Wholesale Price Inflation rose month on month as fuel and primary articles drove gains while manufacturing eased in February
Wholesale Price Index for February 2013 shows a provisional increase in the All Commodities index and a higher year on year inflation rate than the previous month. The movement reflects modest gains in Primary Articles, a marked rise in Fuel & Power driven by higher LPG and diesel prices, and a marginal decline in Manufactured Products with mixed subgroup trends. Detailed annexures supply disaggregated indices, month on month rates, build up for the financial year and six month inflation trends for major groups and selected items.

Green channel status streamlines inclusion on DGS&D rate contracts, expanding access to pre-qualified reputed suppliers for departments.
The government designates green channel status for DGS&D rate contracts to PSUs and Indian or foreign firms meeting financial thresholds: average turnover of one thousand crore over the last three years and profitability in any three of the last five years, creating objective supplier eligibility for streamlined inclusion on DGS&D procurement listings; twenty firms have been granted the status with area-wise distribution across major commercial centres to facilitate user departments' access to reputed suppliers.

Advanced manufacturing collaboration: India invites Czech automotive and engineering firms to invest in National Investment Manufacturing Zones.
India invites Czech investment into National Investment Manufacturing Zones, focusing on Czech strengths in automotive manufacturing, heavy engineering and metal cutting machine tools, and highlights participation of Czech firms in IMTEX as a pathway for industrial collaboration. The Ministers propose institutional cooperation in advanced and niche technologies, plan Joint Working Groups on Advanced Manufacturing and Heavy Engineering, Skills and Innovation, and Mining, and identify defence industrial collaboration - including joint research, development and production of defence systems - as a distinct area for bilateral partnership.

Enhancing World Bank capital base to expand finance for infrastructure and poverty reduction in developing countries.
Enhancing the capital base of the World Bank to support expanded financing for infrastructure and poverty reduction in developing countries was emphasized as a priority, and India and the World Bank discussed options for increasing external finance to meet large investment needs in infrastructure, social and rural development.

Trade balance widens as imports rise and oil imports drive a larger deficit despite mixed export performance.
Exports in February 2013 showed modest dollar-term growth while cumulative April-February exports fell in dollar terms but rose in rupee terms, reflecting exchange-rate effects. Imports increased monthly and cumulatively in both currencies; oil imports rose substantially while non-oil imports declined. Together these movements produced a larger trade deficit for April-February 2012-13 than in the prior year, with provisional tables detailing dollar and rupee values, percentage changes, and trade balances.

Spice park establishment: proposed sites listed with staged implementation, feasibility studies, and pending land or litigation.
Establishment of Spice Parks at multiple state locations is at varied stages: some nearing completion, some with works in progress, some delayed by court cases or pending land provision, and several requiring preparation or approval of a Detailed Project Report; the Spices Board and engaged consultants are conducting techno-feasibility studies and preparing project reports to advance implementation.

Generic drug user fees now fund and accelerate application review and inspections, applying to domestic and international manufacturers.
The Generic Drugs User Fee Act 2012 imposes prescribed user fees on registration submissions for generic pharmaceuticals to fund and expedite application review and inspections, applying to both domestic and international manufacturers and tying fees to specific filing categories such as abbreviated new drug applications and drug master files.

E-governance for debt recovery tribunals to automate processes, improve case tracking and speed enforcement actions.
Proposal to introduce e-governance in Debt Recovery Tribunals and their appellate bodies to automate procedures, improve case management, provide timely reports, enable banks and parties to track case information, and supply Recovery Officers with technological tools to expedite enforcement; no implementing agency has been finalized.

E-auction of secured immovable property mandated for SARFAESI auctions to ensure transparent, fair and accessible disposals.
Public Sector Banks were advised to conduct all auctions of immovable properties under SARFAESI through electronic bidding to ensure free, fair and transparent disposals; a service provider for e-auctions has been finalised and many banks have commenced using the electronic platform for sale of secured immovable assets.

States' share in central taxes fixed for the finance commission period, with annual devolution figures disclosed and schedule noted.
Allocation of States' share in sharable central taxes was fixed at 32 percent for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015 under the 13th Finance Commission, and devolution to States has been made accordingly with tabulated net proceeds and States' share released for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Unclaimed insurance funds must not be appropriated, regulatory guidance enforces insurer compliance and reporting obligations.
The regulator reported total unclaimed insurance balances, concentrated in the life segment with a smaller non life portion, and issued a circular prohibiting insurers from appropriating or writing back those unclaimed amounts, requiring preservation of the sums and continued regulatory reporting and monitoring.

Mandatory public shareholding compliance drives government divestment via OFS, with broad investor participation and proceeds realization.
A government equity divestment was executed via the stock exchange Offer For Sale to achieve mandatory public shareholding requirements; the offering to all investor categories, including retail investors, was oversubscribed and generated sale proceeds payable to the government.

Infrastructure development approval for four laning NH corridor under DBFOT BOT toll model to improve transport connectivity.
Approval was granted for four laning the Bhuban-Dubari-Chandikhole section of National Highway 200 in Orissa as a design build finance operate transfer (DBFOT) project under NHDP Phase III, to be implemented on a Build Operate Transfer toll basis over 62.185 km, including provisions for land acquisition, rehabilitation and pre construction activities, aiming to improve infrastructure, reduce travel time and connect ore mines near Dubari to Paradeep Port.

Darjeeling trademark protection secured by international monitoring to alert the Tea Board of foreign registration attempts.
The Government engaged Thomson and Reuters to monitor and report any attempts to register the Darjeeling word mark and logo mark in other countries, providing an administrative surveillance and notification mechanism to the Tea Board of India; the Government stated no further information on registration attempts and reported India's global market position and recent Darjeeling export figures in a parliamentary reply.

Trade and investment cooperation pursued, including CECA and RCEP negotiations and a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation framework.
The meeting focused on frameworks to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation including pursuing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), supporting Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations, and exploring a bilateral civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement, alongside sectoral cooperation in agriculture, education and people-to-people links, with commitments to strengthen engagement in multilateral and regional economic institutions.

Export trends show decline in artifacts exports despite prior growth, as reported in parliamentary reply.
Export value of Works of Art, Collectors' Pieces and Antiques rose in 2010-11 and 2011-12 but declined in the current year through November; these figures were supplied by the Directorate of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics and disclosed by the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry in a written parliamentary reply as official government trade statistics.

Ban on FDI in retail e commerce remains; FDI permitted for business to business e commerce under automatic route.
The prevailing policy permits Foreign Direct Investment up to one hundred percent under the automatic route for business to business e commerce, while retail trading by means of e commerce is not permissible for companies with FDI; no proposal for amendment of this policy is under consideration.

FDI in multi-brand retail permitted with approval, infrastructure investment, local sourcing and e commerce prohibition.
Permission for FDI in multi-brand retail trading is allowed through the Government approval route subject to conditionality: a minimum foreign investment, a required portion of FDI to be invested in back-end infrastructure within three years of the first tranche, at least thirty percent procurement from Indian small industries by value (averaged initially over five years then annually), self-certification with auditor-certified accounts, geographic and planning restrictions on retail outlets, prohibition of e commerce for FDI companies, State consent for implementation, and a Government first right to procure agricultural products.

Sourcing requirement for FDI in multi brand retail mandates Indian procurement from small industries upon entry of foreign investment.
The allowed FDI in multi brand retail is subject to a sourcing obligation requiring a minimum proportion of procurement value of manufactured/processed products to be sourced from Indian small industries, defined by a plant and machinery valuation at installation; loss of qualification follows if that valuation is later exceeded. The procurement requirement is measured initially as an average over five years beginning the April of the year when the first tranche of FDI is received and thereafter on an annual basis, and it is operative only when foreign investment occurs in multi brand retail.

Extended period of limitation cannot be invoked for pre-amendment service tax on renting of immovable property where genuine doubt existed.
Service tax demands for renting of immovable property predating the retrospective amendment cannot rely on the extended period of limitation where genuine doubt existed about levy; conflicting judicial views negate invocation of the extended period. The Finance Act, 2012 amendment granting penalty immunity applies narrowly to demands raised within the normal limitation period and does not broadly validate extended-period demands for pre-amendment periods.