Nivedita Mookerji on the various aspects of the deal. Edited excerpts from a Zoom conversation: Who's the biggest winner in this FTA? Sunil Bharti Mittal (SBM): It's a win win for both sides with a balanced outcome after a very long and hard negotiation…. I think you will now see a lot of British companies getting much more confident about investing in India, working in India, setting up their bases in our country. The Prime Minister spoke today of taking the bilateral trade from $56 billion to $112 billion in five years—It's an ambitious target, but achievable, given the way this FTA has been set up. So I would say it's hard for FTAs to be agreed. Your 'asks' and their 'gives', their 'asks' and our 'gives'--there's always a resistance on both sides…. But over here, you don't see any major resistance, finally, because both have come to an agreement which is balanced. Chandrajit Banerjee (CB): There are many sectors from the Indian side which will benefit. From both manufacturing as well as services. But if you see some of the critical sectors, like textiles and apparels, that opens up a huge market. In the pharma sector also, we are getting huge opportunities. The small and the mid size companies across the engineering area as well as auto components will also gain. Plus, the labour intensive sectors like leather and footwear will benefit due to the increased access to the UK market. Will there be a ripple effect of the UK agreement on the US deal that is in the works? SBM: I think closing of this deal is important for India. It does add strength to India's hand. But the US is altogether different. It's the largest market in the world,… It's good to have this one out of the way. Now you will have one less trade deal to work on and the negotiators will be able to concentrate more on the next one. The one with the EU is expected to be done in the next few weeks or months. As for the US, some interim deal should be done. It's easy for you and I to discuss it here, but there are new developments in the US on a daily basis. CB: In some ways, the UK FTA is a signal to the world that India has been entering into large number of trade agreements with different countries, both in the eastern hemisphere and now in the western hemisphere, and the Indian industry is competitive. It also shows that India provides not just opportunities to companies to come and participate in the Indian economy in terms of investments, but our companies themselves are investing strongly in other economies…. So, this is indicative of balance of power. Mr Mittal, there's a full chapter on telecom in the deal. Any significance? SBM: Well, I'm delighted to see that chapter, as you can imagine. Both countries will be having open doors for telecom in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI). As you know, Vodafone had 100 per cent in India…. What the FTA will do is to take the agreed position to a hard wired position. Do you think this deal will help in the making of global brands? Hasn't that been a gap for the Indian industry? SBM: I would say yes…. You have to have large corporations first, and then you go global. That's been the norm world over. And the western world has had that privilege for decades, because they became rich much before us. I think India is on that path now, and you will start to see Indian MNCs emerging on the global stage. Tatas have already been there with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and others. I think we can count ourselves (Airtel) as that. There are a few other companies which are on that path to some extent--Godrej, Mahindras, for example. For your group, what does this deal mean? SBM: It validates what we've been doing for so many years in sectors such as telecom, real estate and hospitality. We also have the satellite deal—OneWeb--with the British government. So this just strengthens our hand to do more between the two countries. Perhaps, we can pick up some technologies here that we can take back to India and use the technology back home in the Indian market, which is much bigger. We remain agile. We are looking at opportunities. But today, I stand in front of you as the co-chair of the Indian business leaders' delegation, the CEO forum, and my job is to work on the larger piece. In this capacity, I have to see that Indian industry and the British business leadership can combine their minds to take our trade to the level that has been set by the two partners. What are your thoughts on utilisation of trade deals? In many cases, we've seen that we are not able to utilise the deals that are signed. How can the industry help? SBM: This is a rare opportunity where both sides can gain from combining strengths of each other. There's high degree of complementarity between the two nations. And that really makes a very strong, powerful platform, or a bridge, if I may say, between the two countries. You're right that not all trade deals result in tremendous amount of uptick in trade and services or investment. I think this is different. In this case, I feel in the first year itself, as soon as this treaty is ratified, we will see the direction of trade going up in the upwards trajectory. CB: This trade agreement is designed to work for both countries, be it for bilateral investment or bilateral trade. Whether it's small or mid-sized companies, technology, education or anything else, we (India-UK business forum) can form different groups and see to it that we are able to identify the enablers. So there should be possibilities of constructive ways of working towards taking advantage of this trade agreement. Is there anything in this FTA that you think could have been done better? Any gaps? SBM: Well, there's always something that one feels could have been better. Some parts of the industry may feel that certain things could have been better handled. But by and large, I don't think there is any reason to complain. There may be somebody unhappy out there, but, you know, in a trade deal of this nature, it is rare to get to a win win situation like the one we are seeing in this one. What is the overall mood of the industry? SBM: Very good. Industry is very upbeat. CB: I think what we have seen is an amazing partnership between the government and the industry. I think that collaborative framework is going to be a key factor as we move ahead, when industry is taken along and consulted. That collaboration should work to see that FTAs are working in a win win way.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Can't let extremists exploit democracy, Modi tells UK PM Starmer; raises the issue of Khalistanis
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday raised with his UK counterpart Keir Starmer, the issue of Khalistani extremists urging him to act against "extremist ideology" that "misuse democratic freedoms to undermine democracy".Speaking in London after the landmark FTA was signed, Modi said, "We express gratitude to PM Starmer and his Government for strongly condemning the Pahalgam terror attack . We are united in the belief that there is no place for double standards in the fight against terrorism.""We also agree that elements with extremist ideology can't be allowed to misuse democratic freedom. Those who misuse democratic freedoms to undermine democracy itself, must be held to account," the PM pointed out in reference to Khalistani extremists operating out of UK extradition from the UK, Modi said, "Regarding the extradition of economic offenders, our agencies will work with coordination and cooperation."New Delhi is continuing to "make the case" for the extradition of fugitives Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya from the UK as part of ongoing efforts to secure their return to face legal action in and Starmer endorsed the new ' India-UK Vision 2035 ' roadmap that reaffirms their shared commitment to unlocking the full potential of a revitalised of this vision document will be reviewed annually by India's external affairs minister and UK's foreign secretary. The focused ministerial mechanisms will address cross sectoral issues including technology, trade, investment, and financial sector part of the plan, the two sides decided to promote strategic and defence industry collaboration through the adoption of a 10-year defence industrial roadmap and a joint mechanism at senior-official level to monitor its implementation and also decided to deepen collaboration in advanced technologies and complex weapons.
