Daily News - Tuesday, 30 December 2025
Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta to Invest $67.5 Billion on India’s AI Future (Free Press Journal)
US tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta—are collectively investing $67.5 billion into India’s AI and data centre ecosystem, making it one of the largest single‑sector capital inflows in the country’s history. Microsoft has pledged $17.5 billion for AI‑related projects in India, while Amazon announced a $35 billion investment over five years to expand AI‑powered operations nationwide. Google committed $15 billion to build data centres in partnership with Adani Group and Bharti Airtel, while Meta is setting up a large facility near Google’s sites. Together, these commitments total $67.5 billion, making it one of the largest single‑sector investments in India’s history, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). India currently generates nearly one‑fifth of global data but has only 5% of U.S. data capacity, highlighting the infrastructure gap that these investments aim to close. The Government of India, through MeitY and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is updating its National Data Centre Policy to align with AI consumption demands, including data localisation rules and incentives for renewable energy use. New hubs are emerging in Hyderabad, Chennai, and coastal regions, supported by policy incentives, reliable power supply, and water access, though challenges remain around land availability, electricity demand, and sustainability.
India Targets 1 Million International Students by 2047 With US$10 Billion Bharat Vidya Kosh to Make India a Global Education Hub (Fortune India)
NITI Aayog, in consultation with 160 Indian universities and 30 international institutions, released the report “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations” in December 2025. The framework outlines 22 policy recommendations and 76 actionable pathways, positioning internationalisation as a central pillar for achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047. A flagship initiative is the “Vishwa Bandhu Fellowship”, designed to attract top‑tier global researchers and faculty, especially from the Indian diaspora, with incentives and streamlined visa processes overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs. The plan includes replicating the GIFT City model to create regional research hubs, leveraging clusters like Genome Valley (biotech) and Bengaluru (AI), under the guidance of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Department of Higher Education. India aims to host between 300,000 to 1.1 million international students by 2047, supported by a proposed $10 billion “Bharat Vidya Kosh” National Research Sovereign Wealth Impact Fund, aligning with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). By integrating global metrics and easing regulatory hurdles, the roadmap seeks to transform India from a “source country” of outbound students into a premier global destination for higher learning and research, cementing its role as a Vishwa Guru in the 21st century.
Commerce Ministry Maps 100 Products Identified for Domestic Production as India Prepares 10‑Year Industrial Roadmap (Economic Times)
At the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries (Dec 2025), Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the Union Government and state governments to coordinate in shortlisting 100 target products/sectors for domestic manufacturing. The initiative is part of the National Manufacturing Mission (NMM), announced in the Union Budget 2025‑26 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, with an allocation of Rs. 100 crore (US$12 million). The mission is expected to generate 22 lakh jobs, create a Rs. 4 lakh crore (US$4.8 billion) turnover, and enhance exports by Rs. 1.1 lakh crore (US$13.2 billion). The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, led by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, has already begun mapping imports into raw materials, intermediates, and finished products to identify substitution opportunities. Modi emphasized that India must pursue “zero defect, eco‑friendly” manufacturing, positioning Make in India as a global brand while strengthening Ease of Doing Business in land, utilities, and infrastructure. The plan also ties into the PM Dhan Dhanya Yojana, which targets 100 low‑productivity districts for agricultural reforms, and aims to leverage India’s 70% working‑age population to build human capital for Viksit Bharat 2047.
India’s IIP Hits 2‑Year High at 6.7% in November 2025 as Manufacturing and Mining Drive Industrial Growth (Financial Express)
India’s IIP surged to 6.7% in November 2025, the highest in two years, compared to 5% in November 2024, driven mainly by manufacturing (8% growth) and mining. The manufacturing sector showed strong gains in basic metals, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles, while power generation contracted by 1.5%, reflecting post‑festive normalization. According to PHDCCI President Rajeev Juneja and Secretary General Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, the momentum in manufacturing and mining signals strengthening industrial demand that could support broader economic growth. ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar noted that festive‑season restocking and normalization in mining/electricity boosted November’s numbers, but forecast IIP growth to ease to 3.5–5% in December 2025. Brickwork Ratings’ Rajeev Sharan highlighted that broad‑based demand across capital goods and consumer durables supports a Q3 FY2026 GDP growth estimate of 7.3%, strengthening credit outlooks for industrial borrowers. Analysts at MP Financial Advisory Services added that the rebound reflects improving investment activity, with capital goods and infrastructure output rising, positioning India’s industrial sector for resilience despite external challenges like US tariffs and GST adjustments.
India’s Northeast Emerges as a Growth Engine as Assam Tops India’s Growth Chart With 45% GSDP Surge (FY20-FY25) (Business Today)
According to RBI data, India’s real GDP rose 29% between FY20 and FY25, from ₹145.35 lakh crore (~US$1.75 trillion) to ₹187.97 lakh crore (~US$2.26 trillion). Assam was the fastest‑growing state, with 45% growth, as its GSDP increased from ₹2.4 lakh crore (~US$29 billion) to ₹3.5 lakh crore (~US$42 billion), driven by agriculture, oil & gas, and infrastructure investment. Tamil Nadu ranked second with 39% growth, expanding from ₹12.4 lakh crore (~US$149 billion) to ₹17.3 lakh crore (~US$208 billion), supported by automobiles, electronics, textiles, and services. Karnataka posted 36% growth, rising from ₹11.5 lakh crore (~US$139 billion) to ₹15.7 lakh crore (~US$189 billion), led by technology services, startups, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. Uttar Pradesh recorded 35% growth, increasing from ₹11.7 lakh crore (~US$141 billion) to ₹15.8 lakh crore (~US$190 billion), powered by its large domestic market, agriculture, and logistics infrastructure. Other states in the top 10 include Rajasthan ₹6.8–9.1 lakh crore (US$82–110 billion), Bihar ₹4.0–5.3 lakh crore (US$48–64 billion), Andhra Pradesh ₹6.5–8.7 lakh crore (US$78–105 billion), Chhattisgarh ₹2.5–3.3 lakh crore (US$30–40 billion), Jharkhand ₹2.3–3.0 lakh crore (US$28–36 billion), and Telangana ₹6.4–8.4 lakh crore (US$77–101 billion), each driven by sectoral strengths such as mining, renewable energy, tourism, ports, and IT.
