New Delhi: The government is examining 500-odd heavily imported products including machinery, fertilisers, chemicals, cotton staple fibre, plastics, silicon wafers and carbon fibres, to identify localisation opportunities and reduce dependence on overseas supply.

The commerce and industry ministry is collating data from different ministries on import dependence, estimated time and capital investment required to achieve commercially viable domestic manufacturing capability, and national strategic relevance of these products, officials privy to the development said.

The idea is to reduce the country’s import bill and build supply resilience amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is “analysing data such as production capacity and bottlenecks faced by industry,” one of the officials said.

The department has sought information such as the extent to which domestic demand for the product is met through imports, indicating vulnerability to external supply and the need for localisation, and the importance of the product in ensuring continuity, resilience, and stability of domestic manufacturing and essential downstream sectors.
The exercise also covers harvester-threshers, parts of turbo jets and certain graphite, officials said.
DPIIT is likely to shortlist around 100 items where the imports are high but the country has capacity to produce them locally, another person aware of the development said.
High import dependence means where 60% or more of the domestic demand for the product is met through imports while medium is where imports are 30-60%.

“Electronics and chemicals are two key sectors where imports are huge but the potential to export is also significant,” another official said.

India’s goods import bill stood at $774.98 billion in FY26, led by oil at $174 billion, electronics at $116.17 billion, and gold at $72 billion. The country also imported organic and inorganic chemicals worth $28 billion last fiscal.

Makeup preparations, dishwashers, industrial valves and certain silicon wafers also figure in the list of the products whose imports are being studied.

The exercise comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to help preserve foreign exchange and contain the country’s rising import bill amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

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The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will come into force on June 1. It grants New Delhi 100% duty-free access across 98.08% of tariff lines, covering 99.38% of export value, with the benefits available from Day 1. KIRTIKA SUNEJA explains

INDIA’S EXPORTS GAINS
Engg goods, pharma, agri & processed food, marine products, textiles, chemicals, electronics, plastics, gems & jewellery
DUTY FREE EXPORTS

• Natural honey, cashew, boneless meat, bakery products
• Chocolate, sugar confectionery, mineral wate
• Cheese, curd, milk, cream, frozen fish, butter
• Animal & vegetable fats and oil
• Oman levies 5-100% duty at present
• Zero-duty access, consolidates India’s 98.3% share, making Oman India’s largest export destination for eggs

MOBILITY, SERVICES GAINS

• Enhanced mobility for Indian Professionals
• Temporary stay commitments for intra-corporate transferees, contractual service suppliers, business visitors, independent professionals
• Liberalised entry, stay for professionals in accountancy, taxation, architecture, medical
• Commitment on 100% FDI for Indian cos in major services sectors
• First-ever commitment by any country on traditional medicine
• Fast tracking of marketing authorisations for USFDA, EMA, UKMHRA-approved pharma products

WHAT BECOMES CHEAPER FOR INDIA

• Dates: Duty-free access to 2,000 tonnes of Omani dates annually
• Concessions to Oman’s Gum Arabica (used in food, medicines), Frankincense used in perfume sector
• Petrochemicals, Marble blocks

Burger King is bringing back its Crown Nuggets for the first time in 15 years, reviving a nostalgic menu item that fans have repeatedly pushed the fast-food chain to restore.

The crown-shaped chicken nuggets will return to Burger King restaurants nationwide starting June 2 and will be available while supplies last, the Miami-based company announced this week. The rollout marks the first time the nuggets have appeared on menus since 2011.

“We’ve been committed to creating awesome experiences for the whole family and listening to our Guests, and bringing back our Crown Nuggets allows us to do both of those things,” Burger King‘s Chief Marketing Officer Joel Yashinsky said in a statement.

“And, by partnering with Crayola, the brand known for inspiring creativity and imagination to generations of families, we’ve created a King Jr. Meal experience that brings more fun and interaction to mealtime for Guests of all ages.”

BURGER KING MAKES CHANGES TO SIGNATURE WHOPPER FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A DECADE

Starting June 9, the limited-time kids meal will include a co-branded 4-pack of Crayola crayons, a colorable crown and a meal bag. The nuggets will be available as an 8-piece order and as part of Burger King’s $3.99 King Jr. Meal, which comes with a side and a drink.

“Crayola has always been focused on creating fun for the whole family, making this partnership with Burger King a natural fit,” Crayola’s Head of Global Partnerships Anna Roca said in a statement. “Together, we’re creating moments that encourage families to be engaged, get creative and make everyday mealtime experiences even more colorful.”

WISCONSIN DEMANDS $1M FROM BURGER KING FRANCHISEE OVER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
QSR	RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC.	74.70	+0.39	+0.52%
MCD	MCDONALD’S CORP.	279.20	+1.23	+0.44%
WEN	THE WENDY’S CO.	7.70	+0.20	+2.67%
SHAK	SHAKE SHACK	64.31	+2.18	+3.51%
RRGB	RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS INC.	5.06	+0.25	+5.20%
BYND	BEYOND MEAT INC.	0.79	-0.03	-3.88%

Customers greeted the announcement as a long-awaited comeback.

“I miss them so much,” one fan wrote on Reddit.

Another celebrated the return with a “we are so back.”

NAKED MAN FOUND BEHIND BURGER KING WITH AMNESIA MAY HAVE HIDDEN MYSTERIOUS PAST FOR DECADES

The Crown Nuggets comeback comes during a year of menu and branding moves for Burger King. Earlier this year, the chain announced updates to its signature Whopper, including a new bun and packaging, saying the changes were based on customer feedback rather than a full reinvention of the burger.

“We fired the king and crowned you,” an ad campaign said in hailing the return to its roots.

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Burger King, founded in 1954, operates more than 19,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and U.S. territories, with most locations owned by independent franchisees.

Americans are voting with their feet, leaving high-tax blue states for lower-cost, Republican-led states and reshaping the nation’s economic and political map, according to new Census Bureau data.

As states battle for residents and businesses, low-tax red states are attracting jobs, investment and population growth. Democratic-led states continue relying on higher taxes to fund public services and social programs, even as companies and wealthy residents move elsewhere.

With affordability set to dominate the 2026 midterms, the migration trend points to continued appeal for Republican-backed economic policies, despite Democrats’ attempts to pin economic frustrations on President Donald Trump.

If the trend persists, it could also reshape the political landscape, increasing the influence of faster-growing states in both state capitals and Washington.

AMERICA’S NEXT ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE MAY BE RISING IN RED-STATE TERRITORY

Census Bureau data show the nation’s highest-tax states are losing residents, while Southern and Sun Belt states continue posting some of the strongest population gains. Seeking lower housing costs, lighter tax burdens and a more affordable cost of living, Americans are increasingly leaving high-cost coastal states that have seen domestic outmigration accelerate in recent years.

The migration shift reflects a broader divide over taxation and government spending.

New York collected more state and local taxes per resident than any other state in fiscal year 2023, at $12,506, according to Census Bureau data. Democratic-led Connecticut, New Jersey and California also ranked among the nation’s most heavily taxed states.

Connecticut collected $9,388 in state and local taxes per resident, while New Jersey collected $9,178. Many of those states rely on progressive income tax systems to fund public schools, mass transit and other government services.

THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND

By contrast, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama ranked among the lowest in per-capita tax collections, reflecting a governing philosophy centered on lower taxes and a lighter burden on residents and businesses.

That approach appears to be attracting both people and investment. Several Republican-led states have embraced aggressive tax-cutting strategies aimed at drawing workers, retirees and businesses.

Tennessee has no state income tax, while Arizona recently adopted a flat tax. Mississippi and South Carolina have enacted multi-year tax-cut plans and are pursuing the eventual elimination of their state income taxes altogether.

Supporters of the lower-tax approach argue it has helped drive migration to the South and Sun Belt, particularly as remote work gives Americans more flexibility over where they live and businesses greater freedom over where they invest.

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Critics counter that lower-tax states may struggle to keep pace with infrastructure needs and public services as their populations expand.

As Americans continue voting with their feet, the growing divide between red- and blue-state fiscal models is emerging as one of the nation’s defining economic and political fault lines.