Financial inclusion push to expand credit access, ensure nearby banking outlets and deliver literacy camps with local institutions.
Departmental review directed district managers and state banking convenors to intensify efforts to advance financial inclusion by expanding credit penetration, ensuring proximate banking outlets for inhabited villages, conducting financial literacy camps in partnership with local governance bodies, mobilizing outreach for scheme uptake, and implementing a reward and recognition programme to incentivize district performance.

Financial inclusion targets reinforced; banks must digitise Kisan Credit Card processes and improve consumer service ratings.
Directed review of Public Sector Banks' implementation and targets under financial inclusion and social security schemes, emphasising achievement of allocated targets, enhanced customer experience, and expedited Consumer Service Rating. PSBs were instructed to use the PM KISAN database to expand Kisan Credit Card coverage, digitise the KCC loan lifecycle and interest subvention claims, and reviewed progress under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Proposed IBC amendments to reduce timelines for admission, resolution, tribunal approval and liquidation were also discussed with corporate and insolvency regulators.

Cyber security readiness in financial services emphasized coordinated preparedness and input on the revised Digital Personal Data Protection Bill.
Financial services stakeholders convened to address cyber security preparedness, assess current measures and readiness for emerging threats, and coordinate information sharing and incident response among government agencies, regulators, banks, insurers, and financial institutions. The meeting also solicited sector perspectives on the revised draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill to align data protection policy with operational cyber security and regulatory oversight.

Financing Cities of Tomorrow: advancing urban finance strategies to unlock private investment and promote sustainable, resilient infrastructure.
The G20 Infrastructure Working Group meeting in Pune under India's 2023 Presidency focuses on Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable, convening G20 members, invitee countries and international organisations to deliberate mobilising financial resources, promoting infrastructure as an asset class, enhancing Quality Infrastructure Investment indicators, and unlocking private financing for energy efficient, environmentally sustainable urban projects while addressing social imbalances.

Direct tax collections show sustained year on year growth and account for a large share of budgeted direct tax estimates.
Direct tax receipts for F.Y. 2022-23 through 10 January 2023 show year on year expansion with gross collections notably higher and net collections after refunds constituting a substantial share of the Budget Estimates. The summary reports percentage growth differentials for Corporate Income Tax and Personal Income Tax (gross and after refunds) and notes that refunds issued in the period are markedly higher than in the same period of the prior year.

Alternative Investment Funds investing in startups spurred by coordinated regulatory outreach expands domestic capital mobilisation for startup ecosystem.
DPIIT convened a workshop on Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) with the Ministry of Finance, IRDAI, Ministry of Labour & Employment and public institutional investors to sensitise and enable institutional investment into startups by reviewing the AIF regulatory framework and sharing success stories; concurrently DPIIT ran ASCEND SAMAGAM and multiple regional events to build entrepreneurial capacity, facilitate investor engagement, and showcase incubator outcomes across the country.

Infrastructure financing: loan to improve road connectivity in Maharashtra, promoting inclusive growth, resilience, and gender responsive services.
A multilateral loan finances upgrading state and district roads in Maharashtra to enhance connectivity, incorporate climate resilient and disaster risk reduction design, and improve access to markets and services for rural communities and small and medium enterprises. The project mandates social inclusion measures-integrated service centres, skills training for disadvantaged groups, road safety demonstration corridors, and gender responsive highway programming-and pilots private sector long term maintenance alongside development of a handbook on climate adapted road design and maintenance.

Power sector financing boosts grid efficiency and resilience through plant upgrades, distribution modernization, and social inclusion measures.
ADB and the Government of India financed a project to strengthen Tripura's power sector by replacing an inefficient plant with a combined cycle gas turbine to improve generation efficiency and reduce emissions, modernizing the distribution network and installing smart meters to cut losses and boost reliability, incorporating climate-resilient design for distribution assets, using trenchless methods for underground cabling to minimize socio-environmental impacts, and supporting institutional capacity building plus pilot gender-inclusive and women self-help group empowerment measures.

Infrastructure financing enables Assam road upgrades to strengthen connectivity, climate resilience, and social safeguards and capacity building.
A loan will finance upgrading over 300 kilometres of state highways and major district roads in Assam to improve connectivity with SASEC corridors, convert single lanes to two lanes, and introduce climate- and disaster-resilient structures including elevated highways, landslide prevention, pedestrian and public-transport facilities, and viaducts to avoid human-elephant conflict; the project also restores community infrastructure, provides road-safety training, and strengthens the Assam Public Works Department while incorporating safeguards on environment, resettlement, and indigenous peoples concerns.

Development financing for metro expansion to mandate climate-resilient, universally accessible stations and multimodal integration.
A multilateral development loan funds expansion and system works for three new Chennai metro lines, covering elevated and underground construction, stations, and core electrical, mechanical, power, and telecommunications components. Stations must incorporate climate- and disaster-resilient features and universal design for elderly, women, children, differently abled, and transgender passengers. The project requires multimodal integration through interchanges, sheltered waiting areas, bicycle facilities, drop-off/pick-up zones, and passenger information, and includes technical assistance for planning and management to support multimodal integration and transit-oriented development.