Payroll reporting uses EPF, ESI and NPS subscriber data to indicate employment trends; data provisional pending source updates.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation is releasing payroll reporting of formal-sector employment from September 2017 onwards using subscriber counts under the Employees' Provident Fund, Employees' State Insurance, and National Pension Scheme; the January-April 2024 report is available online and the data are provisional and subject to revision by the source agencies.

Merger control approval: acquisition of equities in poultry producer cleared after combination via primary subscription and secondary purchase.
Competition authority approval was granted for Mitsui & Co., Ltd.'s acquisition of certain equity shares in Sneha Farms Private Limited by a combination of primary subscription and secondary purchase. The notification covered Mitsui as a diversified global trading and investment company acquiring shares in Sneha Farms, an Indian poultry-sector firm with subsidiaries engaged in poultry breeding, hatcheries, feed manufacturing, processing of chicken products, and related feed and pet-food activities. A detailed order from the authority will follow.

Competition approval granted for Coforge's acquisition of Cigniti, subject to mandatory SEBI SAST open offer compliance.
CCI approved Coforge Limited's proposed acquisition of a majority stake in Cigniti Technologies Limited pursuant to share purchase agreements and a mandatory open offer in accordance with SEBI's Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers Regulations, 2011, as part of the Proposed Combination.

Agriculture output statistics show shifting shares among crops, livestock, forestry and fishing and rising livestock and aquaculture output.
The National Statistical Office released the Statistical Report on Value of Output from Agriculture and Allied Sectors 2024, presenting detailed 2011 12 to 2022 23 time series and sectoral shares at constant prices. It highlights that cereals and fruits & vegetables together dominate crop output with fruits & vegetables surpassing cereals by 2022 23; livestock output rose steadily with milk, meat and eggs as principal components and geographic concentration of production; forestry output is principally industrial wood, fuelwood and non timber products; and fishing and aquaculture showed sustained growth with a leading state increasing its share.

Digital fund flow under MPLAD scheme streamlines authorizations and payments via e-SAKSHI portal, enhancing transparency nationwide.
Revised MPLAD fund-flow is digitized through the e-SAKSHI portal: annual entitlements are authorized upfront, MPs digitally recommend projects via OTP or mobile app, District Authorities sanction and verify completion, and payments are made directly to Implementing Agencies upon upload of completion proofs; real-time dashboards enable stakeholder visibility and reduce administrative pre-conditions.

Bilateral trade and investment cooperation expanded via joint working group, advancing UPI integration, pharma recognition and investment ties.
Institutionalised bilateral cooperation through the India Cambodia Joint Working Group on Trade & Investment aims to deepen trade and investment ties by diversifying the trade basket and promoting investment. The meeting prioritised exploring a Bilateral Investment Treaty, recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia and pharma collaboration, UPI based digital payment integration to facilitate trade and tourism, and cooperation in Traditional Medicine and e governance, with commitment to intensified institutional coordination to implement these initiatives.

Asset monetisation via a structured national pipeline promotes publication of asset lists and valuation assumptions to boost investor participation.
The National Monetisation Pipeline is a four year programme coordinating Ministries and Central public entities to identify and monetise core government assets against specified annual targets, with publication of indicative asset lists and valuation assumptions to promote investor planning, enhance bidding outcomes, and channel increased private investment into infrastructure, including coal assets that may support energy security.

Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data: conference presenting MPCE estimates and unit level data for user engagement.
The statistical agency released detailed unit level results from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, including Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure estimates and distributions; a one day data user conference will present concepts, definitions, key results, use of multipliers, and data quality issues, followed by an open discussion for user feedback and stakeholder engagement.

Integrated infrastructure planning under PM GatiShakti promotes multimodal alignment and enhances regional connectivity and socio economic benefits.
The Network Planning Group evaluated three transport projects-a 51 km highway upgrade in Jammu & Kashmir, an 83.17 km third rail line in Andhra Pradesh, and a 12.75 km elevated Pune metro extension-for conformity with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan principles, focusing on integrated planning, multimodal coordination, land and infrastructure needs, improved connectivity, reduced transit costs, and anticipated socio economic benefits.

Unincorporated sector growth signals employment and GVA increases, driven by services and manufacturing expansion post pandemic.
The ASUSE release records expansion in unincorporated non agricultural establishments, employment and Gross Value Added, with services showing the strongest establishment and employment growth and manufacturing contributing substantially to GVA gains. The survey notes pandemic related distortion in early 2021-22 canvassing and recovery thereafter. ASUSE covers rural and urban India for manufacturing, trade and other services, employs a multi stage stratified sampling design with establishments as ultimate units, and shifted from pen and paper interviews to computer assisted interviewing between the two reference periods.

Wholesale Price Index shows a year on year inflation uptick in May driven by food and manufacturing price rises.
Wholesale Price Index for May 2024 records a provisional annual inflation rate of 2.61% (base 2011 12), driven mainly by increases in food articles and manufactured food products; Primary Articles rose month over month, Fuel & Power declined, and Manufactured Products showed a modest rise with mixed subgroup performance. May WPI is provisional (response rate 88.8%) and subject to revision; annexes present detailed indices and six month trends.

Public Private Partnership model urged to strengthen coordination, R&D and full use of PLI and SCALE to boost exports.
Minister directed strengthened interdepartmental coordination, prioritisation of Research & Development and a reinforced Public Private Partnership model, mandated follow-up meetings to finalise policies, and urged full utilisation of SCALE and PLI schemes to boost local value-add, exports and domestic production while stressing data transparency and quality as core administrative principles.

Assumption of charge signals renewed focus on commerce and industry policy and expanded opportunities for youth and citizens.
Assumption of charge of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry by Union Minister Piyush Goyal marks an administrative leadership transition with senior departmental officials present, identifying the leadership responsible for advancing commerce and industry agendas. The Minister emphasised priorities of creating opportunities for youth, promoting welfare objectives under a development oriented governance agenda during the Amrit Kaal, and pursuing rapid advancement in commerce and industry guided by a collective governance philosophy.

Ministerial appointment: Minister of State takes charge of commerce and industry with formal handover and welcome.
Ministerial appointment: Shri Jitin Prasada assumed office as Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with a formal handover and welcome attended by the Union Minister and senior departmental secretaries and officers.

Tax devolution instalment increases central fiscal transfers to States to accelerate development and capital spending.
An additional tax devolution instalment was released in June 2024, supplementing the regular monthly devolution to States for FY2024-25 to accelerate development and capital spending. The release is made pursuant to the Interim Budget provision for devolution and is distributed on a state-wise basis, with the press release disclosing individual state allocations and the cumulative amount devolved to States up to 10 June 2024.

Accreditation framework strengthened to promote quality and reinforce national third party accreditation systems across sectors.
The note stresses reinforcement of the national accreditation framework through nationwide events promoting accreditation's role in quality improvement. It identifies national laboratory and conformity assessment accreditation schemes as the backbone of third party accreditation, participating in international multilateral recognition arrangements and maintaining extensive accredited networks. QCI, established in 1997 by government and industry, is described as the apex organisation responsible for establishing and operating the third party national accreditation system and advising stakeholders on quality matters.

Investment friendly regulatory reforms drive capital into infrastructure, clean economy and digital projects under facilitated engagement.
India presented a predictable, pro market investment environment with legislative and regulatory reforms and improved Ease of Doing Business to attract capital for infrastructure, climate technology, renewable energy and digital economy projects, positioning these sectors for international investment and reshoring of startups under the IPEF Clean Economy engagement.

IPEF Clean Economy Agreement advances Cooperative Work Programmes and catalytic capital to boost clean energy and supply chain participation.
India participated in the IPEF ministerial where partners completed legal review and signing of the Clean Economy, Fair Economy, and Supply Chain cooperative instruments; India withheld formal signature pending domestic approval processes. The Clean Economy Agreement establishes Cooperative Work Programmes and the IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund to support energy transition, climate resilience, technology deployment, workforce development, and MSME integration into regional value chains. The Fair Economy Agreement focuses on transparency, anti corruption, tax information exchange, and technical assistance including capacity building contributions from India.

Combination approval: InvIT acquisition of MBEL via NCD subscription, trust unit issuance and subsequent equity and NCD transfer.
CCI approved a combination where IRB Infrastructure Trust will acquire interests in Meerut Budaun Expressway Limited through a sequence: (i) proposed NCD subscription of MBEL by IRB and Anahera with an alternate InvIT subscription, (ii) fresh issuance of InvIT units to existing unitholders (Trust Unit Issue), and (iii) acquisition by the InvIT of MBEL equity shares and NCDs. The InvIT is a SEBI-registered infrastructure investment trust holding concessioned toll-road assets; MBEL is the SPV for the Ganga Expressway Package I.

Combined Index of Eight Core Industries rises provisionally, signalling sectoral production growth in April year on year.
The Combined Index of Eight Core Industries increased by 6.2% in April 2024 year on year, driven by positive monthly growth in Electricity, Natural Gas, Coal, Steel, Refinery Products, Crude Oil and Cement while Fertilizers declined; ICI accounts for 40.27% of the IIP weight, the cumulative ICI growth for 2023 24 is provisionally 7.6%, and January 2024 final growth is revised to 4.1%. Data for Feb-Apr 2024 are provisional and methodological notes detail inclusion of renewable electricity and a new steel product.