Public Sector Banks show stronger asset quality, record profitability and healthier capital position amid broad-based credit growth.
Public Sector Banks recorded strong financial performance during FY 2025-26, marked by sustained business growth, improved asset quality, record profitability and a healthy capital position. Aggregate business, deposits and advances expanded sharply, with broad-based credit growth in the retail, agriculture and MSME segments. Asset quality improved significantly as gross and net NPA ratios fell to historically low levels, while provisioning coverage remained above 90% across all PSBs.

Kimberley Process certification and compliance drive efforts to strengthen trust in ethically sourced natural diamond trade.
The Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting 2026 in Mumbai focuses on implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, monitoring and compliance mechanisms, artisanal and alluvial diamond production, statistics and measures to strengthen trust in the natural diamond value chain. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is an international initiative established pursuant to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/56 (2000) to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate diamond trade, with India's 2026 Chairship centred on credibility, compliance and consumer confidence.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations advance as India and Canada conclude the second round of talks.
India and Canada concluded the second round of negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement under the agreed Terms of Reference, with discussions aimed at a balanced, ambitious, and mutually beneficial framework to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties. The talks covered trade in goods, trade in services, intellectual property, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade, with further negotiations and intersessional engagements to continue.

Affordable social security protection through Jan Suraksha schemes expands low-cost insurance and pension coverage for eligible account holders.
Affordable social security protection is extended through the Jan Suraksha framework comprising Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana, each designed to provide low-cost insurance or pension support through banks, post offices and participating institutions. PMJJBY provides life insurance cover for death due to any cause, PMSBY provides accidental death and disability cover, and APY provides guaranteed minimum monthly pension support for eligible bank account holders under the National Pension System architecture.

Gross State Domestic Product compilation is updated with a new base year to improve comparability, consistency and fiscal planning.
Adoption of a new base year of 2022-23 for National Accounts requires States and Union Territories to compile Gross State Domestic Product on the revised series so that regional estimates reflect the current economic structure and remain consistent with updated data sources, improved estimation practices and evolving international standards. The uniform guideline for compilation of Gross State Value Added is intended to standardize State-level estimation practices and improve consistency, reliability and comparability across Regional Accounts Statistics. Gross State Domestic Product remains central to fiscal planning, tax devolution, resource allocation and borrowing limit calculations.

Railway multitracking projects approved to expand capacity, improve connectivity and strengthen freight movement across multiple states.
Cabinet approval was granted for three railway multitracking projects covering 19 districts across multiple states, with an estimated cost of Rs. 23,437 crore and completion targeted up to 2030-31. The projects comprise the Nagda-Mathura, Guntakal-Wadi and Burhwal-Sitapur third and fourth lines, and are intended to add about 901 km to the rail network. The capacity augmentation is aimed at improving mobility, operational efficiency, service reliability and congestion management, while supporting seamless movement of people, goods and services.

Ship repair facility expansion at Vadinar to strengthen domestic capacity, reduce foreign yard dependence and improve port competitiveness.
Approval was granted for development of a state-of-the-art ship repair facility at Vadinar, Gujarat, as a brownfield project jointly implemented by Deendayal Port Authority and Cochin Shipyard Limited. The facility will include a 650-metre jetty, two floating dry docks, workshops and associated marine infrastructure, and is designed to serve large commercial and foreign-flagged vessels. The project is intended to fill a domestic capacity gap, enable repairs of vessels up to 300 metres within India, reduce dependence on foreign shipyards, improve turnaround times and strengthen repair capability on the western coast.

Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane approved for the 2026-27 season with recovery-linked adjustments.
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane for Sugar Season 2026-27 has been approved at Rs.365 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%, with a premium of Rs.3.56 per quintal for every 0.1% increase in recovery above 10.25% and a corresponding reduction for every 0.1% decrease in recovery. No deduction is to be made where recovery is below 9.5%, and the approved FRP applies to sugarcane purchases by sugar mills from 1 October 2026.

Credit guarantee coverage scheme extends additional liquidity support to MSMEs, non-MSMEs, and airlines affected by West Asia disruption.
Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0 provides credit guarantee coverage through NCGTC for additional credit support to eligible borrowers affected by the West Asia situation. The scheme grants 100% guarantee coverage for MSMEs and 90% for non-MSMEs and the airline sector, with nil guarantee fee. Additional credit is capped according to borrower category, and the guarantee cover remains co-terminous with the loan tenor.

Regional Rural Bank viability framework strengthens performance monitoring, governance reform, and long-term financial sustainability across banks.
The Department of Financial Services has approved Viability Plan 2.0 for Regional Rural Banks as a revised three-year framework for 2025-26 to 2027-28. The plan institutionalizes performance monitoring, strengthens governance reforms, and supports continued oversight to improve financial sustainability and long-term competitiveness across all Regional Rural Banks. It comprises 30 performance parameters across operational excellence, asset quality, profitability, and growth, including capital adequacy, credit-deposit ratio, digital adoption, non-performing asset levels, recovery performance, profitability ratios, and implementation of Government of India schemes.

Insurance penetration strategy focuses on wider coverage, stronger underwriting, digital expansion and improved service delivery.
Operational review of the Vision Strategy documents of LIC, GIC Re and OICL focused on medium-term and long-term planning for improving operational efficiency, financial stability and sustainable growth. Strategic directions were given to strengthen human resource and information technology frameworks to enhance service delivery and to align company policies with broader insurance-sector objectives. Insurance policy direction emphasized increasing insurance penetration and density while preserving market share, with a focus on widening coverage to a larger segment of the population and developing investment and underwriting strategies to reduce loss ratios.

International trade education and policy research highlighted as IIFT marks its Foundation Day with new institutional initiatives.
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade marked its 63rd Foundation Day with official appreciation of its role as an autonomous institution in advancing India's international trade, management education, policy research, and capacity building. The commemorations highlighted its expanding academic and institutional presence across New Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada, and GIFT City, along with campus growth, alumni engagement, and new academic initiatives. The event also emphasized multilingual course offerings, a new website for improved accessibility and digital engagement, major conferences, research-led innovation, student recognition, and acknowledgment of retired employees and long-serving staff.

Debt recovery tribunal reforms advance through e-filing, hybrid hearings, capacity building, and faster disposal measures.
Department of Financial Services convened a colloquium of DRAT Chairpersons and DRT Presiding Officers to strengthen the debt recovery framework through policy dialogue, reform, and performance enhancement. The discussion focused on reducing pendency, accelerating disposal of cases, capacity building, targeted training, and sharing of best practices across tribunals. Key measures included mandatory e-filing, hybrid hearings, e-DRT 2.0, stronger bank oversight, prioritisation of high-value cases, use of Lok Adalats and mediation, and the BAANKNET e-auction platform.

Industrial corridor development gains focus as DPIIT reviews infrastructure progress, stakeholder concerns and investor facilitation needs.
DPIIT reviewed progress of industrial corridor projects in Haryana and Rajasthan under the National Industrial Corridor Programme and held stakeholder consultations on implementation issues, infrastructure needs and investor facilitation. The review covered logistics hub development, industrial area infrastructure, a solar power project for industrial use and coordinated action by DPIIT, NICDC and State Governments to address bottlenecks, support industry requirements and strengthen investor confidence.

Bilateral trade and economic cooperation expand as India and Tanzania deepen sectoral collaboration across trade, energy, health, and infrastructure.
Bilateral trade and economic cooperation between India and Tanzania were reviewed through the 5th Session of the Joint Trade Committee, with both sides reaffirming a commitment to strengthen trade, investment, and institutional dialogue. A range of cooperation areas was identified, including local currency trade settlement, long-term business visas, pharmaceuticals, health, education, shipbuilding, mining, digital public infrastructure, e-commerce, agriculture, fisheries, healthcare, transport, renewable energy, and market access issues such as tariffs, phytosanitary measures, and regulatory procedures.

Startup ecosystem collaboration boosts innovation, global linkages, and support services for recognised startups.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and Chamber India is directed toward strengthening the startup ecosystem through innovation-led growth, deeper engagement among startups, corporates, investors, and global stakeholders, and expanded international and cross-border collaboration. DPIIT-recognised startups are to receive concessional Chamber membership with a rebate, together with access to export facilitation, IPR advisory, business matchmaking, and participation in global delegations.

Unified Payments Interface scales India's digital payments ecosystem with massive adoption, interoperability, and financial inclusion.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has expanded over a decade into India's backbone digital payments infrastructure under NPCI and RBI oversight, with broad bank onboarding and wide merchant and person-to-person adoption. The system is described as a major driver of financial inclusion and high-frequency retail payments, supported by interoperability across banks and payment participants. UPI's scale is reflected in sharp growth in transaction volume and value, including daily and monthly record levels in 2025 and FY 2025-26, along with a large share of India's digital payments and nearly half of global real-time payment volume.

Investment facilitation and manufacturing confidence drive grounded projects, diversified inflows, and large-scale job creation across multiple states.
Invest India facilitated the grounding of 60 projects worth over USD 6.1 billion in Financial Year 2025-26, spanning 14 states and expected to generate more than 31,000 jobs. The investment inflow was led by Europe, with participation from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other markets, while emerging source countries reflected diversification in the investment base. The facilitation model covers the full investment lifecycle, supports joint ventures, and builds integrated industrial ecosystems. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and food processing accounted for a major share of grounded investments, alongside activity in electronics system design and manufacturing, aerospace and defence, and auto/EV.

Stressed asset resolution gains pace as NARCL expands acquisitions and accelerates recoveries across large borrower accounts.
National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) has expanded its stressed asset resolution role by acquiring 33 borrower entities with aggregate debt exposure of Rs.1,65,862 crore and participating in resolution processes under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. FY 2025-26 saw accelerated recoveries, with Rs.4,364 crore realised during the year and cumulative recoveries reaching Rs.6,345 crore across 23 accounts, while further recoveries remain underway.

Insurance modernisation through digitalisation, customised products and wider outreach was emphasised to strengthen service delivery and growth.
Strategic review of the vision documents of four public sector insurance companies focused on improving operational efficiency, financial soundness, sustainable growth, human resource and IT strategies, and service delivery. The review emphasized reducing loss ratios, preserving market share, strengthening retail portfolios and rural and semi-urban presence, developing customised products for younger customers and emerging risks, and advancing full digitalisation. It also highlighted cybersecurity compliance, online insurance services, grievance redressal, prompt claims processing, and expansion of distribution networks through outreach and social media.