Infrastructure financing for urban water management to modernize supply, sanitation and introduce performance-based private operation.
A loan-funded program will modernize and expand urban water supply and sanitation in selected Karnataka towns, financing treatment capacity, transmission and distribution works, storage reservoirs, household metered connections and sewer rehabilitation, together with IT-based town supervisory control and community demand-management activities to promote efficient water use. The program also uses a performance-based construct and operate contract (PBCOC) model to allocate operational risk between public agencies and private operators and includes institutional strengthening of urban local bodies to improve utility responsiveness and service sustainability.

Loan agreement to finance upgrading of state highways advances road safety and institutional capacity building.
A Loan Agreement between the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank finances upgrading about 230 kilometres of State Highways in Bihar to a minimum two lane standard with paved shoulders and road safety features, and mandates reconstruction and strengthening of culverts and bridges while establishing a State level Road Research Institute to build road agency technical and management capacity.

Exchange of information standards strengthened under tax treaty protocol, aligning measures with BEPS minimum standards.
Amendment to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement revises the treaty's exchange of information provisions to meet current international standards and incorporates modifications to implement treaty related minimum standards from the BEPS Action reports, along with additional BEPS-consistent changes agreed by the parties to enhance transparency and prevent fiscal evasion.

New direct tax legislation: Task Force convenor appointed to review the Income-tax Act and submit recommendations.
A Task Force was constituted to examine the Income-tax Act, 1961 and draft a new direct tax law aligned with economic needs; the Government appointed a senior official as Convenor while other members remain unchanged, and the Task Force must submit its report to the Government by the fixed deadline.

Infrastructure financing advances for state power upgrade enabling transmission, smart metering and institutional strengthening under multilateral loan.
A multilateral Loan Agreement finances the Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project to expand and modernize transmission infrastructure, deploy automated substations and network planning tools, strengthen State Load Dispatch Centre operations for renewable integration, and install smart meters with two-way communication and backend IT to reduce losses and improve peak load management while supporting institutional capacity building of State-owned utilities.

Multitranche financing expands hydropower transmission capacity, enabling power evacuation and strengthening state utility operational and institutional capacity.
Tranche three financing under a multi tranche financing facility will expand Himachal Pradesh's transmission network to evacuate hydropower, support institutional capacity development of the state transmission utility as executing agency, and increase transmission capacity to benefit consumers and sustain developer confidence; the loan features a long-term amortisation, a specified grace period, an interest rate linked to an interbank benchmark, and a commitment charge.

Long-term infrastructure finance support expands PPP lending, strengthens intermediary capacity, and catalyzes private investment through safeguards.
Loan financing supports a specialised infrastructure finance intermediary to increase availability of long-term finance for PPP projects, expand financing instruments, and strengthen operational capacity. The package contemplates funding multiple subprojects including roads and renewable power and includes technical assistance to develop financial management and social and environmental safeguards, aiming to catalyse larger private investment in infrastructure.

Climate-resilient urban water infrastructure expands piped water and sewerage services while strengthening operational capacity and governance.
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank entered a multitranche financing arrangement to fund climate-resilient urban water, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, with an initial loan tranche and accompanying grants and technical assistance. The program targets upgraded piped water and sewerage connections, climate-adapted sewerage collection and treatment, drainage improvements, and a solar-powered sewage treatment pilot, while coupling investment with smart water management, capacity building, public-awareness, and governance strengthening to expand service coverage and operational efficiency.

Urban infrastructure financing needs innovative PPPs and de risked SPVs to secure sustainable, long term investment.
The article advocates innovative financing and delivery models for urban infrastructure, prioritising Public-Private Partnerships, structured Special Purpose Vehicles, and project de risking to attract investment and ensure returns. It stresses assessing PPP sustainability, expanding procurement and financing options, and securing long term predictable funding. Concurrently, it calls for governance reforms to democratise city level decision making and provide greater operational and fiscal autonomy to Urban Local Bodies, while addressing service gaps for underserved urban residents and adopting international best practices.

Fintech infrastructure enabling universal digital identity and interoperable payments, expanding inclusion while prioritising security and data governance.
India's fintech approach builds public digital infrastructure-biometric identity, near universal bank accounts, interoperable payment rails and open APIs-to deliver direct transfers, expand credit via algorithmic decisioning, digitise procurement, and enable rapid lending to micro and small enterprises, while emphasising cyber resilience, AML controls, data governance and consumer protections to ensure inclusive, trustworthy scale and international platform connectivity.

Formalisation of the economy expanded the tax base and accelerated digital payments, boosting compliance and recorded transactions.
Demonetisation compelled cash into banks, enabling identification of holders and increasing taxable disclosures; combined with technology-driven tax administration, financial inclusion measures and GST, this formalisation expanded the tax base, raised direct and indirect tax collections, and accelerated adoption of digital payment systems, thereby increasing recorded economic activity and enabling greater public expenditure on infrastructure and social programmes.

Loan agreement for pumped storage project secures ODA financing to bolster power supply stability and industrial development.
A Loan Agreement was executed between the Government of India and JICA under Japanese Official Development Assistance to finance construction of the Turga Pumped Storage (I) project, providing concessional bilateral funding to strengthen the ability to manage power supply-demand fluctuations and improve stability of power supply in West Bengal, thereby supporting industrial development and living standard improvements through an ODA financing mechanism.

Advance Pricing Agreement expansion secures greater transfer pricing certainty as CBDT signs additional unilateral and bilateral APAs.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has executed additional Unilateral and Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements covering diverse sectors and international transactions-including software services, back-office support, trade in inputs, royalty and marketing payments, distribution, corporate and business support services, and guarantee fees-aimed at fostering a non-adversarial tax regime and enhancing transfer pricing certainty through timely APA conclusions.