Recent 6 months news in Agreements

The Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) to launch the Commodity Markets Research Centre (CMRC) to promote academic excellence, policy research, and investor awareness in the commodities sector.

The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) of the Ministry of Ayush, has signed an MoU with the Kottayam (Kerala)-based Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI) for the systematic digitization and preparation of a descriptive catalogue for the medical manuscript collection of the latter.

Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd has signed a Multi-Launch Agreement (MLA) with HEX20 for 3 dedicated Vikram-series missions.

The launches will support the Earth Observation constellation, in-orbit payload demonstration missions, and rideshare capacity for third-party spacecraft of the latter.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with NITI Aayog to advance multilingual, voice-first AI solutions under the 'BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan' initiative.

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under the Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi to promote quality standards, conformity assessment, scientific research, and capacity building in the AYUSH sector.

It is to be noted that this marks the 100th MoU signed by the BIS and its first with an AYUSH organisation.

India has signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) for negotiations towards a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

The negotiations cover 8 chapters, including trade in goods, market access for goods, and rules of origin. Through this cooperation, India can support affordable medicines, Information Technology (IT) talent, and global supply chain integration in the SACU region.

VinSpace, the aerospace unit of Vietnam-based Vingroup, has signed a launch agreement with SpaceX to deploy its first satellites in 2027 via the Transporter Rideshare Mission of the latter.

Lohia Aerospace Systems Pvt Ltd (LASPL) has signed an MoU with Israel-based Massivit to establish the first commercial large-format additive manufacturing facility in India.

The proposed facility will be established at the LASPL plant in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The project involves an estimated investment of $8–10 million over the next 1–2 years.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has signed two MoUs with the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics and Science Foundation (IDEAS), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata to undertake research studies.

The collaboration aims to deep dive into various statistics released by MoSPI and provide harmonisation with other data sources.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has signed an MoU with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to accelerate the commercialisation and global market access of the Geographical Indication (GI) products of India.

Under the initiative, the ‘Bharat GI’ banner was launched to integrate regional GI products onto digital platforms.

Pawan Hans Ltd (PHL), an enterprise under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), has signed a non-binding MoU with the Norway-based Noemi Aerospace (Elfly AS) in New Delhi.

The collaboration aims to explore next-generation sustainable aviation technologies, including electric seaplane solutions.

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has partnered with the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) to launch the ‘AAERI Verify’ platform.

Integrated with DigiLocker, the platform facilitates secure, paperless, and consent-based verification of academic, identity, and financial documents for students applying to Australian universities. It was unveiled during the AAERI Annual Convention in New Delhi.

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed an MoU with Esri India to develop advanced Geographic Information System (GIS), Location Intelligence, and Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) solutions for the Indian defence sector.

Under the collaboration, the latter will provide training to BEL to build in-house capabilities in GIS and GeoAI using its ‘Indo ArcGIS’ platform.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed multiple MoUs with various industry leaders to strengthen the startup ecosystem in India.

The department has partnered with Cashfree Payments to provide digital infrastructure support, Vultr India Pvt Ltd for cloud infrastructure support, and Darwin Dynamics LLP to foster entrepreneurship development. Additionally, it has signed agreements with Cars24 Services Pvt Ltd to promote AI-driven mobility innovation and the Council for Startup India (CSI) to enhance the growth and global competitiveness of Indian startups.

Air India has signed a codeshare partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, to improve air connectivity between India and Azerbaijan.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in Andhra Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Moscow government in Russia to collaborate on smart mobility, sustainable urban transport, digital innovation, and technology transfer.

The agreement aims to develop a modern urban transportation system in Visakhapatnam. It is to be noted that the agreement was signed during the 5th International Transport Summit held in Moscow.

REC Ltd and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Ltd have signed a common loan agreement worth ₹26,850 crore with Meja Urja Nigam Pvt Ltd (MUNPL) to finance a 2400 MW thermal power expansion project in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The total cost of the project is estimated at ₹38,357.81 crore.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has signed two MoUs with Business France and the India & Arab Countries Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (IACCIA) to foster trade, investment, and technology collaboration between India, France, and Arab countries.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has signed an umbrella MoU with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to strengthen collaboration in the fields of geoscience, mineral exploration, and disaster management.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has partnered with AVPL International to establish 350 Advanced Skill Centres (ASCs) for drone technology across India. The initiative will be implemented over the next 3 years.

In the first year, 75 ASCs will be set up in private universities and engineering colleges. These facilities will function as industry-operated Centres of Excellence (CoEs).