Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung used their meeting at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg to inject new energy into the growing relationship between their two countries.
The 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg (22–23 November) marked a defining moment for global governance, not only because it was the first G20 gathering hosted on African soil, but also because it unfolded during a period of shifting geopolitical alignments and intensified demand for reform of multilateral institutions.
Bangladesh witnessed a night of widespread unrest on Monday after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Romania is emerging as one of Europe’s most dynamic wind-energy markets, and recent developments show that the country is entering a new phase of large-scale renewable expansion. For Indian wind-energy companies—whether manufacturers, developers, or O&M specialists—this is a pivotal moment to tap into an increasingly attractive landscape backed by strong policy support and substantial investment flows.
On Monday, India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, concluded a significant diplomatic visit to Moscow, where he engaged in a comprehensive review of the longstanding and multifaceted bilateral ties between India and Russia.
India’s growing ambitions in the global maritime arena took a visible step forward with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s recent visit to the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. The visit, part of a larger outreach to Korea’s shipbuilding giants, reflects New Delhi’s intention to reshape how India engages with the global shipping industry—moving from dependence to strategic capability.
President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Botswana marked a defining moment in India’s engagement with Africa, bringing renewed momentum to a relationship built on trust, development partnership, and cultural goodwill.
The International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH) 2025, hosted at New Delhi’s striking Bharat Mandapam on 11–12 November, set the tone for what many describe as a defining decade for clean energy. This year’s gathering was not just a technical meet; it was a powerful showcase of political will, global collaboration, and India’s ambition to lead the emerging green hydrogen landscape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day visit to Bhutan, where he reaffirmed the deep spiritual, cultural, and developmental bonds between the two Himalayan neighbours.
India and Bahrain have taken a major step toward strengthening their economic and financial linkages with the launch of a real-time cross-border payment system that connects India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Bahrain’s Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS). This breakthrough has been made possible through a strategic partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)—the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India—and BENEFIT, Bahrain’s leading fintech and electronic payments company.
The new digital bridge will enable individuals and businesses in both countries to send and receive money instantly, securely, and at far lower costs. At the heart of this collaboration is Bahrain’s widely used Fawri+ service, which has now been seamlessly integrated with UPI’s fast, user-friendly payment infrastructure. For the nearly half a million Indian expatriates living and working in Bahrain, this is set to be a transformative development, simplifying remittances that have historically been slow or expensive.
The cross-border link strengthens the vision of promoting financial inclusion, fintech cooperation, and digital innovation between India and the Gulf region. As India’s digital payments ecosystem emerges as a global leader, UPI’s expansion into Bahrain represents another milestone in showcasing India’s technology-driven financial architecture on the world stage. For Bahrain, the partnership enhances its ambition to position itself as a regional fintech hub with modern, interoperable financial systems.
Beyond remittances, the UPI–EFTS connection provides new opportunities for trade, tourism, and investment, allowing smoother financial interactions for businesses and travelers. Real-time payments reduce operational friction, support micro and small enterprises, and encourage greater financial participation across communities.
The initiative also reflects the deep-rooted ties between India and Bahrain, shaped by cultural affinity, economic partnership, and decades of people-to-people connections. With remittances forming a key economic pillar in bilateral engagement, the UPI–Fawri+ link adds technological strength to a relationship already built on trust and cooperation.
As digital economies evolve, India and Bahrain’s latest collaboration stands out as a forward-looking model for cross-border financial innovation. It not only benefits millions of users but also sets a precedent for future digital partnerships between India and other nations seeking secure, scalable, and inclusive financial solutions.
Through this landmark initiative, the two countries have demonstrated how fintech diplomacy can drive connectivity, empower communities, and support the broader vision of a seamlessly integrated global digital economy.
