confidential information: October 2026

Friday, 16 October 2026

How India can turn trade disruptions in North America to its advantage

By concluding a rapid succession of free trade agreements across Europe, the Gulf, and the Indo-Pacific, India has signalled that its economic statecraft is being redesigned to secure the supply chains, capital, and frontier technologies required for Industry 4.0. Now, in the final months of 2026, this strategic restructuring has entered its decisive North American leg.

Currently, India is hosting Canada’s largest trade delegation in over three decades, a nearly 300-member mission advancing negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aimed at concluding by year-end and more than doubling bilateral trade to C$70 billion (US$50 billion) by 2030. Simultaneously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in India today. The twin diplomatic tracks offer New Delhi a chance to move from compartmentalised dealings with Ottawa and Washington towards a mutually reinforcing footprint across North America.

Moving beyond the traditional reliance on the trade of raw commodities, the India-Canada bilateral agenda is pivoting towards science, technology, and innovation. What was once a relationship dominated by one-way migration is being reimagined around talent mobility and joint research through the new Joint Talent and Innovation Strategy. Similarly, capital flows are evolving from passive, one-way portfolio allocations by Canadian pension funds into active co-investment platforms, industrial joint ventures in data centres and clean energy, and R&D partnerships like the India-Canada Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence. Anchor pillars in energy and food security, highlighted by the $2.6 billion Cameco civil nuclear uranium agreement, critical minerals value-chain integration, and advanced potash technologies, are providing a durable commercial foundation. This federal momentum has been insulated and accelerated by vibrant sub-national diplomacy, led by provincial missions from Saskatchewan, Ontario, and British Columbia.

This revamp with Ottawa has the potential to reinforce, and be reinforced by, the deep structural foundation of India-US relations. While Washington’s weaponisation of tariffs and talent mobility reflects a structural shift towards an increasingly transactional America, two decades of deep institutionalisation in defence, intelligence, and frontier technologies ensure that the strategic logic of India-US alignment remains intact. Their alignment in the Indo-Pacific, anchored by the imperative to balance China and de-risk strategic supply chains, provides an enduring ballast.

As Ottawa and New Delhi look beyond CEPA towards defence, maritime domain awareness, and security cooperation, they do not have to build in a vacuum. They can leverage the existing Indo-Pacific and technology-sharing architecture already operating between India and the US, as well as the deeply integrated US-Canada continental defence and industrial ecosystem. Deeper engagement with Ottawa effectively plugs India into the wider North American economic and security matrix.

For Canada, which has been hit hardest by Washington’s tariff regime and recently saw its own US trade negotiations stall at the eleventh hour, the Indian partnership offers vital strategic diversification. Both countries are reinforcing this resilience by bringing each other into key minilateral platforms, from the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance to the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan. Pragmatism dictates that even if Ottawa achieves its goal of doubling non-US trade over the next decade, the Canadian economy will remain overwhelmingly oriented towards the US. As and when Washington and Ottawa reach a new North American equilibrium, an India that is institutionally embedded with both partners will stand to accrue strategic and commercial dividends.

By locking in technology, talent, and resource corridors with Ottawa while bargaining pragmatically with Washington, India can turn North American turbulence into enduring geoeconomic advantage.

Thursday, 15 October 2026

Told to leave India over anti-CEC protest, actor Imran Khan heads to Bombay High Court

Actor Imran Khan will approach the Bombay High Court against a notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) asking him to leave the country by October 28 for an alleged violation of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, by joining a protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar near August Kranti Maidan on October 10.

“We are in a process of filing the petition against the FRRO notice,” Imran Khan’s lawyers said, adding that it is likely to be registered by Friday or by Monday.

The plea, being filed through advocates Zulfiquar Memon, Parvez Memon, and Chirag Naik of MZM Legal, once registered, is likely to come up before a division bench led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi seeking an urgent hearing.

Calling the FRRO notice a “drastic action,” Imran Khan claimed the Foreigners Act or OCI rules do not prohibit a person from participating in any protest. As per the lawyer, the actor had earlier said he was not against any political party and only stood for fundamental rights of citizens to carry out the protests.

After the Mumbai Police detained the actor when he participated in protests on Saturday, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya filed a complaint alleging that the actor was a United States (US) citizen and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder and had violated the law by taking part in the demonstration or protest. The Gamdevi police station forwarded the complaint to the FRRO, which issued the notice on Thursday.

The OCI scheme introduced in 2005 grants foreign nationals of Indian origin a lifelong visa, but they cannot vote or contest elections. OCI cardholders remain subject to India’s laws on foreigners and immigration.

The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which replaced the earlier Foreigners Act, 1946, stipulates provisions for regulating the entry, stay, and removal of foreign nationals. Under Section 29, which provides “reasonable powers,” the Central Government may, by general or special order, direct the removal of a foreigner from India for contravention of any of the provisions of the Act, any rule or order made thereunder, or an adverse security report.

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The law also provides for actions and punishments against certain violations, including Section 7 of the Act, which empowers the Central Government to prohibit, regulate, or restrict the entry of foreigners into India, as well as their departure and continued presence. It can also require a foreigner not to return to India, restrict their movement, or impose conditions governing their residence and activities.

While Section 21 of the 2025 Act provides punishment for entry without valid documents, Section 22 prescribes punishment for using or supplying forged documents and Section 23 provides imprisonment and fine for overstaying a visa or remaining without valid documents.

Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions. Expertise & Authority Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage. Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in: Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include: Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes). Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty). Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict. Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.

Delhi HC refuses urgent hearing on journalist’s plea for protection in casteist remarks case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused an urgent hearing to a female journalist, who sought protection from coercive action in a case filed by a Delhi Police officer alleging casteist remarks and public humiliation against him during a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month.

The journalist had also filed a sexual assault complaint against the officer, identified as assistant commissioner of police Vivek Bhagat. The crime branch is investigating her complaint. A bench of acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday.

Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the independent journalist and others on a complaint filed by ACP Bhagat, who alleged casteist remarks, public humiliation and defamation directed at him during the protest. The FIR was registered under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

According to the FIR, Bhagat was on duty near Jantar Mantar on October 3 when he allegedly overheard the woman journalist making derogatory remarks about his caste in public and questioning his appointment as an ACP. He said that he ignored the remarks and continued performing his duties. However, around 3 pm, the journalist accused him of sexual assault.

J&K deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary says chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should resign

Somewhere in Gurugram tonight, a 22-year-old is adding a seventh certification to her LinkedIn profile. She is ambitious, capable, and ready to outwork anyone. Every line on her CV makes the same promise: I know more.

And she does. But the world she is stepping into is redefining what ‘more’ means. AI can now draft the report, write the code and analyse the market in seconds, freeing her for the work no machine can do.

So what exactly is that work?

It is a question every Indian student, parent and professional should be asking, because the answer is far more hopeful than most headlines suggest. When execution becomes effortless, the skills that connect, inspire and bring people together become priceless.

New research from EHL reveals what those skills are, and why even the most accomplished among us still have room to grow them.

Not more skills. The right ones.
The Hospitality Leadership Skills Executive Insights Report¹ asks a question that matters far beyond any single industry: Which leadership capabilities will endure in a technology-enabled world? Researchers Dr. Sowon Kim and Dr. Bertrand Audrin reviewed nearly four decades of scholarship and identified more than 1,500 leadership skill statements. They distilled these into 30 sub-skills across four domains: self-leadership, human connection, hospitality business (the commercial know-how that turns plans into results), and future-ready capabilities. The framework was then tested with 22 senior executives, including leaders from Marriott, Four Seasons, Jumeirah, and Alvarez & Marsal.

The central insight is liberating. Leadership, the report finds, is configurational, not additive. The best leaders don't simply collect skills; they combine the right ones for the right moment. For a generation raised on ‘more’, this comes as good news. Leadership is not a race to build the longest CV. It is a craft, and crafts can be learned.

The foundation we can all strengthen
Craft starts within. The report identifies self-leadership as the foundation on which every other capability rests. It covers self-awareness, ethical grounding, learning agility and adaptive resilience.

Here lies the opportunity. Around 95 per cent of people believe they are self-aware, yet only 10 to 15 per cent meet objective criteria. Learning agility is the single best predictor of executive success, but only about 15 per cent of executives are genuinely strong agile learners¹.

Those numbers are not a verdict. They are headroom. Self-awareness, Dr Kim explains, is not fixed. It grows through reflection, feedback and deliberate practice.

Human skills are strategic skills
For too long listening, empathy and adaptability were filed under ‘soft skills’, pleasant but optional. The report makes a far stronger case. It describes human connection as the relational core of leadership, the ability to build trust, communicate across differences and respond with discernment and care. It is the connective tissue through which every other skill becomes visible.

This does not diminish technical knowledge. Critical thinking, decision-making and strategic foresight remain central to the framework. But as AI takes on more routine work, the human side of leadership moves to the centre. In Dr Kim's words, "the role does not become less human with AI." Reading people, building trust and holding teams together become the main job.

Hospitality, redefined
Hospitality? Isn't that about hotels?

Not at EHL. At its heart, hospitality is the practice of welcoming and caring for others within a relationship built on trust. It is a leadership philosophy, and every sector that runs on human experience depends on it, from banking and healthcare to retail, luxury and technology.

For India, the timing could not be better. India has a young, ambitious workforce, a fast-growing service economy and remarkable diversity. Its future leaders will lead across languages, cultures and expectations every day. Inclusive, people-centered leadership is not a bonus here. It is the job.

Educating hearts, hands and minds
So how are such skills built? Not in a lecture hall alone.

At EHL, human skills are not a response to AI. They have been the foundation of its educational model since 1893, resting on four pillars: experiential education, a social learning context, leadership, and a lifelong appreciation for learning.

Education here is lived, not just delivered. Academic rigour is paired with hands-on practice. Students learn in multicultural teams, negotiating, collaborating and leading peers from around the world. Reflection, feedback and real-world stretch moments are woven in from the start, which is exactly what the research says self-leadership needs.

The result is a transformation, not just a qualification. EHL graduates emerge confident, versatile and resilient. Their careers stretch well beyond hospitality into finance, consulting, entrepreneurship and the wider experience economy.

Highlighting this, Patrick Ogheard - Dean of the School of Practical Arts, said, "Craftsmanship teaches more than mastery of know-how and gestures, it teaches Respect, Attention, Discipline, Adaptability and Care for others. These qualities are acquired through practice and in the field; they become a set of human and soft skills that no technology can ever replace.”

SC likely to hear Rahul Gandhi, INDIA bloc leader’s plea against ECI’s SIR decisions tomorrow

A petition filed by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and 12 other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission’s decisions on the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls is likely to be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow, according to the court’s official website.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana is scheduled to hear the matter.

ANI

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The petition urgently seeks the Supreme Court’s intervention and asks the apex court to summon all internal records and documents relating to the Election Commission’s controversial decisions.

The petitioners have sought an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts and other members, to audit deletions and modifications in electoral-roll databases, including ECINET and ERONET.

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They have also sought an interim suspension of the ongoing SIR exercise until the court decides the issues raised in the petition.

The plea calls for the publication of booth-wise lists of deleted voters, along with the reasons for each deletion and relevant demographic details. It also seeks directions to ensure that no voter’s name is removed without notice and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing.

The Opposition leaders have further asked the court to examine whether the ECI’s decisions comply with Article 324 of the Constitution, the 2023 law governing the appointment and service conditions of Election Commissioners, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in the T N Seshan case.