India’s petroleum product exports to Africa surged by 141% to nearly $10 billion between April and August, contrasting with a 15% contraction in shipments to Europe and flat growth to America. Overall refined petroleum exports grew 38% to $35 billion, with Asia accounting for 40% of shipments and Africa rising to 28%. In domestic infrastructure, the Network Planning Group under PM Gati Shakti has evaluated 421 projects worth ₹20.23 lakh crore since October 2021, sanctioning 256 projects and putting 198 under active implementation. The government is also establishing the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) to streamline multimodal connectivity and lower logistics costs. Simultaneously, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu held talks to advance the India-Canada CEPA, following the conclusion of fifth-round negotiator talks, aiming to finalize the agreement by the end of the year to bolster bilateral trade.