CSR initiative: SPMCIL and TERI partner to develop a model village under an MoU for rural social development.
SPMCIL entered into a MoU with TERI to implement an integrated village development project, Model Village Siroliya in Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, under its CSR initiatives, allocating estimated CSR resources and nominating officials from both organisations to oversee planning, implementation and coordination of the social development activities.

Merger control approval under the Competition Act: SALIC subsidiary cleared to acquire equity in LT Foods.
The Competition Commission approved under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 the acquisition of certain equity share capital of LT Foods Limited by SALIC International Investment Corporation, addressing merger control implications of the proposed change in ownership. The acquirer is a Saudi agribusiness investment company; the target is a global specialty rice consumer food company with an Indian subsidiary operating multiple rice brands.

International coordination on crypto assets urged to prevent regulatory arbitrage and harmonise policy approaches during international presidencies.
International coordination on the policy approach to crypto assets is necessary to address their borderless nature and to prevent regulatory arbitrage. National legislation-whether regulation or prohibition-will be effective only with substantial international collaboration on evaluating risks and benefits and on developing a common taxonomy and standards.

IPEF negotiations advance supply chain resilience, clean economy and fair economy with emphasis on early-harvest deliverables.
India hosted a special negotiating round of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework addressing IPEF Pillars II, III and IV (Supply Chains, Clean Economy, Fair Economy). Partner countries engaged in in-depth, text-based discussions to advance negotiation text and reaffirm commitments to collaborate on concluding agreements that deliver concrete, mutually beneficial outcomes. Delegates emphasized early-harvest measures including capacity building, technical assistance, sharing expertise, investment facilitation and innovative projects to strengthen trade and investment linkages, resilient supply chains and sustainable development.

Gold smuggling enforcement disrupts cross border syndicate, eight arrests and concealed gold seized in coordinated operation.
Operation Eastern Gateway was an intelligence led, multi state enforcement action by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence that identified and apprehended eight members of a cross border smuggling syndicate and seized 24.4 kg of clandestinely concealed gold transported by rail and road; concealment methods included tailored waist belts and a hidden vehicle cavity, and follow on investigations continue.

Spices parks provide common processing and value addition facilities enabling farmers, traders and exporters to access cleaning, grading and oil extraction.
Spices Board has established eight crop specific Spices Parks providing common processing and value addition infrastructure-cleaning, sorting, grading, colour sorting, grinding, packaging, dehydration and oil extraction-for local farmers, traders, exporters and other stakeholders. Plots at several parks have been allotted to exporters, traders and Farmer Producer Organizations for private processing units, and the parks are reported to create significant direct and indirect employment; no proposals for additional parks are pending.

Quality infrastructure: India's accreditation system ranked globally, boosting international conformity recognition and trade credibility further.
India's accreditation pillar ranked fifth globally and the overall quality infrastructure tenth in the GQII, reflecting growth of accredited conformity assessment bodies and increased reliance by government, regulators and industry on accreditation. The National Accreditation System, operated by QCI through NABCB and NABL, and their multilateral recognition arrangements, provide international equivalence and acceptance of accredited reports and certificates, thereby strengthening conformity assessment and trade confidence.

Public procurement digitization enhances transparency and efficiency, expanding outreach and competition while enabling substantial platform growth.
GeM is a digitally integrated public procurement platform that increases transparency, competition, and efficiency through multiple procurement modes (direct purchase, L1 procurement, bidding, reverse auction, bid-followed-by-reverse-auction), API-based authentication with domain registries, and automated market-adjustment policies to support contactless, paperless, and cashless procurement lifecycles.

Coffee export growth reported as substantial, with India noted among top global exporters following ministerial disclosure.
India's coffee exports rose to USD 1.016 billion in 2021 22, a reported 38% increase over 2020 21 disclosed in a ministerial reply; India ranked fifth among global coffee exporters with about six percent of world exports, and shipments expanded from 19.7 thousand tonnes in 1960 61 to 416 thousand tonnes in 2021 22, figures attributed to the Coffee Board.

Supplier registration on Government e Marketplace enables direct sales to government but lacks an active supplier definition.
GeM records 13,18,192 registered sellers able to sell directly to government departments, with year wise and state/UT wise enrollment disclosed. The portal states there is no formal definition of an active supplier; supplier participation in bids is voluntary and contingent on interest, product availability and other factors. All registered sellers are afforded equal opportunity to bid, and order awards depend on buyer requirements and the seller offering the most competitive price. Gujarat accounts for 1,01,525 registered sellers.

Industrial corridor development advances Tumakuru township with multimodal connectivity and plug and play infrastructure to boost manufacturing.
The Tumakuru Industrial Township will be developed within the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor through a Special Purpose Vehicle led by NICDIT and KIADB across phased development of 8,500 acres, with Phase A prioritised in a specified development area. Planned as a mixed use industrial township targeting manufacturing sectors, the project emphasises last mile multimodal connectivity and PM GatiShakti principles to link highway, airport, rail and port access, with identified infrastructure gaps to be addressed by concerned ministries to enable plug and play infrastructure and investment facilitation.

Graduate Insolvency Programme common entrance test launched to centralize admissions and accelerate qualification for Insolvency Professionals.
Launch of a Common Entrance Test and prospectus initiates joint admissions for the fifth Graduate Insolvency Programme offered by IICA and NLIU; the joint GIP-CET centralizes candidate selection, enables online registration, and serves as the operative mechanism for entry into a two-year pathway designed to qualify graduates as Insolvency Professionals through practical training and placement-focused instruction.

Sovereign green bonds issuance mobilises funds for green infrastructure under the government's sovereign green bonds framework.
Sovereign Green Bonds are proposed for issuance in the current financial year under the Framework for Sovereign Green Bonds as part of the government's market borrowings; proceeds will be allocated to public sector projects that reduce the economy's carbon intensity, with an initial tranche already raised.

Integrated infrastructure planning under PM GatiShakti aligns networks and ministries to synchronise project implementation across sectors.
Integrated infrastructure planning under PM GatiShakti uses a Network Master Planning framework to align road, rail, ports, industrial corridor and urban projects, identify critical infrastructure gaps, and enable interministerial coordination for synchronised project formulation and implementation; Ministries are adapting the framework for operational tasks such as improving rail-road connectivity and siting street furniture for 5G rollout while social sector ministries are being onboarded and regional workshops planned to harmonise Centre-State logistics and urban planning.

Integrated planning through PM GatiShakti adoption drives synchronized infrastructure and social-sector project implementation for better last-mile connectivity.
Review of Social Sector Ministries' adoption of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan emphasized integrated planning, synchronized implementation, and asset utilization. DPIIT convened senior officials to assess onboarding progress, data-layer integration, data quality, and development of planning and decision tools. Two Ministries-Ayush and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship-adopted the NMP. The meeting highlighted state use cases for site selection, mapping of schools and health facilities, and improving last-mile connectivity, and urged Ministries to engage with States and aspirational districts to expand adoption and support inclusive-development schemes for vulnerable groups.

Public procurement facilitation expanded via trained CSCs and India Post to assist GeM onboarding, logistics, and transparency measures.
GeM signed an MoU with CSC SPV and the Department of Post to train CSCs and India Post offices to assist government buyers, sellers and service providers with registration, KYC, catalogue upload, order fulfilment and invoice generation; India Post will supply packaging materials, facilitate pickup and priority processing, and provide logistics through Speed Post and Business Parcel. Certain onboarding services are provided without charge (buyer registration for cooperatives; seller registration and account updation with KYC), while charges apply for catalogue management and value added services at actuals. GeM also introduced transparency measures including publication of bid evaluations, masking contacts until contract, bid notifications, system checks and API integrations.

Finance Bill 2023 updates income tax rates, surcharge bands, adds Agnipath deductions and tax/TDS rules for online gaming.
The Finance Bill, 2023 prescribes income tax rates and surcharge bands for the 2023-24 assessment year, adds a four per cent Health and Education Cess, and sets special computation rules for agricultural income and cases governed by specified chapters. It effects extensive amendments across the Income tax Act-definitional changes, new deductions for the Agniveer Corpus Fund, tax and withholding regimes for online gaming and IFSC transactions, insertion of a concessional tax option for certain co operative manufacturers, and procedural reforms expanding Joint Commissioner (Appeals) roles, audit and inventory valuation powers, and time limit adjustments-while also revising customs, GST and miscellaneous statutes with associated rule making powers.

Global startup collaboration urged to establish international mentor-investor network to strengthen startups and enable shared innovation.
A call for an international network of mentors, investors and entrepreneurs to strengthen a global startup ecosystem stresses collective responsibility to incubate and sustain startups that address global challenges. The network should facilitate idea exchange, funding and R&D collaboration through the Startup20 Engagement Group, leverage India's platforms toward a GlobalStack, expand participation from regional markets, promote digital public goods for inclusive growth, support innovation from school level via the Atal Innovation Mission, and advance bilateral and multilateral partnerships to back deep tech and social-impact startups under the guiding SENSE approach.

Sustainability as policy priority: urging adoption of LiFE and student leadership to advance circular economy and quality.
Emphasises making sustainability central through LiFE, promoting circular economy practices and urging students to act as ambassadors of quality. Describes the Government as an enabler supplying infrastructure, technology and connectivity while urging institutions to leverage those supports through continuous learning and innovation. Encourages international education collaboration including offshore campuses and joint degrees, and promotes stakeholder engagement in trade policy; notes tax collection rises mainly reflect strengthened economic activity.

Startup policy harmonization to promote cross-border collaboration, broaden early-stage financing, and support inclusive sustainable startups.
Formation of a G20 Startup20 Engagement Group to develop coordinated policy recommendations and operational instruments for the global startup ecosystem, convening an inception meeting to harmonise definitions, promote cross-border knowledge sharing, and foster collaboration among startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies and government enablers. Activities are organised into three taskforces-Foundation and Alliances, Finance, and Inclusion and Sustainability-tasked respectively with consensus definitions and partnership facilitation; increasing early-stage access to capital and investor frameworks; and promoting women-led, inclusive and SDG-aligned startups alongside responsible investment and mentorship. Deliverables include a policy communique, a Startup Handbook of agreed terminologies, a Global Innovation Centre, and designation of Startup20 as a global contact point.