The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is driving transformative growth in the food processing sector by offering substantial grants and incentives through its central schemes. These initiatives, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI), and the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, aim to support businesses, promote entrepreneurship, and strengthen infrastructure in the sector.

India and Kuwait on Sunday elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Kuwaiti leadership focused on a roadmap to expand cooperation in areas such as defence, energy, trade, investment and technology.

India and Indonesia have strengthened their economic partnership, with bilateral trade touching US$29.4 billion in FY2023-24. Indonesia is India’s eighth-largest trading partner, while India ranks as the second-largest buyer of Indonesian coal and crude palm oil. According to a Rubix Data Sciences report, this underscores the strategic importance of the relationship.

The specifications in corn seeds are set for a change as government is planning to incorporate 'ethanol content' when approval is sought to motivate farmers to opt for best varieties which can fetch better prices. Simultaneously, research is on to develop varieties having at least 40 per cent or above ethanol content from current 38 per cent.

India has flagged barriers being faced by domestic industry in the European Union (EU) markets and urged to address the issue, an official statement said on Friday. The issue besides the progress of proposed free trade agreement between the two was discussed during the meeting of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic last night virtually.

The bilateral trade between India and Indonesia reached USD 29.4 billion in FY2023-24, with Indonesia ranking as India’s eighth largest trading partner. India is Indonesia’s second-largest buyer of coal and crude palm oil, highlighting the strategic importance of this partnership, according to a report by Rubix Data Sciences.

Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal held a video conference with Mr Maroš Šefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency last night. This conference—the first introductory meeting between the two leaders after the assumption of the charge of the new European Commission of the European Union(EU) —was convened to discuss India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, High Level Dialogue, India-EU Trade and Technology Council, other high level engagements & trade and investment issues. The meeting was attended by senior officials from both the sides.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti highlighted the potential of the US-India partnership, emphasising the need to lower tariffs and to increase trade and make it more fair and equal.

Demands of certain developed countries from India to negotiate 'investment protection' elements under an FTA is inappropriate as negotiating the matter as part of a separate chapter under the trade pact could have larger and detrimental implications, source said. Legally speaking, they said, the investment protection element provides a wide range of obligations and commitments bestowed upon foreign investors, which are expansive in nature.