Repayment at par: holders must provide bank mandate for electronic credit or surrender securities twenty days before maturity.
Outstanding balance of 7.16% GS 2023 is repayable at par on May 20, 2023; no interest accrues from that date. Payment will follow sub regulations 24(2) and 24(3) of the Government Securities Regulations, 2007 by pay order with bank particulars or by electronic credit where available; holders must submit bank details in advance or, lacking those particulars, tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices twenty days before the due date to obtain discharge value.

Trade and Economic Partnership talks to resume; parties commit to resolving outstanding issues and deepening cooperation.
High-level officials from India and EFTA States met to advance resumption of negotiations on a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, review the state of talks, identify challenges from the global trade environment, and commit to continue efforts to resolve outstanding issues, explore ways to advance negotiations, and deepen the economic partnership toward a more inclusive global trading system.

Open network interoperability ensures fair marketplace access, inviting all e commerce platforms to join and compete.
ONDC is an interoperable digital marketplace inviting all e commerce platforms to join, aimed at expanding market access for local languages, small businesses, artisans and farmers by enabling wider price discovery, larger markets, reduced commission burdens, real time settlement and non preferential treatment so that no seller gains built in priority, thereby promoting equitable access, competition and improved consumer choice.

Administrative appointment: Secretary role at Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade filled, marking a senior civil service transfer.
Administrative appointment: Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh has assumed the office of Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, succeeding the previous Secretary who moved to another central ministry. The notice records this senior-level transfer within the central civil service and summarizes the officer's qualifying administrative experience, including prior secretarial leadership in the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and various central and state-level senior postings.

Appointment of Secretary: Rajesh Kumar Singh assumes charge at Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, succeeding predecessor.
Appointment of Secretary: Rajesh Kumar Singh has assumed charge as Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, succeeding the outgoing incumbent; he is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1989 batch from the Kerala cadre with prior Secretary-level and senior central and state government assignments.

Integrated national infrastructure planning platform awarded for innovation; enhances interdepartmental coordination and optimizes project planning.
PM GatiShakti NMP is an integrated national infrastructure planning platform consolidating over fourteen hundred data layers from Central Ministries and States/UTs to enable unified access for optimized planning, faster clearances, reduced project pendency and cost-effective implementation. An institutional framework-Empowered Group of Secretaries, Network Planning Group and Technical Support Unit-functions at national and sub national levels to govern and provide technical support. The programme promotes a convergence-based Area Approach for sustainable socio-economic infrastructure development and has undertaken regional workshops to onboard stakeholders and build implementation capacity.

Education policy alignment with NEP 2020 stresses quality, affordability and institutional engagement to boost entrepreneurship.
India's education priorities emphasize alignment with the National Education Policy, 2020 to secure high quality education, affordability and flexibility, and call on institutions to engage with private sector and government to leverage student and faculty strengths for public benefit. The address also promotes entrepreneurship, innovation and gender inclusion-highlighting notable female enrolment-and advocates a VUCA approach (Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility) to prepare graduates to create solutions for diverse sectors and support inclusive growth.

Regulatory reform fosters transparency and investment in real estate, enabling growth and startup opportunities with infrastructure support.
The Real Estate sector is presented as a major source of employment and startup opportunities underpinned by budgetary infrastructure investment and increased housing outlay. RERA is depicted as a key reform improving transparency and governance, while simplified GST and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have strengthened lender confidence and sector resilience. Policy and legislative measures, including decriminalisation efforts and the Jan Vishwas Bill, are framed as enhancing trust, consumer redressal and ease of doing business.

Economic cooperation agreements expand sectoral collaboration and commit to resolving market access issues through bilateral consultations.
The co chairs emphasised enhanced bilateral economic engagement and identified priority sectors for cooperation-notably Renewable Energy, Civil Aviation (automation, surveillance, NavAids), High Speed Rail, Shipping and Ports, Infrastructure, Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Innovation, and Defence. They reviewed legal instruments including MOUs on Migration and Mobility, an Agreement on Social Security, and Cyber Security cooperation, and agreed to resolve exporters' Market Access Issues through bilateral discussions, while seeking progress on India EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations during the upcoming Spanish EU Presidency.

Direct tax collections trend: time series release shows stronger revenue performance and improved collection efficiency indicators.
Updated Time Series data through F.Y. 2021 22 reports large increases in net and gross direct tax collections compared with F.Y. 2013 14, the highest Direct Tax Buoyancy over the past 15 years, an increased Direct Tax to GDP ratio, and a reduced cost of collection as a share of receipts; the datasets are released in annual and provisional formats and published on the official income tax website to support research and analysis of tax administration effectiveness.

Bilateral economic cooperation focuses on green transition, technology collaboration and defence industrial co development to boost market access.
Bilateral economic and commercial engagement expanded across investment, trade and sectoral cooperation, with emphasis on mobilising private and public investment and business partnerships to accelerate exports and market access. The programme prioritises a green transition, technology cooperation and industrial modernisation, identifying opportunities in renewable energy, mobility, buildings, energy efficiency, industrial processes and agri-technology. Critical and emerging technologies and defence industrial collaboration were addressed as strategic areas for deeper cooperation, with focus on joint design, indigenous development and leveraging bilateral ties for broader market engagement.

Market access in India-EU FTA negotiations discussed as key to enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties.
Discussion focused on advancing bilateral trade and investment frameworks, emphasizing market access as a central element of India-EU FTA negotiations. Ministers reviewed trade and investment trends, identified regulatory and commercial barriers to deeper integration, and highlighted priority sectors-infrastructure, renewable energy, mobility and aerospace-alongside WTO engagement and investment facilitation measures to support expanded commercial ties.

Strategic partnership expands trade, technology and investment ties, accelerating bilateral economic engagement and growth opportunities.
India and France are deepening a strategic partnership to expand trade, investment, tourism and technological cooperation, driven by leadership momentum and strengthened by business communities and the Indian diaspora. Priorities include boosting exports, enhancing infrastructure and logistics, attracting investment and technology (including defence manufacturing) while promoting indigenous production. India positions itself as offering "Scale, Speed and Skills," leveraging demographic and managerial capacity, digital connectivity, and a focus on innovation, sustainability and the green economy, with government attention to gender parity and accelerated bilateral dialogue to expand trade and investment.

Strategic partnership with France reinforces cooperation and calls diaspora engagement to support India's development and economic outreach.
India emphasizes its long-term strategic partnership with France and urges the diaspora to act as ambassadors to deepen cooperation in defence, technology, investment and tourism. Domestic government programmes-universal sanitation, clean cooking fuel, universal healthcare, education reform, digital connectivity and water supply-are presented as foundational enablers that improve dignity, health and opportunity, prepare citizens for technological transformation, and support economic growth and global engagement.

Bilateral economic cooperation advanced through India France Business Summit focusing on green transition, technologies and defence collaboration.
Bilateral economic cooperation between India and France is being advanced through an India France Business Summit focusing on the green transition, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and Indo Pacific engagement; senior ministers and a delegation of top Indian CEOs will co chair and participate in ministerial and business sessions to catalyse private sector partnerships.

National Startup Awards promote recognition and support for startups through category-based awards, mentorship and market access.
Launch of the National Startup Awards 2023 establishes a government-backed recognition programme with applications open from 1 April 2023 and a submission deadline of 31 May 2023. The Awards comprise twenty categories aligned to national innovation priorities; one winning startup per category will receive a cash prize and winners and finalists will obtain handholding support including investor and government connect, mentorship, international market access, and corporate linkages.

Railway infrastructure projects under PM GatiShakti to enhance multimodal connectivity and improve nationwide logistics efficiency.
Recommendation under PM GatiShakti endorses four Ministry of Railways projects to enhance multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency: doubling the Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur Broad-Gauge line to relieve a feeder corridor and increase capacity; a new Broad-Gauge link Anand Nagar-Maharajganj to provide a direct alternative route and support regional development including freight movement to Nepal; a new Broad-Gauge line Junagarh-Nabarangpur to shorten mineral routes and enable road-rail intermodal logistics; and Automatic Block Signaling upgrades on freight-dense Western Railway to increase capacity and speeds.

Pension scheme enrolments rise as National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana report significant subscriber growth.
Subscriber enrolments across the National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana exceeded 1.35 crore in the financial year. The NPS private-sector component, comprising All Citizen and Corporate schemes, accounted for the majority share of new subscriptions with cumulative private-sector engagement exceeding ten lakh subscribers, while APY continued to attract a large cohort, contributing substantially to the aggregate enrolment tally.

Logistics policy focus drives infrastructure and digital platforms to reduce costs and deliver goods more efficiently nationwide.
Logistics is central to national policy with an emphasis on reducing costs through scale, efficiency and technology. Implementation focuses on coordinated infrastructure planning and integrated digital platforms-notably PM GatiShakti, the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, and dedicated freight corridors-and on partnering with industry and research bodies to translate recommendations into actionable roadmaps while promoting trust, transparency and skilled human resources to strengthen trade competitiveness.

Regional economic development: B20 conference to advance multilateral business partnerships and sectoral investment opportunities.
The conference in Kohima promotes regional economic development by targeting multilateral business partnerships in agriculture and food processing, tourism, and information technology through plenary sessions, sectoral addresses, and business to business and business to government meetings, while state authorities present investment opportunities and organise site visits and cultural programmes to connect delegates with local developments.