Leveraging cultural connections, Centre, UP push for ‘Buddha rice’ exports to Thailand, Vietnam (mint)
The Uttar Pradesh government, with support from the commerce ministry, is promoting exports of Kalanamak rice—an iron-rich, GI-tagged, non-Basmati aromatic rice known as ‘Buddha rice’—to Buddhist-majority countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore, and Nepal, with over 500 tonnes already exported under a special 1,000-tonne quota granted post the April 2024 waiver. Despite India’s rice exports falling from $11.14 billion in FY23 to $10.42 billion in FY24 due to restrictions, the October 2024 lifting of the ban led to a rebound, pushing exports to $12.47 billion in FY25. UP aims to triple its exports from ₹1.7 trillion in FY24 to over ₹5 trillion by 2030 through a new policy focusing on market diversification, subsidies, and boosting Kalanamak rice cultivation, including a dedicated research centre in Siddharthnagar with the International Rice Research Institute.
In the race for exports, India’s competitive edge missing (Financial Express)
India’s position at the bottom of a recent Competitiveness Index, lagging behind Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, reflects structural inefficiencies in areas like low labour productivity, weak R&D, regulatory bottlenecks, and limited global integration, despite having a large and growing workforce. The return of protectionist US trade policies under Donald Trump and potential dumping by Chinese exporters intensify the risks, especially as India remains outside major trade blocs like RCEP and CPTPP, limiting its participation in global value chains. While strong domestic demand offers scale, it dampens export ambition, and addressing issues such as high tariffs, firm concentration, poor access to finance, and restrictive labour laws is critical if India is to transform its inward-looking model and seize opportunities in a shifting global trade environment.
Andhra four-lane corridor receives cabinet approval (The Economic Times)
The Union Cabinet has approved major infrastructure projects, including a Rs 3,653.10 crore four-lane Badvel-Nellore road corridor in Andhra Pradesh and two railway multitracking projects in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra costing Rs 3,399 crore. The 108.13 km DBFOT-mode highway will reduce travel to Krishnapatnam port by nearly 34 km and one hour, improving fuel efficiency, cutting carbon emissions, and generating 4.3 million man-days of employment. Meanwhile, the 176 km railway upgrades on the Ratlam-Nagda and Wardha-Balharshah routes, set for completion by 2029–30, are expected to add 18.4 million tonnes of freight capacity annually and ease passenger congestion by resolving key bottlenecks.
