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Pakistan, Bahrain set sights on US$1b trade target | The Express Tribune
PM Shehbaz receives Bahrain’s highest state honour, the Order of Bahrain (First Class), during meeting with King Hamad
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receives a guard of honour at Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama on November 26, 2025. Photo: APP
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa have agreed to raise Pakistan–Bahrain bilateral trade to US$1 billion within three years, setting one of the strongest economic goals between the two countries in recent years.
The commitment was made during a meeting at Qasr Al-Qudaibiya in Manama, where both leaders placed economic cooperation at the centre of their discussions. Current trade between the two nations stands at more than US$550 million, with both sides expressing readiness to accelerate growth through the nearly finalised Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement and recent visa relaxations aimed at improving business mobility.
PM Shehbaz invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in food security, IT, construction, mining and minerals, renewable energy, health, and tourism. He also proposed enhanced port-to-port connectivity between Karachi or Gwadar and Khalifa bin Salman Port to facilitate smoother trade flows. The two leaders reviewed defence and security ties, agreeing to expand cooperation in training, cybersecurity, defence production, and information exchange.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in delegation level talks with Bahrain’s leadership at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace. Photo: APP
The premier thanked Bahrain for its longstanding support to the more than 150,000-strong Pakistani community and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supplying more skilled workers. He also acknowledged Bahrain’s assistance in constructing King Hamad University in Islamabad and in facilitating the release and repatriation of Pakistani nationals.
PM Shehbaz also congratulated Bahrain on securing a two-year non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2026–27 term, expressing Pakistan’s readiness for close coordination during its tenure.
Both sides also exchanged views on developments in Gaza, expressing hope that recent steps toward stability would bring long-awaited relief to its people. The meeting concluded with optimism that the renewed dialogue would deliver tangible progress across strategic, economic, security, and people-to-people ties.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the palace, the premier was presented with a guard of honour.
Meeting with King Hamad
Later, the prime minister met with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, and the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation across political, economic, defence, and cultural spheres.
Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan and Bahrain’s longstanding defence partnership and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in training, logistics, manpower, and defence production.
Touching upon the economic cooperation, the premier underscored Pakistan’s intention to boost trade and investment, noting that bilateral commerce is set to expand once the Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement—now in its final stages—is concluded.
They also exchanged views on developments in Gaza, agreeing that peace and stability for its people were long overdue.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties anchored in shared faith and mutual respect. He thanked the monarch for Bahrain’s longstanding support, including the establishment of the King Hamad University for Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad, inaugurated in September.
PM Shehbaz welcomed recent high-level exchanges and expressed gratitude for Bahrain’s solidarity following recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
King Hamad informed the prime minister that Bahrain once had the privilege of being represented at a legal forum by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, noting that Pakistan’s founding father served as Bahrain’s lawyer for many years.
During the meeting, King Hamad conferred the Order of Bahrain (First Class) on PM Shehbaz— the kingdom’s highest award presented to heads of state and government.
Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain H.R.H. Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa receives Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Bahrain International Airport in Manama.
(Manama: November 26, 2025) pic.twitter.com/NQw3HtxKMf
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) November 26, 2025
Earlier in the day, upon landing at Bahrain International Airport, the premier was received by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, and senior Bahraini officials.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, and senior officials are accompanying the prime minister on the visit.
NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
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Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
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January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
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National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
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January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
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