India and Saudi Arabia inked an MoU on cultural cooperation in Riyadh, according to a press release. The agreement spans heritage, museums, film, music, theater, design, fashion, culinary arts, and publishing — giving the two sides an avenue for sharing regulatory knowledge as well as co-producing and co-creating across cultural value chains.

Going beyond traditional sectors, the two nations agreed to expand institutional partnerships, exchange expertise on heritage preservation, and increase participation in cultural festivals. The two sides also inked the bilateral Haj Agreement for 2026, confirming the country quota at 175k for Indian pilgrims, as per a separate press release.

INDIA + RUSSIA-

A 20-member Indian trade delegation led by the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) begins a four-day visit to Moscow today to explore new markets as US tariffs squeeze exports, Reuters reports. The team represents India’s engineering sector, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of total merchandise exports, and will hold meetings with Russian buyers in an initiative backed by the Indian Embassy and Commerce Ministry.

Following the US tariffs, exports of engineering goods to the US fell 9.4% y-o-y to INR 117 bn (USD 1.4 bn) in September, while India's exports to Russia rose 14.6% to INR 409 bn (USD 4.9 bn) in FY 2024-25.

Meanwhile… The Kremlin is preparing for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December, his first since December 2021, according to Reuters. The two leaders are expected to sign a labor mobility agreement during the summit next month, according to The Economic Times reports. The agreement aims to increase the flow of Indian workers to Russia while protecting their rights.

Workforce plan: The number of Indian workers employed in Russia is expected to surge to 70k by the end of 2025 under a quota fixed by the Russian Labor Ministry, the news outlet said. Indian workers are currently engaged in the construction and textile sectors, with new demand emerging in machinery and electronics. Russia is looking towards India to supply workers amid a labor shortage in the country.

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