Morning Brief: India, US To Ink Trade Deal By 8 July; Apple Expanding iPhone Production In India Despite Trump’s Warnings; Bangladesh Army Chief Rebukes Yunus Regime; And More

Kick-start your morning with Swarajya’s Morning Brief – your news fix, curated for clarity and insight.

India, US To Ink Interim Trade Deal By 8 July

India is likely to sign an interim trade deal with the US by 8 July to avoid a 26 per cent retaliatory tariff on its goods, following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent visit to Washington, the Indian Express has reported. The deal, expected to cover goods, services, and digital trade, is part of a three-tranche agreement aimed at resolving trade tensions and boosting bilateral commerce.

While India seeks tariff concessions for sectors like textiles, leather, and agricultural products, the US is pushing for reduced tariffs on industrial goods, automobiles, and GM crops. Despite progress, a 10 per cent baseline tariff may still apply, as seen in similar US trade arrangements like the one with the UK.

Apple Expanding iPhone Production In India Despite Trump’s Warnings

Last week, US President Donald Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he didn’t want Apple to build iPhones in India, but this hasn’t stopped the company’s plans. Apple, working with its largest contract manufacturer Foxconn, is investing $2.56 billion in a new plant near Bengaluru, Karnataka, aiming to produce around 100,000 iPhones by December.

Foxconn’s sprawling 300-acre Devanahalli facility, located 34 km from Bengaluru’s airport, is already operational with machinery running and dormitories for up to 30,000 workers under construction. These dorms, expected to be ready by the end of the year, will be the largest such housing facility in India, similar to Foxconn’s other dorms in Tamil Nadu.

Shipments from the Karnataka plant are expected to begin by June, making it one of Foxconn’s largest facilities worldwide, second only to its operations in China.

Bangladesh Army Chief Rebukes Yunus Regime

Tensions have risen between Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman and the interim Muhammad Yunus regime over the proposed Rakhine corridor, a planned transit route connecting Bangladesh to Myanmar. General Waqar firmly rejected the idea of this corridor, calling it completely unacceptable and criticizing the interim government for making decisions without consulting the military.

He insisted that parliamentary elections must be held by December and that only an elected government should guide the country’s future. The army also expressed concerns about preserving the legacy of the Liberation War and vowed to crack down on mob violence and lawlessness. In response, interim regime officials denied any plans for the corridor and claimed alignment with the army’s position.

Other Developments

PM Modi To Visit Nal Air Base After Operation Sindoor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the Nal Air Base in Bikaner, Rajasthan, just days after inspecting the Adampur Air Base following Operation Sindoor. The visit comes in the wake of India’s successful strikes on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Islamabad’s failed attempts to retaliate by targeting Indian air bases.

Nal Air Base, located less than 150 kilometres from the Pakistan border, was among the sites Pakistan tried—but failed—to hit. The Prime Minister’s visit is seen as a strong message of confidence in India’s air defense preparedness.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is expected to visit Moscow next week. He is likely to push for the early delivery of the remaining two S-400 air defence systems, amid reports of possible fresh orders. His visit follows Indian air strikes under Operation Sindoor, where Russian-origin systems like BrahMos missiles and the S-400 played a key role.

Doval will attend a major security conference in Moscow and hold talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu. He is also expected to meet with several of his international counterparts on the sidelines.

China Reaffirms Strong Support For Pakistan

China has reaffirmed its strong support for Pakistan during a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar in Beijing. Wang said China will “firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and combating terrorism. Dar updated Wang on the ceasefire agreed with India on May 10 and expressed Pakistan’s willingness to maintain dialogue to ease tensions.

According to reports, China is likely to fast-track the delivery of new weapons to Pakistan in the aftermath of the failure of the Pakistan military's overwhelmingly Chinese gear, including air defence systems and the PL-15 air-to-air missiles. China could provide Pakistan with a stealth fighter to give its Air Force an upper hand in aerial duels—something the sale of J-10s has apparently failed to achieve.

From The States

TN: Madras HC Stays VC appointment Amendments

In a major embarrassment for the MK Stalin government, the Madras High Court has stayed the amendments that aimed to transfer the power of appointing vice-chancellors of state universities from the Governor to the state government. The DMK government strongly opposed the stay, claiming no urgency existed and that the matter was already pending before the Supreme Court.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that the Governor, as Chancellor, should remain apolitical and free from government interference. Despite objections of judicial impropriety and forum shopping, the court held its ground and paused the implementation of the amendments.

Karnataka Hands Over Trained Kumki Elephants To Andhra

The Karnataka government has officially handed over four trained Kumki elephants to Andhra Pradesh to help manage rising human-elephant conflicts. The handover ceremony took place at Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha, where the elephants were paraded before transport. Kumki elephants are specially trained to assist in conflict mitigation, guiding wild elephants away from human settlements without violence.

Their success relies heavily on their deep bond with mahouts, who train and guide them through complex operations. With this transfer, Andhra Pradesh aims to strengthen its conservation and conflict management efforts.

You’re all caught up—until next time.