India has secured an assurance from the United States that Indian goods will enjoy preferential market access in the American market compared to competing countries under the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters during his two-day visit to Egypt, Goyal said the understanding was already reached at the leadership level when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump agreed on a broad framework for strengthening bilateral trade ties.

“This was already agreed between the leaders – President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they announced that we have both come to a broad framework agreement a few months ago, and it has been acknowledged that India will get preferential trade access in the US with lower duties than our competitor countries,” Goyal said.

India and the US had finalised the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement in February, with both sides aiming to deepen economic engagement and expand market access.

However, the signing of the initial tranche has been delayed as the two countries continue negotiations amid changes in the US tariff regime.

The minister’s remarks come days after a senior government official said Washington had assured New Delhi of a comparative tariff advantage over competing nations under the proposed agreement.

The two sides are currently working towards concluding the first tranche of the pact by the end of the current financial year.

According to the official, discussions are continuing both on the first tranche and the broader bilateral trade agreement, while the final extent of tariff concessions and competitive advantages for Indian exports will depend on the framework eventually agreed upon.

Trade negotiations have gained added significance after the US Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs that had formed the basis of earlier discussions.

Following the ruling, the US has been exploring alternative mechanisms under provisions of the Trade Act to develop a new tariff architecture.

Goyal is currently in Egypt to hold discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties, even as India pursues trade negotiations with several key partners, including the United States.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin, on Sunday, paid tributes to the 151st birth anniversary of freedom fighter Birsa Munda, saying that the eradication of Naxalism from the country is a “mark of honour” for the tribal community.

Speaking to reporters here, Nabin said: “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, I extend my heartiest congratulations to all countrymen, especially the Tribal community.”

Noting that the day is observed as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’, he said, “The way continuous efforts are being made for the progress of the community under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is clear that we envision the development of this country together with the tribal community.”

“We will be able to fulfil the resolution of a developed India, only through our resolve to take the tribal community forward. Completely eradicating Naxalism from its roots in 2026 is something I view as a mark of honour for the tribal community,” he added.

The BJP chief further said, “PM Modi had taken oath that Naxalism will be eliminated from its roots from regions like parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana or Jharkhand. This year, when the Prime Minister went to celebrate Diwali with soldiers in Jharkhand’s Bastar, it was a message that Naxalism has been completely eradicated.”

Reiterating the government’s commitment to continue efforts towards integrating the Tribal community into the mainstream, he said, “Earlier, guns were raised in Bastar, but today the place is discussed for its contribution to sports.”

Pointing out that President Droupadi Murmu hails from the community, Nabin said, “As we celebrate Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, we can proudly say that today several leaders belonging to tribal communities are heading several states as well as the country.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the strides the country has made in eliminating Maoism and said that the mothers and sisters of the tribal communities are blessing the government for this achievement.

“There used to be hundreds of violent incidents every year. Thousands of innocent people, a large number of them were tribals, lost their lives. However, people affected by Naxalism-Maoism were abandoned by the then governments, their rights were snatched away, and everybody remained silent,” he said while virtually addressing the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme, being organised in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli.

Contrasting the situation with this year, PM Modi said, “Children were taken away from their mothers by these Naxals; our daughters were taken away, and no one was able to do anything. However, today, when Naxalism-Maoism has been eliminated, mothers and sisters in the tribal community are giving us their blessings.”

NITI Aayog will launch a series of five national workshops on Tuesday to draw lessons from 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Head of Government, with the series studying this quarter century of public leadership so that its lessons become part of the nation’s shared knowledge, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

It will document the experiences of those who were part of this journey and translate them into knowledge that benefits all, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The Prime Minister assumed office as Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001. After serving for more than 12 years in that office, he assumed office as Prime Minister in May 2014 and is now serving his third successive term. With the completion of 25 years on October 7, 2026, this marks the longest continuous tenure at the head of an elected government in India. Throughout this period, governance has been anchored in the idea of the ‘Pradhan Sevak’, under which every office of government exists to serve the citizens.

Antyodaya has set the measure of progress at the last person. Jan Bhagidari has made development a people’s movement. The principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas has further strengthened this as a shared national undertaking. The goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 has provided this approach a long horizon, asking every institution to plan and act for India as it approaches the centenary of Independence, the statement said.

Much of what India has learnt about governing at this scale is held in the experience of the officers, institutions, and citizens who took and carried through these decisions. The series will record their first-hand accounts and examine them with academic rigour. It will develop them into institutional learning material, including case studies, research papers and teaching material, for civil servants, training institutions, universities, students and the wider public.

The five national workshops will focus on the following governance themes: “Leadership as Mission” in November 2026, “Governance as Delivery” in January 2027, “Development as Inclusion” in April 2027, “Civilisational Identity” in July 2027, and “India as a Global Force” in September 2027.

The first national workshop, “Leadership as Mission”, will be held at Bharat Mandapam, in the national capital on November 17. It will study leadership through the specific decisions in which it becomes visible and the manner in which those decisions are translated into outcomes for citizens.

Around 900 participants are expected to attend the workshop, of whom 250 will participate directly in the deliberations. These will include 150 government officers, including Secretaries and senior officers of the Union and state governments and District Collectors of Aspirational Districts. The participants will also include 25 students of leading institutions and universities, and 50 community partners and beneficiaries of national flagship schemes. The group discussions will be guided by 25 case facilitators trained under the Amrit Gyaan Kosh initiative of the Capacity Building Commission. The proceedings will be streamed on the iGOT Karmayogi platform.