Market study on cement competition launched to assess market structure, pricing determinants, and competition impediments across regions.
A pan-India market study has been launched to assess the cement sector's market functioning and state of competition, examining market concentration, entry/exit, consolidation, production, capacity, capacity utilisation, profitability, and price and cost trends. The study will analyse pricing in trade and non-trade segments and determinants of price movements. It is a non-adjudicatory fact-finding exercise combining secondary research and primary stakeholder consultations, implemented by a Commission study team with external agency assistance to identify competition impediments and inform enforcement and advocacy priorities.

PM GatiShakti adoption enhances infrastructure planning through GIS-based master planning and district-level implementation support and capacity building.
PM GatiShakti is presented as a GIS-based national infrastructure planning framework with DPIIT demonstrating the National Master Plan and urging district, urban local body and block-level adoption by integrating Area Development principles. The webinar prioritised capacity building, BISAG-N technical support for training and geo-tagged data, use of local remote sensing agencies, and regular institutional mechanisms to synchronise project planning and implementation across Central Ministries and States/UTs.

Carbon border adjustment mechanism could be neutralised if exporting countries match domestic carbon taxation, protecting trade competitiveness.
India promotes domestic manufacturing of clean-energy technologies through Production Linked Incentives while recognising intermittency challenges and advocating an international power grid for baseload reliability. On carbon policy, India is engaging with partners about a reporting obligation and an impending carbon border adjustment mechanism; equivalent domestic carbon taxation could prevent additional levies on exports. Financing should follow the polluter pays principle, with emphasis on concessional, long-term or grant-based support and technology transfer rather than private-capital-centric models.

Equivalence of national agricultural standard enables benchmarking with international norms to harmonize sustainable trade and market access.
The Quality Council of India's IndG.A.P. scheme was benchmarked against GLOBAL G.A.P. via a National Technical Working Group and National Interpretation Guidelines were created to align domestic producer requirements with the international standard, intended to enable conformity assessment and market compatibility for farmers. QCI also entered a cooperation agreement with a regional standards organisation to harmonize standards and strengthen trade relations, and promoted digital readiness assessments and data sovereignty principles to support e-commerce integration.

Repayment at par of matured government stock with no post maturity interest; bank mandate required or surrender securities.
Repayment of the government stock is repayable at par on maturity with no interest after maturity; holidays shift repayment to the previous working day. Payment to registered holders must be made by pay order with bank particulars or by credit through electronic means per sub regulations 24(2) and 24(3) of the Government Securities Regulations, 2007. Holders must submit bank details in advance or, if absent, may tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices twenty days before the due date to obtain the discharge value.

Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement negotiations relaunched; parties advanced chapter talks and resolved several issues while other matters remain.
Negotiations to relaunch the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) resumed in a 12th round where delegations reviewed prior progress and negotiated chapter-specific issues including Trade in Goods, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Trade in Services, Customs Procedure & Trade Facilitation, Rules of Origin, Trade Remedies, Economic & Technology Cooperation and Dispute Settlement. Nine issues were reported as resolved and set aside, while unresolved matters such as apparel and pepper quotas and pharmaceutical procurement will continue to be explored with the aim of building on prior progress and revisiting positions to reflect new developments.

Multimodal connectivity: coordinated road and rail projects to enhance integrated regional infrastructure under PM GatiShakti.
The 58th Network Planning Group reviewed road and Greenfield rail projects aimed at improving multimodal connectivity to ports, mines and regional economic centres, emphasising benefits for freight movement, access to social services and socio economic uplift. The meeting directed adoption of an Area Development Planning Approach, strengthened inter ministerial coordination to secure first/last mile linkages, and reliance on the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and data backed decision making to integrate planning and close infrastructural gaps.

Supply chain resilience and sustainable trade advanced through ministerial outreach and bilateral engagements.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry will attend the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting and outreach program under Japan's presidency, participating in ministerial sessions and bilateral meetings with G7 members, selected invitee countries, and international organisations. The outreach program will address Supply Chain Resilience and Trade and Sustainability, including environmental, development and digital aspects and prospects for the WTO Ministerial Conference, with the stated aim of confronting global trade and investment challenges through coordinated policy engagement.

Social media influencer's paid courses and private trade calls deemed unregistered investment advice; assets impounded and trading restrained.
Prima facie, the influencer operating as 'Baap of Chart' provided buy/sell recommendations and personalised trading guidance to paying subscribers through closed groups and paid courses, constituting investment advice for consideration rather than mere public education. Payments routed to bank accounts and related entities were identified as proceeds of the activity. On this basis interim directions restrained the principal noticees from holding out as investment advisers or dealing in securities, ordered impoundment of alleged unlawful gains into an escrow account with a regulatory lien, prohibited diversion or disposal of assets, and required withdrawal of public solicitations and furnishing of asset inventories.

Investment cooperation advances through high level meetings and a chamber MoU to strengthen bilateral economic ties.
Senior-level engagements at the 7th Future Investment Initiative advanced investment cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia through plenary addresses, a conclave on industrial policy, bilateral meetings with Saudi ministers and investment entities, and support for a Memorandum of Understanding between industry chambers, all framed within the Strategic Partnership Council to enhance economy and investment collaboration.

Inclusion under PMKSY-AIBP provides central share funding for completion, enabling irrigation, drinking water and hydropower benefits.
Inclusion under PMKSY-AIBP: Jamrani Dam Project has been approved for central financial support to complete construction of the dam, extension and renovation of canal systems and field channels, and related works to deliver irrigation, drinking water and hydropower benefits, with inter state cost and benefit sharing governed by an existing memorandum of understanding.

Quality Control Order mandates BIS certification for specified copper products, prohibiting non certified manufacture, sale and storage after transition.
Notification establishes a Quality Control Order making compliance with nine specified Indian Standards for copper products mandatory under BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations. The QCO will come into force six months after Gazette notification, with additional three month and six month implementation relaxations for small and micro industries respectively. Upon commencement, manufacture, storage and sale of non BIS certified listed copper products will be prohibited, and violations under the BIS Act, 2016 will attract imprisonment and escalating fines. The Order aims to improve manufacturing quality, curb substandard imports, prevent unfair trade practices and protect health and the environment.

Quality Control Order for drums and tins mandates BIS certification, restricting manufacture and sale of non certified products.
Notification establishes a Quality Control Order making specified Indian Standards for drums and tins mandatory, requiring BIS conformity for manufacture, storage and sale. The QCO takes effect six months after gazette notification, grants extended implementation timelines for small and micro industries, and exempts drums and tins imported when already filled. Noncompliance attracts penalties under the BIS Act, 2016, including imprisonment and escalating fines, and the QCO is intended to improve product quality, curb sub standard imports and support development of testing and quality infrastructure.

Strategic partnership drives enhanced trade and investment cooperation through high-level participation in global investment forum engagements.
The Union Minister will attend the 7th Future Investment Initiative to co-chair a conclave on industrial policy, meet senior ministers and investment leaders, engage global business CEOs and the expatriate business community, and pursue trade and investment linkages across priority sectors including AI, education, healthcare and sustainability within the framework of the Strategic Partnership Council to deepen economic cooperation and investment ties.

Green Energy Corridor approval enables inter-state transmission for large-scale renewable integration in Ladakh and grid linkage.
Cabinet approval authorises the Green Energy Corridor Phase II Inter State Transmission System for renewable generation in Ladakh, designates Power Grid Corporation as Implementing Agency, and requires VSC HVDC and EHVAC systems to link Pang and Kaithal terminals with the national grid, interconnect with the Ladakh grid and Leh-Alusteng-Srinagar route, and provide central financial assistance to support completion and grid integration.

Minimum Support Prices increase to ensure remunerative farm returns and incentivise crop diversification and food security measures.
The Government approved revised Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated rabi crops for marketing season 2024-25 to ensure remunerative returns and meet the Budget target of MSP at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average cost of production, producing specified percentage margins over cost for each crop and aiming to incentivise crop diversification toward oilseeds, pulses and millets.

Dearness allowance increase approved for central employees and pensioners, raising pension relief and impacting public finances.
Approval is granted for an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief for pensioners, increasing the existing rate with effect from the stated reference date under the accepted Central Pay Commission formula to compensate for price rise. The action applies to the identified employee and pensioner cohorts and produces a recurring fiscal impact on the exchequer due to the upward revision of pay and pension entitlements.

Infrastructure planning modernized through GIS-driven integration, accelerating surveys and reducing governance and environmental risks in project delivery.
PM GatiShakti is a centralized, data-driven infrastructure planning platform integrating multiple data layers on GIS maps to streamline decision-making, accelerate digital surveys and detailed surveys, increase planning throughput across expressways, railways, energy corridors and pipelines, enhance visibility of connectivity points, mitigate investment and governance risks, reduce environmental impact during route selection, and promote Next Generation Infrastructure and Ease of Doing Business.

Strengthening Multilateral Development Banks: endorsing expert recommendations to mobilise private capital and enhance MDB capacity for global challenges.
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors endorsed the G20 Independent Expert Group report on strengthening Multilateral Development Banks, emphasising mobilisation of private capital through enabling conditions and risk-sharing instruments, exploring options to boost MDB financial capacity including potential capital increases, and encouraging system-wide MDB cooperation; they called for further deliberations and steps toward implementation under subsequent presidencies.

Multilateral development bank reform urged to mobilize private capital and strengthen financial capacity; global crypto roadmap adopted.
The G20 FMCBG Communique endorses strengthening multilateral development banks by urging private capital mobilisation, enhancing MDB financial capacity via capital adequacy framework implementation and potential capital increases, and promoting MDBs working together as a system; it also adopts a G20 Roadmap on crypto assets to coordinate global policy, devise regulatory and mitigation strategies, and address implications for Emerging Markets and Developing Economies.