Bigg Boss 14 Grand Finale: Rubina Dilaik wins 'Bigg Boss 14', Rahul Vaidya runner-up
Mumbai, Feb 21: TV actor Rubina Dilaik on Sunday beat nemesis and singer Rahul Vaidya to emerge as the winner of reality show "Bigg Boss" season 14.
Dilaik is known for featuring on shows like "Chotti Bahu" and "Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki".
Superstar Salman Khan, who is the host of the reality show, announced the winner from the show's set put up in suburban Mumbai's Filmcity.
Dilaik, 33, entered the house with her actor-husband Abhinav Shukla and remained an audience favourite right from the show's debut in October.
From revelations about her rocky marriage, rivalry with Vaidya to her aggressive attitude, Dilaik was one of the most popular contestants on the show.
Besides Dilaik and Vaidya, the other three finalists of the show were actors Nikki Tamboli, Aly Goni and Rakhi Sawant.
Tamboli, who re-entered the show after being evicted, was the second runner-up, followed by Goni who stood fourth.
Sawant, who was one of the biggest entertainers in the "Bigg Boss" house, was the first to leave during the finale as she took Rs 14 lakh prize money that was up for grabs by the five finalists.
Sawant entered season 14 as a "challenger" -- along with TV personalities Vikas Gupta, Kashmeera Shah, Manu Punjabi and Arshi Khan.
The finale saw special appearances by veteran actor Dharmendra and dancer-actor Nora Fatehi.
Dharmendra performed a scene from his 1975 blockbuster "Sholay" with Khan and Sawant joining him. Fatehi danced to some of her popular numbers with the "Bharat" star.
Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene, who will be seen on the third season of "Dance Deewane", appeared on the show with a video message for the contestants.
The latest season of the Colors TV show was held without the live audience in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
This was only and ony possible because of my FANS..... thank you thank you ?????❤️ pic.twitter.com/CfNFUk603m
— Rubina Dilaik (@RubiDilaik) February 21, 2021
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
