Functional cooperatives survey training set to standardise nationwide data collection and measure economic contribution.
Preparatory training was organised for the Rapid Survey of Functional Cooperatives before six months of field work beginning in April 2026. The workshop brought together senior officers and field functionaries who will serve as Master Trainers for subsequent regional training, with the aim of standardising nationwide survey operations. The survey will assess the contribution of functional cooperatives to employment generation and economic activity across rural and urban areas, and will estimate indicators such as Gross Value Added, Gross Value of Output and employment generated by cooperatives.

Unincorporated sector survey shows stronger employment, higher value added, rising wages and wider internet adoption across establishments.
Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2025 covers unincorporated non-agricultural establishments in manufacturing, trade and other services, and collects data on workers, Gross Value Added, emoluments, fixed assets, loans, ownership, registration status and use of information and communication technology for policymaking and national accounts. The survey reports growth in establishments, employment, Gross Value Added, labour productivity, female-owned proprietary establishments, emolument per hired worker and internet use, and notes a revised sampling design enabling quarterly selection and district-level annual estimates.

Startup ecosystem collaboration advances industry-linked innovation support for HVAC, manufacturing, testing, and pilot deployment opportunities.
Industry-linked innovation support is being advanced through a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the manufacturing and startup ecosystem. The collaboration is directed at product startups working in HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and supply chain innovation, with the aim of enabling scalable, industry-relevant solutions through structured engagement. Startups will receive mentorship, testing facilities, R&D infrastructure, pilot opportunities, market linkages, and structured Proof-of-Concept programmes.

Artificial Intelligence data integration advances with a Model Context Protocol server linking verified official statistical databases.
Government has introduced a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to link Artificial Intelligence tools and platforms with official statistical databases through the National Statistical Portal e-Sankhyiki. The server enables access to verified Government data and has been expanded from a beta release to cover 21 statistical products, including major datasets such as labour force, price index, industrial production, and national accounts series.

Sustainable Development Goals reporting framework tracks poverty, gender equality, labour and social protection progress through annual national indicators.
National statistics reporting for the Sustainable Development Goals is updated through the annual release of the SDG-National Indicator Framework Progress Report on National Statistics Day. The framework comprises 284 national indicators in the 2025 report, with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation responsible for the national indicator framework and States/Union Territories responsible for State Indicator Frameworks. The report draws on data from line ministries and departments, including Periodic Labour Force Survey data, and records progress under poverty, gender equality, labour, wage, employment, and social security indicators.

Consumer Price Index base revision strengthens measurement through updated baskets, weights, and e-commerce price collection methods.
Consumer Price Index measurement has been strengthened through a comprehensive base revision from 2012=100 to 2024=100, using Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24 data to update the CPI item basket and weights. The revision expands coverage, introduces methodological refinements, adopts an international classification system, and incorporates administrative and e-commerce data to make the index more robust and representative. Price collection from e-commerce and online platforms is carried out weekly, and monthly average prices from weekly transaction observations are used in CPI compilation.

Infrastructure project monitoring through PAIMANA and PMG strengthens data-driven oversight, escalation, and delay resolution.
Project monitoring of ongoing Central Sector infrastructure projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above is being undertaken through PAIMANA, a web-based system of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The portal captures project status, expenditure details, and delay tracking for nationwide infrastructure projects, and is integrated with the Integrated Project Monitoring Portal under the principle of "One Data One Entry" to enable automatic data fetching, reduce manual entry, and provide stakeholders with customised dashboards and direct access to project progress information.

Multimodal connectivity advances: projects evaluated to align infrastructure with integrated PM GatiShakti goals, boosting logistics efficiency.
The Network Planning Group reviewed six projects under PM GatiShakti standards-two rail (Arakkonam-Chengalpattu doubling; Whitefield-Bangarpet quadrupling), two metro (Mumbai Metro Line 11; Pune Metro Line 4 extensions), and two highways (Badnawar-Petlawad four laning; Fotu La Tunnel)-to ensure integrated multimodal infrastructure, last mile connectivity, passenger freight separation, and enhanced logistics efficiency, with anticipated outcomes of reduced congestion, improved punctuality and safety, lower transport costs, and socioeconomic benefits for project catchments.

Environment audit designated agency role assigned: NPC to manage auditor certification, registration and capacity building under new rules.
The Government designated the National Productivity Council as the Environment Audit Designated Agency under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, assigning NPC responsibility to develop eligibility and screening criteria, conduct examinations and certification for Certified Environmental Auditors, specify registration criteria for Registered Environmental Auditors, maintain an online public register, and manage renewal, suspension, withdrawal or cancellation processes, monitoring and disciplinary measures, alongside establishing digital systems and capacity building programmes to administer the national environmental audit framework.

Plug-and-play industrial parks to streamline permits and infrastructure, accelerating establishment of manufacturing ecosystems and investment readiness nationwide.
NICDC will implement the BHAVYA scheme to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks with pre-approved land, ready infrastructure, integrated services and streamlined approval mechanisms including single-window systems, aligned to multimodal connectivity and infrastructure planning (including underground utilities) to ensure investment-ready industrial ecosystems.

Merger approval: competition regulator clears Bentley's stake increase in Baby Memorial and BMH's secondary purchase in Unimed.
The Competition Commission approved a two-step Proposed Combination: Bentley Asia will acquire additional shareholding in Baby Memorial Hospital Limited, and BMH will thereafter acquire certain shareholding in Unimed Health Care Private Limited by way of a secondary purchase; the parties include a Singapore investor (Bentley), a multi-specialty hospital network (BMH), and Unimed operating Star Hospitals, with a detailed order to follow.

Women farmer empowerment via month-wise awareness, workshops and crop insurance outreach under a corporate Krishi Sakhi initiative.
AIC launched the Krishi Sakhi Initiative to promote women farmer empowerment and inclusive participation in agriculture and crop insurance through sustained month-wise activities. Operative measures include an introductory awareness video, a staff Walkathon to symbolize support, ground-level workshops and awareness programs on crop insurance benefits, publication of related articles and interviews, and targeted sanitation and hygiene campaigns in rural areas to recognize and engage women farmers.

Hybrid Annuity Mode highway project approved to deliver access controlled 4 lane connectivity and cross border trade link.
Approval for a 101.515 km 4 lane access controlled Barabanki-Bahraich highway under Hybrid Annuity Mode includes continuous service roads and bypasses to address geometric deficiencies, reduce travel time and improve safety and efficiency; it links national and state highways, airports, railway stations and the Rupaidiha Land Port to enhance multi modal integration and establish a cross border trade corridor to Nepal while supporting regional development and generating substantial employment.

Minimum Support Price funding secures direct price support to cotton farmers through CCI procurement when markets fall below MSP.
The Cabinet approved funding for the Minimum Support Price mechanism for the 2023-24 cotton season, allocating resources to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to provide direct price support by procuring Fair Average Quality cotton without quantitative ceilings whenever market prices fall below MSP. CCI is designated the central nodal agency and will deploy its procurement network across 11 major cotton-growing States, supported by information dissemination, the Bale Identification and Traceability System (BITS) and the "Cott-Ally" mobile application to enhance transparency and outreach.

Industrial infrastructure development enabling plug-and-play parks with streamlined approvals and funding to boost manufacturing and jobs.
The Cabinet approved a centrally funded programme to create plug-and-play industrial parks implemented with States, NICDC and private partners, prioritising streamlined single-window approvals and investor-friendly reforms; funding covers core, value-added and social infrastructure with additional support for external connectivity, project selection by challenge mode, and park design requirements emphasizing multimodal connectivity, underground utility corridors, green energy and cluster-based development to drive investment and employment.

Digital data collection for national surveys streamlines submission and reduces processing time via CAPI and AI tools.
Modernisation of NSS data collection uses CAPI and web applications with in-built validation, bilingual interfaces, and chatbot features to enable near real-time submission, supervisory digital monitoring, and reduced processing time for survey outputs; MoSPI publishes an Advance Release Calendar for report schedules and is integrating AI into portals and a website chatbot without a fixed full-implementation timeline.

Capacity building for SDG monitoring and environmental and gender statistics to enhance evidence-based policymaking and accounting.
Capacity-building workshop to strengthen monitoring frameworks for Sustainable Development Goals, Environment Accounts, and Gender Statistics by aligning national and state indicator frameworks, enhancing use of SDG data for evidence-based policymaking, building institutional capacities for gender-responsive governance through improved gender statistics, and operationalising the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting with methods for valuing forest services, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Indian Sign Language access required to ensure communication and inclusive financial services for persons with hearing and speech impairments.
The Department of Financial Services directs financial institutions to facilitate communication with persons with hearing and speech impairments by adopting Indian Sign Language and technology-enabled tools, including AI, and to use volunteers for sign language interpretation while training frontline staff to assist customers using sign language.

Base year revision of industrial production index to update methodology and weights, release planned soon.
Revision of the Index of Industrial Production base year involves updating the item basket, item weights, data sources, and factory list, and proposes adoption of a chain-linked approach to better capture emerging sectors and changes in industrial composition. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC-IIP) will advise on methodological improvements, and the Ministry plans to release the revised IIP series under the new methodology in the near term.

Cooperative sector survey to estimate GVA and employment, collecting financial and labour data across cooperatives.
The National Statistics Office will use the National Cooperative Database to survey primary cooperatives, their federations and multistate societies across major sectors to estimate GVA/GVO and employment, collecting financial, tax, subsidy, distributive expense, depreciation and labour cost data for FY 2020 21 and FY 2023 24, while banking cooperatives will supply only employment data.