Urban economies across the Global South are undergoing profound transformations driven by climate imperatives, sustainability goals, and green growth agendas. Yet these transitions intersect with labour markets that are already deeply unequal. Informal work constitutes the backbone of urban employment in countries like India, and women form a substantial share of this workforce.
The institutionalisation of the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) in 2019 marked the beginning of India-Saudi cooperation in cybersecurity and the safeguarding of critical infrastructure. Discussions commenced under broader defence, security, and technological cooperation frameworks of SPC. India’s priorities are to safeguard its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the telecom sector along with its cyberspace. Its digital economy is valued at 11.74 percent of its national income, thus contributing USD 402 billion to the GDP. Considerable progress has been made in capacity development, legal, and technical aspects of cybersecurity by India as evident by its Tier 1 status in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index. Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 constitutes cybersecurity as a cornerstone for its economic resilience and development. Vision 2030 seeks to diversify the Saudi economy, build smart cities such as NEOM, and secure critical oil, gas, desalination, and logistics infrastructure.
In recent years several countries in the Middle East, especially from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), have weaponised their foreign policies to achieve their perceived geopolitical objectives.
TK ARUN The promise of emerging markets contrasted sharply with unrest in Iran and a reminder of technological fallibility closer to home. Can bad news for the rich world spell good news for the rest, in today’s interdependent world? It…
India and the European Union have signed a free trade agreement that both sides have hailed as “the mother of all deals”.
The agreement, announced on Tuesday, came together over nearly two decades of intermittent negotiations and during a geoeconomic crisis triggered by United States President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Over the last decade, India and Bangladesh, as littoral neighbours in the Bay of Bengal, have sought to revitalise maritime connectivity to deepen bilateral engagement and foster wider regional cooperation. Bilateral trade has increased substantially in recent years, despite periodic setbacks, making Bangladesh India’s largest trading partner in South Asia. In FY 2024-25, India’s exports to Bangladesh stood at approximately USD 11.49 billion, while imports were valued at around USD 2 billion, resulting in a trade surplus favouring India.
The textile and apparel (T&A) relationship between India and Turkey is rooted in deep historical ties and a shared status as global manufacturing powerhouses. Historically, both nations have acted as pillars of the global textile supply chain — India as a massive producer of raw materials (cotton and synthetic fibers) and Turkey as a high-quality fashion hub and gateway to the European market.