Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations advanced as India and EFTA commit to a swift, comprehensive trade deal.
Negotiations between India and EFTA concentrated on accelerating conclusion of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement through high-level discussions; officials and industry stakeholders addressed market access, regulatory concerns, and mechanisms for a balanced, comprehensive trade framework, reaffirming reciprocal commitment to expedite negotiations and deepen bilateral economic cooperation.

Industry exposure through school-industry visits brings students hands-on insight into modern manufacturing and technology.
Atal Innovation Mission and Bayer launched an industry visit program under Atal Tinkering Labs to give students direct exposure to modern manufacturing, automation, and technology. Bayer supports the program through school adoptions, coordinator training, and opening multiple manufacturing and research facilities for student tours, including a launch at the Vapi plant. The visits aim to connect theoretical learning with practical industry processes, promote experiential and technology-driven learning consistent with national education and manufacturing priorities, and include a focus on all-girls schools to further diversity and inclusion.

Startup ecosystem growth enables global collaboration and calls for collective support to nurture inclusive, sustainable innovation.
India's market scale, talent base and startup culture underpin growth of its startup ecosystem, with demographic dividend and ecosystem metrics supporting numerous registered startups and high growth firms across health, finance and agriculture. The statement urges collective international support for inclusive, sustainable startup ecosystems, promoting exchange of ideas, best practices, funding mechanisms and Research and Development collaborations through multilateral platforms such as Startup20 to foster cooperation and encourage entrepreneurship.

Industrial Park Rating System advances park governance and sustainability, promoting competitiveness and streamlined investment facilitation.
The Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) establishes a framework to rate parks across four pillars-internal infrastructure and utilities, external infrastructure and facilities, business support services, and environmental and safety management-and the national workshop facilitated exchange of best practices, discussion of financing and institutional mechanisms for smart and resilient parks, and reinforcement of investment facilitation measures including project development cells and a national single window to enhance park governance, environmental performance, and competitiveness.

Body packing: detection and seizure led to medical recovery of concealed heroin capsules and arrest under NDPS Act.
Interception led to a magistrate-ordered medical examination and recovery of internally concealed heroin capsules; the expelled packets were forensically tested, seized under the NDPS Act, and the suspect-who admitted attempted smuggling-was arrested and remanded. The incident followed intelligence-led interception, hospital monitoring and treatment to recover the packets, and initiation of statutory seizure procedures, with further investigation ongoing.

Policy Communique outlines collaborative measures to build an inclusive global startup ecosystem and promote cross-border innovation.
Release of a final Policy Communique consolidates consensus among Startup20 delegates from G20 and invitee countries and sets out policy priorities to promote innovation, cross-border collaboration, inclusive growth, and enabling conditions for startup-led economic growth. The summit operationalizes the Communique through plenary discussions, a Startup Conclave featuring investor pitches, mentoring and networking, and stakeholder engagement to facilitate capital formation and international cooperation in startup policy.

Unified procurement via Government e marketplace promotes transparency, efficiency and cost savings; modernised analytics and vendor recognition follow.
Expansion of the Government e Marketplace (GeM) advances a unified, transparent and efficient procurement system by leveraging technology and analytics; its widespread adoption by Central and State buyer organisations and a large seller base yields scale benefits, transaction volumes and recurring cost savings for redeployment into public welfare. A major contract was awarded to operate the portal and a modernised system with embedded data analytics is being developed to improve operations, while an award scheme recognises exemplary buyer and seller performance to promote best procurement practices.

Quality mission promotes statewide sectoral quality through accreditation, standards and public private collaboration to strengthen services.
A state-level quality mission forms a collaborative framework between the Government of Odisha and the Quality Council of India with industry partners to embed continuous, measurable quality improvements across sectors. The programme emphasises accreditation, standards, gap analysis and implementation support via QCI's constituent boards and the National Board for Quality Promotion, and advances focused interventions in enterprise quality programmes such as ZED, LEAN and ONDC to operationalise quality assurance within governance and public services.

Financing Cities of Tomorrow emphasized as flagship priority, steering G20 infrastructure discussions toward inclusive, resilient, sustainable urban finance.
G20 Infrastructure cooperation will convene in Rishikesh from 26 to 28 June 2023 to advance the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the Indian Presidency, with 63 delegates pursuing progress on promoting infrastructure as an asset class, mobilising innovative finance, and aligning workstream outcomes with G20 Finance Track priorities. The flagship priority, Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable, will guide discussions on urban finance, climate resiliency, and technology enabled infrastructure solutions, alongside side events on sustainable cities and making India an MRO hub.

Seizure under NDPS law uncovers designer black cocaine smuggling at international airport, prompting arrest and forensic confirmation.
DRI intercepted a passenger at an international airport based on intelligence, discovered a rubbery granular material in baggage that field testing indicated contained cocaine, seized the substance and arrested the passenger under the NDPS Act following admission; the seizure exposes a new concealment technique called "black cocaine" designed to evade canine and field-test detection.

Area Development Approach under PM GatiShakti to integrate NMP data for infrastructure led sectoral and logistics reforms.
PM GatiShakti is to be operationally leveraged through an Area Development Approach using the National Master Plan data to guide area based planning, support agriculture via common facilities by cooperatives and start ups, engage aspirational districts, and accelerate infrastructure led economic growth. Implementation includes improving NMP data quality, a Quality Improvement Plan, onboarding additional social sector ministries, forming an EXIM Logistics Group, developing an LPI action plan, integrating ULIP with GSTN for multi modal cargo tracking, and capacity building of state officials.

Quality Control Orders expand mandatory footwear standards with phased compliance and reduced testing charges for startups and micro units.
Quality Control Orders (QCOs) require 24 footwear products to meet Indian Standards from 1 July 2023, with a six month exception for five recently revised standards; phased application to small and micro industries beginning 1 January 2024 and 1 July 2024 respectively; BIS to cut testing charges by eighty percent for Certified Start ups and micro units and provide a daily one hour video conference facility for industry queries; stakeholders urged to work with BIS to extend standards coverage for additional products.

Public Private Partnership facilitation expanded with revamped national portal and online project funding applications for streamlined approvals.
The IFS relaunched the PPPININDIA portal as a consolidated digital repository of policies, model bidding documents, sector Model Concession Agreements, PPP toolkits and reference guides for State PPP units and PPP project appraisal. An online IIPDF portal now permits Sponsoring Authorities to submit funding applications electronically to reduce paperwork and accelerate time bound approvals, with further portals for PPP appraisal and VGF submissions planned; a Best Practices portal enables states and ministries to upload and share implementation experiences.

Wholesale price inflation trend weakens as broad based commodity price declines reduce annual WPI, signalling deflationary pressure.
WPI recorded a provisional year on year decline of 3.48% in May 2023 and a month on month fall of 0.86%. The drop was led by lower prices in mineral oils, basic metals, food products, textiles, non food articles, crude petroleum & natural gas, and chemical products. Major groups registered year on year declines: Primary Articles -1.79%, Fuel & Power -9.17%, and Manufactured Products -2.97%. The WPI Food Index fell to a negative year on year rate of -1.59%. Provisional figures for May were compiled at an 89.8% weighted response rate and remain subject to revision.

Competition approval granted for acquisition of shareholding in Ambit Private Limited via primary subscription and secondary purchases.
The Competition Commission of India granted Competition approval for Daiwa International Holdings Inc.'s acquisition of certain shareholding in Ambit Private Limited through a combination of primary subscription and secondary share purchases, triggering merger review and clearance requirements; a detailed CCI order will follow.

CEPA implementation accelerates bilateral trade cooperation and operationalizes mechanisms to monitor and boost non-petroleum commerce.
The Joint Committee agreed to operationalize CEPA institutional mechanisms, exchange preferential trade data quarterly for monitoring, create a Trade in Services sub committee, and establish a UAE India CEPA Council as a B2B mechanism focused on MSMEs and start ups to enhance economic linkages and optimize CEPA benefits.

Tax devolution advance instalment released to states to boost capital spending and finance development projects.
The Central Government released the third instalment of tax devolution on 12 June 2023, disbursing Rs.1,18,280 crore-one advance instalment in addition to the regular June instalment-to accelerate state capital expenditure, support development and welfare spending, and provide resources for priority projects; a state-wise distribution of net proceeds is provided with a grand total of Rs.1,18,280 crore.

Public procurement access expanded through district workshops to boost platform understanding, assistance, and inclusive participation.
GeM will run district level Buyer Seller workshops across Uttar Pradesh to strengthen stakeholders' understanding of the platform, provide hands on assistance with registration and procurement features, address operational queries and district level participation barriers, and facilitate networking to broaden accessibility and inclusion in public procurement through digitalisation.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations signalled, opening bilateral or continental talks to expand trade and investment ties.
India commits to deepen economic engagement with African nations as a trusted partner to expand trade, commerce, business and investment, and signals openness to FTA negotiations either bilaterally or with Africa as a whole, alongside supportive cultural and people to people measures to underpin economic diplomacy and inclusive growth.

Competition clearance for additional stake acquisition in Acko Tech granted, subject to compliance with prescribed modification conditions.
The Competition Commission of India approved the acquisition by General Atlantic Singapore ACK Pte. Ltd. of an additional stake in Acko Technology and Services Private Limited, noting that the acquirer is an investment holding vehicle controlled by General Atlantic and that Acko Tech operates in non-life insurance through its subsidiary. Approval was granted subject to compliance with jointly furnished modifications under the procedural regulation governing combinations, with a detailed order to follow.