First Steps Taken And Tested For ‘Sudarshan Chakra’; Govt Planning Export Support Package; And More

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Highlights From PM Modi’s Speech At A Media Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi. Here are seven highlights from his speech in quotes:

1. Hail Macro Stability: “Experts are saying that India’s contribution to global growth will soon reach around 20 per cent. This growth, this resilience that we are witnessing in India’s economy, is the result of the macro-economic stability achieved in the past decade. Today, our fiscal deficit is estimated to have come down to 4.4 per cent. And this is despite the fact that we went through such a major crisis during COVID”.

2. GST Reform by Diwali: “A major reform is underway in GST, set to be completed by this Diwali, making GST simpler and bringing down prices.”
   

3. Reforms by Conviction: “For us, reforms are neither a compulsion nor crisis-driven, but a matter of commitment and conviction.” He also said: “It is not in my nature to be satisfied with goals already achieved. Same approach applies to reforms, and the government is determined to move further ahead”.
   

4. Catching Up With Missed Buses: “In common parlance, we often hear and even say a phrase — ‘missing the bus.’ It means when an opportunity comes and then slips away. Previous governments in our country have missed many such buses of technology and industry. I have not come here today with the intention of criticising anyone, but in a democracy, making comparisons sometimes helps clarify the situation better.”
   
   “We all know that India could have started semiconductor manufacturing 50–60 years ago. But India missed that bus too, and this continued for many years. Today, we have changed this situation. Semiconductor-related factories have already started coming up in India, and by the end of this year, the first Made-in-India chip will be available in the market.”
   

5. Quantum Leaps, Not Incremental Change: “We are moving ahead with the goal of a quantum jump, not just incremental change.”

DRDO Successfully Tests Integrated Air Defence Weapon System

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday successfully carried out the maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the Odisha coast around 12:30 pm.

The test marks a key milestone in India’s efforts to develop a fully indigenous, multi-layered air defence shield under Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which aims to establish a nationwide security architecture against multidomain threats by 2035.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the IADWS integrates Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW). During the tests, three different targets — two high-speed fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and a multi-copter drone — were simultaneously engaged and destroyed by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and High Energy Laser weapon system at varying ranges and altitudes.

Dharmasthala Case: 'Mass Burial' Complainant Arrested By SIT For Perjury

A Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday (23 August) arrested a former sanitation worker whose complaint triggered the investigation into alleged mass burials in temple town Dharmasthala. 

The complainant, who had so far appeared before the panel wearing a mask, has been identified as C N Chinnaiah, according to police information reported by news agencies.

The complainant, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple was arrested for perjury after inconsistencies were found in the statements and documents provided by him. He has been remanded to police custody.

Chinnaiah had earlier told investigators that he buried dozens of bodies in suspicious cases between 1995 and 2014.

On 11 July, he appeared before a Belthangady magistrate to record his statement.

Acting on his inputs, the SIT carried out searches from 29 July to 12 August at 13 sites, but recovered remains at only one.

According to reports,, investigators are looking at a potential conspiracy to malign the administrators of the Sree Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple Trust and its dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade, a Rajya MP associated with the BJP.

Other Developments

U.S. Vice President Vance Defends Tariffs on India as Leverage Against Russia

US Vice President JD Vance has defended penal tariffs on India as part of Washington’s strategy to push Russia into talks with Ukraine.

Asked by a news channel about what pressures could work, Vance said: “The President (Donald Trump) has applied aggressive economic leverage; for example, the secondary tariffs on India, to try to make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy.” On why China had not faced new measures, he noted: “We already have 54 per cent tariffs on the PRC (People’s Republic of China). And we are constantly encouraging the Chinese to be better partners.”

Government Plans Rs 25,000-Crore Export Support Package Amid Tariff Pressures

According to reports, the government is finalising a Rs 25,000-crore support package under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, to boost Indian exporters over the next six years. A report in a news agency claimed that the proposal, sent to the expenditure finance committee of the finance ministry, will be placed before the Union Cabinet once cleared.

The initiative comes as Indian exports face fresh headwinds from U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, effective 27 August. 

The mission comprises two schemes — Niryat Protsahan (Rs 10,000+ crore), covering interest support and trade finance, and Niryat Disha (Rs 14,500+ crore), focusing on compliance, branding, warehousing and global market access.

CII Comes Up With 250-Point Reform Blueprint 

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday unveiled a reform blueprint, “Policies for a Competitive India,” featuring over 250 actionable recommendations across 14 reform areas. Key proposals include:

• Tax reforms: Simplified GST, expanded coverage to petroleum and real estate, and tariff rationalisation.
  

• Labour policies: Streamlined codes, gig economy legislation, minimum wage frameworks, and fast-track dispute resolution.
  

• Public sector reforms: Privatisation of non-strategic PSUs, a sovereign wealth fund, and decriminalisation of minor violations with time-bound approvals and single-window clearances.
  

• Energy & infrastructure: Competitive tariffs, elimination of cross-subsidisation, inclusion of nuclear energy, and a green hydrogen roadmap.
  

• Trade & industrial competitiveness: E-commerce export strategy, capital support for MSMEs, industrial corridors, and sustainability-linked procurement. 

BJP Slams Opposition Over ‘Propaganda’ On Aadhaar And Voter Enrolment

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the Opposition of spreading “propaganda” over the Supreme Court’s order on Aadhaar and voter enrolment during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

“The Supreme Court only said Aadhaar can be submitted along with other accepted documents. It never said Aadhaar alone is valid for enrolment,” BJP national secretary and IT cell head Amit Malviya said. “Attributing to the Supreme Court what it has not said is contempt of court,” he added.

Malviya stressed that “Aadhaar is only a proof of identity and residence and it does not establish citizenship,” noting that the Aadhaar Act itself makes this clear. He said the judgment nowhere suggested Aadhaar should be used as a valid document for SIR.

“The truth is simple: SIR is intact, Aadhaar alone cannot get you enrolled; dead, fake, Bangladeshi and Rohingya names will be removed and only Indian citizens will elect the next government – not foreigners”, said Malviya. 

Airtel Users Face Fresh Outage Across Major Cities

Days after a major disruption, Airtel services were hit again on Sunday, affecting users in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Surat, and Ahmedabad. Complaints on DownDetector peaked at 12:15 pm with over 7,100 reports, mostly of signal issues and mobile internet failure. Airtel Cares attributed the disruption to a “temporary connectivity issue,” assuring users that services would be restored within an hour.

You’re all caught up. Until next time.