June 9, 2026 - IndiaVerve

Guns N’ Roses to perform in Guwahati on November 17

June 9, 2026 by India Verve Desk

NEW DELHI: Legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses is set to perform in Guwahati on November 17, 2026, marking a major addition to Assam’s growing live entertainment calendar.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the announcement, saying the concert would bring one of the world’s most iconic rock bands to the state and further strengthen Assam’s emergence as a destination for major international entertainment events.

In a post on X, Sarma said the event follows the success of singer Post Malone’s concert in the state and is expected to attract visitors from across India and abroad. He said the concert would provide an opportunity for guests to experience Assam’s hospitality, culture, and vibrancy while boosting tourism and the local economy.

Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, also welcomed the band’s visit, describing it as another milestone in the growth of the Northeast’s entertainment economy.

Scindia said the event would help draw visitors, create economic opportunities, and showcase the region to a global audience.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1985, Guns N’ Roses has remained a prominent name in rock music for four decades.

The American hard rock band built a global fan base through a string of commercially successful releases and live performances, becoming one of the defining acts of modern rock and earning recognition across generations of music listeners.

India’s pharma industry can double to USD 120 billion in five years, says Piyush Goyal

June 9, 2026 by India Verve Desk

NEW DELHI: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India’s pharmaceutical industry, currently valued at around USD 60 billion, has the potential to double in size over the next five years, as he invited global pharmaceutical companies to deepen their engagement with the country.

Addressing the Global Ambassador Meet on the Pharmaceutical Sector and the curtain raiser ceremony for GDRC 2026 and IPHEX 2026 in New Delhi, Goyal said India aims to move beyond its traditional strength in generic medicines and expand its presence in innovation-driven pharmaceutical products while continuing to provide affordable healthcare solutions worldwide.

The minister said India sees itself as a trusted partner in global pharmaceutical supply chains, serving as a manufacturing hub, technology partner, innovation centre, clinical trial destination, and supplier of medicines to countries across the world.

Highlighting the country’s economic performance, Goyal said India remains the world’s fastest-growing large economy despite global uncertainties and recorded economic growth of 7.7% at constant prices in the year ended March 2026.

He said India is prepared to provide market access to high-quality innovative pharmaceutical products from partner countries and pointed to the preferential access available under the country’s free trade agreements.

According to the minister, India has concluded nine free trade agreements in recent years and now enjoys trade arrangements covering more than 50 countries.

Emphasising the role of generic medicines, Goyal said affordable drugs manufactured in India benefit millions of patients globally. He noted that generic medicines account for 80-90% of the volume of medicines sold in the US while representing only 10-15% of their value, underscoring their affordability, according to an official statement.

The minister identified trust, innovation, and partnerships as the three pillars driving the growth of India’s pharmaceutical sector. He said India has aligned its Good Manufacturing Practices framework with international standards and remains a major contributor to global vaccine supplies, with around 65-70% of World Health Organization vaccine requirements sourced from the country.

He also said India hosts the highest number of US FDA-approved pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities outside the US.

On innovation, Goyal said patent filings in India have nearly doubled in recent years and highlighted government initiatives such as the Biopharma Shakti programme and a USD 10-billion innovation support programme covering multiple sectors, including pharmaceuticals.

Odisha cabinet clears Rs 1,500-crore land bank scheme to boost tourism infrastructure

June 9, 2026 by India Verve Desk

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha cabinet has approved a new scheme titled “Land Bank for Hospitality Infrastructure” aimed at strengthening tourism-led economic growth and attracting large-scale investments in the hospitality sector across the state.

The scheme envisages the creation of a dedicated Tourism Land Bank under the Department of Tourism to address the shortage of readily available, contiguous, encroachment-free, and investment-ready land for tourism projects.

Under the initiative, around 5,500 acres of government and private land parcels will be identified and developed across major tourism destinations in Odisha.

These include Chilika, Konark, Puri (Shamuka), Dhauli, Hirakud, Satkosia, Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi, Deomali, the Buddhist Circuit, Jiranga, Talsari and Tampara-Aryapalli. Additional destinations may be included in the future based on tourism potential and development requirements.

The scheme will be implemented over five years from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 with an annual outlay of Rs 300 crore, taking the total financial implication to Rs 1,500 crore.

According to the government, the proposed Tourism Land Bank will support destination-level master planning and provide investors with access to infrastructure-ready land parcels, helping reduce project gestation periods and improve ease of doing business.

The initiative is expected to facilitate investments in hotels, resorts, convention centres, eco-tourism projects, wellness retreats, recreational facilities, and other tourism-related infrastructure.

The government said the scheme has been designed as a state-wide intervention to promote balanced regional development and support the growth of emerging tourism destinations.

It is also expected to generate employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities, tourism service providers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and youth.

The Department of Tourism will serve as the nodal agency for implementation in coordination with IDCO, OTDC, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the General Administration and Public Grievance Department, and other concerned agencies.

The government said the initiative would help attract greater private investment in the tourism sector, expand quality accommodation capacity, strengthen local economies, and advance Odisha’s long-term vision of becoming a leading tourism destination in India and Asia.

Beijing says India-China ties stable, calls for expanded cooperation

June 9, 2026 by India Verve Desk

NEW DELHI: China has said that maintaining sound relations among India, China, and Russia is important for regional as well as global peace, stability, and development.

Responding to recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russia–India–China relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that the three countries are major emerging economies and that healthy ties among them serve shared interests.

Addressing a press conference, the spokesperson added that China is ready to stay in communication with Russia and India on strengthening trilateral cooperation.

On India–China relations, Jian said the border situation is “generally stable,” and that communication channels between the two sides remain open. It stressed that the two countries should view each other as development partners rather than competitors, and work towards expanding cooperation while properly managing differences.

On India–Pakistan relations, the spokesperson reiterated its position that both sides should resolve issues through dialogue and consultation to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The remarks came in response to observations made by Putin during a recent interaction with the media, in which he discussed relations among Russia, India, and China. Putin noted that India and China were working to address issues of mutual interest, including the boundary question.

He also underlined that Russia’s ties with India and China had developed independently of one another, and that Moscow’s relations with New Delhi and Beijing did not interfere with each other.

Referring to India’s concerns over China-Pakistan ties, Putin said Pakistan maintains multifaceted relations with various countries.