Combines cultural diplomacy with commercial engagement.
Participation of delegations from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Fiji, and others.
Culinary Diplomacy and Cultural Engagement
Hosting of the inaugural World Culinary Heritage Conference:
Brings together chefs, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Focuses on culinary heritage preservation and innovation.
‘India on a Platter’ Gala Dinner at Taj Palace:
Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Attended by ministers, ambassadors, global buyers, and delegations.
Positions food and cuisine as a soft power and diplomatic tool.
Skill Development and Human Capital
India International Centre for Culinary Leadership (IICCL) in collaboration with IFCA:
Five-day residential programme for 150 chefs
Level 1 ‘Ambassador of Indian Cuisine’ certification.
Emphasises capacity building and global culinary leadership.
Innovation and Start-up Ecosystem
APEDA’s ‘Bharati Initiative’:
Showcases innovative Indian agri-food start-ups.
Features Shark Tank–style pitch sessions to global buyers.
Encourages technology adoption, innovation, and entrepreneurship in agri-food exports.
Industry Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
Curated engagements with industry bodies such as:
FIFI
FHRAI
KSBA
Promotes sectoral collaboration, best-practice sharing, and networking.
High-Level International Engagement
Participation from global culinary and trade leaders, including:
Worldchefs President Chef Andy Cuthbert
Asia Continental Director Chef Willment Leong
Senior government officials and retail buyers from Fiji.
Enhances India’s trade diplomacy and global outreach.
Sustainability and Future Orientation
Addresses rising global demand for:
Safe
Traceable
Sustainable
Ethically sourced food
Emphasis on:
Innovation
Sustainability
Value-added food processing
Export competitiveness
Overall Assessment
Indusfood 2026 acts as a catalyst for the next phase of India’s food trade expansion.
Integrates trade, diplomacy, culture, innovation, logistics, and skill development.
Strengthens India’s positioning as a global food processing and sourcing powerhouse, opening new avenues for investment, collaboration, and long-term global competitiveness.
Long Range Training Deployment of Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS)
Overview of the Deployment
The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS) is undertaking a Long Range Training Deployment (LRTD) to South East Asia.
The deployment forms part of the training curriculum of the 110th Integrated Officers’ Training Course (IOTC).
Participating ships:
INS Tir
INS Shardul
INS Sujata
ICGS Sarathi
Geographical Scope
Planned port calls in:
Singapore
Indonesia
Thailand
Reflects India’s sustained maritime presence and engagement in South East Asia.
Training Objectives
Provide comprehensive operational exposure to officer trainees in real-world maritime environments.
Enhance cross-cultural understanding through interactions with foreign navies and maritime agencies.
Familiarise trainees with international maritime practices and protocols.
Operational and Professional Engagements
Planned activities during port visits include:
Structured training exchanges
Cross-deck visits between navies
Interactions with subject matter experts
Joint Maritime Partnership exercises
Aimed at improving operational readiness and professional competence.
Strategic and Diplomatic Significance
Reinforces India’s Act East Policy through practical maritime engagement.
Supports India’s vision of a free, open and inclusive Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Serves as an instrument of maritime diplomacy, goodwill and confidence-building.
Interoperability and Cooperation
Engagements designed to:
Enhance interoperability with regional navies
Build mutual trust and understanding
Promote exchange of best practices in maritime operations
International and Joint Participation
The 110th IOTC includes six international officer trainees, reflecting India’s role in capacity building for friendly foreign nations.
Deployment also includes personnel from:
Indian Army
Indian Air Force
Strengthens tri-service jointness and operational cohesiveness.
Broader Implications
Demonstrates the Indian Navy’s emphasis on training excellence through exposure-based learning.
Contributes to regional maritime security cooperation in South East Asia.
The Long Range Training Deployment of 1TS integrates training, jointness, and maritime diplomacy.
Positions the Indian Navy as a responsible and collaborative maritime power, committed to regional stability, professional military education, and long-term strategic partnerships.
Bio-Bitumen Technology Transfer
Event Overview
Technology Transfer Ceremony: “Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads.”
Organisers: CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi & CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun.
Significance
Marks the transition of India’s highways from fossil-fuel dependency to bio-driven, circular economy solutions.
Introduces clean, green, sustainable, and cost-effective highways.
Demonstrates a Whole-of-Science, Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society approach.
Strategic Objectives
Supports national missions:
Cleanliness
Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance)
Economic self-reliance
Reduces stubble burning and environmental pollution.
Decreases import dependence on bitumen (currently ~50% of requirements).
Technology Overview
Process:
Collection of post-harvest rice straw.
Palletisation.
Pyrolysis to produce bio-oil.
Blending with conventional bitumen.
Performance: Can replace 20–30% of conventional bitumen without compromising quality.
Validation: Tested physically, chemically, rheologically, and mechanically.
Field Trial:100-metre stretch laid on Jorabat–Shillong Expressway (NH-40), Meghalaya.
Patent Filed and industries onboarded for commercial deployment.
Economic and Industrial Impact
Potential to replace ₹25,000–30,000 crore worth of imported bitumen annually.
Multiple value streams from pyrolysis:
Bio-binder for roads.
Energy-efficient gaseous fuel.
Bio-pesticide fractions.
High-grade carbon (for batteries, water purification, advanced materials).
Offers emission-free, cost-effective, and future-ready solutions.
Policy and Deployment
Calls for region-specific, resource-based research.
Proposes policy-level blending for pan-India deployment.
Minister assured institutional support for integration into national highway standards.
Significance for Science and Society
India is the first country globally to take bio-bitumen to industrial and commercial scale within the same year.
Reinforces collaboration between science, government, and industry.
Positions India on a path to clean, green, self-reliant, and sustainable highways.
Aditya-L1 Mission & Announcement of Opportunity
Event Context
Marks the second anniversary of Aditya-L1 reaching the Sun–Earth Lagrangian point L1.
ISRO released the first Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for observation proposals from Indian scientists.
Objective: Maximise scientific return from the mission.
Mission Timeline
Launch: September 2, 2023.
Reached L1: January 6, 2024 (127 days post-launch).
Current Status: Continuous, comprehensive solar observations underway.
Data Released: Over 23 TB of data already publicly available; multiple peer-reviewed publications based on mission data.
Significance of L1 Point
Located approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
Provides uninterrupted, continuous observation of the Sun.
Free from eclipses or occultation, unlike Earth-orbiting instruments.
Enables long-duration solar monitoring critical for space weather studies and solar physics research.
Announcement of Opportunity (AO)
Open to Indian scientists and researchers in solar physics working at universities, institutes, and colleges in India.
Purpose: Invite proposals for Aditya-L1 observation time during the first AO cycle.
Eligible applicants must:
Act as Principal Investigators (PIs).
Provide scientific and technical justification for proposed observations.
Be capable of analyzing mission data if observation time is approved.
Scientific and Strategic Importance
Aditya-L1 is India’s maiden solar mission, establishing India’s capability in space-based solar observation.
Offers unique opportunities for Indian solar physicists to utilize state-of-the-art data.
Supports global scientific research, as mission data are publicly accessible.
Reinforces ISRO’s approach of open science, collaboration, and data sharing.
Overall Implications
Enhances India’s scientific leadership in solar physics.
Encourages capacity building among Indian researchers.
Contributes to global understanding of the Sun and space weather phenomena.
Positions Aditya-L1 as a strategic asset for India’s space and scientific community.
China Bans Dual-Use Exports to Japan
Event Overview
China’s Action: Ban on exports of dual-use items to Japan that can have military applications.
Announcing Authority: Chinese Commerce Ministry.
Dual-Use Items
Items that have both civilian and military applications.
Include goods, software, and technologies, notably rare earth elements, essential for drones, semiconductors, and other defense-related tech.
