Inflation rate shows moderation in November as food and beverages decline, provisional CPI indicates easing trend.
Provisional November 2024 All India CPI and CFPI show moderation in year on year inflation driven mainly by a decline in the food and beverages group. The release presents rural, urban and combined index levels and year on year inflation rates, disaggregated by groups and subgroups, notes significant subgroup declines (vegetables, pulses, sugar & confectionery, fruits, eggs, milk products, spices, transport & communication, personal care) and identifies items with largest positive and negative year on year changes. Data quality, coverage and annexures are described.

Disability inclusion: industry urged to provide accessible skill training and employment pathways for divyangjan empowerment.
Industry is urged to provide accessible skill development and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities by adapting training into formats such as Braille, identifying sectoral roles aligned with their strengths, and promoting initiatives-including sports festivals and accessible publications-that enhance independence, employability, and broader social and professional inclusion.

Data quality standards: harmonised metadata and digital validation to standardise and disseminate official statistics nationwide.
MoSPI/NSO requires digital data collection with validation, multi-level scrutiny, training, and monitoring to ensure data quality; it promotes transparency via the e-Sankhyiki portal for dissemination. The National Metadata Structure (NMDS) sets harmonised definitions, methodologies and reporting norms for all NSS stakeholders. MoSPI, as nodal agency, issues standards, convenes expert Committees/Working Groups, may co opt specialists, and conducts stakeholder consultations to review and validate official statistics.

Merger control approval granted for a private equity acquisition of stakes in commercial real estate and hospitality entities.
The Competition Commission approved the acquisition of certain equity stakes in Bagmane Developers Private Limited and Bagmane Rio Private Limited by BREP Asia III India Holding Co VIII Pte. Ltd., an investment-holding affiliate of funds advised or managed by affiliates of Blackstone Inc.; the Target Entities are active in development, leasing and operation of commercial real estate, hospitality and allied services including renewable power generation, and a detailed order will follow.

Merger approval: competition clearance for ADNOC's public takeover and post-closing capital increase in Covestro.
The Competition Commission of India granted clearance for the acquisition of Covestro AG by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company group, authorising an all-cash voluntary public takeover for up to the entirety of Covestro's share capital and a subsequent capital increase in which ADNOC Germany will subscribe to new shares representing a ten percent stake through a cash subscription with exclusion of remaining minority subscription rights.

Merger control clearance for acquisition of shareholding by an alternative investment fund via share purchase and convertible debentures.
Competition Commission approval for India Business Excellence Fund - IV, a Category II alternative investment fund, to acquire shareholding in VVDN Technologies Private Limited through secondary equity purchases and subscription to compulsorily convertible debentures, constituting merger control clearance; detailed Commission order to follow.

Merger approval: acquisition enables JSW-JFE joint venture's entry into grain oriented electrical steel market via Jsquare.
The Competition Commission cleared the acquisition of 100% share capital of Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel India Private Limited by Jsquare Electrical Steel Nashik Private Limited. Thyssenkrupp India manufactures and sells grain oriented electrical steel (GOES). Jsquare is a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of JSW JFE Electrical Steel Private Limited (J2ES), a 50:50 joint venture between JSW Steel and JFE Steel; J2ES is pre operational and expects to commence GOES production in India from 2027. A detailed Commission order will follow.

Women entrepreneurship support: government expands funding, capacity building, incubation, and recognition for women-led startups.
The document outlines a coordinated policy framework to strengthen Women-led startups through financial instruments-venture investments via AIFs, seed funding, a credit guarantee facility, a reserved allocation under the Fund of Funds, and preferential AIF management fees-and through non-financial measures including capacity building workshops, virtual incubation, state outreach, a central policy hub, and recognition mechanisms to enhance visibility, mentorship, market access and regional empowerment for women entrepreneurs.

Unified Logistics Interface Platform enables industry access to government logistics data via APIs, improving supply chain visibility.
Digital integration is central: the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) furnishes API based request response access to government logistics datasets, integrating 39 systems across 11 ministries and exposing over 1,800 data fields via 125 APIs. Complementing ULIP, the Logistics Data Bank (LDB) deploys RFID to enable end to end tracking of containerized EXIM cargo, while digital and infrastructure initiatives together aim to reduce logistics costs and improve supply chain efficiency.

Industrial Corridor Development strengthens national industrial infrastructure and enables state project facilitation and funding mechanisms.
Government policy advances greenfield industrial nodes under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme with state projects such as Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Area and Dighi Port Industrial Area, using SPVs, trunk infrastructure development and central equity support. Institutional measures-Project Development Cells, National Single Window System, liberalised FDI, Production Linked Incentives and Ease of Doing Business reforms-facilitate project implementation. Sectoral schemes like the Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme and Central Sector Industrial Development Schemes provide targeted funding and incentives to support technology upgradation, cluster development and regional industrialisation.

Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement progress focuses on market access aligned with food security and supply chain resilience.
A three-day stocktake assessed progress on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, reviewing trade in goods and services, mobility, and agri tech cooperation; parties committed to designing market access consistent with India's food security objectives, prioritised supply chain and agricultural sector issues, and set out steps toward an early conclusion while aligning cooperation with regional frameworks.

Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement boosts India-Norway cooperation, encouraging investment, sectoral collaboration and a proposed startup bridge.
The forum focused on addressing regulatory, public procurement and quality-standards challenges while promoting cooperation across maritime, energy, logistics, renewables, circular economy and fisheries. It emphasised coordinated ministerial action to improve market access and attract Norwegian investment, framed by the recently signed Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement as the principal instrument to expand trade and investment. A proposed India-Norway startup bridge aims to foster cross-border innovation, and a Business Climate Survey indicated rising confidence among Norwegian firms in India.

Central school expansion approved: new Kendriya Vidyalayas and added sections to increase capacity and create jobs.
Approval has been given to open 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas and expand KV Shivamogga by adding two additional sections in all classes under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Scheme, with an estimated funding requirement of approximately Rs. 5872.08 crore over eight years. Implementation will follow Sangathan norms for full fledged KVs (approximate capacity 960 students each), entail creation of permanent posts aligned with staffing norms, and generate further employment through construction and allied activities.

Establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas approved to expand residential rural schooling, admissions by Selection Test, and generate local employment.
Cabinet approval authorizes establishment of twenty-eight new Navodaya Vidyalayas under the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme with multi-year capital and operational funding, each school to be full fledged residential co educational institutions for Classes VI-XII accommodating 560 students per school under prescribed staffing norms; admissions to be by Selection Test, targeting talented rural children irrespective of socio economic status, and generating direct permanent employment, construction and ancillary local economic activity while aligning with National Education Policy 2020 as exemplar PM Shri schools.

Recognition of startups drives job creation and sectoral growth, backed by government schemes and digital platforms facilitating scale.
Recognised startups have reportedly created substantial direct employment across diverse sectors, supported by a combination of recognition criteria, stage-specific financing and guarantee schemes, market-access measures including public procurement facilitation, regulatory reforms, state ranking and awards, capacity-building and outreach to non-metro regions, ecosystem events, centralised digital platforms for stakeholder collaboration, and international linkages to enhance market access and scaling.

Industrial smart city approvals enable trunk infrastructure development with central equity funding and SPV-led PPP delivery.
Approval authorises development of trunk infrastructure for twelve industrial smart city projects under the National Industrial Corridor Programme, with State Governments providing land and central equity funding for internal trunk infrastructure; SPVs will manage projects and may use user fees, pricing innovations, PPPs, and multilateral financing, with sectoral focus determined by market demand assessments and construction timelines of 36-48 months from EPC appointment.

MSME land concessions proposed to allocate township land at concessional rates to boost industrial ecosystem and ease business.
The Government proposes earmarking areas and offering land at concessional rates in new townships and industrial parks to integrate MSMEs into larger industrial ecosystems, coordinated with states, alongside regulatory reforms to simplify processes, reduce compliance burdens and decriminalise laws to promote Ease of Doing Business.

Decriminalisation of minor boiler offences shifts enforcement to administrative penalties while retaining criminal sanctions for high risk breaches.
The Bill modernises boiler safety law by reorganising provisions into six chapters, updating definitions, omitting obsolete sections, and incorporating decriminalisation measures that convert court fines for non criminal breaches into executive penalties with administrative adjudication and appeal, while preserving criminal sanctions for major offences; it also details rule making powers for the Central Government, Board and States and provides transitional removal of difficulties and repeal and saving provisions.

Women-focused savings scheme promotes financial inclusion and offers attractive interest, fixed tenure, and withdrawal flexibility.
The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate Scheme allows women, or guardians for minor girls, to open accounts until the stated deadline to promote financial independence. Accounts carry a prescribed minimum and maximum deposit band for a two year tenure, a specified annual interest rate compounded quarterly and credited to accounts, and permit partial withdrawals and premature closure on compassionate grounds.

Maturity repayment of government bond at par requires bank mandate for electronic credit; otherwise surrender securities for payment.
Repayment of the '6.35% OIL MKTNCO GOI BOND 2024' falls on December 23, 2024, payable at par with no interest thereafter; if a State holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act falls on that date, repayment will occur on the preceding working day. Payment of maturity proceeds to registered holders in Subsidiary General Ledger/Constituent Subsidiary General Ledger accounts or Stock Certificates will be by pay order with bank particulars or by credit through electronic means, subject to submission of bank account particulars in advance; absent such particulars, holders must tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices twenty days before the due date.