PM Modi to visit Canda in Dec as ties gather fresh momentum
NEW DELHI, 14 October — Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada in December, according to the readout issued in Ottawa by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office after the two leaders spoke by telephone on 13 October 2026.
The PMO said the two leaders agreed to “build on the positive momentum” in ties and to work towards concrete outcomes in five areas of the strategic partnership: trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties.
What India gains
a firm date for a Prime Ministerial visit, a named target for trade, and a partner that has put energy and agriculture at the centre of the conversation.
At a glance
Call: 13 October 2026, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Carney
Trade goal: two-way trade doubled by 2030
Trade agreement: talks to conclude “at the earliest opportunity”
Next meeting: Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Canada, December
What India gains
A dated calendar for the partnership, and agriculture and energy named as shared priorities.
Rs 20,23 lakh crore projects mapped before groundbreaking
NEW DELHI, 14 October — Before a large railway line, highway or pipeline goes to approval, it can now be checked on a single digital map. The Network Planning Group has used it to evaluate 421 infrastructure projects worth ₹20.23 lakh crore, according to a Ministry of Commerce and Industry release.
At a glance
Projects evaluated: 421, worth ₹20.23 lakh crore
Data layers: more than 1,800 (1,463 in 2023–24)
Coverage: 58 Central ministries and departments, all 36 States and UTs
Tools and apps: more than 65 software tools, more than 100 applications
What India gains
A home-built planning map that screens big projects before money is committed.
All Indian ports to go digital by March 2027
MUMBAI, 14 October — All of India’s ports, major and minor, are to join the Maritime Single Window, Sagar Setu, by March 2027, the 21st meeting of the Maritime State Development Council stated after a meeting in Mumbai.
By the same date, every port is to adopt the One Nation One Port Process, which brings a single set of documents and re-engineered procedures. Port tariffs must now be published electronically.
What India gains
A lower and more predictable costs at every port for exporters, and a cushion that lets Indian yards bid for large, long orders.
North- East banks lend Rs 47 for every Rs 100 deposited
AIZAWL, 14 October — For every ₹100 deposited in banks across the North East, only ₹47 is lent back in the region. This was stated by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia during the North East Bankers Conclave 3.0 at Mizoram University,
At a glance
Credit-deposit ratio: ₹47 lent for every ₹100 deposited
Network: 6,674 branches, 5,823 ATMs; touchpoints in about 99.93% of villages
Added since the first conclave: 131 branches, 126 ATMs, 47 IPPB centres
UPI share of non-branch transactions: 90.2%
What India gains
Savings that stay and work in the North East.
India opens Andaman Sea to critical mineral hunt
NEW DELHI, 14 October — Two offshore mineral blocks in the Andaman Sea, covering 1,632 square kilometres between them, are up for auction, the Ministry of Mines told prospective bidders at an outreach meeting in New Delhi.
Sewell Rise-01 covers 632 square kilometres and West Sewell Ridge-01 covers 1,000. Both hold polymetallic nodules and crusts, which carry nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, metals that batteries, electronics and steel all need.
What India gains
A possible domestic source, in its own waters, of metals that the Ministry calls essential for industry and new technology.
Haryana stubble fires fall 53pc, Punjab also sees decline
NEW DELHI, 14 October — Stubble-burning incidents in Haryana fell 53.3% between 15 September and 12 October 2026 compared with the same period last year. The same was true in case of Uttar Pradesh where it reduced by about 32%, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. Punjab also recorded a fall. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan recorded increases, and the two States were asked to draw up special plans for the affected districts and villages.
Blitz Data Card
Fall in incidents, 15 September–12 October: Haryana 53.3%, Uttar Pradesh about 32%
Machines supplied: more than 3.54 lakh, plus 26,109 in 2026–27
Funds released 2018–19 to 2025–26: ₹4,266.47 crore
2026–27: ₹430.87 crore released of ₹592.57 crore allocated
What India gains
Cleaner air and a second income stream for paddy farmers.
Kundli to host India-Canada pulse protein centre
KUNDLI (HARYANA), 14 October — The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli, and the University of Saskatchewan aim to set up a joint centre of excellence on pulse protein at Kundli by next year. This was revealed by the institute’s director Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi during an an India–Canada roundtable.
What India gains
A laboratory route to more value from the pulses its farmers grow, and a research partner from one of the world’s largest pulse-growing regions.
