Business
Pakistan proposes direct feeder lines | The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Malaysia are exploring a new cooperation framework to expand maritime training and deepen port collaboration following a high-level meeting on Tuesday.
Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Transport Hasbi bin Habibollah met Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on the sidelines of maritime engagements in the United Kingdom. Both sides reviewed ongoing cooperation and explored new avenues to strengthen collaboration in the maritime sector.
Chaudhry offered to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing seafarer training and facilitating the exchange of marine cadets. He noted that the proposed MoU would allow Pakistan to send its marine cadets to Malaysian academies, while Malaysia would, in turn, send its cadets to Pakistan for specialised training programmes.
“This exchange will contribute to the professional development of young seafarers and strengthen long-term cooperation,” the minister said.
He also offered Malaysia access to Pakistan’s expanding expertise in digital port solutions, including the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) platform, now fully operational at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. Islamabad has been promoting its digital trade infrastructure as a model for reducing cargo clearance time, improving transparency and enhancing overall trade facilitation.
Beyond training and digitalisation, Chaudhry pushed for deeper operational cooperation in trade routes. He proposed establishing direct feeder shipping lines between Pakistan and Malaysia, with onward connectivity to Indonesia, to cut transport durations and reduce freight costs.
The minister observed that the proposed feeder links could give a major boost to Pakistan’s rice exports to Southeast Asia, while simultaneously streamlining edible oil imports from Malaysia and Indonesia. He added that the proposal aligns with Pakistan’s broader strategy to strengthen maritime connectivity with Asean economies, where demand for Pakistani agricultural products has been steadily rising.
For Malaysia, the initiative offers an opportunity to broaden its maritime training network and enhance regional logistics integration as part of its transport-sector modernisation agenda.
Both sides agreed to hold further technical consultations in the coming weeks to finalise the scope of the MoU, define training modules and establish mechanisms for implementing the cadet-exchange programme.
Islamabad seeks IMO Council seat
Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to global maritime governance and announced its candidacy for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council in Category C.
Addressing the opening session of the IMO Assembly in London, Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Tuesday emphasised Pakistan’s strategic importance, noting that its coastline of over 1,000 kilometres lies along some of the world’s most critical sea lanes connecting the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and the Indian Ocean.
“Over the past year, Pakistan has implemented concrete initiatives in line with IMO conventions and global best practices, including port digitalisation, maritime safety enhancement, green port development and artificial intelligence-enabled port community systems,” he said.
The IMO, a United Nations agency with 193 member states, meets every two years where countries participate in its Council and Assembly to shape and influence global maritime policy. Chaudhry outlined further developments, including the upgrading of Pakistan Marine Academy, the establishment of Pakistan Maritime University, reforms in seafarer certification and enhanced training standards aligned with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.
Additional measures include strengthening vessel traffic management systems, improving marine pollution response capacity and expanding coastal monitoring in collaboration with national and international partners. “Pakistan is advancing its Maritime Vision 2047 and 2147,” the minister said and assured delegates that all planning aligns with IMO standards and the organisation’s global vision.
He highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to the IMO’s climate agenda, noting ongoing efforts for energy-efficient shipping, marine environmental protection and green ship recycling, particularly at Gaddani, where compliance with Hong Kong Convention is being strengthened.
The minister emphasised that Pakistan’s Category C candidature reflects its intention to contribute constructively to the global maritime community, pledging to promote fair access for developing maritime nations, strengthen support for seafarers’ welfare and training, advocate for climate cooperation for coastal and vulnerable island states, and advance the IMO’s mission of safe, secure and environmentally responsible shipping.
Category C seats in the IMO Council are elected by the Assembly and include 20 member states with special maritime interests or those who enhance regional balance. These members help guide IMO’s work and strategic direction, and play crucial roles in global maritime governance.
“History shows that real progress is made when nations choose to work together. Let this session be more than just another meeting. Let it become a turning point, a moment for cooperation, innovation and bold action,” he concluded, affirming that Pakistan is ready to move forward towards a maritime future that is safer, greener and more prosperous for all.
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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