Financial market stability: regulatory toolkit and targeted reforms to deepen markets and manage external shocks.
The address presents a regulatory strategy balancing financial stability and market development through legislative reform, market infrastructure enhancements and progressive liberalisation to deepen onshore markets and broaden participation. It summarises tailored policy responses to global shocks-combining conventional tools, targeted liquidity operations, asset purchases and capital flow measures-while preserving collateral standards, routing interventions through banks and time bounding measures. It also sets reform priorities: easing non resident access to debt, expanding retail and derivative market participation, improving price discovery and addressing concentrated liquidity and retail access gaps to strengthen resilience amid greater capital account openness.

Presidential Award of Appreciation recognizes CBIC personnel for specially distinguished record of service and exemplary performance.
The release announces selection of 29 Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs officers and staff for the Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificates and Medals in the category of Specially Distinguished Record of Service, chosen for sustained exemplary and flawless performance; the recognised personnel span senior management and field grades and are listed by name, designation and present posting.

MSME integration into supply chains urged, with ease of doing business and quality harmonisation to boost global trade participation.
Large companies should actively support MSMEs by handholding them into supply chains, sharing best practices, simplifying compliance and using technology to reduce paperwork. The Government focuses on creating an enabling ecosystem for ease of doing business, including faster logistics, harmonised quality standards, and infrastructure improvements, to make India a trusted partner in global value chains. Trade agreements and a district-as-export-hub initiative are being used to connect district-specific exports to global markets and amplify MSME benefits.

Export obligation extension: EPCG relaxations permit fee-free obligation extensions for affected sectors, with supplemental obligation for others.
One-time procedural relaxations to the EPCG Scheme exempt Hotel, Healthcare and Educational sectors from maintaining the average export obligation for the pandemic period and permit extension of the export obligation period without composition fees. For other sectors, extensions are permitted without composition fees but with a 5% additional export obligation on the balance obligation as of the prescribed cut-off. These measures adjust compliance timing and impose a supplemental obligation for non-priority sectors while preserving the scheme's duty-free import purpose.

Composition Fee simplification eases export obligation extensions by enabling automated CIF band based calculation and faster service delivery.
DGFT revises Para 4.42 to replace a complex formula with a band based Composition Fee tied to CIF value for Export Obligation extensions under the Advance Authorization Scheme, enabling automated processing, reducing manual calculations and errors, and accelerating service delivery as part of trade facilitation and ease of doing business initiatives.

Trade performance shows December contraction but stronger year to date export growth with rising imports widening the trade deficit.
Combined trade data for December 2022 show a year on year contraction in overall exports and a modest decline in imports, widening the monthly trade deficit; however, April-December 2022 cumulative figures record robust growth in combined exports and larger import growth, producing a materially higher year to date trade deficit. Services contributed a substantial year to date surplus, while non petroleum, non gems & jewellery imports rose sharply, and provisional estimates and pro rata revisions apply to certain series.

TRIPS waiver extension urged to include COVID 19 diagnostics and therapeutics, with calls for South South PTAs and connectivity.
Calls for enhanced cooperation among Global South countries to build resilient supply chains, de politicise access to essential medicines and seek extension of the TRIPS waiver to COVID 19 diagnostics and therapeutics; reiterates India's Duty Free Tariff Preference for least developed countries and openness to negotiate Preferential Trade Agreements to deepen South South trade.

Startup recognition expanded with national awards and mentorship platform launch, including special regional and sectoral categories.
National Startup Awards 2022 recognize startups and enablers for measurable social and commercial impact, awarding cash prizes to selected startups and to one incubator and one accelerator, and introducing a special category for Hilly and North East region startups alongside other special categories. The initiative covers 17 sectors with 50 sub sectors and seven special categories, and winners and finalists gain mentorship, funding linkages, partnerships, and market access support. The MAARG platform will be launched to enable mentorship matchmaking between startups and mentors across sectors, stages, and functions.

Customs Brokers Licensing Examination announced: bilingual computer based MCQ format with specified scoring and written-orals progression.
The written Customs Brokers Licensing Examination will be a bilingual Computer Based Test of 150 multiple choice questions with answers in English or Hindi; scoring assigns +3 for correct and -1 for incorrect responses, producing a defined maximum and a qualifying marks threshold for progression. Those meeting the written qualifying marks must appear for an oral examination conducted under Regulation 6 of the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018, where the oral pass criterion is sixty percent.

Resilient trade: new bilateral working group to strengthen supply chain resilience, trade facilitation and sustainable trade cooperation.
Ministers directed sustained work under reactivated working groups to resolve outstanding trade issues, pursue intensified engagement on bilateral WTO disputes, and endorsed regulatory cooperation including resumption of product inspections, TED finalization and trials to restore shrimp market access, and consideration of eligibility for the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences under statutory criteria; they also launched a Resilient Trade working group to address trade facilitation, supply chain resilience, sustainable finance, clean technologies and circular economy approaches.

Resilient Trade Working Group launched to deepen trade facilitation, supply chain resilience, labor and regulatory cooperation.
The Ministers directed TPF working groups to continue resolving bilateral trade and regulatory issues, pursue WTO engagement and reform, and further multilateral coordination. They launched a new TPF Working Group on Resilient Trade to focus on trade facilitation, customs digitization, labor and workforce development, good regulatory practices, environmental sustainability, and strengthening critical supply chains, with quarterly reconvening of working groups and an inter-sessional meeting by mid-2023.

Spice trade promotion through a global congress to boost exports and align standards among major international partners.
Announcement of the 14th World Spice Congress in Mumbai (16-18 February 2023) organised by the Spices Board to promote international spice trade by convening policymakers, regulatory authorities, trade associations, exporters and technical experts. The Congress will feature business sessions on export promotion, food safety and quality requirements, market outlooks and crop forecasts; state and commodity pavilions; awards for export excellence; tech talks; and cultural and product showcases. Participation is limited to registered delegates with online registration.

Use of FTAs to boost leather and footwear exports, coupled with duty relief and industry support measures.
The Minister urged the leather and footwear industry to leverage FTAs to expand exports and enter new markets, encouraged innovation, sustainability, packaging and branding, and proposed niche awards for entrepreneurs. He noted concerns about import duties and promoted the MOOWR duty exemption for inputs imported for export production, offered to consider amending burdensome standards, and pledged support for testing facilities, ease-of-doing-business reforms, and a new scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of industry machinery.