Digital logistics innovation spurs ULIP Hackathon and Track Your Transport app to empower small transporters with multimodal tracking.
NLDSL launches ULIP Hackathon 2.0 to solicit digital solutions for sustainability, unified documentation, multimodal optimization, and complex supply chain processes using ULIP's API based access to government logistics datasets. Simultaneously NLDSL released the Track Your Transport app, powered by ULIP, to provide low infrastructure multimodal cargo tracking, vehicle and driver verification, and enhanced visibility for small transporters and traders via web and major app stores.

India Australia economic partnership advanced as minister urged worker welfare and promoted sectoral cooperation and investment facilitation.
The minister's visit advanced the India Australia economic partnership by urging real estate worker welfare, promoting international expansion by developers, and fostering bilateral investment and sectoral cooperation in renewables, digitisation, infrastructure, education, critical minerals, tourism, fintech, agritech and space. He engaged state leadership, parliamentary friendship groups, business and diaspora networks, participated in the Indo Pacific Economic Framework highlighting collaboration on critical supply chains and technologies, and prepared to co chair a Joint Ministerial Commission meeting to further trade and tourism cooperation.

Supply chain resilience commitments deepen cooperation to operationalize supply chain governance, crisis response, and labor safeguards across IPEF partners.
IPEF partners are operationalizing the Supply Chain Agreement through three bodies-the Supply Chain Council, Crisis Response Network, and Labor Rights Advisory Board-to strengthen resilience against disruptions in critical sectors, address concentration risks, and integrate workforce development, logistics upgrades, and data-driven monitoring. Concurrently, the Clean Economy Agreement advances cooperative work programs for clean energy transition and technology deployment, while the Fair Economy Agreement emphasizes anti-corruption enforcement and coordinated technical assistance and capacity building to improve transparency and tax administration.

Statistical consultation on base revision of GDP and CPI seeks expert feedback to strengthen methodologies and data sources.
MoSPI is convening a stakeholder consultation to solicit feedback from forecasters, economists and institutional analysts on methodologies and data sources to inform the base revision of GDP and CPI, presenting proposed methodological improvements and inviting technical exchange to enhance the robustness and usability of national accounts and price statistics.

Gross State Domestic Product measurement workshop to strengthen state statistics capacity and improve economic planning.
A regional training workshop organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Tripura brings together thirteen States/UTs to strengthen methods for estimating Gross State Domestic Product and related aggregates, focusing on capacity building of state statistical units to improve measurement and the use of GSDP in economic planning and policy.

Investment facilitation expands as Invest India opens Singapore office to provide a dedicated point of contact for regional investors.
Invest India has established its first overseas office in Singapore to enhance investment facilitation and serve as a dedicated point of contact for regional companies seeking to invest in India, streamlining engagement and fostering sectoral collaboration; additional overseas offices are planned to provide seamless access for global investors to India's economy.

Transaction charge reduction on public procurement platform lowers barriers and expands access for small suppliers and service providers.
GeM's new revenue policy effective 9 August 2024 reduces transaction charges: orders up to a low-value threshold attract zero charges; orders between that threshold and a high-value ceiling incur a reduced percentage fee; and orders above the high-value ceiling pay a fixed, substantially lower flat fee capped irrespective of order size. The revision shifts most transactions to zero fees while imposing a nominal, capped fee on remaining transactions, aiming to lower transaction costs and expand access to public procurement for smaller suppliers.

Review of ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement pursued to simplify rules and enhance trade facilitation through ministerial negotiations and bilateral talks.
Ministers will prioritise advancing negotiations to review the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it simpler and more trade facilitative; this multilateral review will be addressed at the ASEAN India Economic Ministers meeting while regional and global economic developments are deliberated at the East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting. Complementary bilateral meetings and stakeholder consultations aim to support negotiation progress and deepen economic cooperation under India's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Act East Policy.

Strategic disinvestment approved: buyer selected for transfer of management control, SPA signing and closing to follow.
Strategic disinvestment was conducted via a two-stage open competitive bidding process with professional advisers; bids were evaluated against an independently fixed reserve price based on expert valuation. Two sealed financial bids were opened and the highest bid exceeding the reserve price was approved. The procedure included EoI issuance, bidder shortlisting, due diligence, security clearances, issuance of RFP and SPA, and now advances to Letter of Award, SPA signing, fulfillment of conditions precedent, and closing.

Non-response by high-income groups threatens representative survey data; collaborative strategies seek to improve participation and data quality.
Non-response by affluent segments, notably high-income households, gated communities, and high-rise societies, poses a material risk to the integrity and representativeness of national sample surveys. NSSO is convening a multi-stakeholder Brainstorming Session to diagnose non-response trends, assess effects on survey quality, and develop targeted measures-including technological solutions, RWA engagement, and strengthened data privacy practices-to increase participation and secure more representative data for policymaking.

Competition approval for minority investment in a housing finance company enabling Naspers Ventures to acquire a small equity stake.
The Competition Commission of India approved a proposed minority acquisition by Naspers Ventures B.V., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Prosus N.V., in Vastu Housing Finance Corporation Limited. The acquirer is an investment holding company providing equity and debt funding. The target offers home loans, extension and construction loans, loans against property, and micro/MSME lending; its subsidiary provides vehicle and equipment financing. The transaction contemplates a minority shareholding on a fully diluted basis and a detailed CCI order will follow.

Centralized startup registry enables personalized stakeholder IDs and consolidated access to resources for enhanced collaboration.
BHASKAR is a government digital platform established as a centralized registry for startups, investors, mentors, service providers, and government bodies, providing consolidated access to resources, tools, and knowledge. It will assign a unique BHASKAR ID to each stakeholder to enable personalized interactions, enhance searchability, and facilitate networking, discoverability, and matchmaking across the entrepreneurial lifecycle. The platform also aims to support cross-border collaboration and promote India's global innovation brand.

AI and competition study to identify market structures and emerging competition issues, informing Commission priorities.
Engagement of Management Development Institute Society to perform a market study on AI and competition to map AI systems, actors, inputs, value chains and market structures; identify emerging competition issues; assess AI applications, risks and competition ramifications; review regulatory frameworks domestically and internationally; and consult stakeholders to inform the Commission's enforcement and advocacy priorities under its statutory mandate to address practices adversely affecting competition.

Regional trade and digital cooperation promoted, with AI for all and paperless trade advancing inclusive and sustainable economic integration.
India framed its regional agenda around a vision of security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and environmental protection, highlighting digital public infrastructure, paperless trade and trust based transparency as mechanisms to accelerate inclusive economic development and cross border logistics. Ministers adopted instruments on creative economy cooperation, trade promotion coordination, and an economic preferences database, and issued a statement on fair trade and sustainable development. India promoted an "AI for all" approach prioritising transparency, fairness, security, accessibility and responsibility, while urging collective action for value chain advancement and adherence to the organisation's charter principles in connectivity and trade initiatives.

Inter institutional collaboration establishes MoUs to drive joint research, internships, IPR protection, and commercialization of footwear innovations.
Four Memoranda of Understanding between FDDI and four academic institutions create collaborative frameworks for faculty and student exchange, joint research, product and prototype development, internships, PPPs, and commercialization, with emphasis on leveraging Centres of Excellence and campus infrastructure and ensuring Intellectual Property protection to convert MoU commitments into industry-relevant, marketable outputs.

Administrative efficiency campaign to institutionalize Swachhata and reduce departmental pendency through targeted record and space management.
Departmental action to implement Special Campaign 4.0 seeks to institutionalize Swachhata and reduce pendency across DPIIT and its nineteen attached bodies through a Preparatory Phase to identify targets for PMO, VIP/MP/State Government and Cabinet references and record/space management, followed by an Implementation Phase focused on achieving identified targets, supported by field office mobilization, guidelines and record-management training.

Critical minerals and tech cooperation bolster bilateral strategic ties while urging a united global response to terrorism.
India and the United States are strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, supply-chain resilience, and advanced technologies, emphasizing strategic and geopolitical alignment and promotion of India's reform agenda to enhance trade and investment. The communication also calls for reinforcement of a global coalition against terrorism, denounces divisive propaganda, and links security cooperation to principles of cultural respect and international solidarity.

Time-bound completion obligations accelerate bridge delivery and mandate expedited traffic and connectivity works by civic authorities under defined accountability frameworks
A federal minister expedited completion of a delayed urban bridge through active oversight, regular meetings with implementing agencies, and coordination with municipal and traffic authorities, authorising extended work hours and traffic management to minimise disruption. He instructed local agencies to accelerate remaining works, including underpass widening and coastal road extension, and called for time-bound completion with defined accountability to relieve traffic bottlenecks and improve connectivity.

Institutional ranking: IIFT leads globally in networking on LinkedIn's MBA list and ranks among top programmes worldwide.
IIFT attained top global position for networking in LinkedIn's top MBA programmes list and is ranked among the world's top hundred programmes; leadership and government representatives framed this as evidence of strong alumni, corporate and international linkages and academic and research emphasis. The Institute is establishing a Centre for International Negotiations to train corporates and policymakers and an International Business Case Study Centre to produce practitioner-focused case studies in collaboration with industry and government to enhance institutional capacity and global outreach.

Local currency settlement and CEPA deepen India-UAE economic partnership, boosting trade, investment and technology collaboration.
India-UAE economic partnership emphasises local currency settlement and a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to expand bilateral trade. Operational initiatives include setting up a Bharat Mart in Jebel Ali Free Zone, promoting investment and trade across healthcare, biotechnology, renewable energy and sustainability, and leveraging technology and Artificial Intelligence to drive collaboration. The forum signals sustained high-level engagement and invites stakeholders to utilise new settlement mechanisms, CEPA-derived access and trade-zone platforms to deepen commercial and sustainable development cooperation.