Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the empowerment and integration of women entrepreneurs from the informal sector into the country’s public procurement ecosystem.

The MoU focuses on promoting gender-responsive procurement by encouraging increased sourcing from women-led businesses, thereby expanding market access for women entrepreneurs under GeM’s Womaniya initiative.

The MoU was signed by Country Representative, UN Women India, Smt. Kanta Singh, and Additional CEO, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan. CEO, GeM, Shri Mihir Kumar presided over the ceremony. In his presidential remarks, he said that the partnership reinforces GeM’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs by expanding their access to public procurement and creating forward market linkages through GeM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 21st to 23rd to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit. This will be the fourth consecutive G20 Summit held in the Global South.

The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that at the Summit, the Prime Minister will put forth India’s perspectives on the G20 agenda. Prime Minister is expected to speak in all three sessions of the Summit. On the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Mr Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg. He will also be participating in the India-Brazil-South Africa Leaders’ Meeting being hosted by South Africa.

Financial services giant HDFC Bank, carrying a brand value of $44.9 billion, has surged past IT consulting behemoth Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to reclaim its crown as the country’s most valued brand, according to the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands report.

As the country’s largest private bank, HDFC Bank has seen its brand value rise 377 per cent since the first BrandZ India Report was released in 2014. Kantar BrandZ calculates brand value by a combination of financial matrices: The share of the parent company’s worth attributed to the brand; and brand contribution, which captures how much the brand drives demand and supports premium pricing.

India’s first Tesla Centre will open on November 26 at Orchid Business Park in Gurugram, adding a new physical location for the company after recent experience centres in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex and Delhi’s Aerocity.

Unlike the earlier experience centres, which mainly serve as display and brand-familiarisation spaces, the Gurugram Tesla Centre is a fuller retail hub meant for wider customer interaction. It is expected to handle consultations, bookings and test-drive support as Tesla expands its India presence.

Acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio is all set to be honoured with the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the upcoming Palm Springs Film Festival for his performance in director Paul Thomas Anderson's latest drama One Battle After Another.

Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said, "In One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a riveting and emotionally charged performance, embodying a man pushed to his breaking point in the face of relentless adversity." He further added, "Across his career, DiCaprio has continually redefined what is possible in screen acting — bringing emotional depth, artistic integrity and fearless commitment to every role."

World Children's Day is celebrated annually on November 20 to promote international togetherness and awareness about children's rights and welfare. The date is significant because it marks the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. The purpose of World Children's Day is to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

Though Universal Children's Day is celebrated on November 20, but different countries have their own Children's Day. In India, Children's Day is celebrated on November 14 to mark the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday (November 19, 2025) he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, as he hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a gala dinner at the White House.

"Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that we're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them," Mr. Trump said.

"And I'm just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight," Mr. Trump said of the designation, which only 19 other countries have previously received.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) will organise the maiden Earth Summit 2025-26 with the theme ‘Empowering rural Innovation for Global Change’ in Hyderabad on November 20 and 21.

The second edition of the conference series will take place in Gandhinagar on December 5 and 6, 2025, while the third meeting will be held in New Delhi in February 2026.

“The Summit will serve as a global platform to drive policy outcomes, investments, and collaborations that accelerate rural transformation. Industry leaders from across sectors will explore ways to bridge gaps between technology, finance, agriculture, and climate action,” Shaji K.V, Chairman, NABARD, said here on Wednesday.

Strengthening regional partnerships has gained “immense significance today” due to the “rapidly changing and challenging global security environment”, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said Thursday in his opening remarks to the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA-level meeting.

“The CSC has gained immense significance today in the midst of a rapidly changing and challenging global security environment. Realising the growing importance of strengthening regional partnership amongst the countries of the Indian Ocean region, we came together in 2020 to reinforce the cooperation in vital matters of security through the establishment of Colombo Security Conclave,” Doval said.

The outlay for the modified UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) regional air connectivity scheme has been proposed at ₹30,000 crore, industry sources told businessline.

The proposal is intended to continue the scheme beyond April 2027 through an expanded UDAN framework.

On Monday, the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the Ministry of Finance met to review the proposal, sources added, noting that the committee is expected to take “a call on it soon”.

The final policy draft would then be subject to the Union Cabinet’s approval.