Competition approval granted for cross-border acquisition of housing finance firm, permitting change in shareholding pending detailed order.
The Competition Commission of India has granted competition approval for Mango Crest Investment Ltd., a Mauritius investment holding company, to acquire shareholding in Shriram Housing Finance Limited, a housing finance company registered with the national housing regulator; the detailed CCI order will follow.

Combination approval for minority investment, phased acquisition and merger enabling consolidation of healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution platforms.
Regulatory approval was granted for a combination where an international investor makes a minority tranche investment into a healthcare platform that runs digital services and pharmacy distribution, the platform acquires shares in a wholesale pharmaceutical distributor through phased primary and secondary transactions, the distributor will be merged into the platform within a stipulated period, and the hospital enterprise will subscribe to and receive bonus equity in the platform prior to the investor investment.

Climate smart agritech accelerator supports cross-border scaling, mentorship, field trials and non-equity grant eligibility for start-ups.
The India-Australia RISE Accelerator's Climate Smart Agritech cohort seeks start-ups and MSMEs with farmer centred technologies that enhance productivity and resilience. The nine month program combines online learning, immersion weeks in both countries, mentorship, market access facilitation, field trials and pilots. Participation is offered at no charge, selected entities may be eligible for a non equity grant, and the cohort targets solutions that boost productivity, reduce emissions and optimise resource use.

Cabinet approval for civil enclave development enables construction of a green terminal and expanded airside and landside facilities.
Cabinet approval authorises development of a new civil enclave at Bagdogra Airport, permitting construction of a 70,390 sqm terminal for 3000 peak hour passengers and ten bay apron for A 321 type aircraft, two link taxiways, and multi level car parking. The Terminal Building must be a Green Building incorporating renewable energy and maximised natural lighting to reduce ecological impact, and the project is intended to enhance operational capacity and passenger experience.

Cabinet approval for airport civil enclave enables major capacity expansion at Bihta with planned terminal and apron works
Cabinet approval authorises development of a New Civil Enclave at Bihta, Bihar by the Airports Authority of India to address projected saturation at Patna Airport; the project comprises an Integrated Terminal Building of 66,000 sqm with phased scalability and airside works including an apron with parking bays for A-321/B-737-800/A-320 type aircraft and two link taxiways to increase passenger and aircraft handling capacity.

SDG National Indicators milestone setting to align domestic targets with the global Comprehensive Review and strengthen monitoring.
The Ministry is holding a consultation to review milestone setting for SDGs National Indicators, consolidating inputs from line ministries and national coordinating bodies based on the National Indicator Framework and recent progress reporting, with the dual purpose of taking stock of milestone adoption and sensitizing ministries to developments in the global Comprehensive Review so national monitoring and reporting are coordinated and aligned.

Integrated multimodal planning enables district-level GIS portals for coordinated infrastructure, disaster preparedness, and project planning.
Implementation of a GIS-enabled Area Development Approach through district-level capacity building to operationalize PM GatiShakti NMP: District Collectors and multi-sectoral teams will use mapped datasets and a decision support system to coordinate economic and social infrastructure planning, disaster preparedness, and multimodal connectivity. District Master Plan portals, technical support from BISAG-N, and inter-ministerial data integration will enable data-driven local project planning and emergency response.

Integrated infrastructure planning via PM GatiShakti workshops to operationalise geo spatial NMP tools and area based district planning.
PM GatiShakti workshops aim to operationalise the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan at district and local levels by convening District Collectors, state and central officials to showcase use cases, demonstrate the PMGS geo spatial tools and NMP platform, and promote the Area Development Approach to align infrastructure and social sector planning, facilitate first and last mile connectivity, and onboard additional districts for inclusive regional development.

Digital public procurement platform modernisation expands inclusion and deploys generative AI to improve procurement integrity and user support.
GeM operates as a Section 8 national digital public procurement platform emphasising supplier inclusion and market access for verified MSEs, women, SC/ST enterprises, startups, artisans and cooperative producers; it formalises capacity building through the SAHAYAK trainer program and deploys generative AI and market intelligence tools for product comparison, price discovery and anomaly detection to enhance procurement integrity and user support.

Regulatory reform dialogue to align policy with industry feedback and enable export growth and strengthen market access.
A minister-led industry engagement sought actionable feedback to drive regulatory reforms and policy alignment on trade, logistics, market demand, supplier ecosystems, talent, legal/IPR, and access to capital; a pre-event survey focused the agenda on priority barriers and a PwC report proposing the VIKSIT export strategy framework was released to inform future policy calibration.

Public procurement digital marketplace growth signals expanded government e-procurement adoption, including women-led and startup participation.
GeM reports milestone cumulative GMV and transaction growth driven by increased participation of micro and small enterprises, notably women-led MSEs and startups, evidencing wider adoption of digital public procurement. To support onboarding and effective participation, GeM has launched the GeM SAHAYAK initiative to certify trainers and provide end-to-end facilitation and capacity-building services for buyers and sellers on the portal.

UNNATI scheme implementation guidance promotes Northeast industrialisation following a multi state officer workshop with roadmap and inter ministerial collaboration to support execution.
The workshop advanced operational guidance for the UNNATI, 2024 Scheme by setting an implementation roadmap, clarifying execution responsibilities, and fostering inter ministerial coordination; states presented regional incentives and officers offered suggestions to refine scheme design and delivery, consolidating operational clarity and strengthening collaboration among central ministries, implementing units, and northeastern state administrations.

Use of Data for Decision Making-strengthening state statistical systems to improve coordination, capacity and data-driven policy outcomes.
A national conference convened by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation brings Central and State statistical agencies together to promote use of data for decision making, strengthen state statistical systems, and enhance intergovernmental coordination. The event focuses on data dissemination, capacity building, survey operations, national accounts, price statistics, and SDG-related statistical work, and includes the release of the publication 'Women and Men in India, 2023'.

Quality Control Orders curb substandard footwear imports while liberalising compliance timelines and exempting small-batch producers.
Quality Control Orders are being implemented to curb substandard footwear imports and protect domestic industry by raising manufacturing standards. The government has liberalised compliance: retailers receive a two-year period to clear existing stock and small-batch fashion footwear manufacturing is exempted. QCOs do not apply to exports, but exporters must satisfy client quality requirements. The measures aim to boost sectoral employment, expand market share, advance export growth objectives, and leverage Free Trade Agreements to globalise Indian brands.

Decriminalisation of boiler offences shifts non serious breaches to administrative penalties and streamlined adjudication mechanisms.
The Bill repeals the Boilers Act, 1923 and re-enacts a modern statutory framework consolidating provisions, clarifying Central, State and Board powers, and improving drafting. It converts fines for non criminal breaches into administrative penalties with adjudication and appeal mechanisms, retains criminal penalties for serious safety offences, omits obsolete provisions, adds definitions and enabling clauses for rules and regulations, and includes transitional provisions to preserve existing subordinate instruments until new rules are notified.

Competition approval: complete acquisition of ATC India by Data Infrastructure Trust cleared, with detailed order to follow.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of the entire share capital of ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited by Data Infrastructure Trust, together with certain inter connected transactions. Data Infrastructure Trust is an infrastructure investment trust operating through special purpose vehicles to provide passive telecom infrastructure services in India. ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited is an indirect subsidiary of American Tower International and also provides passive telecom infrastructure services. The CCI's detailed order will follow.

Merger control approval: private equity fund to acquire equity stake in housing finance company following regulatory clearance.
CCI approved the acquisition of equity shares in Vastu Housing Finance Corporation Limited by 360 ONE Private Equity Fund through a proposed secondary purchase, constituting merger control clearance. The acquirer comprises the Category II Alternative Investment Fund and its investment manager, 360 ONE Alternates Asset Management Limited, ultimately controlled by 360 ONE WAM Limited, acting through various schemes and affiliates. The target provides retail lending products and has a wholly owned subsidiary engaged in a range of lending services. A detailed CCI order will follow.

Data Quality Assurance strengthened through scientific sampling, CAPI validation and multilayer training improving survey timeliness.
Strengthening of NSSO data collection focuses on enhancing data quality assurance by adopting scientific sampling, standardised instructions for field staff, and Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) technology with built-in validation checks; concurrent multi-level review and multi-layered training, combined with regular field inspection and supervisory scrutiny, improve data consistency and reduce the time lag in publishing survey results.

Urbanisation projection signals population shift to cities; migration stream data underline rural to rural and rural to urban mobility patterns.
Projected urbanisation in the Economic Survey 2023-24 forecasts that by 2030 over forty percent of the population will be urban, informing urban planning needs. PLFS migration data (July 2020-June 2021) quantifies internal movement across four streams, showing a majority in rural to rural flows with significant rural to urban and urban to urban shares; these proportions, provided in a parliamentary reply, supply the statistical basis for assessing rural-urban transition and policy calibration.

Decriminalisation of boiler offences shifts non-criminal breaches to executive penalties while retaining criminal sanctions for safety risks.
Boilers Bill, 2024 repeals the Boilers Act, 1923 and modernises the regulatory regime by reorganising provisions into six chapters, enumerating powers of the Central Government, State Governments and Central Boilers Board, and redrafting definitions and enabling provisions. The Bill implements decriminalisation: four offences that may threaten life or property retain criminal penalties while other offences are converted from 'fine' to an executive 'penalty' with newly added adjudication and appeal clauses, facilitating administrative resolution and enhancing ease of doing business. The Bill also prescribes safety and competency requirements for boiler repair and operation.