Quality Control Orders require mandatory BIS certification for specified solar cables and cast iron products, banning non compliant manufacture.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade notified Quality Control Orders for Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable and for Cast Iron Products, effective six months after notification, making applicable BIS standards and certification mandatory for manufacture, storage and sale. The solar and fire survival cable QCOs define covered uses and safety performance; the cast iron QCO covers manhole covers, pipes, fittings and grey iron castings and grants compliance timeline relaxations to small and micro industries. The QCOs follow stakeholder consultation and WTO notice, and non BIS certified goods will be prohibited with penalties under the BIS Act, 2016.

Trade and Economic Partnership negotiations aim to deepen reciprocal trade and investment ties between India and EFTA partners.
Negotiations for a Trade and Economic Partnership (TEPA) between India and the EFTA countries progressed with a focus on advancing trade and investment cooperation, resolving key issues, and structuring the agreement on the principle of reciprocity. Discussions highlighted priorities such as market access, investment cooperation, and regulatory alignment to support mutually beneficial outcomes and guide further technical negotiations.

Collective boycott by trade associations deemed anti-competitive, resulting in orders to cease concerted margin-setting practices.
Findings address Anti-Competitive Practices by chemists associations that collectively boycotted a manufacturer's products and coordinated margin and incentive schemes with suppliers, constituting concerted conduct restricting competition; Presidents were held liable and the authority issued directions to ensure compliance, with mitigating factors leading to no monetary penalty.

Digitalization of trade documents: ministers endorse interoperable paperless trade principles to boost inclusive cross border commerce.
G20 Ministers adopted five deliverables: High Level Principles on digitalization of trade documents to enable secure, interoperable, and inclusive paperless cross border trade; a Jaipur Call for Action directing ITC, with UNCTAD and WTO, to upgrade the Global Trade Helpdesk for MSMEs; a Generic Mapping Framework for GVCs to assess sectoral and product resilience; a Presidency compendium of best practices on MRAs for professional services; and a proposed Standards Dialogue to reduce regulatory divergence, all reaffirming the WTO centred multilateral trading system.

Invoice incentive scheme encourages asking for bills; uploaded B2C invoices enter verified random draws with winner notification.
The Invoice Incentive Scheme permits residents to upload eligible B2C invoices issued by GST-registered suppliers in specified pilot States/UTs to a mobile app or web portal; each upload generates an ARN and is subject to a monthly upload cap and rejection for duplicates or invoices with inactive or fake GSTINs. Participation in periodic random draws (monthly and quarterly) depends on upload deadlines; winners are notified via app/SMS and must submit verification and bank details within a stipulated period to receive prizes. The Scheme operates as a twelve-month pilot.

Easing trade barriers: advancing paperless trade, MSME integration and WTO reform to boost inclusive international trade outcomes.
Focus on easing barriers to international trade and investment, prioritizing shared outcomes on the multilateral trading system, trade facilitation and inclusive trade policies. Key operative areas include resilience of global value chains, integration of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises into world trade through digital procurement platforms, logistics efficiency via coordinated infrastructure planning, and adoption of paperless trade technologies. The statement also advocates targeted WTO reform to align rules with current economic realities.

Infrastructure connectivity projects under coordinated national planning to enhance regional transport links and spur economic development.
The Network Planning Group under PM GatiShakti approved assessment of four projects-two road and two rail-totaling roughly seven thousand six hundred ninety three crore, and stressed use of the GatiShakti National Master Plan with a whole of government, Area Development Approach. The road projects (Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road and Dahod-Bodeli-Vapi corridor) aim to improve connectivity, reduce travel time and costs, and provide last mile access to Vizhinjam port. The rail projects (Pushkar-Merta and Merta City-Ras) aim to create direct regional links, decongest highways, hasten freight movement and support local industrial and socio economic development.

Digital public procurement accelerates government buying through GeM, expanding federal reach and streamlining procurement processes.
GeM functions as a unified e-procurement mechanism that streamlines government purchasing by accelerating adoption across central, state, and local agencies, expanding buyer-seller networks, and delivering procurement efficiencies, transparency, and cost savings. Integration with grassroots administrative systems and expanded product and service catalogues aim to bring Panchayat-level procurement onto the portal and to incorporate additional government buyers across tiers into a standardized digital procurement workflow.

Drug trafficking enforcement: NDPS Act arrests after cocaine seizure at international airport, recipient later detained.
DRI officers intercepted an arriving passenger at IGI Airport from Nairobi and recovered approximately 1,698 grams of cocaine; follow-up surveillance led to the apprehension of the intended recipient in Vasai, Mumbai. Both individuals were arrested and processed under the NDPS Act, 1985, and further investigation is ongoing.

Abuse of dominant position found in housing allotment practices; non disclosure and full month penal interest flagged, corrective measures noted.
The Commission found a housing board in a defined residential flats market to be in a dominant position and held that specific conduct constituted abuse of dominant position: failure to disclose possession dates in promotional/acceptance materials and levying penal interest for a full month for a one day instalment delay. The order followed an Information by an allottee under a self financing housing scheme and notes corrective measures by the board, with no monetary penalty imposed in view of those measures.

Rules-based multilateral trading system emphasised to advance inclusive trade via paperless trade, MSME access, GVC resilience and WTO reform.
Consensus-building under the Indian G20 Presidency focuses on five priority trade and investment issues and converting TIWG deliberations into action-oriented proposals in a draft Ministerial Statement. Emphasis is on paperless trade, trade finance, trade digitalisation and logistics to reduce transaction costs and enhance MSME access to information, finance and markets. The TIWG also prioritises GVC resilience through mapping frameworks and collective backing for WTO reform, while side events on Trade Finance, Trade and Technology and Trade Infrastructure informed the draft texts to support practical, collaborative tools for inclusive trade.

Central sector support for traditional artisans expands recognition, concessional credit, skills and market access under a national scheme.
Approval of the PM Vishwakarma Central Sector scheme establishes a five year, centrally funded programme to support traditional artisans and craftspeople, strengthen family based apprenticeship practices, improve product quality and market reach, and integrate artisans into value chains. The scheme provides PM Vishwakarma certification and ID, two tranche concessional credit support, and measures for skill upgradation, toolkit incentives, digital transaction incentives, and marketing support, initially targeting eighteen specified traditional trades.

Central funding for railway capacity expansion approved, enabling multi tracking works to ease congestion and boost freight capacity.
The Union Cabinet approved seven centrally funded railway multi tracking projects totalling 2,339 kilometres, authorising doubling, third line and quadrupling works to augment line capacity, reduce congestion and raise annual freight throughput by an estimated 200 MTPA, with associated construction employment generation and integration under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Exports growth signals integration into global supply chains and rising startup and digital leadership roles.
India's export performance is depicted as rapidly rising, with international recognition of India's expanding role in global commerce and supply chains. The statement connects this improvement to India offering solutions during supply-chain disruptions and to a human-needs focus, situating the economy as a stabilising actor. It further emphasizes that India ranks among the top three global startup ecosystems and that technological talent and digital initiatives are attracting international interest.

Illegal wildlife trade seizure: undercover operation recovered leopard skins and handed contraband and suspects to wildlife authorities.
Undercover officers posing as buyers intercepted traffickers in Srinagar, detained eight persons (including one serving police constable) and recovered four leopard skins. The recovered skins were seized under statutory provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and, following initial seizure proceedings, the seized items and detained persons were handed over to the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir for further action.

Indigenous crafts promotion expands market access through ODOP branding and retail linkage with women's artisan networks.
The DPIIT and Ministry of Rural Development jointly launched an ODOP Wall at SARAS Aajeevika Store to operationalise promotion and branding of one district-identified product per district, enhancing market access for handlooms, handicrafts and similar goods through product tagging, story cards and collaboration with SARAS Aajeevika's women artisans and Self-Help Groups.

Open Network for Digital Commerce accessibility expanded to promote inclusive onboarding, state coordination, and legal compliance.
The Government is expanding access to the Open Network for Digital Commerce through awareness workshops, a Feet on Street seller support programme, an ONDC Academy for training, and state level coordination by designated Nodal Officers to promote inclusive onboarding of small and non tech enabled merchants; ONDC participants remain subject to existing applicable laws and regulations of India.

Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol advanced to enable interoperable, state-tailored digital market access and inclusive participation.
Open Network for Digital Commerce Protocol implementation was advanced through a national Nodal Officers Workshop to coordinate stakeholder engagement, state-level operationalisation, and knowledge sharing. The event emphasised the ONDC Protocol as the operational framework to democratise digital commerce by enabling interoperable participation across diverse market actors and committed to providing tailored state roadmaps and mechanisms to integrate the Network with existing state initiatives.

Direct tax collections show steady growth and account for a substantial share of FY 2023-24 budget estimates.
Direct Tax collections for FY 2023-24 up to 10 August 2023 are reported provisionally: gross collections are higher year on year, net collections after refunds similarly show an increase, the net collection is expressed as a proportion of the Budget Estimates for direct taxes, and refunds issued during the period are reported with their year on year change.

Area Development Approach guides approval of multimodal infrastructure projects to enhance connectivity and logistics efficiency.
Six infrastructure projects-three rail and three road-were evaluated and recommended under the PM GatiShakti framework using the Area Development Approach to improve multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency. The package includes railway alignments connecting mines, industries and seaports across multiple states and road corridors, including an economic corridor and highway widening, aimed at bypassing congested areas, reducing travel time, augmenting capacity, and improving freight movement while supporting local economic activity and social connectivity.