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Good evening, Things are heating up in an otherwise chilly Bengaluru, where a tunnel road project has now become embroiled in controversy. The final Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 16.75 km-long Hebbal-Silk Board Tunnel Road project has omitted the dedicated bus lane mentioned in the draft. The lack of dedicated bus lanes across the city (except on the Outer Ring Road) has been a longstanding concern among public transport advocates, and now, with its absence in the DPR, the noise is expected to get louder. PC Mohan, the BJP Lok Sabha MP representing Bengaluru Central (and a significant part of the area the project covers), is not holding back. On X, Mohan described the DPR as a “discriminatory, exclusionary, and anti-public transport move.” He said, “Tunnel road final DPR quietly drops bus lanes, once again making it clear that the tunnel is only for those rich people who can afford ₹660 toll, not for the common Bengalurean. On one hand, they talk of free bus rides; on the other, they erase bus infrastructure itself.” On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief
With August 1 days away, a look at where Trump’s tariffs stand
With days remaining before US President Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline to secure trade deals—August 1—he added another curveball on Monday. In a Truth Social post, he announced that global tariff rates (for countries without a trade deal with the US) will be “somewhere in the 15 to 20 per cent range. Probably one of those two numbers.” His comments carry significance after an eventful fortnight, during which his administration has announced trade deals with Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and, more recently, the European Union. Countries such as India, South Korea, and China still need to finalise their respective deals. However, this could change in the coming days. Closer home: Indian negotiators wrapped up another round of discussions in Washington, DC, last week. However, on Monday, the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, told CNBC that India had expressed “strong interest in opening portions of their market,” before adding that the US will “need some more negotiations on that with our Indian friends to see how ambitious they want to be.” The comment effectively dampens some hope for India to secure a deal before August 1, as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated to Bloomberg TV in London last week. Nonetheless, Greer added, “We continue to speak with our Indian counterparts; we’ve always had very constructive discussions with them.” State of play: The US has consistently raised concerns about protectionist policies, particularly in the automotive and agricultural sectors. India, however, has its own disquiet, primarily regarding the US's unilateral proposals on digital taxation. On Monday, my colleague Ravi Dutta Mishra exclusively reported that legal advisors to India’s Commerce Ministry have advised against accepting the US proposal in Indian trade negotiations, which would effectively prevent India from reintroducing “equalisation levy-style taxes,” such as the so-called Google tax, in the future. Earlier this year, the Indian government abolished the equalisation levy on online advertisements as part of the amendments to the Finance Bill, 2025. Outside scope: This is particularly interesting, as the US includes this in a trade agreement, even though it is usually discussed outside its framework, experts say. However, India could explore carving out its technology exports from taxation in the US, which is the largest export market for Indian IT/ITeS firms. Interestingly, the US included digital trade as part of its deal with Indonesia, forcing the country to accept steep terms, including providing “certainty regarding the ability to transfer personal data out of its territory to the United States,” among other things. The levy is considered a non-tariff barrier, which the US government deems “discriminatory” against its firms. It has flagged similar concerns with other trade partners, including the EU.
✍️ From our newsroom
The Miracle Machine: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excellent story about farm equipment, the combine harvester (once dismissed as a “monster”), and how it has since become the mainstay of Indian agriculture, especially in Punjab. Born in the dusty lanes of Bhadson, Nabha, and Malerkotla after the Green Revolution, the industry grew from a few hand-built machines to 8,000 self-propelled harvesters a year, worth Rs 2,000 crore. Families like those behind Kartar, Manku, and Bharat Combines turned blacksmith and carpenter skulls into rural engineering feats. Early pioneers recall “literally begging farmers” to try the machines, which soon felt like “inqilab aa gaya” as they cut months of manual labour into hours. Today, 85% of Punjab-made harvesters are exported to other states and Asian and African countries, supported by an ecosystem of fabricators, mechanics, and transporters. Costs have now risen to Rs 25–35 lakh, and the industry is experimenting with artificial intelligence, GPS, and Super SMS to tackle stubble burning.
🔎 Need to know
Sluggish: The US smartphone market reported a slight 1% growth in the June quarter, thanks to tariff concerns and ongoing supply chain negotiations between the US and China. India-made smartphone volume grew 240% year-on-year, making up for a nosedive in smartphone shipments from China, according to research firm Canalys.
Homecoming: Indian paceman Khaleel Ahmed will cut short his county stint with Essex and return home. Ahmed has played two matches for Essex since signing up for the county in June, picking just four wickets. Earlier this month, opener Rituraj Gaikwad opted out of his deal with Yorkshire for personal reasons. Hot seat: Mumbai-born Shailesh Jejurikar will take over as American FMCG giant Procter & Gamble's CEO from January 1, 2026, as part of a leadership transition. Jejurikar had joined the company in 1989 and is currently its COO (since 2019). He will succeed outgoing CEO Jon Moller.
🎙️Expresso Playlist
In today’s Playlist, I’ll recommend one of my favourite Freakonomics Radio episodes (from 2022) on the most interesting fruit in the world—the humble banana 🍌and its future, amid the threat of a deadly fungus.
✋🏽 One last thing
👓 I’ll leave you with this fantastic Politico Europe piece on how British private intelligence and security firms are thriving.
Until tomorrow, Venkat Ananth |
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