Category Archives: Business

Electronics Manufacturing Becomes India’s 3rd-Largest Export Category

New Delhi, June 18: Electronics manufacturing has become India’s third-largest goods export category, highlighting the country’s growing strength in high-value manufacturing and global supply chains, according to the Union Minister.

The Minister noted that rapid expansion in electronics production, supported by government incentives, improved infrastructure, and rising global demand, has significantly boosted export performance in recent years.

He said the sector’s growth reflects India’s progress toward becoming a major global electronics hub, with increasing contributions from mobile phones, components, and other electronic goods.

Officials added that continued policy support and investment inflows are expected to further strengthen India’s position in the global electronics market and drive export-led growth in the coming years.

Indian Medical Association (IMA) declares the longest day of the year, June 21, as ‘Vitamin D Day of India’ in collaboration with Abbott

In a significant step towards improving public health awareness, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), in collaboration with Abbott, a global healthcare company, has declared June 21 – the longest day of the year – as ‘Vitamin D Day of India.’

June 21 offers more sunlight than any other day of the year, making it the perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of Vitamin D – often called the ‘sunshine vitamin.’ With extended daylight hours, it becomes easier to step outdoors and absorb natural sunlight, a simple yet powerful way to support overall health. It’s also a timely reminder that something as effortless as spending a little time in the sun can go a long way in keeping us strong, active, and healthy.

Interestingly, despite India’s abundant sunshine, nearly 77% of the population is Vitamin D deficient.¹ Modern lifestyles play a significant role – many people spend long hours indoors, use sun protection when outside, or live in urban environments where pollution limits sun exposure. Additionally, natural skin characteristics can influence how efficiently Vitamin D is produced. Low levels of this essential vitamin often go unnoticed but can have lasting effects, including weak bones, muscle pain, fatigue, and reduced immunity.²

By observing June 21 as Vitamin D Day, the initiative aims to encourage healthy practices, including safe sun exposure, increased awareness, timely screening, and appropriate management where needed and prescribed by a healthcare professional. The day is also intended to serve as a long-term annual anchor for driving sustained behavior change and strengthening doctor – patient conversations.

“Declaring June 21 as Vitamin D Day is an important step in addressing a widespread yet under-recognized public health issue. As doctors, we witness the health impact of Vitamin D deficiency across age groups.³ This initiative will help advance awareness and encourage people to take simple, preventive actions for better health,” said Dr. Anilkumar J. Nayak, National President, IMA.

Adding to this, Dr. Jejoe Karankumar, Medical Affairs Director for Abbott in India, noted, “Vitamin D deficiency is common and often silent, yet over time it can weaken bones and affect immunity. Spending about 15–30 minutes in sunlight between 10 am and 2 pm can help the body naturally produce Vitamin D, depending on individual factors. However, sunlight alone may not always be sufficient. Since symptoms are not always obvious, regular screening is important. If levels are low, a doctor can guide the right steps to restore and maintain healthy levels.^4,5

This June 21, take an important step – get some sunlight, check your Vitamin D levels, and move toward a stronger, healthier, and more active life.

AD Ports Group Enhances Al Faya Dry Port’s Integration with the Global Trade and Logistics Ecosystem

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 18 June 2026: AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of integrated trade, logistics, and industry, today announced that Al Faya Dry Port has been assigned UN/LOCODE (AEALF) by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), further strengthening the port’s integration into the global multimodal trade and logistics ecosystem.

The globally recognised UN/LOCODE system is used across the international shipping, logistics, and trade sectors to standardise location identification, facilitate customs processes, and enhance the efficiency of global supply chains. The issuance of UN/LOCODE (AEALF) establishes Al Faya Dry Port as an internationally recognised inland logistics hub, supporting more efficient cargo movement across interconnected ports, inland facilities, and multimodal trade corridors. 

Saif Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer – Ports Cluster, AD Ports Group, said: “Securing the UN/LOCODE for Al Faya Dry Port from UNECE marks a significant milestone in further integrating the UAE into the global trade and transport network. This designation strengthens connectivity between our ports, inland logistics hubs, and multimodal trade corridors, while enabling more efficient cargo movement, streamlined customs processes, and enhanced supply chain resilience. As global trade continues to evolve, initiatives such as this highlight the importance of internationally recognised standards and digital trade integration in supporting seamless, future-ready logistics networks and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leading global trade and logistics hub.”

The designation enables customs declarations to be processed by Abu Dhabi Customs at a single approved facility while accelerating cargo movement between connected logistics hubs under the same customs framework without requiring additional customs documentation between ports in Abu Dhabi. It also supports seamless bonded cargo movement and the issuance of Through Bills of Lading, enabling Al Faya Dry Port to serve as both an export origination point and a final destination point for imports.

Strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Al Faya Dry Port is digitally integrated with Khalifa Port. The facility provides handling services for customs-controlled goods under Abu Dhabi Customs, advanced container handling capabilities, and integrated logistics solutions designed to support growing cargo volumes and strengthen multimodal trade connectivity across the UAE.

This strategic step underscores AD Ports Group’s commitment to developing future-ready logistics infrastructure and enabling smarter, more resilient trade flows through the seamless integration of ports, inland logistics facilities, and digital trade solutions.

RapidShyp Launches ‘Share the Weight’ Campaign to Recognise and Support Logistics Heroes

June 18: RapidShyp, the homegrown tech-first shipping aggregation platform, has launched its Men’s Health Month campaign, ‘Share the Weight‘, to raise awareness around men’s health and bring attention to the pressures faced by men working in the logistics industry. The campaign aims to encourage open conversations, share real stories, and create space for men to speak about the strain that often comes with keeping supply chains and businesses moving.

The initiative comes at a time when men continue to form the backbone of the logistics workforce, carrying the responsibility of meeting tight timelines, handling high volumes, and working under constant pressure. In an industry where delivery performance is closely tracked and every shipment is expected to move with precision, the personal well-being of those behind the operations often receives less attention than it deserves.

The ‘Share the Weight‘ campaign seeks to bring that imbalance into focus. RapidShyp aims to use the campaign to highlight the human side of logistics while serving as a reminder to the industry that the people managing these demanding operations also need care, support, and understanding. Through the campaign, the company intends to bring real stories from the logistics community to the fore, encouraging men to share their experiences, speak honestly about the pressures they face, and seek support without hesitation.

The campaign reflects RapidShyp’s broader commitment to employee well-being and its belief that workplace support should go beyond operational efficiency. By using Men’s Health Month as a moment to raise awareness, RapidShyp is also drawing attention to the need for more honest conversations around mental, emotional, and physical health among men in logistics.

Mr Raghav Singhal, Founder and Executive Director, RapidShyp, said, “Logistics remains a key contributor to the economy, but behind every on-time shipment are men who carry pressure every day, often without pause and often without being seen. Through ‘Share the Weight’, we want to create a space where these voices can be heard, where men feel comfortable speaking about their struggles, and where the industry begins to treat health and well-being as part of daily work, not as a side concern. This campaign is a reminder that the people moving the nation’s goods deserve the same care and attention that their work demands.”

RapidShyp has built its platform as a technology-enabled orchestration layer for Indian businesses, bringing together more than 16 courier partners across over 29,000 pin codes. Its ecosystem includes RapidShyp Ayumi (an AI-powered delivery intelligence engine), RapidShyp Cargo+, RapidShyp Shield, RapidShyp Connect, and the RapidShyp App, each designed to help businesses manage shipping with greater control, visibility, and efficiency.

Through ‘Share the Weight‘, RapidShyp is extending that same philosophy to the people behind the logistics chain. The latest campaign is not only about raising awareness but also about recognition, support, and more open conversations about men’s health in an industry that continues to depend heavily on male workers.

Gold and Silver Prices Decline as Fed Hawkish Stance and Easing Global Tensions Weigh on Bullion

New Delhi, June 18: Gold and silver prices declined in global and domestic markets as a stronger US Federal Reserve outlook and easing geopolitical tensions reduced demand for safe-haven assets.

Market sentiment remained under pressure after signals from the US Federal Reserve suggested a continued hawkish stance on interest rates, supporting the US dollar and putting downward pressure on precious metals. A stronger dollar typically makes gold and silver more expensive for buyers using other currencies, leading to reduced demand in international markets.

At the same time, easing geopolitical tensions in key global regions have reduced risk aversion among investors, further weakening demand for traditional safe-haven assets such as bullion. As a result, trading activity in gold and silver remained subdued.

Analysts said that expectations of tighter monetary policy in the United States, along with improving global risk sentiment, have together contributed to the recent weakness in precious metal prices. Investors are also repositioning their portfolios in response to changing macroeconomic conditions.

Despite the short-term decline, experts noted that gold and silver continue to hold long-term relevance as hedge assets against inflation, currency volatility, and broader financial market uncertainty.

Market participants are now closely watching upcoming US economic data releases and further commentary from the Federal Reserve for clearer signals on interest rate direction, which is expected to influence bullion price trends in the coming sessions.

Trupeer AI Strengthens Global Growth Ambitions with Appointment of Former UiPath CEO Raghu Subramanian

June 18:  Trupeer AI, the workflow knowledge layer for teams and AI agents, today announced the appointment of Raghu Subramanian as President and Chief Business Officer, as the company accelerates its next phase of global enterprise expansion. Backed by RTP Global and Salesforce Ventures and trusted by more than 50,000 teams in over 100 countries, Trupeer is strengthening its leadership team to scale adoption across enterprises, SaaS companies, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), and technology-enabled business services companies.

Raghu joins from a distinguished career at the forefront of enterprise automation, most notably as a founding member of the management team at UiPath, where he was part of the core executive team that helped build the company from a single-digit-million valuation to a $35+ billion NYSE-listed enterprise. Bringing over 25 years of enterprise technology leadership experience, Raghu has built and scaled enterprise businesses across global markets, with deep expertise in automation, business process management, and enterprise AI adoption. He established UiPath‘s India operations in 2016 and later served as President & CEO for India and APAC, helping drive the company’s growth into a global automation leader. Prior to joining UiPath, he served as CTO of EXL Service.

At Trupeer, he will lead the company’s next phase of commercial expansion, driving adoption across enterprises and technology-enabled business services companies in key global markets. Trupeer‘s platform transforms unstructured, multimodal workflows into SOPs, guides, training assets, studio-quality videos, and continuously updated AI-ready context for employees and intelligent agents. Delivering knowledge transfer in 120+ languages, it enables organizations to scale knowledge globally while localizing at scale. His experience will be instrumental in accelerating Trupeer‘s next phase of growth.

Shivali Goyal, CEO and Co-Founder, Trupeer AI, said, “Raghu has spent decades helping organisations adopt and scale transformative technologies and brings deep experience in building enterprises globally. Having seen first-hand the challenges enterprises face in organisational knowledge and agentic AI enablement, Raghu immediately resonated with our vision and the momentum Trupeer has built globally. His expertise will help us strengthen our commercial capabilities, deepen partnerships, and unlock the next phase of growth at Trupeer.”

Raghu Subramanian, President and Chief Business Officer, Trupeer AI, said, “Enterprises have long struggled to get real value from AI, and the reason is fragmented context.  The knowledge that makes AI useful sits trapped in people’s heads and scattered across tools. In the agentic AI era, where agents are only as good as the context they run on, that gap becomes the difference between AI that works and doesn’t. This is the gap Trupeer was built to close. I look forward to partnering with enterprises and organisations across the globe to build the context layer that makes enterprise knowledge structured, accessible, and actionable, and AI genuinely useful.”

As enterprises move from AI experimentation to large-scale deployment, knowledge readiness has emerged as the defining constraint on AI outcomes. Gartner predicts that while 40% of enterprise applications will embed task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, 60% of AI projects will be abandoned in the same period due to poor data and knowledge infrastructure. Trupeer is built to address exactly this gap, and with Raghu at the helm of global business, the company is positioned to accelerate enterprise adoption.

MRF Achieves FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation, Reinforcing its Global Motorsport and Sustainability Commitment

Chennai, India | June 18: MRF Limited has been awarded the prestigious Three-Star level of the FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme, marking a significant milestone in the company’s sustainability journey and its continuing presence in global motorsport.

The certification, awarded recently, follows an audit conducted under the FIA Environmental Accreditation framework. The FIA audit recognised MRF’s structured approach to environmental management, continual improvement and responsible manufacturing practices across its motorsport tyre operations.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr Arun Mammen, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Limited, said: “MRF’s global motorsport journey is powered by performance and responsibility. This FIA Three-Star accreditation reinforces our commitment to sustainable innovation, environmental stewardship and continuous improvement across our operations worldwide today.”

With this recognition, MRF is the only Indian Tyre Company and also joins a select group of global motorsport tyre manufacturers to have achieved the FIA’s highest environmental accreditation.

MRF manufactures motorsport tyres at its manufacturing locations, which are certified to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System standards. The audit also noted that these manufacturing locations maintain ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification.

The audit further recognised MRF’s SMART environmental objectives across its manufacturing locations, covering areas such as reducing specific power consumption, fuel consumption, water consumption and waste generation. Monitoring and measurement systems were documented across key environmental impact areas, including energy use, waste management, water consumption, biodiversity, air quality, noise, materials and procurement, transport, and Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions.

The FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation is the highest level within the programme and reflects MRF’s continued commitment to integrating sustainability into its motorsport operations while maintaining the performance standards associated with the MRF brand globally.

India–UK Trade Agreement to Be Operational from July 15, Says PM Modi, Calling It a ‘Historic Milestone’

New Delhi, June 18: The India–UK trade agreement will come into effect from July 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday, describing it as a “historic milestone” in the economic partnership between the two countries.

Pic Credit: https://x.com/PMOIndia 

The operationalisation of the agreement is expected to mark a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations, while opening new opportunities for businesses, exporters, and industries on both sides.

According to officials, the agreement is designed to enhance market access, streamline trade processes, and deepen cooperation in key sectors including goods, services, manufacturing, technology, and innovation-driven industries. It is also expected to support supply chain integration and encourage greater economic collaboration between India and the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Modi said the agreement reflects the growing trust and shared ambition between India and the UK to build a stronger, future-oriented economic partnership. He noted that the pact will contribute to expanding trade opportunities and fostering long-term economic growth.

Officials further stated that the implementation of the agreement will provide a structured framework for boosting bilateral trade flows and improving ease of doing business between the two economies.

The development is being viewed as a major milestone in India’s expanding global trade engagements, reinforcing its position as a key player in international economic partnerships.

PM Modi–Trump Meeting at G7 Focuses on Trade, West Asia and Strengthening India–US Ties

New Delhi, June 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former U.S. President Donald Trump held discussions on key global and bilateral issues on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, focusing on West Asia developments, progress on the India–US trade agreement, and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

 Pic Credit: https://x.com/PMOIndia

PM @narendramodi met US President @realDonaldTrump in Evian and reviewed progress in India-US cooperation across sectors such as energy, trade, defence, technology and people-to-people ties.

The two leaders also exchanged views on developments in West Asia. The Prime Minister… pic.twitter.com/CVZLtgcmDL

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 17, 2026

The MEA said the meeting covered strategic, economic and geopolitical priorities of mutual interest, with both leaders reviewing ways to further strengthen trade, investment, defence, energy and technology partnerships between India and the United States.

The discussions also included the situation in West Asia, with emphasis on regional stability and its global economic impact. Both sides expressed interest in deepening cooperation to support long-term strategic and economic alignment.

Following the meeting, business leaders and members of the Indian diaspora welcomed the engagement, saying it could help further boost confidence in India–US economic and strategic relations.

Officials noted that the interaction reflects continued efforts to expand the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two countries.

Indian Markets Trade Flat in Early Session Amid Mixed Global Cues

Mumbai, June 18: Indian benchmark equity indices traded flat in early trading on Thursday as investors remained cautious amid mixed signals from global markets.

The domestic market opened on a subdued note, with buying in select sectors offset by weakness in others. Investors largely adopted a wait-and-watch approach while tracking developments in international markets and key economic indicators.

Market sentiment remained influenced by global uncertainty, with traders closely monitoring movements across Asian and international markets. Sector-specific activity was seen in banking, information technology, and automobile stocks, while broader market participation remained moderate during the opening session.

Analysts said mixed global cues and investor caution contributed to the range-bound movement in early trade. Despite the muted start, domestic equities continued to find support from steady investor participation and resilient economic fundamentals.

The benchmark indices fluctuated within a narrow range during the initial hours of trading as market participants awaited fresh triggers for directional movement.

Trading activity is expected to remain focused on global developments, corporate updates, and economic data releases that could influence investor sentiment in the coming sessions.