WWW.INDIANExPRESS.COM What Age Cannot Tame These women are not trying to defy age but are leading engaged lives, and in doing so, are inviting us to full-bodied, potent, spirited experiences AHMEDABAD, JANUARY 11, 2026 ARTS ETC Music for the Sleepless LATE CITy 16+4 PAGES ₹6.00 D A I L y F R O M : A H M E D A B A D , Happening today lROHIT SHARMA AND VIRAT Kohli will be back in action as India host New Zealand for a three-match ODI series. Match starts at 1.30 pm in Vadodara. lPRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi is is scheduled to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot. TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm INsIDE PaGE 4 MOdI lIkEly TO MOvE INTO NEw PMO afTER JaN 14 C H A N D I G A R H , D E L H I , J A I P U R , K O L K A T A , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N A G P U R , P U N E , V A D O D A R A MOVES COME AFTER LIFTING OF FLIGHT, BUSINESS VISA RESTRICTIONS India looks at ‘graded’ opening of economy to China, easing curbs Reciprocity from Beijing key factor, investment-related curbs on the table Aanchal Magazine New Delhi, January 10 A CAREFULLY “graded” opening up of the Indian economy toChinaisunderconsideration at the highest levels of government, with any easing contingent on calibrated give-andtake by Beijing, The Indian Express has learned. The discussion comes amid therapidlyshiftingglobaltrade landscape and the looming threat of heightened US tariffs. Officials say the approach under discussion would be incrementalratherthansweeping. Indiahasalreadyeasedthebusiness visa process for Chinese workers, and the government is now examining whether some investment-related restrictions could also be relaxed. E. ExPlAINED More options The call to warm up to China marks a practical rebalancing of foreign policy and trade options in the wake of the India-US chill. Despite the border stand-off, some low-hanging fruit has been addressed. Reciprocity from Beijing, easing of curbs in areas such as rare earth magnets is being seen as key to movement forward. EcONOmY PaGE 8 IN PRE-BudGET MEET wITh fM, STaTES flaG lOSS IN REvENuE “It (easing of norms for China) is being worked upon. It will take time though. There has to be reciprocity. Earlier, flightswererestored,visaswere given, entry norms were eased as we had to allow technicians for stalled projects etc. So it will happen gradually,” said an official aware of the deliberations. Beijing has curbs on a range of exports in services. There has been substantial spadework. A high-level committee chaired by NITI Aayog memberRajivGaubahadearlier recommended withdrawing curbs on Chinese investments. Separately, the Economic Survey 2023-24 had made the case for attracting investment from Chinese companies to strengthen India’s export »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MERZ WILL VISIT AHMEDABAD, BENGALURU ‘A symbol of our civilisational courage’: PM offers prayers at Somnath Temple German Chancellor arrives tomorrow, Brendan Dabhi ‘first bilateral outside NATO, EU space’ Somnath, January 10 THERE WERE those who visited Gujarat's Somnath Temple on Saturday to get darshan of the Jyotirling and those who were there for the much-anticipated programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but all of them, regardless of whether they managed to pray to the deity, paused to appreciate the music that turned intermingled devotion and dance, amid chants of “Har Har Mahadev.” While the high security of P A T N A , Prime Minister Narendra Modi and gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at gir Somnath Temple on Saturday. ExPRESS MORE REPORTS, PAgE 3 the PM's convoy may have delayed the uploading of posts online, it did not dampen the enthusiastic atmosphere in Prabhas Patan where people, standing cramped shoulderto-shoulder, still managed to have a good time. PM Modi landed in Rajkot and then headed to Somnath, flying into Keshod airport and participated in a road show before he joined the Somnath Swabhiman Parv beginning with offering of prayers at the temple and the 72-hour chanting of ‘Om’. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ambassador:IndianworkersinGermany earn20%morethanGermancounterparts Shubhajit Roy the deepening bilateral relationship across sectors and its potential for the future, GerGERMAN CHANman Ambassador CELLOR Frieto India Philipp ExPrEss drich Merz’s trip Ackermann told to India beginThe Indian Exning Monday is press in an exclushis first bilateral visit outside of ive interview Saturday. NATO and the European Merz, whose delegation inUnion,a“verystrongsignal,”of cludes CEOs of 25 German New Delhi, January 10 exclusive german Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann. FILE companies, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and visit the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Row over searches on I-PAC: ED to move SC, Bengal govt files caveat Deeptiman Tiwary & Ananthakrishnan G New Delhi, January 10 THE ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) is likely to move the Supreme Court by late SaturdaynightorearlySunday,alleginginterferencebyWestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeandheradministrationduringitssearchesonpoliticalconsultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata. The West Bengal government, on its part, has filed a caveat before the top court, seeking that no order be passed in thematterwithouthearingit.A caveat is a precautionary measure in anticipation of a case, and ensures that no exparte order is passed. Both the ED and the Trinamool Congress have already filed petitions in the Calcutta High Court. On Friday, Justice Suvra Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court adjourned hearing on the petitions to January 14after chaos erupted in the courtroom as soon as proceedings began. On Thursday, the ED conducted searches at 10 locations linked to I-PAC, which is managing the TMC’s poll campaign. The searches were held in connection with an alleged coal smuggling and »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad