Aadhaar-based biometric payments expand merchant digital acceptance, paired with cashback and referral incentives to boost adoption.
The government launched an Aadhaar-enabled merchant payment interface allowing biometric authentication for digital transactions at merchants, expanding access to those without smartphones or cards; 27 banks and over seven lakh merchants were onboarded. Two short-term incentive mechanisms - a Cashback scheme for merchants and a Referral bonus for referring and adopting users - are to be administered by MEITY and implemented by NPCI. Selected less-cash townships undergo independent assessment and must report over 80% digital transactions, with payment infrastructure and training completed.

Incentivising digital payments through prize draws drove consumer and merchant adoption alongside a nationwide outreach campaign.
NITI Aayog implemented Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana as 100 day incentive schemes using transaction based prize draws to accelerate consumer and merchant adoption of digital payments, coupled with a nationwide information and outreach campaign that promoted cashless acceptance, increased account and identity enrollments, and reported widespread institutional and individual participation.

Digital payments expansion through BHIM, Aadhaar authentication and merchant incentives to accelerate cashless transactions nationwide.
The release outlines a government program to accelerate digital payments via BHIM, BHIM Aadhaar, QR codes, UPI, USSD and AePS, combining merchant and user onboarding, cashback and referral incentives administered through official agencies, and designation of selected localities as less cash townships based on transaction share and infrastructure readiness to drive daily digital transaction volumes.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy reform leadership appointed to oversee administrative, IT, examination and financial governance at the regulator.
Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayawargiya assumed office as Whole Time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, charged with oversight of the Administrative Law Wing and with responsibility for Information Technology, Limited Insolvency Examination, National Insolvency Examination, Finance and Accounts, and Communication. She was previously Additional Secretary in the Legislative Department and a member of the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee that informed the framing of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, bringing extensive legislative drafting and legal service experience.

Business reform implementation: new regulatory and inspection measures with state feedback, evidence uploads and ranking mechanism portal.
The plan prescribes 405 reform recommendations across twelve areas-labour, contract enforcement, property registration, inspection reform, single window systems, land allotment, construction permits, environmental registration, utility permits, taxation, access to information and sector lifecycle reforms-with 103 newly introduced measures and two new sectors (healthcare and hospitality). States/UTs must implement reforms by the specified deadline and upload evidence to an online portal. Implementation will be monitored through a business to government feedback mechanism whose aggregated scores will generate a ranking of States/UTs reflecting actual reform implementation.

Mandatory GeM procurement: central ministries must purchase listed goods and services via the government e-market to ensure transparency.
Rule 149 of the Government Financial Rules, 2017 mandates that Central Government ministries and departments procure goods and services available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), an online portal that handles registration, procurement methods, contracting and payments electronically; seller prices are visible to registered users, bidding and reverse-auction notices are circulated to eligible sellers, contracts are publicly accessible, and a full audit trail is maintained to promote transparency.

Investment promotion through international partnerships: summit advanced sectoral engagement and bilateral meetings to facilitate cross-border investment.
A state-led investment promotion summit combined sectoral roundtables in Aerospace & Defence, Electronics, and Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology with bilateral meetings between the Chief Minister and foreign trade delegations and industry leaders, using targeted sectoral deliberations and government-to-investor dialogues as mechanisms to facilitate investment and partnership development.

Business reform implementation increased transparency and efficiency through a validated evidence portal yielding improved state compliance.
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion's 340 point Business Reform Action Plan set reform recommendations across ten areas of the business lifecycle. Implementation for July 2015-June 2016 was assessed via an evidence portal where 32 States/UTs submitted 7,124 reforms; submissions were reviewed by the World Bank and validated by DIPP. The assessment produced a national implementation average of 48.93% and published state level scores and ranks based on validated portal evidence.

Expedited examination and streamlined IP procedures accelerate patent and trademark processing through capacity, IT, and rule reforms.
Measures to reduce patent and trademark backlogs combine expanded examiner capacity and training with IT-enabled administrative reforms and procedural amendments. Key changes include electronic transfer of applications, electronic issuance of trademark certificates, a pre-hearing module to limit unnecessary hearings, and regulatory amendments permitting expedited examination, video conferencing hearings, limits on adjournments, fee rationalisation, refunds and withdrawals in specified cases, and provisions for condonation of delay due to war or natural calamities.

National Investment and Manufacturing Zones policy expands designated manufacturing regions and lists approved and finalised zones for industrial development.
The government advances the National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) as a central instrument of the National Manufacturing Policy to increase manufacturing's share of GDP and generate large-scale employment. The release lists fourteen NIMZs outside the DMIC corridor that have received in principle approval and identifies specific sites that have progressed to final approval, and designates eight Investment Regions along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor as NIMZs.

Public display fireworks regulation tightened: district magistrate to centralize licensing, enforce safety distances and ban unauthorized fireworks.
Directives centralize Form LE 6 licensing at the District Magistrate's office with prescribed lead times; permit only Chief Controller authorized fireworks; require manufacturers to secure PESO authorization with compositional and performance particulars; mandate licensed storage with magazine identification; impose safety distances and barricading, relocation where distances or evacuation are inadequate; require experienced display personnel, pre display risk assessments and disaster management plans; mandate chemical testing to exclude chlorates; authorize enforcement against unauthorized manufacture and display; and require periodic reporting to the State Government on applications, licenses, site suitability and compliance.

SASEC cooperation commits to implementing a regional vision for enhanced connectivity and economic corridor development.
The Joint Ministerial Statement formally adopts SASEC objectives and endorses the SASEC Operational Plan (2016-2025) as the strategic framework for transport, trade facilitation, energy cooperation and economic corridor development. Ministers direct SASEC Nodal Officials to develop a participatory Road Map to implement the Vision of regional integration and socioeconomic gains, and recognize the Asian Development Bank's role while seeking strengthened partnerships with other regional programs.

Regional connectivity and integration drive a SASEC vision to expand trade, infrastructure links and cross-border power cooperation.
Launch of a strategic vision and Operational Plan for SASEC to deepen regional economic integration by improving connectivity, infrastructure and trade facilitation. Myanmar's accession is highlighted to link South Asia with Southeast Asia and enhance gateway access. Priority measures include port-led development, coastal shipping, road programmes for last-mile border connectivity, bilateral protocols and MoUs to operationalize cross-border transport, and expansion of cross-border power transmission and trade to harness regional hydropower and strengthen energy security.

Masala bond issuance by development bank to expand infrastructure financing and support project pipelines.
Discussion focused on expanding the New Development Bank's operations in India by advancing a project pipeline and using Masala Bonds as a local-currency fundraising instrument to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects in member countries.

Goods and Services Tax: dual CGST/SGST with IGST, electronic returns, input tax credit matching and transitional rules.
A destination based dual GST levied concurrently by Centre and States (CGST/SGST) with IGST on inter state supplies; broad definition of supply as the taxable event; specified exclusions and temporary exceptions. Electronic registration, invoice upload and return filing via the GSTN Common Portal drive automated ITC matching, provisional credit, dispute communication and reversal rules. Composition scheme, reverse charge, TDS/TCS, time of supply, payment sequencing, audits and transitional migration of legacy credits are prescribed along with job work and ISD rules.

NDRF assistance released to drought and cyclone affected States, conditional on HLC approval and bank mode beneficiary disbursal.
Central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund was sanctioned and released to drought affected States after Inter Ministerial Central Team assessments and High Level Committee approval, with releases adjusted by balances in State Disaster Response Funds; individual beneficiary assistance must be disbursed through beneficiaries' bank accounts. Separate NDRF assistance was released for cyclone damage following IMCT assessment and HLC approval, and these releases are additional to routine central tax devolution and other transfers to States and local bodies.

Sustainable infrastructure financing: a lean, client responsive development bank model to fill EMDE investment gaps.
The address frames the NDB's mandate as financing sustainable infrastructure in EMDEs to fill a large unmet investment need left by capital constrained MDBs, and sets operational expectations: rapid operationalization, lean governance, faster loan appraisal, diversified financing instruments including local currency financing, adoption of country systems where feasible, lower cost of loans, and use as a vehicle for South South cooperation and technology and knowledge exchange among member countries.

Company law amendments authorised by cabinet to be moved and tabled in Parliament for legislative consideration.
Cabinet approval authorises the Government to move official amendments to the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016 for introduction and tabling in Parliament, providing executive clearance to present those amendments to the legislature without altering statutory text until parliamentary consideration and enactment.

Voluntary liquidation process: regulations set initiation criteria, liquidator independence, disclosures, asset realisation and distribution procedures.
The regulations establish a framework for voluntary liquidation: initiation requires a majority director/partner declaration that the corporate person has no debt or can pay debts in full and is not being liquidated to defraud; the liquidator may seek suspension from the Adjudicating Authority if fraud or inability to pay is suspected. They prescribe liquidator independence and disclosure obligations, prohibit conflicted professionals from acting or representing stakeholders, and set procedures for announcements, claim verification, asset realisation, distribution, and eight-year record preservation after dissolution.

Regional connectivity advances through approved transport and corridor projects, expanding infrastructure financing and trade facilitation outcomes.
The SASEC Operational Plan 2016-2025 sets a long term strategy for transport, trade facilitation, energy and economic corridor development. ADB approved nine projects totalling $2.42 billion with $1.43 billion in ADB financing, including rail, corridor and bridge investments, and targeted road, trade facilitation and energy projects across member countries. The OP emphasises extending road and rail links toward eastern trade routes, streamlining trade procedures, and mobilising a pipeline of over 200 potential projects requiring substantial investment, with a large cluster identified in India's Northeast and eastern regions.