India expects consumption tax cuts announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a boost to the economy without hurting the government’s fiscal deficit, helping to offset the fallout from higher US tariffs.

Farmers are a key political constituency in India and they violently protested against Modi's last big push to reform the sector, forcing him to repeal three farm laws in 2021 in what was a rare defeat for him.

Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after the ruling NDA alliance named him as its vice presidential candidate.

"The bear hugs have gone. The smiles have curled into sneers." The former friendship between Donald Trump and Indian PM Narendra Modi has descended into acrimony, said Amrit Dhillon and George Grylls in The Times.

Businesses and political pundits nonetheless praised tax cuts, saying they will bolster his image in his trade fight with Washington.

"Development our fate... one milestone at a time," said PM Modi while inaugurating the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three new metro routes in Kolkata on August 22, with a series of programmes scheduled across the city throughout the day. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not be attending the event despite being invited,

India aims to slash taxes on small cars and insurance premiums as part of a sweeping reform of its goods and services tax (GST), a government source said on Monday, sparking a rally in Indian stock markets.