ISRO signed its 100th technology transfer agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to enable independent production of Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs).

A 3-stage, cost-effective launch vehicle designed for deploying small satellites.

Size: About 2 meters wide and 34 meters tall – roughly the height of an 11-storey building.

Weight: Around 120 tonnes at liftoff.

Payload Capacity: Can carry up to 500 kg of satellites into a 500 km orbit – suitable for small satellites.

     This agreement aims to:

• Boost bilateral investments, which currently stand at $800 million.
• Provide greater certainty and protection for investors in both countries.
• Ensure a minimum standard of treatment and safeguard investments against expropriation.
• Establish an independent dispute resolution mechanism through arbitration.

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) signed a 10-year exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies to develop and commercialize hydrogen fuel cell-based trains for the Indian market.
• The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission technology in India's railway sector and complements the government's National Green Hydrogen Mission.
•  The fuel cell trains will generate electricity from hydrogen, producing only water vapor and heat as byproducts. This offers a clean alternative to diesel-powered locomotives.

• India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), have signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to launch negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
• The agreement, signed in Moscow on August 20, 2025, sets the framework for the negotiations, aiming to boost trade, expand market access for goods and services, diversify exports, support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and strengthen economic ties between India and the EAEU.
• The EAEU was established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union signed on May 29, 2014.
• HQ – MOSCOW , RUSSIA
• The EAEU is a Russia-led economic bloc formed on January 1, 2015, composed of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation.
• It represents a single market with a combined GDP of over $2.5 trillion and a population of roughly 183 million people.

• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has partnered with Starlink Satellite Communication Pvt Ltd, the satellite internet provider led by Elon Musk, to enable Aadhaar-based verification for its customers in India.
• This collaboration aims to make the customer onboarding process for Starlink services seamless, secure, and paperless, leveraging the Aadhaar e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) system.
• This partnership follows Starlink receiving regulatory approvals to offer satellite-based broadband services in India.

• The in-app experience is expected to help travellers discover the country’s must-see destinations and unexplored locations.
• Earlier, TikTok was banned in Nepal on November 13, 2023.

• Both sides came to this agreement during bilateral talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in New Delhi.
• Mr Yi handed over a message and an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Prime Minister for the SCO Summit being held in Tianjin.