Open House IP Dialogue launched to solicit practitioner concerns and propose process changes strengthening the national IP ecosystem.
Open House IP Dialogue established by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks creates recurring daily virtual sessions to collect practitioner, inventor and industry concerns, discuss suggested process changes and facilitate stakeholder-driven reforms to strengthen the national IP Innovation ecosystem, with public notice and broad participation.

Budget 2023-24 suggestions: industry to submit justified proposals on direct and indirect tax changes with supporting data.
Industry and trade associations are invited to submit justified proposals for changes in direct and indirect taxes for Budget 2023-24, including duty-structure changes, rates and tax-base broadening, with statistical support and quantified revenue implications; inverted duty structure corrections must include value-added details. GST-related requests are excluded from annual budget examination and Customs/Central Excise proposals must follow a specified format and Annexure-A data requirements, with electronic and hard-copy submission channels and a recommended deadline.

Innovation and talent position India to meet global demand for affordable sustainable technologies, urging bold student ambition.
India is framed as having a competitive combination of talent, scale and skill that enables it to supply affordable sustainable technologies globally. Demand for sustainability, energy efficiency and electric mobility creates large market opportunities that Indian innovation and manufacturing can address, underpinned by a vast aspirational domestic market and demographic dividend. Students are urged to pursue bold, long-term goals to contribute to national technological development during the next 25-year period.

Competition concerns in film distribution prompt self-regulatory recommendations to curb bargaining imbalances and opaque revenue practices.
The study identifies competition concerns from bargaining power imbalances, tying and opaque revenue-sharing in the film chain and recommends stakeholder-led self-regulatory measures: tailored contracting and aggregate revenue splits, cost-sharing for promotions, non-restrictive exhibition practices, immutable box office monitoring with independent audits, phased Virtual Print Fee phase-out with negotiated interim terms, prohibitions on association bans or boycotts, institutionalised dispute resolution, competition compliance education, and negotiation-friendly digital cinema agreements.

Wholesale Price Inflation eases as WPI and Food Index moderation signals short term easing in price pressures.
Annual wholesale price inflation moderated to 10.7% (provisional) in September 2022 with a month over month decline of -0.65%. The WPI Food Index fell from 176.0 to 175.2 and its annual inflation eased to 8.08%. Primary Articles and Manufactured Products registered month to month declines, Fuel & Power was near flat month to month but remained a major year on year contributor, and the provisional series was compiled at an 85.1% weighted response rate and is subject to revision.

Integrated infrastructure planning drives synchronized multimodal connectivity to boost logistics efficiency and guide state interventions.
PM GatiShakti National Master Plan establishes a unified platform mapping economic zones and multimodal connectivity to improve logistics efficiency and synchronize project implementation across Central Ministries, Departments and State Governments. Through a digital PMG Portal and inter ministerial coordination the Plan identifies and examines critical infrastructure gap projects-197 projects were screened across multiple sectors-and resolves inter ministerial issues to enable integrated, time bound infrastructure planning and optimized resource use.

Anticompetitive agreements: cartel conduct among kraft paper associations led to a cease and desist order, with no monetary penalties.
The Commission found coordinated conduct by regional associations and member mills constituting anti-competitive agreements to raise prices and create artificial shortages through collective shutdowns and directed communications. Documentary and testimonial evidence supported findings of price-fixing and supply restriction amounting to cartel conduct. Several parties applied for the lesser penalty mechanism; considering admissions, cooperation, MSME status and pandemic-induced distress as mitigating factors, the Commission issued a cease and desist order and did not impose monetary penalties.

Cartelization and bid rigging found in railway procurement; cease and desist order issued without monetary penalties.
CCI found eight suppliers guilty of cartelization and bid rigging in Eastern Railway axle bearings tenders, supported by emails, call records and statements, and noted two lesser penalty applicants. Considering MSME status, cooperative acknowledgment, COVID related economic stress and cessation of conduct after investigation began, the Commission issued a cease and desist order without imposing monetary penalties.

Repayment of government security at par: holders must provide bank account details or tender securities for payment.
The Government Security '3.96% GS 2022' is repayable at par on November 09, 2022 and interest will not accrue thereafter; if a repayment-day holiday is declared under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, paying offices will repay on the previous working day. Payment of maturity proceeds to registered holders shall be by pay order or credit to the holder's bank account through electronic means per the Government Securities Regulations, 2007, and holders must submit bank account particulars in advance or tender discharged securities at designated paying offices 20 days before maturity.

Industrial Smart Cities drive investment: integrated townships with digital single window approvals and coordinated infrastructure support.
The central government is promoting Industrial Smart Cities like Aurangabad Industrial City as master planned investment nodes offering integrated infrastructure and sectoral clusters, supported by the National Single Window System for digital approvals, measures to reduce logistics costs, coordinated central-state infrastructure delivery under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, and institutional partnerships including MITL as a central-state joint venture with state incentive packages to attract investors.

Policy representation: Indian industry perspectives aligned for Business twenty Indonesia recommendations ahead of summit through targeted dialogues.
DPIIT hosted a conference bringing government sherpa representatives, senior officials and industry leaders together with Indonesian B20 delegates to align Indian industry perspectives with Business twenty Indonesia policy recommendations. Sectoral dialogues addressed Trade and Investment; Energy, Sustainability and Climate; Digitisation; and Finance and Infrastructure, enabling Indian responses to inform the B20 deliberative process and contribute to preparations for the B20 final summit.

Greenfield industrial smart city investments spotlighted as conference seeks investor collaborations and project development opportunities.
The 4th NICDC Investors' Roundtable promotes investment in greenfield industrial smart cities under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, showcasing four Maharashtra cities and facilitating investor-government collaboration. National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, as a Special Purpose Vehicle, and MITL, highlighting AURIC as a flagship industrial township with planned textile and food parks and a convention centre, are presented as institutional drivers for manufacturing-led planned urbanization and project implementation.

Decriminalization of minor offences encouraged to simplify business compliance and streamline permissions, filings, inspections, and incentives.
Invitation for public suggestions to streamline regulatory and administrative processes affecting business formation and operation, including decriminalization of minor violations, simplification of permissions, renewals, filings, inspections, recordkeeping, online systems, and incentive procedures to reduce compliance burden and improve digital service delivery.

Government use of AI to redesign public service delivery accelerates infrastructure and welfare program efficiency.
The Government is integrating Artificial Intelligence into national platforms and public programmes to enhance efficiency and targeting of service delivery and infrastructure planning, using AI in logistics interfaces, infrastructure master planning, public procurement and e commerce enablement, and applying AI in welfare schemes to assess beneficiary needs, monitor fair price shop performance and analyse migrant mobility under a unified ration card framework.

Chartered Accountants' duty to promote inclusive growth and globalize firms while upholding ethics and governance.
The Minister urged Chartered Accountants to elevate Indian firms to a global level and expand international presence, while committing the profession to promote equitable and inclusive growth that bridges rural-urban and socio economic divides. He encouraged youth entrepreneurship alongside traditional roles and called for greater engagement and representation of women. The address stressed adherence to professional duties and the oath's commitments to ethics, independence, confidentiality, corporate governance, anti corruption and sustainability as central to supporting national development objectives.

Gold smuggling interdiction: intelligence led seizures recovered concealed foreign origin bullion and prompted arrests and ongoing investigations.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence conducted intelligence led interceptions on North East routes and courier consignments to interdict foreign origin gold smuggled from Myanmar and Bangladesh; coordinated vehicle and courier searches recovered bullion concealed in chassis cavities and packages, resulting in multiple seizures and arrests and ongoing investigations under customs enforcement mechanisms.

Road connectivity projects under PM GatiShakti to enhance multimodal interstate transport and accelerate coordinated implementation.
Three road connectivity projects were recommended by the Network Planning Group under the PM GatiShakti framework: a greenfield four lane highway from Gazipur to the Ballia-state border to link major economic centres and shorten routes to Delhi; upgradation of two lane roads to four lanes in Uttar Pradesh including a Palia-Shahjahanpur-Hardoi-Lucknow bypass to improve freight movement and Indo Nepal border connectivity; and four lane brownfield bypasses at Moradabad and Kashipur to decongest corridors, enhance interstate connectivity and support regional trade routes. Members called for integrated planning and synchronized implementation to expedite clearances and project delivery.

Data access framework via ULIP enables secure industry integration and API-based sharing after NDA and security checks.
ULIP implements a regulated data access framework where users register on a dedicated portal, submit use-cases for review, sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and complete system security checks and testing before developing APIs to integrate and fetch authenticated logistics data from multiple ministry systems via standardized APIs.

Appointment as Secretary of Commerce places a senior civil servant with labour, social security and competition law experience in leadership.
Shri Sunil Barthwal has assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Commerce after serving as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment. An IAS officer of Bihar cadre with postgraduate economics training and a diploma in Economics of Competition Law, he has held senior administrative roles across finance, social security, investment, infrastructure, mines, steel, energy and transport, served on public enterprise boards and led the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, implementing reforms to enhance efficiency, transparency and delivery.

Open network digital commerce initiative expands to public beta, enabling interoperable e commerce through specification-based network.
ONDC has begun public beta testing in Bengaluru to operationalise an open, specification based e commerce network enabling consumers to transact across buyer and seller apps (initially for groceries and restaurants). Built as a Section 8 company, ONDC is presented as a set of interoperable specifications rather than a platform, aiming to democratise and decentralise e commerce, increase inclusivity for small and medium enterprises, and solicit public feedback via a consultation paper to refine governance and trust mechanisms.