Daily News - Friday, 18 July 2025
Dubai, Bali top picks for Indians in Jan-June; bookings for visa-easy destinations jump: OYO Report (Press Trust of India)
Indian travellers are increasingly opting for international destinations with simplified visa procedures, with OYO reporting a 65% year-on-year surge in bookings to places like Dubai, Bali, and Bangkok in the first half of 2025. Dubai saw a threefold rise in bookings by families, while Bali gained traction among couples and honeymooners, with average stays ranging from 5–7 days in Southeast Asia and 3–5 days in the Middle East. Capitalising on this trend, OYO is expanding its network of 50 premium hotels across these regions, aiming to meet the growing demand for curated, high-end travel experiences.
Agri and processed foods exports rise 7% to $ 5.9 billion in Q1 (Financial Express)
India’s agricultural and processed food exports have grown over 7% year-on-year to $5.96 billion in Q1 of FY26, driven largely by rising shipments of rice, buffalo meat, and fruits and vegetables. Rice exports alone rose to $2.9 billion, cementing India’s position as the world’s top rice exporter with a 40% global market share, boosted by easing of export restrictions and supply shortfalls in competitor countries. Buffalo meat exports surged over 17% to $1.18 billion, with India now the world’s second-largest exporter, while overall APEDA basket exports hit $25.14 billion in FY25 — accounting for over half of total agri-export value.
50 developing nations back India’s push for fairer WTO fish subsidy rules (The Economic Times)
India has garnered support from around 50 developing and least developed countries, including Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Senegal, at the WTO for its push to make fisheries subsidies fairer by basing them on per capita levels and allowing special exemptions for poor and artisanal fishers. While developed nations are proposing a transition period of 5–7 years, India is seeking a 25-year exemption to protect its small-scale fishing communities, pointing to the stark contrast in subsidies — $76,000 per fisher in developed countries versus just $35 in India. As WTO members negotiate the second phase of the fisheries agreement (Fish 2), India is emphasising sustainability over market access, arguing that new rules should not punish poorer nations while letting historically high subsidisers off the hook.
India has no basis to hit back against steel, auto tariffs: US (The Economic Times)
The US has told the WTO that India has “no legal basis” to propose retaliatory tariffs on American steel, aluminium, and automobile products, asserting its duties are justified under national security exceptions. India, however, argues these safeguard measures affect $10.5 billion worth of its exports — including $7.6 billion in metals and $2.89 billion in auto products — with potential duty collections exceeding $4.5 billion. The dispute surfaces even as both countries continue negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement, with Indian officials currently in Washington for the fifth round of talks.
India not worried about possible US sanctions on Russian oil imports: petroleum minister (Mint)
India has downplayed concerns over potential US secondary sanctions on Russian oil imports, with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stating that the country is confident in managing any disruption due to ample global supply and diversified sourcing from nearly 40 countries. Russian oil, once just 0.2% of India’s imports in early 2022, now constitutes around 36%, with India defending its buying strategy as driven by national and consumer interest amid steep discounts. Highlighting domestic readiness, Puri noted that India has opened up 1 million sq km for exploration under the OALP and maintains sufficient inventories to handle even severe geopolitical shocks like a Strait of Hormuz blockade.
