Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing for this year's Independence Day speech amid ongoing youth protests and concerns over job opportunities and inequality. Last year, Modi spoke for over 100 minutes at the historic Red Fort in Delhi, pledging to protect farmers during trade tensions with the U.S.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese President To Lam continues his diplomatic outreach since becoming general secretary of the Communist Party in 2024 with visits to Australia and New Zealand. His tour, running from Sunday to Friday, includes an expected meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Discussions are anticipated to focus on deepening economic and strategic ties.

Building on the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024, the trip aims to prioritize cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and resilient supply chains. Further collaboration is expected in energy, infrastructure, food security, trade, investment, and education. Multiple bilateral agreements are expected to be signed with both countries.

In economic news, the Bank of Japan will release its summary of opinions from its recent monetary policy meeting held on July 30 and 31. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda had highlighted "meaningful upside risks" to inflation during a news conference.

Additionally, India's central bank predicted inflation to come in at 5% for the fiscal year through March 2027, with a slowdown expected after the third quarter, remaining within the Reserve Bank of India's tolerance band of 2% to 6%.