Sitharaman highlights India's expanding trade architecture in meeting with Norwegian CEOs
New Delhi/Oslo (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday highlighted India's expanding trade architecture and said the country provides a durable framework for trade, industrial collaboration and long-term investments.
In a roundtable meeting with prominent Norwegian CEOs and investors in Oslo, Sitharaman said her official visit to Norway has witnessed engaging and positive discussions on India as an investment destination and the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
"In the light of India's expanding trade architecture, including agreements with European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the EU, the UK and the US, the Union Finance Minister highlighted the conditions in India that provide a durable framework for trade, industrial collaboration and long-term investments,” the Union Finance Ministry said in a X post.
She said that Union Budget 2026-27 also underpins the reform focus of the Government of India on easing regulatory and compliance burden for citizens and companies.
ALSO READ: Rohit Pawar seeks Civil Aviation Minister's removal till probe into Ajit Pawar crash ends
The participants appreciated the predictable policy and macroeconomic environment in India and acknowledged the reform efforts and momentum by the government, the Ministry said.
The CEO of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) made a presentation highlighting India's growth and reform story and the potential and scope of investment opportunities between the two countries across key sectors.
The roundtable covered deliberations around the existing and potential opportunities for business and investment cooperation across key sectors, including renewables, carbon capture, rare earths, and financial services.
Separately, Sitharaman met Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who said that the country is looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for later in the year and conveyed his confidence that it would further expand India-Norway cooperation.
Store appreciated India's reform momentum and said that Norway and India can collaborate in the sectors of fisheries, health tech, maritime and space.
The two leaders discussed EFTA and TEPA operationalisation and outlined key areas of collaboration between the two countries, including in areas related to high-tech manufacturing, carbon capture storage, start-ups, semiconductors, renewable energy, and waste management, among others.
India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) came into effect on October 1, 2025, while India and the U.K., in July 2025, signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
In January this year, India and the EU concluded negotiations for a historic free trade agreement (FTA). Earlier this month, India and the US agreed to an interim trade deal.
Sitharaman also met Norway's Minister for Trade & Industry, Cecilie Mysreth and Even Tronstad Sagebakken, State Secretary, Fisheries and Ocean Policy, in Oslo.
The leaders discussed ways of forging deeper cooperation and exploring mutual opportunities in the areas of green tech, rare earth processing, maritime and shipping industries, and fisheries, among others, especially in the context of the India-EFTA TEPA deal.
Sitharaman said the effective operationalisation of TEPA will foster mutual benefits for both sides and that she looked forward to the timely operationalisation of the same, the Finance Ministry said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP man gets life term for electrocuting mentally challenged wife to death in Bareilly
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A local court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his mentally challenged wife by repeatedly electrocuting her while she was tied to a cot, lawyers said on Thursday.
Additional district government counsel Harendra Singh Rathore said Additional Sessions Judge Avinash Kumar Singh on Wednesday convicted Vinod Kumar (45) for killing his wife, Satyavati, in Chaina village of Bareilly district and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on him.
According to the prosecution, he was allegedly frustrated with his wife Satyavati's mental illness and often assaulted her.
Rathore said the prosecution examined nine witnesses to establish the charges against him.
As per court records, on the night of May 1-2, 2022, when Satyavati was asleep, Vinod tied her hands and legs to a cot using ropes and then connected an aluminium cable to an electric board to repeatedly administer electric shocks to her.
"She writhed in pain, but the accused continued to electrocute her until she died," the prosecution said.
The court observed that the murder was carried out in an inhuman manner.
After committing the crime, the accused threw the rope and cable on the roof and left for work at a brick kiln around 2 am to create a false alibi.
He later tried to mislead the police and the victim's family by claiming that Satyavati, whose mental condition was unstable, had accidentally died by suicide after grabbing a live electric wire.
However, the victim's brother, Sanjeev, a resident of Shahjahanpur district, suspected foul play and lodged an FIR under sections 498A (husband subjecting wife to cruelty) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Nawabganj police station.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Faraz Anwar, who stated that multiple electrocution marks found on different parts of the victim's body could not have been self-inflicted.
The police also recovered the rope and electric wire used in the crime on the accused's identification, officials said.
