Japan has pledged support for infrastructure and connectivity projects that will link Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Horii Iwao said during the KIZUNA‑6 India–Japan Intellectual Conclave. He emphasised Tokyo’s commitment to boosting regional integration and development under the broader India–Japan strategic partnership, including encouraging private‑sector cooperation in economic and clean energy sectors. The initiative aims to strengthen transport and trade links from landlocked northeastern states toward maritime routes, enhancing economic opportunities and strategic ties in the Indo‑Pacific. Japan also stressed people‑to‑people cooperation and sustainable growth. 

Campaigners have taken a petition with over 20,000 signatures to Buckingham Palace urging King Charles to prevent the closure of Veeraswamy, the UK's oldest surviving Indian restaurant, founded in March 1926 on Regent Street. The Crown Estate, which manages the Grade II-listed Victory House, declined to renew the restaurant's lease citing plans for comprehensive modernisation. Co-owner Ranjit Mathrani called the decision "short-sighted," saying "100 years of history is being relegated to the dustbin." Celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux and Richard Corrigan signed the petition. Veeraswamy, which received a Michelin star in 2016 and catered twice at Buckingham Palace, described itself as a "symbol of Indo-British cultural connections."

India and the European Union have agreed on a five-year Most Favoured Nation status as part of their landmark Free Trade Agreement, confirmed in a draft released Friday. Under the deal, 93% of Indian exports will enter the 27-nation EU bloc duty-free, while EU luxury cars face reduced import tariffs potentially dropping from 110% to 40%, eventually reaching 10%. The agreement unites the world's fourth-largest economy with the second-largest economic bloc, forming a combined market of 2 billion people representing 25% of global GDP. Negotiations began in 2007, paused in 2013 and resumed in June 2022. The deal was formally announced on January 27 following marathon talks with PM Modi. (PC: India Today)

The Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) has announced a protest outside Parliament during the Budget Session's second leg in March 2026, demanding the scrapping of the India-US interim bilateral trade agreement. AFFI convener and Jammu & Kashmir MLA M.Y. Tarigami and co-convener Rakesh Singha condemned what they described as the "total annihilation of import tariffs" on Washington apples, reduced from 50% to nil under the agreement. They called it an "unequal treaty" and a "death knell" for India's domestic apple industry. Farmers from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be mobilised for the demonstration, protesting what they term a major surrender of India's economic interests. (PC: The Hindu)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will skip Punjab and avoid Bhangra dancing during his first official visit to India, deliberately distancing himself from predecessor Justin Trudeau's widely mocked 2018 trip. Carney to arrive in Mumbai with the aim of reset strained Canada-India relations, soured after Trudeau alleged Indian government links to the assassination of a prominent Sikh separatist, a claim India repeatedly denied. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand confirmed new measures are in place tracking criminal money, digital threats and diaspora surveillance. Some Sikh groups have criticised Carney's approach. After India, Carney will visit Australia and later meet Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi to explore trade in autos, energy and critical minerals. (PC: The Tribune)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on 27 Feb 2026 for his first official visit to India, running through 2 March, aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Narendra Modi. The four-day trip includes business engagements with industry leaders, discussions on trade, investment, energy and technology, and delegation-level talks in New Delhi. Both sides plan to review progress under the India-Canada Strategic Partnership and launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The visit marks a diplomatic thaw after years of strained relations. (PC: Reuters)

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made an unscheduled visit to New Delhi, holding a "highly productive" lunch meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss deepening trade and economic ties between the two nations. The visit follows the US Supreme Court's February 20 ruling invalidating President Trump's sweeping global tariffs imposed under emergency powers. Trump subsequently invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, imposing a 10% global tariff valid for 150 days. The court ruling disrupted a carefully negotiated interim bilateral trade agreement framework established through a February 6 joint statement. Experts warn any future tariff arrangement must operate within the constitutional constraints now reaffirmed by the Supreme Court. (PC: HT)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed a heartfelt "personal debt" to India during a joint press statement with PM Narendra Modi, revealing that his first or second date with wife Sara took place at an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv. He praised the food as "unbelievable" and credited the restaurant to Reena Pushkarna, widely known as Israel's "Curry Queen," who is celebrated for introducing authentic Indian cuisine to Israel. Netanyahu had previously shared this anecdote during Modi's 2017 Israel visit. PM Modi's two-day official state visit to Israel included a special airport welcome by Netanyahu and his wife. Both nations pledged to deepen their defence partnership through joint development and technology transfers.

India and Israel elevated their bilateral relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership" during PM Narendra Modi's second state visit to Israel. Following delegation-level talks with PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, both nations signed wide-ranging agreements covering trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace, and digital payments. A landmark agreement was reached for UPI adoption in Israel, while both sides committed to advancing a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement. Modi announced an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership spanning AI, quantum technologies, and critical minerals. Defence cooperation will expand through joint development and military hardware production under a technology transfer framework. Modi also strongly backed the Gaza Peace Initiative, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and commitment to Middle East stability.

The Indian Army's Western Command has issued a stern warning to Pakistan, declaring that any future provocation will draw a far harsher response than Operation Sindoor. Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, GOC of 2 Corps, confirmed Operation Sindoor 2.0 is ongoing with preparations on a significantly larger scale across land, sea, and air. He recalled how the original Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in May last year, brought Pakistan to its knees within four days, forcing Islamabad to seek a ceasefire. Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar dismissed Pakistan's nuclear threats as a bluff, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism under PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.