Foreign Direct Investment urged to prioritise infrastructure and manufacturing, inviting sovereign and institutional investors into national funds.
The Finance Minister urged increased Foreign Direct Investment into India, prioritising infrastructure and manufacturing, invited sovereign wealth, pension and insurance funds to invest via vehicles such as the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, and noted central liberalisation of sectors alongside state-level competition to attract investment through summits.

Energy security and rural electrification prioritized, proposing off grid solutions and youth led programme integration to expand access.
The note emphasises expanding electricity access-including interim off-grid solutions for remote villages-and scaling youth-driven reforms like the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna and village electrification. It urges integrating programmes (Skill India, Jan Dhan, Mudra, Mission Innovation) to amplify development benefits. A technology- and scale-led strategy is promoted via national LED rollout, a self-financing electric vehicle transition proposal to monetize fuel savings, and ethanol blending to reduce oil dependence and support farmer incomes.

Dearness Allowance increase for central employees and pensioners implemented under pay commission formula, raising pay and pension entitlements.
The Union Cabinet approved an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief for pensioners, effective 1 January 2016, raising the rate by six percentage points under the Sixth Central Pay Commission formula to compensate for price rise. The measure applies to serving employees and pensioners, specifies the beneficiary populations, and quantifies the resulting increase in recurring central exchequer expenditure for the implementation period.

Attracting foreign investment: India seeks Australian investor engagement via CEO forums, Make in India events and bilateral meetings.
The Finance Minister's four-day visit to Australia aims to attract foreign investment into India-particularly in infrastructure-through ministerial bilaterals, investor-focused events and community outreach in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Principal engagements include an India Australia CEOs Forum, a keynote at a 'Make in India' conference, meetings with Australian finance and foreign affairs officials, an Invest in India roundtable, and a Memorandum of Understanding signing between business councils to formalise cooperation and promote investor relationships.

Compulsory licences remain available under TRIPS flexibilities; government affirms it has not agreed to stop issuing them.
Media reports claiming the government will stop issuing compulsory licences are incorrect; India retains the right to grant compulsory licences under TRIPS and the Doha Declaration within its established legislative, administrative and judicial IPR framework. The government stresses a balance between spurring innovation and protecting rights while preserving sovereign access to international IPR flexibilities, noting one prior compulsory licence granted after due process and upheld through the courts.

Repayment of government stock: maturity proceeds payable at par with electronic-payment mandate required; alternative surrender procedure available.
Repayment on maturity of two specified Government Stocks is to be made at par on their respective due dates with interest ceasing to accrue from those dates. If a State-declared holiday falls on a repayment date, paying offices in that State will repay on the previous working day. Payment shall be made by pay order with bank-account particulars or by electronic credit where bank details/mandate are available. Absent such particulars, holders may tender duly discharged securities at Public Debt Offices, Treasuries/Sub-Treasuries, or designated bank branches up to twenty days before the due date for repayment.

Spousal continuation of APY contributions allows spouse to continue payments and receive the same pension until their death.
The amendment permits the spouse of a deceased APY subscriber to continue contributing to the subscriber's account until the subscriber would have reached 60, with the spouse receiving the same pension as the subscriber during the spouse's lifetime; after both deaths the nominee receives the accumulated pension wealth up to the subscriber's age of 60, while exceptional exit provisions allow payout of accumulated wealth in specified circumstances before age 60.

Cabotage relaxation enables foreign vessels to carry containers to designated transshipment ports subject to meeting transshipment thresholds and reporting.
Relaxation of cabotage is authorized for container ports that transship at least 50% of EXIM and empty containers, allowing foreign-flag vessels to carry such containers between Indian ports and transshipment ports alongside Indian vessels. New transshipment ports have a one-year gestation and must meet the 50% threshold in the second year. Failure to maintain the threshold leads to revocation and a three-year bar on reconsideration. Designated ports must supply monthly container traffic data to the Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministry of Shipping by the fifth of the following month for monitoring.

Ease of Doing Business reforms accelerate investment facilitation and simplify corporate compliance, enhancing foreign investment attractiveness.
The programme advances investment facilitation through a not for profit single window facilitator and collaboration with industry bodies to boost FDI. Regulatory and procedural reforms to improve Ease of Doing Business include e portal integration for clearances, streamlined company incorporation with DIN issuance, removal of minimum paid up capital and common seal requirements, simplification of Industrial License and IEM procedures, selective exclusion from licensing, and a defence security manual eliminating affidavit requirements.

Make in India initiative boosts investment attractiveness, prompting increased FDI inflows and action plan monitoring and sectoral reforms.
The Make in India initiative, launched in September 2014, aims to make India a global manufacturing and innovation hub by attracting domestic and foreign investment via four pillars - New Processes, New Infrastructure, New Sectors and New Mindset - and 25 priority sectors. Ministries prepared one and three year action plans with measurable milestones after a national workshop; progress on these Action Plans is monitored. Reported early impacts include increased FDI inflows and improvements in Ease of Doing Business, supported by international rankings and investor surveys.

Ease of Doing Business reforms streamline approvals through a single window and simplify company incorporation requirements.
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has prepared action points to develop a domestic Ease of Doing Business index and to simplify the regulatory environment through business process reengineering and information technology. Operational measures include integration of government services on the e biz portal as a single window for clearances, integration of company incorporation with Director Identification Number application, and removal of requirements for minimum paid up capital and common seal for companies.

Creative agency appointment for Start up India campaign: QCBS selection with defined deliverables, EMD, performance security and evaluation.
Selection of a creative agency for the Start-up India promotional campaign via a Quality cum Cost Based Selection (QCBS) RFQ cum RFP. The assignment covers creative vision, production of print, audio visual, digital and outdoor materials, website design and social media management. Mandatory EMD and Performance Security (bank guarantee) are required; proposals submitted on the CPP portal in specified formats; technical evaluation precedes opening of financial bids; combined 70:30 technical:financial weighting determines selection. Ethics, confidentiality, IP indemnity, termination rights and monthly invoicing rules apply.

Credit guarantee and subsidy schemes support MSME credit access through collateral-free guarantees and capital subsidy programs.
The Ministry implements financial and developmental measures for MSME promotion, chiefly the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme, the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme providing credit-linked subsidy, and a Credit Guarantee Scheme enabling collateral-free lending; alongside a Cluster Development Programme delivering soft interventions, Common Facility Centres and infrastructure upgradation to improve MSME competitiveness.

Trademark rule amendments encourage e filing with lower fees, electronic service, expedited registration, and simplified registered-user procedures.
The proposed Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules, 2015 seek to streamline registration by reducing forms and deleting obsolete provisions, promoting e-filing with lower electronic fees, introducing electronic service of documents, extending expedited processing to registration, creating modalities for a well-known trademarks list, simplifying Registered User registration, and revising registration fees subject to public consultation.

Rural industry promotion under Make in India expands credit-linked subsidies, cluster support and incubators to boost rural micro-enterprises.
Extension of rural industries into the Make in India programme is effected through a credit-linked subsidy model (PMEGP) delivered via KVIC, KVIB and DIC to establish micro-enterprises and generate employment; cluster-based support (SFURTI) to enhance traditional industries' productivity and competitiveness; and incubation plus start-up finance (ASPIRE) using LBIs, TBIs and a Fund of Funds to promote rural entrepreneurship, with rural industry products governed by existing trade and consumer protection frameworks and targeted composite loan schemes for disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Startup support framework: simplified compliance, financing mechanisms, tax incentives and ecosystem measures to enable new entrepreneurs.
Framework to promote new entrepreneurs establishes a Startup Action Plan focusing on regulatory simplification, financial support, and ecosystem building. Regulatory measures include a Simple Compliance Regime based on self certification, a mobile compliance portal, a Startup India Hub for handholding, legal support with fast track patent examination, relaxed public procurement norms, and faster exit procedures. Financial measures comprise a Fund of Funds for startup financing, a credit guarantee scheme, and tax incentives including startup tax exemption and capital gains relief for investments into the Fund of Funds. Ecosystem actions include industry-academia partnerships, incubator support, research parks, and student innovation programs.

Wholesale Price Index fall signals negative annual inflation, driven by declines in primary articles and fuel and power.
The Wholesale Price Index (Base 2004-05=100) for February 2016 fell month on month and recorded a negative annual inflation rate, with build up inflation for the financial year also negative. Primary Articles and Fuel & Power exerted downward pressure-driven by broad declines in food items, non food agricultural articles and minerals-while Manufactured Products registered a small monthly increase with mixed subgroup movements. Annexures quantify month on month, year on year and build up rates for major groups and selected items.

Recognition under Indian Boiler Regulations: formalised accreditation process for inspection, testing and certification bodies with committee evaluation and five year certification.
The Indian Boiler Regulations prescribe a structured recognition regime for Inspecting Authorities, Competent Authorities, well known makers and testing organisations, requiring submission of specified questionnaire forms to the Secretary, Central Boilers Board, adherence to minimum experience and technical criteria, payment of prescribed fees, evaluation by designated committees with plant or laboratory inspections as necessary, issuance of five year recognition certificates, and a final appeal route to the Chairman of the Central Boilers Board.

Prohibition on on the spot tax recovery during surveys, searches and seizures; strict delegation and training mandated for VAT officers.
Authorities must have specifically delineated delegation of powers and clear jurisdictional boundaries to avoid overlapping enforcement; officers are prohibited from collecting tax on the spot during surveys, searches, or seizures. Violations will attract disciplinary proceedings. Regular orientation and training on law and procedure for VAT staff, with possible consultation of a judicial training academy, are required to ensure compliance.

Government disinvestment via Offer for Sale saw strong retail subscription despite market volatility in CPSE share sale.
The document reports a Government equity divestment executed via an Offer for Sale with a 5% reduction of paid-up equity; a 20% retail allocation of 19,49,742 shares at the floor price was reserved for retail investors and was oversubscribed, and total demand across investor categories exceeded the shares offered for the 5% divestment.