Bilateral startup collaboration spurs India-Korea joint innovation with a hub and challenge to enable market entry and pilot support.
A bilateral startup cooperation platform was launched comprising the India Korea Startup Hub on the Startup India digital platform and an associated Startup Grand Challenge to facilitate market entry, innovation exchange, and resource access between Indian and Korean startups. The Grand Challenge will invite joint solutions in areas such as credit rating, predictive analytics, fraud detection, cyber security and healthcare; winners receive corporate mentorship, pilot project opportunities and capped financial support, with applications submitted via the Startup India Korea portal.

Implementation of PM KISAN Yojana through PFMS enables direct benefit transfers and integrates GST refund accounting.
The 43rd Civil Accounts Day emphasised PFMS as the central platform for implementing the PM KISAN Yojana via direct benefit transfers and for integrating ARPIT to process GST/IGST refund accounting; it also launched a Scheme wise Dashboard and a Bank Monitoring Mobile Application to monitor expenditure, bank performance and reduce parked funds, and showcased GRIP along with an Operational Manual for Risk Based Internal Audit to standardise internal audit processes.

Economics of Competition Law: conference to advance antitrust economic analysis and strengthen enforcement perspectives.
Economics of Competition Law is the focal theme of a national conference convened to deepen the economic foundations for enforcement of the competition statute. The conference aims to generate and disseminate empirical and theoretical research, promote rigorous economic debate, and foster a cohort of antitrust economists to supply technical input for enforcement and policy formulation.

Public private partnership expands access to creative digital tools and teacher training in school innovation labs to boost digital literacy.
A government innovation mission has formed a public private partnership whereby a private software provider will adopt a cohort of schools in the Atal Tinkering Lab network and supply premium creative software licenses and learning resources under a digital-skills program. The collaboration focuses on integrating creative tools into ATL content, delivering teacher training and community engagement, and supporting student skill development, digital literacy and innovation activities across the lab ecosystem.

E-filing adoption and transparency: accelerates paperless governance and administrative efficiency under minimum government maximum governance vision.
Conversion of offline files to an e-filing system is a central operational change: NITI reports conversion of over twenty thousand files and near-universal reliance on e-Office, positioning the organisation as steward of the Prime Minister's Minimum Government, Maximum Governance objective, alongside framed transparent guidelines for induction of young professionals and consultants and redesign of collaborative, open workspaces to enhance administrative transparency and efficiency.

Institutional mechanism for bilateral trade engagement strengthens India-Italy cooperation across machinery, infrastructure, ICT and intellectual property.
The India Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation functions as an institutional mechanism for bilateral trade engagement, co chaired at ministerial level to facilitate dialogue and advance cooperation in sectors such as machinery, infrastructure and engineering, ICT including digitalization, agriculture and intellectual property rights, while reviewing prior sessions and promoting trade facilitation and investment.

Payroll reporting signals use of administrative records to profile formal employment and measure labour trends.
Payroll reporting is presented as a mechanism to assess formal employment dynamics by leveraging administrative records from selected government agencies to measure changes in formal sector employment, identify sectoral patterns, and inform statistical monitoring, supported by an annexed detailed note.

Intellectual property awareness campaign: national student competition promoting innovation, IP respect and public recognition for creative entries.
CIPAM launched the second edition of IPrism, a national student competition on the theme "IP in Daily Life" accepting 60 second animated/film videos and comic books up to five pages, offering cash prizes, institutional trophies and online recognition; full submission rules, deadlines and updates are available on the competition website and CIPAM social channels.

Aviation infrastructure upgrade expands regional connectivity under UDAN scheme, enabling broader domestic and cross border air links.
Announcement of concentrated investment to upgrade multiple AAI airports to expand tourism, trade and regional development, with emphasis on the North East and cross border links. The projects are framed as part of the UDAN scheme and the national Vision 2040 aviation planning, with UDAN 3.1 route bidding to connect underserved and strategic regions and systematic airport capacity expansion to support projected fleet and passenger growth.

Bilateral trade promotion between India and Canada advancing sectoral cooperation and facilitation to expand market access and joint ventures.
Bilateral trade promotion between India and Canada focused on sectoral cooperation and facilitation of business linkages in infrastructure, ICT, advanced manufacturing, financial services, tourism, business immigration, education and skills development, with proposals for technology transfer, trade promotion, joint ventures, and expanded market access for food and industrial products.

Finance Commission advisory review of fiscal assumptions and debt positions to inform report chapter planning under constitutional constraints.
The Advisory Council reviewed the Commission's chapter plan, exchanged views on macro assumptions including GDP growth, taxation of the Centre and States, expenditure growth, and considered the terminal position of debt between Centre and States; it emphasized innovative approaches consistent with the constitutional framework and scheduled a further meeting next month.

Unregulated deposit schemes banned; authorities can attach assets, prioritise depositor restitution and impose prison and fines.
The Ordinance bans Unregulated Deposit Schemes, defines regulated schemes listed in the First Schedule, and requires deposit takers to intimate an online central database. Appropriate Governments appoint Competent Authorities with powers to investigate, provisionally attach deposits and property, and seek confirmation from Designated Courts, which may order sale and equitable distribution to depositors. Depositor claims have priority over other debts; offences for soliciting or accepting unregulated deposits and for fraudulent default carry substantial minimum imprisonment and fines. Search, seizure and freezing powers and CBI referral for multi state or large value cases are provided.

Companies amendment: new commencement checks, strengthened registrar powers, and higher, standardised penalties for compliance failures.
A new section 10A requires newly incorporated companies with share capital to file a director's declaration within 180 days confirming subscribers have paid for shares and to verify the registered office before commencing business or borrowing; Registrar may initiate name-removal where companies appear inactive. Amendments expand Registrar verification powers, revise charge registration timelines and rectification mechanisms, and substantially increase and standardise penalties and continuing-failure daily fines across multiple compliance provisions, including a doubled-penalty rule for repeated defaults within three years.

Investment facilitation: single-window mechanism and bilateral investment treaty talks to boost India Russia SME cooperation and market access.
India and Russia plan institutional facilitation for SME cooperation through a fast track single window mechanism chaired by the DIPP Secretary and an existing Russia Desk to resolve trade and investment barriers; bilateral investment treaty talks have also commenced. The release stresses SMEs' informational deficits and calls for a curated digital bridge, dissemination of best practices, and sectoral cooperation-including energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, R&D, pharma and agriculture-to enable technology and capital transfer and expand market access.

NABH Entry-Level Certification modernised: digital HOPE platform enables streamlined accreditation and real-time compliance verification.
NABH restructured the Entry-Level Certification via the HOPE portal to broaden HCO/SHCO enrolment, streamline digital registration, enable geotagged and timestamped evidence uploads, and implement technology-based real-time assessment validation, complemented by outreach, consultancy linkage, and support services to promote accreditation-aligned quality and patient safety.

Air cargo manifest and transhipment regulations require electronic manifests, transhipment bonds, carrier obligations, and confidentiality protections.
The Regulations require authorised carriers to register with the jurisdictional Commissioner and to deliver integrated arrival and departure manifests electronically (General Declaration, passenger and cargo manifests) within prescribed pre check in and post departure timelines. Specific cargo (arms, explosives, narcotics, precious metals, radioactive material) must be declared in a dedicated form. Transhipment is permitted subject to listing in the manifest, movement by aircraft or truck, execution of bonds (with air and postal transhipment exemptions from bank guarantees), segregation and customs sealing for multimodal transfers. Carriers must maintain records, provide track and trace, ensure safety and confidentiality of passenger data, and face suspension, revocation, penalties and appeal procedures.

Ban on unregulated deposit schemes implemented to prohibit illicit deposit-taking and provide penalties and disgorgement mechanisms.
Immediate regulatory action establishes a ban on unregulated deposit schemes, prohibiting unauthorized deposit-taking activities and creating enforcement mechanisms including penal sanctions and administrative measures, and providing for disgorgement and repayment procedures to recover funds collected by prohibited schemes.

Dearness Allowance increase for central employees and pensioners effective January, raising cost-of-living compensation under pay commission formula.
An additional instalment of Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief for pensioners is approved effective 1 January 2019, raising the existing rate by three percentage points under the pay commission formula to compensate for price rise; the decision quantifies the recurring exchequer impact and the aggregate budgetary effect for the 14-month period and identifies the population of beneficiaries.

Public procurement relaxations for start-ups expand access via GeM SWAYATT, enabling market trials and buyer feedback.
SWAYATT and GeM Start-up Runway expand public procurement access by exempting certified Start-ups from prior experience, prior turnover and earnest money deposit requirements while maintaining quality and technical checks; they enable DPIIT-number-based registration, time-bound market trials, proactive buyer alerts, and a buyer-rating rule (3+ from at least three buyers) to qualify innovative products for regular listing on GeM.

National Logistics Policy to streamline logistics, reduce costs, and coordinate cross-ministerial reforms with stakeholder-driven implementation.
The draft National Logistics Policy aims to reduce logistics costs, enhance trade competitiveness and ease of doing business by implementing measures across 18 thrust areas-such as modal mix optimization, transport and warehousing infrastructure, agri-logistics, streamlined EXIM and inter-state processes, and improved first-mile/last-mile connectivity-under a cross-ministerial governance framework supported by a national logistics fund. Stakeholder consultation inputs will be incorporated, and the SAFAR mobile app will enable real-time reporting of logistics issues to aid implementation.