Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a traditional welcome in Tokyo from Japanese women dressed in colorful Rajasthani attire, who greeted him with "Padharo Mhare Des" (Welcome to my land). The performers presented classical Indian dances including Mohiniyattam, Kathak, Bharatnatyam, and Odissi, along with the folk song 'Vaari jaavu re.' Modi, visibly moved, applauded and interacted with the artists. One Kathak performer called performing for Modi "like a gold medal." The welcome preceded Modi's two-day Japan visit for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with counterpart Shigeru Ishiba. Modi emphasized strengthening the Special Strategic and Global Partnership and praised the Indian community in Japan for preserving cultural roots while contributing to Japanese society.

Economist Richard Wolff sharply criticized Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on India as misguided and strategically harmful to the U.S. Calling the U.S. posture akin to a “mouse hitting an elephant,” he warned the move will alienate India and accelerate trade realignment toward the BRICS bloc. By shutting off the American market, India will increasingly rely on BRICS for trade, thereby strengthening the alternative economic grouping. Wolff highlighted that BRICS now produce 35% of global output—overtaking the G7, which stands at 28%—signaling a transformative shift in the global economic order.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Tokyo today (August 29, 2025) to kick off a two-day diplomatic tour centered on the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit—his first standalone visit in nearly seven years and first summit with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba. Summit talks will deepen the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” spanning defense, high-speed rail (E10 Shinkansen), AI, semiconductors, and QUAD cooperation. Japan may pledge up to $68 billion in investments. Cultural warmth greeted Modi’s arrival, with Japanese followers chanting the Gayatri Mantra and performing folk songs. The visit precedes his journey to China for the SCO Summit in Tianjin beginning August 31. (PC: X)  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on Sunday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. This is Modi’s first visit to China since the 2020 border standoff. Talks will focus on keeping the border peaceful, resuming exchanges like the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and strengthening trade ties. Both sides want to avoid new trade barriers and rebuild trust. China recently promised to address India’s concerns over export restrictions. With US tariffs creating global turbulence, India and China share an interest in protecting the world economic order. The meeting aims to advance normalisation of ties. (PC: X)

American economist Richard Wolff criticized US tariffs on India, calling them “a mouse hitting an elephant.” He said Washington is hurting itself by pressuring India over Russian oil imports. US President Donald Trump recently doubled tariffs to 50% on many Indian goods. Wolff warned the move will push India closer to BRICS, which already accounts for 35% of global output, compared to the G7’s 28%. He argued India will find other buyers if the US market closes. Wolff said the US is acting like a “tough guy” but only strengthening BRICS as an alternative to Western dominance. (PC: NDTV)

American economist Richard Wolff said the United States is “shooting itself in the foot” by imposing 50% tariffs on Indian exports. Speaking to TV host Rick Sanchez, he warned that Washington’s move will only push India towards other markets and strengthen the BRICS bloc. Sanchez called the tariff decision a “world-changing” moment, saying historians will note the shift. Wolff added that India, now the world’s most populous country, is not a small player the US can pressure. He argued that shutting India out will accelerate BRICS’ rise as a powerful economic counterweight to the West. (PC: X)

Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has criticised India over its ties with Russia and China. “India, you are getting in bed with authoritarians. China invaded Aksai Chin and all your territory. They are not your friends,” Navarro told Bloomberg TV. He also claimed the Ukraine conflict is “Modi’s war”, adding, “The road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.” Navarro accused India of feeding Russia’s war machine by buying discounted oil and selling it abroad. He said US tariffs on India, now at 50%, will be lifted only if New Delhi stops importing Russian crude. (PC: Reuters)

India plans to increase imports of Russian oil in September by 10–20% compared to August, traders told Reuters. Russia has cut prices after drone strikes damaged its refineries, making crude cheaper. India imported about 1.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil in the first 20 days of August. Russian crude now makes up 40% of India’s total oil needs. The US has raised tariffs on Indian exports like garments and jewellery to 50%, partly over these energy ties. Indian officials say Russian oil helps keep prices stable and will remain vital unless global trade rules change. (PC: India Today)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Japan and China from August 29. He will attend the India-Japan Annual Summit in Tokyo with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba. This will be Modi’s eighth visit to Japan. From August 31 to September 1, Modi will be in Tianjin, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. Over 20 world leaders and 10 global bodies will join. Leaders include Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif. Modi is expected to hold talks with Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the summit. (PC: Reuters)

India has appointed senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the new High Commissioner to Canada, nine months after withdrawing its envoy amid tensions. Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently India’s Ambassador to Spain and has served in Beijing, Dhaka, Vienna, Geneva, Morocco, and Cambodia. His appointment comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney met at the G7 summit in Alberta, signaling a thaw in relations. Ties had soured following Canada’s allegations over the killing of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, which India strongly denied. (PC: News18)