Policy Update Shivanshi Background Diplomatic relations between India and France date to 1947, and the bilateral Strategic Partnership, India’s first with a Western power, was established in 1998, anchored on non-interference in internal affairs, strategic autonomy, and independence from each…
Policy UpdateShivanshi Background India and New Zealand’s relationship has historically been steady but modest in scale, anchored in Commonwealth ties, a shared democratic outlook, and a small but growing Indian diaspora in New Zealand. Momentum began building visibly from 2024,…
The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was established in November 2014 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Fiji, marking a transformative shift in India's diplomatic and economic engagement with the South Pacific. Comprising India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs): Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, FIPIC was created to address the unique development priorities of these island nations through structured, action-oriented plurilateral cooperation.
India and Finland established diplomatic relations in 1949. Finland opened its first Asian embassy in New Delhi, while India established its mission in Helsinki in 1968. High-level exchanges remained limited for several decades, with Finnish presidents visiting India in 1965, 1987, 1996 and three times between 2007 and 2012. Indian prime ministers visited Finland in 1957, 1983 and 2006 (MEA, 2026; Embassy of India, Helsinki, 2026).
The estimated biomass generation in India is 750-754 MT per year of which 228-230 MT is surplus after utilizing biomass for conventional purposes like fodder, manure and for industries (Administrative Staff College of India, cited in Ministry of Power, 2023). Most of this surplus, especially paddy straw and other crop residues from northern states, has traditionally been burned in the open, which is a major source of seasonal air pollution in Delhi-NCR and neighbouring areas (Ministry of Power, 2023).
India's transport sector sits at the centre of its climate commitments and energy security goals. Road transport accounts for roughly 12 per cent of the country's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated 18 per cent of its nitrogen oxide emissions, even as the automotive sector contributes close to 7.1 per cent of national GDP and employs about 19 million people (NITI Aayog, 2026a). Because vehicle registration, road transport and electricity distribution are largely State subjects, the pace of the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) varies considerably across States and Union Territories, shaped by differences in industrial base, fiscal capacity and policy priorities.
India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act (1999) under Article 22 of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It required member states to protect signs identifying goods as originating from a specific territory – where a given quality, reputation or characteristic is essentially attributable to that origin. The Act was brought into force on 15 September 2003. This was done once the Geographical Indications Registry was established at Chennai. Under the Office of the Controller General of Patents , Designs and Trade Marks, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade , Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999).