In what may come as no surprise, United States President Donald Trump has announced 25 percent tariff and additional penalty for goods imported from India starting 1 August 2025.

The announcement was made by Trump on social media platform ‘Truth Social’, wherein he stated that ‘While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!’

Over the last few months, India has been trying to work with the United States government to reach a trade deal, but no concrete deal has been finalised as of yet.

Reacting to the announcement, the Indian government stated, ‘The government has taken note of a statement by the US President on bilateral trade.  The government is studying its implications. India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective. The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK.’

At present, India’s top five exports to the United States include precious stones, metals & pearls (14.3%), electrical machinery & electronics (14%), pharmaceutical products (12.6%), machinery, mechanical appliances & parts (7.7%), mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation (6.1%).

While nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery parts; mineral fuel, oil; optic, photo, medical, surgical instruments; electric machinery; and pharamecutical products were the key imports for India from the USA.

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Fery Rides, an Indian mobility start-up focussing on women's transportation led by women, has raised INR 20.75 million in a seed funding round led by IAN Angel Fund, part of IAN Group, with participation from Hari Balasubramanian, Uday Chatterjee and Sri Prakash.

The funding will be used to strengthen the technology platform, expand operations beyond the NCR region and onboard more women drivers, which the start-up refers to as Sister Partners.

The start-up aims to provide safe and reliable transport for women passengers, with every ride operated by trained and verified women drivers. The platform is developed by Ajay Kumar, alongside Vindhya Mehrotra and Himanshu Chaubey, with a key focus on women's safety.

The all EV service uses an app for onboarding, real-time tracking with SOS alerts and WhatsApp-enabled customer support.

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Sterling Tools, a leading automotive component manufacturer, has announced its subsidiary Sterling Gtake, which focusses on electric vehicle, has been rebranded as Sterling E-Mobility Solutions.

The company stated that the strategic rebranding is part of its portfolio expansion and its aim to be an integrated solutions supplier for EV powertrains and power electronics.

Anil Aggarwal, Chairman, Sterling Tools, said, “We are proud to begin this new chapter as Sterling E-Mobility Solutions. This rebranding reflects our commitment to delivering integrated EV solutions powered by global innovation and local expertise. Our exclusive partnership with Gtake remains strong, and we’re excited to explore new collaborations that strengthen our leadership in the EV ecosystem. We thank our partners and customers for their continued trust and support as we work together to shape India’s e-mobility future.”

In May 2025, Sterling entered into a technology licensing agreement with Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), UK, to manufacture magnet-free motors in India. In Sep 2025, the company announced another key partnership with Landworld Technology Co., China, for their range of on-board chargers and DC/DC converters.

Furthermore, the company’s existing relationships with Jiangsu Gtake Electric Co., for the Indian market, remains strong and unchanged. This partnership continues to flourish, with multiple products being developed by Gtake and localised by Sterling to meet domestic requirements.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samagra Shikshana Karnataka (Department of School Education and Literacy), Government of Karnataka, to strengthen vocational education for students in Grades 9 to 12.

The collaboration aims to link education with industry, provide students with experience in automobile technology and address the demand for skilled workers. The initiative will also focus on the development of school students.

The programme will be carried out in eight government schools across seven districts of Karnataka, reaching more than 800 students. The schools are located in Kudur and Kanakapura (Bengaluru South), Peenya (Bengaluru Urban), Bagepalli (Chikkaballapur), Byadagi (Haveri), Harapanahalli (Vijayanagara), Turvihal (Raichur) and Haliyal (Uttara Kannada).

The MoU was signed in the presence of K Vidya Kumari, IAS, State Project Director, Samagra Shikshana Karnataka, MR Maruti, KAS, Director (Quality), SSK and A Ramesh Rao, Vice-President, External Affairs-Karnataka & Corporate Social Responsibility, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

The partnership includes teacher training through a comprehensive Train-the-Trainer programme, which will give faculty members exposure to Toyota’s manufacturing and learning processes. TKM will also set up automobile skill laboratories in the schools to deliver practical, industry-specific knowledge. Students will also gain exposure to industrial environments and company practices, promoting discipline, a safety mindset and respect for people.

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The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has virtually inaugurated the Mahindra Tractors Skill Development Centre in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.

The initiative is a major effort to empower rural youth by providing them with industry-relevant skills and opening up new employment opportunities in the region.

The new centre was established by Mahindra Tractors, India’s leading tractor brand, at the Government ITI college in Gadchiroli. It is a collaborative effort with the Department of Vocational Education & Training (DVET) and the Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS), aligning with the national and state focus on skill development.

The centre will focus on giving the local youth industry-ready skills by providing a structured curriculum, modern technical equipment and hands-on experience in various aspects of tractor and farm machinery. The programme aims to boost local livelihoods by creating career opportunities in the ecosystem, including assembly roles at manufacturing plants and service positions at dealerships.

Veejay Nakra, President – Farm Equipment Business, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “We at Mahindra are deeply honoured that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mahindra Tractor Skill Development Centre in Gadchiroli. Maharashtra is not just a leading industrial centre, but a state that is deeply connected to the Farm Sectors growth journey. It is a matter of great pride for us to partner with the Government of Maharashtra, creating a future where our rural communities are uplifted by cultivating skills and harvesting hope.”

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