1. Economy & Finance
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects India’s economy to grow at 6.6% in FY 2025.
India is pushing strongly towards e-waste recycling under its National Critical Mineral Mission to tap critical minerals via recycling and reduce import dependencies.
The European Council approved the new Strategic EU-India Agenda, strengthening political, trade, economic and research partnerships between the EU and India.
2. National Affairs
India was re-elected as Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau (Asia-Pacific Group IV) for 2025-27 of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the anti-doping convention, enhancing India’s role in global sports regulation.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) announced deployment of Network Survey Vehicles in 23 states – specialised vehicles with sensors and data acquisition systems to survey national highway infrastructure.
A national tree-plantation drive was launched aiming to plant 50 crore trees before year-end under the “Mission Green India” initiative.
Upcoming in Jaipur: The 15th Biennial International Conference & Exposition of the Society of Petroleum Geophysicists (SPG-2025) will be inaugurated by the Petroleum Secretary on 26-28 October with over 700 global delegates, focusing on energy security and digital transformation.
3. International Affairs & Diplomacy
The Indian Prime Minister announced that he will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit virtually and ruled out a meeting with the US President at that occasion. Issues such as U.S. tariffs on Indian goods and Indian oil imports from Russia remain sticking points.
US President made remarks about India’s future reduction of Russian oil imports which triggered a rebuttal from Indian political leadership, emphasising India’s independent decision-making.
The EU-India strategic agenda underlines the importance of enhanced collaboration in trade and research, aligning with India’s global engagement strategy.
4. Defence & Infrastructure
India’s re-election in the UNESCO anti-doping convention bureau strengthens its credentials in sports integrity and global governance.
The deployment of Network Survey Vehicles will support highway asset management, infrastructure planning and will, indirectly, feed into defence/mobility logistics as national highways are also strategic assets.
The SPG-2025 summit in Jaipur brings global discourse on energy security, geophysics, digital technologies in oil & gas, which have defence-industrial linkages.
5. Sports & Events
The KogniVera International Polo Cup between India and Argentina is scheduled for 25 October 2025 in Delhi, marking the return of international polo to India after a gap, drawing attention for heritage sport revival.
The AIFF Super Cup 2025‑26 football tournament in India kicks off on 25 October in Goa, adding to the sports-ecosystem momentum.
6. Key Days & Miscellaneous
October is hosting several notable festivals and cultural events; for example, the Autumn Festival and Sahityotsava Jashan-e-Adab events are scheduled on 25-26 October.
Flooding from heavy rains was reported in Tamil Nadu and overseas in regions including the Dominican Republic due to Tropical Storm Melissa; such events are relevant for disaster-management and environmental GK.
