The wide variety of street food defines the culinary adventure India is. We love gorging on Bhel Puri, Papdi Chaat, pakoras, Dabeli, momos? The list is exhausting. And there are lots of lesser-known snacks too! Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com takes you on a tour.
India has issued over 3,000 postage stamps since Independence -- stamps that are reminders of who we are & our rich inheritance. They honour our identity, culture, leaders, legends, land, animals, plants, monuments, historical events, institutions, scientific achievements.
An Indian train journey is a life experience. Some sweet, some bitter. Either way it is unforgettable, if not memorable.
India is a Blessed Land. Which place in the world has as so many exquisite living shrines of all faiths? Of the estimated 450,000 notable Indian religious sites, 55,000 are mosques.
Unlike Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, who have countless temples across India, Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe and one of the triad of principal Hindu deities, has only a few temples dedicated to him. There are several legends about why this is so. The most-believed version is that Lord Shiva was angry with Lord Brahma, for a lie he told, and cursed him saying no one would worship him on earth.
Motorola on April 2 introduced the first smartphone in its Edge 60 series -- the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion. It caters to buyers in India looking for a device under 30,000.
For India, many of its rivers are not merely rivers. They are holy rivers and are rivers revered as goddesses, intertwined with religion and life rituals. Six of India's holy rivers are also its longest rivers.
Where should you go in India to unwind, get well, be healthy and indulge in spas, massage and more? Given India's deep-rooted wellness traditions, there are tonnes of calm, scenic places promising relaxation, rejuvenation, and holistic healing.
India is known for some of the world's tallest statues, many built in recent years. They represent India's close emotional ties with religion and history and are landmarks to our cultural pride.
India is already negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US. The two countries are aiming to finalise the first phase of the pact by fall (September-October) of this year.
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati will host a Test match for the time when India play South Africa in the second Test in November.
India's manufacturing sector growth rose to an eight-month high in March, driven by quicker increases in factory orders and production amid buoyant demand conditions, a monthly survey said on Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was at 58.1 in March, up from 56.3 in February, indicating a substantial improvement in the health of the sector that was above its long-run average. In February, India's manufacturing PMI fell to a 14-month low amid softer increase in new orders and production.
Poco has recently launched the Poco F7 Ultra, a smartphone designed to cater to mid-range consumers in India. This device offers a blend of high-end features and performance at a competitive price point.
Commuters on national highways and expressways will need to pay more for their road journeys, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased toll charges by an average of 4 to 5 per cent on highway sections across the country. The revised toll charges for motorists on national highways across the country have come into effect from Tuesday, a senior highways ministry official told PTI.
Indian exporters' body FIEO on Thursday said the 27 per cent tariffs or import duties announced by US President Donald Trump pose challenges for domestic players but India's position remains comparatively more favourable than that of its competitor nations. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president S C Ralhan said that despite the tariffs, certain sectors in India, including apparel, gems and jewellery, leather, electronics, chemicals, plastics, and furniture, may experience a diversion of exports, potentially offsetting some adverse effects.
'What signal would we be sending -- that we don't stand by our friends?'
England skipper Ben Stokes and right-arm seamer Brydon Carse are unlikely to feature in the upcoming Test series against India and the Ashes as they are still recovering from injuries.
The White House has said India imposes a 100% tariff on American agricultural products and the high levies charged by other countries make it "virtually impossible" for US products to be exported to those nations. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries on American goods. He plans to roll out a set of reciprocal tariffs on April 2, which he says will be "Liberation Day" for the US.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf lists India's top polluted city.
An Indian defence firm has refuted a report in The New York Times that linked the company to a Russian arms agency, calling it "factually incorrect" and "misleading". The report suggested that military hardware supplied by a British firm to the Indian company may have found its way to Rosoboronexport, the Russian state arms agency. The Indian firm said it has scrupulously followed all its international obligations and that India's legal framework on strategic trade guides its companies' overseas ventures. The New York Times report cited documents claiming that a British aerospace manufacturer, H.R. Smith Group, sold sensitive technology to the Indian firm, which is a major trading partner of Rosoboronexport. The company, however, denied the allegations, stating that the equipment was destined for an Indian search-and-rescue network and is not designed for military use.
Here are some of the avatars of Modi and others that are doing the rounds of the internet.
India and China celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on Tuesday, with leaders from both countries exchanging congratulatory messages. The anniversary comes as the two countries are working to restore ties after a four-year freeze due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Both countries have expressed a willingness to enhance strategic mutual trust and step up cooperation in various fields. The two sides are also exploring ways to rebuild ties and promote people-to-people exchanges.
Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has called upon China to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could present an opportunity. Yunus, who recently visited China and met with President Xi Jinping, highlighted Bangladesh's role as the "only guardian of the ocean " in the region, suggesting it could be a pathway for Chinese economic expansion. This statement has sparked debate, with Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic advisory council, questioning the relevance of India's landlocked states in Yunus' appeal to China. Yunus, however, emphasized the importance of a strong friendship with China, viewing it as a counterbalance to India. During his visit, Yunus signed nine agreements with Beijing and secured USD 2.1 billion in investments, loans, and grants from the Chinese government and companies.
While India has become the largest data generating nation, and hosts more than 152 data centres, it is fed by only 18 undersea cables.
The USTR report, released just ahead of the US' April 2 deadline for implementing reciprocal tariffs, has also cited high tariffs and price caps, which have not increased in line with inflation, as key obstacles for US businesses.
The Indian team will tour Australia later this year for a multi-format limited overs series comprising three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.
India is expected to experience hotter-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heatwave days in central and eastern India and the northwestern plains, the IMD said. Most parts of the country will see higher-than-normal maximum temperatures, except for some areas in western and eastern India where the temperatures are expected to be normal. Minimum temperatures will also be above normal in most regions. The IMD has warned that landslides could occur in parts of Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats and that northeastern states might face flooding in April.
The commerce ministry is working on different scenarios to assess the possible fallout of reciprocal tariffs to be imposed by the US administration on April 2 on its key trading partners including India, sources said. US President Donald Trump has said that April 2 will be 'Liberation Day' as he plans to announce tariffs or import duties to bring down America's trade deficit, and promote the country's manufacturing.
Vivo has introduced a new smartphone in India, expanding its Y series lineup. The newly-launched Vivo Y39 has come up with an array of great features, making it a noteworthy addition to the brand's portfolio.
India ranks 6th in the Asia-Pacific region for the Italian super luxury carmaker.
Sunita added that "I hope, and I think for sure, I'm gonna be going back to my father's home country and visiting with people and getting excited about the first, or not the first, but the Indian national who's going up on the Axiom Mission coming up, pretty awesome," she said.
An Indian Air Force C-130 J aircraft carrying 15 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators, and essential medicines, landed in Yangon on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
India maintains "high" import duties on a wide range of American goods such as agricultural items, drug formulations, and alcoholic beverages, besides imposing non-tariif barriers, a US report has said. A day before announcing reciprocal tariffs, the US Trade Representative (USTR) released the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on March 31.
The World Happiness Report -- published yearly by the Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network & an independent editorial board -- brings new insights on where in the world happiness is a way of life. The 2025 report, while looking at global well-being, discovered that Finland continues to lead as the happiest nation on the planet.
The remarks assume significance since Trump has repeatedly criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries on American goods.
Goods from sectors, including agriculture, precious stones, chemicals, pharma, medical devices, electricals, and machinery may get impacted if the US will go ahead with imposing reciprocal tariffs on Indian products, according to experts. They said that these sectors could face additional customs duties from the Trump administration because of the high tariff differential or gap, which is the difference between the import duties imposed by the US and India on a product.
"Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," Modi said on X.
On India, the chart showed that the country charged 52 per cent tariffs on the US "including currency manipulation and trade barriers," and America will now charge India "discounted reciprocal tariffs" of 26 per cent.
Gurindervir Singh shattered the men's 100m national record, clocking an impressive 10.20 seconds at the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bengaluru.
"Their Prime Minister just visited -- he's a great friend -- but I told him, 'You're not treating us right. You charge us 52%, while for years, decades even, we've c'harged you next to nothing. It wasn't until seven years ago, when I took office, that we started pushing back, beginning with China.'"
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