Income tax relief expected to boost consumption while maintaining fiscal consolidation and focusing on capital expenditure and competitiveness.
Expectation of a revision in income tax rates to relieve lower and middle income taxpayers while maintaining fiscal consolidation; targeted tax rationalisation and limited fiscal transfers are to boost consumption. Supply side measures include tariff rationalisation, customs duty adjustments, expansion of production linked incentives, and export compliance simplification to enhance competitiveness. Increased capital expenditure on infrastructure and manufacturing, together with spending on skilling, job creation, and agricultural value chain investments, is intended to stimulate demand and employment while limiting inflationary pressures.

Tariffs on Canada and Mexico risk inflating consumer prices and triggering targeted retaliatory trade measures.
Proposed steep tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are intended to pressure those countries on immigration and drug interdiction and to gain negotiating leverage for USMCA renewal; such levies would raise consumer and input costs, disrupt supply chains, and risk targeted retaliation from Canada and Mexico while industry considers expedited shipments, cost pass through, exemptions, or phased implementation.

Strategic trade roadmap urged to cut trade costs and boost export competitiveness amid rising global protectionism.
A new strategic trade roadmap is urged to counter rising global protectionism by reducing trade-related costs, enhancing export facilitation, and integrating further into global supply chains. The Survey prioritises negotiating free trade agreements with major partners, leveraging services and IT strengths, addressing non-tariff barriers and trade disruptions, and advancing domestic reforms-including skill development, procedural simplification, and technological adoption-to sustain export competitiveness and attract investment.

Track and Trace requirement withdrawal aligns export serialization with national drug regulation, reducing duplication and easing exports.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has withdrawn Track and Trace System provisions from the Foreign Trade Policy, rescinding Para 2.76 of the Handbook of Procedures 2023 and removing mandatory domestic primary-level barcoding and parent-child data upload obligations for pharmaceutical exports. The decision responds to operational challenges with primary-level serialization, the existence of national barcode/QR code requirements under the drug regulatory framework, and serialization requirements in export destinations, aiming to harmonize regulation and reduce duplication while maintaining export traceability.

Deregulation needed to unlock investment and boost growth amid a forecasted economic slowdown and external risks.
The Economic Survey forecasts mid-single digit growth for the coming fiscal and calls for raising the investment rate and reinvigorating domestic growth engines. It urges targeted regulatory reform-especially of land, labour and building laws-and state-level reductions in compliance costs, liberalisation of standards, and cuts to tariffs and fees, presenting deregulation as complementary to infrastructure and innovation policy to stimulate SME development and private investment.

Export incentives sought to revive rice shipments; industry urges higher RoDTEP and renewed interest equalization support.
Industry urges immediate budget measures to counter surplus-driven price declines by boosting export incentives-notably higher Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products rates and reintroduction of the interest equalization scheme-and by financing rural agri-infrastructure, including enhanced irrigation funding, expanded cold storage, and investments in agri-tech, climate-smart crops, farmer digital literacy, and skill development to reduce losses and improve export competitiveness.

Anti-dumping duty sought on realme earwears as boAt urges investigation into alleged unfair import pricing.
boAt has requested imposition of an anti-dumping duty on realme TWS earwears and presented its case to the Ministry of Electronics and IT; the government is evaluating the proposal. The request relies on market-share and growth data for the Indian TWS earwear segment to support claims of injurious pricing or unfair import competition, but no administrative determination has been reported.

Affordable healthcare expansion advances via insurance extension and digital vaccination tracking, boosting public health access.
The government is expanding affordable healthcare through Ayushman Bharat insurance for older citizens, establishing Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to strengthen access, and exempting certain cancer drugs from customs duty to lower treatment costs. Public health measures include mass cervical cancer screening and TB eradication efforts. Digital and capacity measures-most notably the U-WIN portal for vaccination tracking, wider telemedicine use, increased medical education seats, and development of bulk drug and medical device parks-support delivery, workforce expansion, and domestic supply of medical inputs.

Tariff threat: punitive duties warned against nations attempting to replace the US dollar in international trade, urging abandonment of de dollarisation.
A presidential warning conditions continued access to the US market on a commitment by BRICS countries not to create or back an alternative BRICS currency, threatening punitive tariffs and exclusion from US trade should they pursue de dollarisation, and reiterating prior opposition to efforts by some member states to move away from the dollar.

Import tariffs on trading partners could extend to oil, tied to immigration enforcement and fentanyl control measures.
The executive announced imminent imposition of import tariffs on Canada and Mexico and is deciding whether to include oil, tying the measure to deterrence of illegal immigration and to preventing smuggling of chemicals used to make fentanyl; a similar tariff approach toward Chinese fentanyl precursor exports was mentioned, framed as an exercise of executive discretion and justified by claims of domestic sufficiency.

Monetary policy easing-interest rate cut to support growth amid stagnation, easing inflation, and political and trade uncertainty.
The European Central Bank reduced its key policy interest rate by a quarter point to support growth amid zero eurozone GDP expansion and moderating inflation, aiming to make borrowing cheaper while acknowledging the inflationary risk of easing. The measure responds to weakness concentrated in Germany, reduced consumer spending after elevated inflation, political uncertainty in major member states, and external trade risks that together constrain the near-term outlook and complicate policy trade-offs.

Free Trade Agreement talks with India aim to secure UK services market access and relaunch negotiations soon.
Ministers in the UK Department for Business and Trade are preparing to relaunch negotiations with India to secure a Free Trade Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty to expand bilateral commerce and improve UK access to India's services market; preparatory work and an official visit to Delhi are planned, and ministers stated that resolution of a constituent's detention in India is being pursued alongside trade engagement.

Customs clearance delays disrupt port operations and threaten export competitiveness as ships bypass the port.
Customs clearance delays at Colombo port from extensive physical inspections have caused port congestion with hundreds of import containers held inside and more queued outside, producing prolonged processing times. The resulting supply chain disruption affects manufacturing inputs and exporters, who miss sailings, incur higher processing costs, and face lost buyer confidence, while shipping lines divert cargo to neighbouring ports, risking permanent loss of container volumes and undermining export competitiveness.

Economic stagnation risks from Germany's slowdown and political uncertainty dampen eurozone growth and confidence.
Eurozone GDP was flat in Q4 2024, driven chiefly by Germany's quarter and annual contraction. The stagnation reflects energy supply losses, bureaucratic and political obstacles, reduced demand for manufactured goods (notably linked to lower electric vehicle uptake), and cautious consumer spending despite lower inflation. Political paralysis in Germany and France and the risk of new external trade barriers have undermined business confidence, contributing to a downgraded near term growth outlook and persistent downside risks to recovery.

Free Trade Agreement talks restart to pursue a comprehensive FTA and Bilateral Investment Treaty alongside growth and infrastructure plans.
Negotiations have resumed to pursue a Free Trade Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty between the United Kingdom and India to deepen bilateral commercial relations and investment protections; this trade diplomacy is being advanced alongside domestic infrastructure measures, including targeted regional innovation investments and government support for a major hub airport expansion, which may face environmental opposition and associated regulatory challenges.

Divestment pledge to eliminate private business ties aims to address conflicts before directing aggressive tariff-based trade policy.
Nominee for Commerce Secretary pledges complete divestment of private business holdings within a short timeframe to remove potential conflicts before overseeing federal trade and economic functions. He reported extensive financial ties across hundreds of businesses and vowed to sell all assets. On trade policy, he endorses country-by-country across-the-board tariffs as a means to force reciprocity from trading partners and intends to coordinate with the trade representative to implement the administration's tariff agenda.

Critical minerals mission to boost domestic exploration, processing and recycling while reducing import dependence and enabling overseas acquisitions.
The National Critical Mineral Mission creates a coordinated framework to secure supplies by promoting onshore and offshore exploration, offering financial incentives, enabling recovery from overburden and tailings, supporting domestic beneficiation and processing through mineral processing parks, and building strategic stockpiles; it also establishes a fast-track regulatory approval process and encourages overseas acquisition of mineral assets alongside research support via a Centre of Excellence.

Ethanol procurement price revised to support supply and meet higher blending targets under EBP programme.
Revision of administered ex-mill ethanol procurement price for Public Sector OMCs under the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme is approved for ESY 2024-25 (1 November 2024-31 October 2025), increasing the CHM-derived ex-mill price by three percent; GST and transportation charges are separately payable. The adjustment aims to provide price stability, ensure remunerative returns to ethanol suppliers and sugarcane farmers, and secure sufficient ethanol availability to meet elevated blending targets.

U.S.-China trade posture softening, signaling lower targeted tariffs and pragmatic engagement amid sustained strategic rivalry.
President Trump has moderated campaign-era tariff threats toward China, signalling preference for lower, targeted measures tied to specific concerns while leaving broader tariff decisions open. The administration projects mixed posture: presidential pragmatism and direct engagement with China coexist with hawkish cabinet and congressional voices advocating alliance-based deterrence and economic-security tools. China has reciprocated with cautious openness to negotiation on select commercial issues but retains robust legal and regulatory options-tariffs, export controls, sanctions and market restrictions-to respond swiftly if bilateral relations deteriorate.

Financial results: consolidated revenue growth and export-led volume increases reported, and capacity optimization noted.
Rushil Decor's Q3 FY25 results show marginally lower quarterly revenue but year-to-date revenue growth, modest YoY increases in PBT and PAT, and slight declines in gross profit and EBITDA for the quarter. Export volumes for MDF and laminates increased, price realizations improved for exports, MDF remains the largest revenue contributor, and capacity utilization and division EBITDA margins are disclosed. The company cites a jumbo laminates expansion project, distributor additions, and a forward-looking statements disclaimer.