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India's semiconductor prowess Chips run the world. As the world’s fourth most-traded product after crude oil, refined oil, and cars, their shortage since late 2020 has sent waves of geopolitical and technological distress the world over. The global semiconductor market is racing towards USD 1 trillion  by 2030, growing at 9% annually. Asia Pacific leads the domain, fuelling more than 50% of the global product sales, followed by North America and Europe. Different nations play varied roles in fulfilling the supply of semiconductor chips. The US leads  in electronic design automation (EDA), chip design, core intellectual property, and advanced manufacturing equipment. East Asia is the market leader in wafer fabrication, supported by government incentives and a skilled workforce. China has been leading in assembly, packaging and testing, which is less labour and capital intensive. So, where does India stand? BCG says that over 19% of the world’s semiconductor engineers are in India. The country’s semiconductor market is valued at USD41.2 billion in 2025, expected to reach USD 115.6 billion  by 2030, snowballing at 18.8% annually. The fourth-largest economy in the world is leaving no stone unturned to fuel this growth momentum. Here are some key facts: Made-in-India chip production : India is ready to launch its first indigenously manufactured semiconductor chip this year. It will be developed by Tata Group’s ₹27,000 crore facility in Assam, which is expected to produce 15 billion chips annually. Tata has signed deals with global conglomerates Renesas Electronics Corporation and PSMC to set up a semiconductor packaging unit in Sanand and India’s first semiconductor fab facility in Dholera, Gujarat. Another flagbearer, Kaynes Semicon, is set to launch its first Made-in-India chip in the 28-90 nm range this year, a segment that accounts for 60% of the global demand for chips. Kaynes Semicon is also developing a ₹3,307 crore OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) facility in Sanand, Gujarat, with a daily production capacity of 6.3 million chips. Commercial operations of this facility are expected to begin by the end of July. It will be among India's largest and strengthen the country’s position as a self-reliant semiconductor producer and exporter. Strong R&D : India ranks third  in global semiconductor research. Chip design expertise: India leads the world in auto-component manufacturing. Electronics integration and EV adoption are witnessing extensive expansion and propelling the growth of semiconductor manufacturing in the country. Kaynes Semicon leads the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) space with its own IP and digital tech expertise. Dixon Technologies, Syrma SGS Technology, and VVDN Technologies are the other major players in the segment. Digital Twin Technology Advancements: This tech creates a physical object’s virtual replica, thus allowing real-time monitoring and simulation. Considered the future of the semiconductor industry, the Digital Twin technology is expected to develop virtual representations for the semiconductor value chain. Firms are integrating this solution to boost their predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and operational optimisation. Indian startups and enterprises, Falcon Labs, Paninian, and Pratiti Technologies, are developing Digital Twin tools for renewable and sustainable solutions, aerospace, and industrial automation. Emerging hub in Northeast : Northeast India is emerging as a hub for the semiconductor and energy industries, especially with Assam at the helm of affairs. IIT Guwahati is actively furthering semiconductor research, utilising the government’s Production and Design-Linked Incentive schemes. Competition : India boasts over 19% of the world's semiconductor design talent, concentrated in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune, positioning it as a strong competitor to China, the global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Government Initiatives : The Telecom Department’s Sangam Initiative  aims to revolutionise infrastructure planning through Digital Twin solutions. It will utilise unified data and collective intelligence for intelligent infrastructure development. The South Asian giant is pushing pedals with a single-minded determination to become a global hub. The government’s initiatives – India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and Semicon India, the annual conference that ISM organises every year – are the twin torchbearers of this goal. How do these impact the Indian semiconductor players? Let’s take a look. India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) The goal is simple. To establish an unhindered semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in India. To do that, the Digital India Corporation created the India Semiconductor Mission in 2021 as an independent division and allocated ₹76,000 crore to support companies in this domain. ISM offers: Financial support for companies establishing semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities. The incentives range from 30-50% of the project costs. Up to 50% financial aid, limited at ₹12,000 crore per fab facility for TFT, LCD, and AMOLED display manufacturing. The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme provides up to 50% fiscal aid for chip design projects and net sales turnover-based incentives. 30% capital expenditure support for companies investing in compound semiconductors, sensors, silicon photonics, and semiconductor packaging. With semiconductor manufacturing still nascent, India focused on assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) rather than advanced fabrication, which is now set to change.   Geopolitics of the Semiconductor Battleground The ₹76,000 crore (approximately USD 10 billion) set aside for honing India’s semiconductor prowess is just the beginning compared to the American CHIPS Act, which offers subsidies worth USD 52 billion to polish domestic capabilities. China, too, has invested over USD 150 billion in the domain since 2014, and Taiwan and South Korea are global leaders with companies like TSMC and Samsung at the helm. Geopolitical dynamics oil the cogs of the global semiconductor industry. Although Intel and Nvidia may strengthen American design capabilities, the US still relies on TSMC and Samsung for advanced chip manufacturing and India for talent. Several Indian engineers are employed in American firms’ Global Capability Centres (GCCs). The US CHIPS Act encourages Indo-American partnerships to leverage Indian design and EDA capabilities. Moreover, due to the ongoing challenges with the US, Europe, and Taiwan, China has its wings wound tight. The proposed amendment to Section 5949 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would ban the US government from procuring electronics and devices built with Chinese semiconductors starting December 23rd, 2027 . This offers an unprecedented opportunity for India to shine in the domain. What India currently lacks in fabrication expertise, it makes up for in chip design talent.   The computer and communications devices industry dominates the demand for semiconductor chips worldwide at 57% , followed by automotive and industrial at 17% and 14%, consumer electronics at 11% and government or military usage at 1%. When it comes to the auto-component manufacturing, India takes the centre stage. The nation’s exports surge by over 25% annually. The EV market alone is growing at 66.52%, expected to reach USD113.99 billion by 2029. India has its vision set on 2030 - to achieve USD 80 billion in semiconductor exports and secure 10% of the global chip production. Industry dynamics may be unpredictable, but we can be sure of one thing - by the end of this decade, the world will have a new chip superpower to rely on.   *** Have any thoughts? Share in comments below! And don't forget to hit ❤ before you go!

The sound of keyboards clicking fills the space. Your agents speak rapidly and confidently with clients. The customer satisfaction score is through the roof. Everything is going as planned. Isn’t that every contact center manager’s dream? You wish everything would go smoothly every day. And while that may be wishful thinking, you can improve how your agents perform at work through effective contact center training. So, what does this training do? Let’s take a look. What is contact center training? As it sounds, contact center training is a program to help your agents develop skills and aptitude to handle daily customer interactions. There is a training module for all contact center staff, from frontline employees to backend executives. You can pick from a variety of techniques, like: Culture training: To teach your agents about the company culture and how it influences every customer interaction. Personality tests: Your agents have to deal with all types of customers daily. These tools help them understand the different personality types and how to best deal with them. Social media training: It is needed because your customers often contact your agents through a social media platform. Preparing them to handle customer interactions publicly can help avoid mistakes that can go viral and adversely impact the company's image. Contact center training is inevitable for your center’s success. And not just because handling customers can get challenging for your agents. Let’s see what makes this a crucial activity. Why is contact center training important? Here’s why it is essential to train your contact center agents. It promotes professional advancement. Your employees want to be upskilled as it makes them more desirable within your organization and as a professional. It uplifts their morale and keeps them motivated. Training polishes them into professionals who can handle difficult situations. In fact, three of the top five reasons for your agents to look for job opportunities outside are linked to the pursuit of new skills. It lowers the turnover rate. Contact center training is not confined to agents needing performance improvement measures. Your star performers also need training. It shows them you care enough to upgrade their knowledge and skill level and keeps them from looking outside your organization to advance their career. Profit margins rise. Trained agents can do their jobs better and lower maintenance and corrective costs. They can handle customers well and forge stronger relationships, thus enhancing customer satisfaction scores. Briefly put, well trained agents offer your customers a better experience and ultimately, profits follow. To prepare a training program, you need a method best suited to your organization. There are five types of contact center training. Let’s take a look. Types of contact center training You can choose one or more of these five training types depending on what suits your agents. Keep in mind that offering a bouquet of training modules can be more engaging to a variety of employees. Classroom Training Did you picture a room full of students facing a teacher and a board? You can choose to have that setup or go for a more relaxed ambiance that instructor-led sessions, workshops and group activities provide. This traditional training method can prove highly effective due to its simplicity of approach and execution. Live Call Training It is like training on the job and shows the true mettle of your staff. Teaching your agents how to swim by throwing them in the river can bring to your knowledge who can survive on their own and who will need a float. Coaching during live calls shows how well your agents can apply their training to actual job scenarios and handle customer interactions under pressure. Online Training The pandemic taught organizations to always be prepared to take their daily activities online. Many agents now prefer handling customer calls from their homes through cloud contact centers. You can set up online modules or webinars to ensure every agent can access training sessions. One-On-One Yes, it means sitting individually with each agent and training them personally. Sounds hard? It is. But if done well, it proves to be highly effective, especially for new agents at the time of onboarding. That is when you can glimpse the fresh hire’s strengths and weaknesses and chart an improvement plan. Mentoring Don’t confuse it with one-on-one sessions, as mentoring doesn’t end after a session or two; it continues for the complete employment tenure of your agent. The mentor needs to forge a strong bond with the mentees. It can be difficult and time consuming but proves to be highly productive for the agents as it helps them grow professionally. If time constraint is your main concern, you can encourage your agents to find a suitable mentor or coach, apply for external mentoring programs, or nudge experienced executives to help out their fellow agents. If training your contact center staff well seems like rocket science to you, here are a few tricks that can come in handy. 8 hacks for contact center training every manager should know These eight tips will help you train your agents well. #1 Convey goals clearly Ever had goals you thought were unachievable or vague but didn’t have the courage to speak up about? Letting all agents know what is expected of them and why is important. But above all, ensure everyone knows their goals well. Set clear and achievable goals, and don’t leave any room for doubts. Make your agents comfortable enough to ask questions so they can remove uncertainties. #2 Utilize analytics and data If you think accurate data analysis is challenging, try accessing files from a software tool that doesn’t support your operations well enough. First, switch to a platform that gives a holistic view of all contact center processes and offers easy access to in-depth analysis. #3 Offer in-depth technical training during onboarding To make your agents hit the ground running and get comfortable with different software tools, start training them technically from day one on the job. Prepare them for what lies ahead. They would know what to expect and will grow better at it sooner. #4 Emphasize continuous (and customized) training You may want to sit with every agent and coach them in real time while on the job. But, time constraints and hybrid or remote working models may get in the way. Moreover, there are several skills you would want your agents trained in: customer interaction, handling a crisis, comforting an irate client, and technical and soft skills. You can't hold their hands all the time. To ensure their continuous training, you can instead rely on technology like online meetings and coaching tools. They will act in your stead and ensure your staff acquires the skills they need to do their job well. #5 Develop a buddy ecosystem Rely on your agents’ fellow and senior colleagues who have seen it all and been with your organization for a while. They qualify as good trainers. It also gives the manager a break from the constant hand holding needed by some agents, especially the freshly onboarded ones. You can pair them up in a buddy system where each agent has a senior colleague to turn to for doubts and queries. #6 Develop a knowledge base This can include materials on training, brand equity, and products and services. It can be the Bible for your agents to turn to when they have questions. Make it readily accessible to all. Ask your agents what information to include in the knowledge base. Include FAQs and quick references for common queries. #7 Reward milestone achievements Everyone loves a reward. Ensure your agents receive one whenever they achieve a milestone, perform well, outdo their peers, or for team efforts. These rewards could be tokens of appreciation like a gift card or public shoutouts. It boosts your agents' engagement and productivity and motivates them to do better at the workplace. #8 Upgrade your training regularly Like your agents’ skillsets and the software tools you employ, your training programs also need a regular upgrade. Not doing this can lead to recurring challenges and service gaps. While you can count on these tricks for effective contact center training, choosing the right software does half your job. How to pick the right tool, you ask? Here’s what you can do. How to choose the right contact center training tool? Look for these top qualities to pick the best suited contact center training software. Accessibility In a hybrid working model, your agents work from within the office and outside. The training tool should be accessible remotely, via website and app, to make it available where your staff is. The tool should display training modules, their scores, and other data related to the agent’s training progress. Customization The tool should be customizable as per your center’s needs. You should be able to pick and create the modules, select the skills you want to train your agents in, schedule personalized training sessions, and closely monitor the agent’s training progress in real time. Automation Robust AI-powered tools offer features like automated scoring of your agents’ daily customer interactions on several parameters, including active listening, the quality of opening and closing statements, and introduction and empathy level, among others. Proper training can make your agents shine in the workplace. They develop the skills needed to do their daily job and grow in their careers. Wondering what skills they develop through proper training? Below listed are a few. Contact center training: An agent’s armor An untrained agent is like a soldier without armor in a battle. And their defenses need a refill or an upgrade every now and then. Today, employees know what they want from their jobs and what they need to improve. That’s why businesses in the US spent $101.8 billion on corporate training this year. Managers realize how critical contact center training is to retain agents willing to quit if not offered adequate learning opportunities. FAQs How often should contact center agents undergo training? It depends on job complexity, agents’ skill and experience level, industry practices and the company’s budget. But, ideally, your agents should undergo training every 3-6 months. What role does leadership play in contact center training? Leaders foresee customer expectations and agents’ requirements. They equip their teams to better serve the customers and optimally utilize technology to improve business results. How can contact centers balance legal and ethical considerations in training? One way is to provide experiential training in legal and ethical dilemmas. This can be done through case studies, role plays, and live training during an ongoing call.

In August 2023, a former National Basketball Association (NBA) social media manager posted on X from the NBA’s account. Source The manager could tweet because he still could access the NBA’s account. When he could no longer take it, he went ballistic on the iconic basketball brand from its own X handle. While his rampage might ring true with many of you, it sent shockwaves across industries, especially because the NBA has a separate team of social media experts. The load is expected to be lesser for large enterprises. But his one tweet went viral, thus tarnishing the brand’s image as an employer. The constant pings announcing the arrival of new followers. A skipped heartbeat when the traffic dips during peak hours. Or sleepless nights if a customer leaves a rude comment on your brand’s social media account. That’s a typical day in the life of a social media manager. No wonder you often suffer from social media burnout. It is a syndrome recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Let’s see what it means. What is social media burnout? WHO defines it as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Social media burnout has four main symptoms: 1. Lower energy or exhaustion. 2. Losing interest in work or harboring negative feelings towards one’s job. 3. Reduced professional efficiency. 4. Cynicism. However, this does not allow you to buy over-the-counter medication because WHO does not recognize social media burnout as a disease or a medical condition. To prevent it, you need to know its causes. Let’s see what causes social media burnout. What causes social media burnout? 1. Social omnipresence Managing a brand’s online presence 24x7 across all platforms can be taxing. Daily posts to keep the audience engaged, your ranking intact, staying updated on dynamic social media trends, and addressing the negative comments that need an urgent nip-it-in-the-bud response after working hours add to burnout. 2. Never-ending tasks Posting content like videos or podcasts daily and their making and editing can be very demanding. Your job continues even after you post and as the audience begins to react. 3. Financial limitations Budgetary constraints often force brands to recruit less than necessary or offer unattractive salaries. This is usually a reason behind overworked social media managers. Wondering how you can prevent reaching the tipping point? Start by detecting it early. Here’s how you can do that. 5 signs of social media burnout 1. You feel tired but cannot sleep. This involves physical exhaustion triggered by long working hours and the inability to switch off due to constant notifications. And yet, you suffer from insomnia or disturbed sleep. 2. You feel uninterested in most tasks. You feel bored at work and uninterested in tasks that once used to drive you. For example, the post on X by an Entertainment Weekly staff speaks volumes about losing interest in one’s job. Source 3. You suffer from FOMO. “How many likes did the post get?” “Is there a new comment on the video yet?” Such thoughts running in your head after working hours signal burnout. 4. You feel emotionally drained. This includes frustration, irritation, and being overwhelmed. If you feel pessimistic and hopeless most of the time, you could be suffering from burnout. 5. You cannot concentrate well. It is the inability to focus or pay attention to anything happening around you, what others are saying, or what you are doing now. It indicates exhaustion. Not every social media manager suffers from burnout. While an occupational hazard, it can be prevented. Here’s what you can do to avoid social media burnout. 9 hacks to avoid social media burnout 1. Take regular breaks. Even if your breaks are brief and scattered. Time off could mean a 10-minute break or a week-long vacation; take your pick. See what suits you and helps you avoid falling into the pit. Avoid gadgets as much as you can while on a break. 2. Learn to say no. When you are too invested in your job, it becomes difficult to say no to additional responsibilities or when people call for an update. Or, you could be saying yes to avoid disappointing the other person. Avoid saying yes when it can upset your schedule, hog into your time off, or lead to burnout. 3. Set priorities and communicate them. Set social media marketing priorities, convey them to the team and your bosses, and revisit the strategy regularly. This helps set expectations right for everyone. It also prompts you to know what and how much to do and when. 4. Prepare a social media calendar and stick to it. Priorities can help you distinguish tasks into mission critical, essential, or can wait categories. This also includes blocking the schedule to create new content, responding to the audience, and indulging in analytics. You can also create an idea bank to prompt you when needed or create content in advance and schedule the post for when the time is right. 5. Cultivate hobbies for non-working hours. Have something to look forward to at the end of the day or over the weekend. Read a book, go swimming or sparring, or simply volunteer for a cause you believe in. 6. Seek support if needed. Know that you are not alone in feeling a burn. Speak to someone on your team, a senior or a professional, or reach out to other social media managers for support. 7. Set a response protocol. Juggling responses to post comments is part of your job. If the fear of sending a wrong or rude message to a comment received at 3 am can give you sleepless nights, you should set a response protocol. These are templatized responses to common comments. Have one ready to shoot in case of need to save time. 8. Don’t create, curate. Curating means compiling the content best suited to your audience’s taste. It is content you post online that you haven’t developed yourself. It is easier to compile than designing a complete post, is less exhausting, and works as well as content creation. A few examples of curated content are photos, blog posts, news items, client testimonials, or an engaging social media post from another user that would grab your audience’s attention. Below is an example of a curated post. Source 9. Do something that helps you keep going. When you feel exhausted, but the work demands your urgent attention, do something that enables you to concentrate and stay the course. For example, you could work from your favorite spot at home or take a ten-minute power nap before jumping back in. Here’s some advice from a fellow social media manager. Source Social media is hard work. They say you must go offline at times to pull your life back on track. Acknowledge your job responsibilities, identify the triggers of burnout, and take steps to avoid them.

< Back Indian budget 2026-27 highlights 3 Feb 2026 Sitharaman focused the budget on the Three Kartavyas – Accelerate growth, build capacity, and equitable development. - Revamped New Income Tax Act, 2025, to take effect from April 1, 2026. It is a new law that may: o Rationalise capital gains tax o Include tax regime for gig workers, influencers, crypto and digital assets, and cross-border digital income o Reduce litigation perpetuated by the ambiguous wording in the 1961 Act. o Introduce fewer deductions, exemptions, and lower tax rates. - ₹12.2 lakh crore in capital expenditure, compared with ₹11.11 lakh crore last year. - Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with a ₹40,000 crore outlay. - National Fibre Scheme for self-sufficiency in advanced materials. - Support for critical mineral facilities in Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. - 7 high-speed rail corridors (Delhi–Varanasi, Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Chennai–Bengaluru, Varanasi–Siliguri) - NIMHANS‑2 and upgraded mental health institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur. - Girls’ hostel in every district to support women’s higher education. - Dedicated retail and digital marketplaces for women-led businesses- SHE Marts Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES . A gripping, high-stakes mystery. Previous Next

News in 150 words In the wake of the plane’s wreckage, a war begins. Life cannot get more aimless than this for 34-year-old Kiara Sharma. Reeling from her parents' divorce and her brother's sudden departure, she believes this is the lowest her life could spiral. But when a plane crashes right outside her window, Kiara is pulled into a world far stranger and unbelievably more dangerous. Normally, one would call the fire brigade, the police, or the ambulance? But the scene in front of her perplexes her. The plane is enveloped in flames that are unnaturally black. Among the wreckage, a secret survives, tying her to one of the victims, her estranged father. On her journey to uncovering darker truths, she begins to trust a stranger she met at the site of the crash, Ved. As bullets fly and allegiances shift, Kiara must decide: will she run from her legacy, or fight to finish a battle she did not begin? And, more importantly, will she accept her destiny before time runs out? THE BLACK FLAMES is a gripping, high-stakes debut novel that blends emotional depth, bio-thriller suspense, and a sudden twist of fate with romance in the undercurrent. 3 Feb 2026 India-US trade deal – 25% tariffs reduced to 18% The 25% tariff will be dropped, given India’s agreement to stop buying Russian oil and switch to US and Venezuelan oil instead. Read More 3 Feb 2026 Indian budget 2026-27 highlights Sitharaman focused the budget on the Three Kartavyas – Accelerate growth, build capacity, and equitable development. Read More 31 Jan 2026 Dhaka cancels Indian SEZ deal, transfers it to China China will establish a drone manufacturing and defence industrial facility. Read More 29 Jan 2026 India-EU FTA to simplify Schengen Visa Applications Indians can expect a faster, more predictable, less bureaucratic Schengen process, although not a guaranteed approval. Read More 28 Jan 2026 African continental split to take 5-10 million years Africa is slowly tearing apart along the East African Rift System, where the Nubian, Somalian, and Arabian plates diverge. Read More 27 Jan 2026 HAL debuts Super Jet 100 at Wings India 2026 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will showcase three India-made aircraft at Wings India 2026, held from January 28–31 at Begumpet Airport. Read More 21 Jan 2026 Global markets bleed after Trump’s tariff threat to EU President Trump’s threat of higher tariffs on European allies unless they support his decision to take over Greenland triggered a sharp downturn in financial markets. Read More 20 Jan 2026 Hindustan Copper to triple ore production by 2030 Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) is India’s only integrated copper miner. Read More 19 Jan 2026 India to host EU’s top leaders for Republic Day, India-EU Summit European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the Summit. Read More 16 Jan 2026 Venezuelan Machado presents Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize Maria Corina Machado is among the most prominent leaders of the Venezuelan opposition and a pro-democracy activist. Read More 15 Jan 2026 India explores Venezuelan crude oil US sanctions had almost wiped out the India–Venezuela oil trade between 2021 and 2023. Read More 9 Jan 2026 US withdraws from 66 climate change organisations It includes the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), a coalition that promotes the adoption of solar energy globally. Read More 7 Jan 2026 India 1st hydrogen-powered train to launch on Jan 26 The train will be launched on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. Read More 6 Jan 2026 Most deletions from Tamil Nadu in Election Commission’s SIR 2 The Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a major nationwide clean-up of electoral rolls, following large-scale discrepancies detected in Bihar and West Bengal. Read More 30 Dec 2025 Australia to eliminate all tariffs on Indian exports eff Jan 1 The announcement came on the third anniversary of the Indo-Australian Economic Cooperation & Trade Agreement (ECTA). Read More 26 Dec 2025 New airlines, Al Hind Air, FlyExpress get govt nod Amid the IndiGo fiasco, the government is encouraging more players to enter the market to boost competition. Read More 24 Dec 2025 ISRO launches LVM-3 rocket with US’ BlueBird satellite At 6,100 kg, the American-made BlueBird Block-2 satellite is the heaviest satellite ever launched by India. Read More 23 Dec 2025 Bharat Taxi service to launch in Delhi on Jan 1st It will be India’s first cooperative taxi service, conceptualised and supported by the central government. Read More 15 Dec 2025 Mexico introduces 50% tariffs on countries without FTAs The impacted countries include India, South Korea, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. Read More 11 Dec 2025 Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion In the early 2010s, HBO dismissed Netflix’s potential, declined a partnership, and resisted licensing content to Netflix. Read More View More

< Back India-US trade deal – 25% tariffs reduced to 18% 3 Feb 2026 The 25% tariff will be dropped, given India’s agreement to stop buying Russian oil and switch to US and Venezuelan oil instead. President Trump announced a reduction in the US “reciprocal” tariff on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. A separate punitive 25% levy linked to India’s Russian oil purchases will be dropped, bringing the effective rate down from 50% to 18%. The move follows a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump says India pledged to halt Russian oil imports and significantly increase purchases of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal, and other goods, potentially exceeding $500 billion. In return, India is expected to “move forward” toward reducing its tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products to zero. Prime Minister Modi thanked Trump for the tariff reduction but did not comment on any policy changes regarding Russian oil purchases. India has depended on Russian oil for energy security. Even at the height of Western pressure in 2022–2025, India never committed to a full halt, only to staying within G7 price‑cap rules. Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES . A gripping, high-stakes mystery. Previous Next