Asset quality deterioration: strengthened early recognition and resolution measures to restore bank balance sheet resilience and credit discipline.
Asset quality deterioration in India's banking system intensified from 2012 due to macroeconomic shocks, corporate imprudence and deliberate misdemeanors, and banks' own governance and risk-management failings. Regulatory responses included a central indebtedness database, guidelines for early recognition and resolution, JLFs, CAPs, refinancing and restructuring schemes, and a focused Asset Quality Review, supported by government capital for weaker banks. Remedial measures emphasise stronger credit appraisal, post-disbursement supervision, portfolio diversification, debt reduction or conversion, new promoters or interim management and coordinated investment funding to rehabilitate viable enterprises.

Green finance integration: aligning the financial system with sustainable development through policy, reporting and green instruments.
The document calls for aligning the financial system with sustainable development by deploying regulatory guidance, market instruments and disclosure frameworks: RBI sensitisation of banks and inclusion of small renewable projects within Priority Sector Lending; liberalised External Commercial Borrowing for green projects; SEBI's green bond issuance and listing framework; and mandatory Annual Business Responsibility Reporting. It highlights fiscal supports such as a clean energy cess and government schemes, and proposes standardised green definitions, metrics, products and enhanced environmental risk assessment to mainstream green finance.

Export subsidies eliminated for cotton, creating a level playing field and reducing subsidized dumping into domestic markets.
Export subsidies on cotton are permitted only where a Member used them during the specified base period; India lacked such base-period export subsidies and thus is limited to marketing cost subsidies for transport, handling and processing, so long as they do not circumvent reduction commitments. A ministerial decision eliminated export subsidies for cotton, constraining use by Members, which is expected to improve competitive parity for Indian growers and reduce subsidized dumping, alongside domestic procurement at Minimum Support Prices.

Cross-border trade facilitation expanded through border haats, upgraded customs stations and targeted export support schemes.
Cross-border trade facilitation with SAARC neighbours is pursued through proactive government engagement in bilateral and multilateral discussions to address trade impediments and improve trade infrastructure. The Government has established Border Haats at the India-Bangladesh border and coordinated upgradation of Land Custom Stations, while providing export promotion support under the Market Access Initiative and Market Development Assistance schemes to exporters and trade bodies for participation in foreign events.

Land procurement for SEZs hinges on State land policy, with central approval contingent on State recommendation.
The statement explains that land for SEZs is procured under State Government policy because land is a State subject, and the central Board of Approval considers only those SEZ proposals duly recommended by the State Government; it also lists administrative measures-policy reviews, Development Commissioner review meetings, time bound service delivery, digitisation, online processing and promotional road shows-adopted to operationalise SEZs and facilitate implementation.

FDI liberalisation expands automatic route and sectoral caps enabling broader foreign investment and simplified approval mechanisms.
The Government reports increased FDI inflows attributed to reform measures and investment promotion; annexures provide country wise and regional distributions of equity inflows. Operational policy changes expand automatic route allowances including 100% FDI in specified activities, introduce fungibility of foreign investments under composite caps, treat certain non repatriation NRI/PIO/OCI investments as domestic, and liberalise lock in period and exit rules for construction and infrastructure projects, while raising approval thresholds to expedite investment clearances.

Exchange rate determination under Customs Act establishes notified import and export currency conversion rates for trade valuation.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, exercising statutory authority under the Customs Act, notifies distinct import and export conversion rates for specified foreign currencies and supersedes the prior notification; the annexed Schedules set the operative per-unit currency-to-rupee rates to be applied for customs valuation and related purposes from the stated effective date, without affecting prior completed actions.

Digital outreach channel launched: Twitter Seva routes public queries to Commerce and Industry departments via #mociseva.
A dedicated social media service channel, Twitter Seva, has been established for public queries to the Department of Commerce and the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. Use of the hashtag #mociseva will route requests to a staffed Twitter cell which will monitor tweets, triage them, and direct them to concerned officers. Officers have been designated to respond within a short timeframe and the facility covers all services provided by the two departments.

Preferential Trade Agreement expansion broadens tariff concessions and market access between India and Chile.
Expansion of the Preferential Trade Agreement between India and Chile extends reciprocal tariff concessions, with Chile offering broad Margin of Preference concessions and India reciprocating, increasing preferential coverage of India's export basket to deepen market access and stimulate export growth under the existing PTA framework.

Debt Management Strategy to deepen market liquidity and infrastructure while enabling calibrated investor widening and product reform.
The Reserve Bank's medium-term debt strategy emphasizes borrowing at low cost, risk mitigation and market development through transparent issuance, benchmark creation, maturity elongation, liability management and calibrated widening of the investor base; simultaneously, upgrades to market infrastructure-NDS-OM enhancements, demat access, depository-SGL integration and authorization of multiple electronic dealing platforms-are proposed to deepen secondary market liquidity and ensure safe, DvP-settled trading with CCP clearing.

Trade decline: merchandise and services shortfalls reduce overall trade balance, driven by lower exports and imports.
Merchandise exports and non petroleum exports declined in March 2016 and cumulatively for April-March 2015-16, while imports (including oil and non oil categories) fell for the month and year to date, leading to a reduced merchandise trade deficit. Services receipts exceeded payments in February 2016 producing a positive monthly services balance, though cumulative net export of services for April-February 2015-16 was lower than the prior year. The combined merchandise and services trade deficit for April-March 2015-16 is estimated to have fallen year on year.

Assignment of spectrum: tax timing tied to payment due or receipt under deferred plans and credit spread rules apply.
Amendments clarify that service tax on assignment of spectrum is triggered when payments (full or under deferred payment) become due or are made, whichever is earlier; one time auction charges for assignment are exempted for past assignments, and input tax credit of service tax paid on such one time charges may be taken evenly over three years, while credit for spectrum user charges, licence fees and transfer fees is available in the year of payment.

Audit objection procedure streamlined: agreement prompts expedited demand resolution, disagreement avoids demand notices, promoting non-adversarial tax administration.
Circular consolidates and simplifies the procedure for dealing with CAG audit objections in indirect taxes: where revenue and audit agree a demand notice is to be issued and decided expeditiously, whereas where revenue disagrees no demand notice will be issued; adjudicating authorities are to decide independently and coordination meetings between revenue and audit officers are prescribed to expedite resolution and make administration more assessee friendly.

Exchange rate determination for foreign currencies set for import and export effective 08 April 2016 under Customs Act powers.
Exchange rate determination prescribes rupee equivalence for listed foreign currencies, with distinct rates for imported and export goods, effective 08 April 2016. Schedule I gives rates per one unit; Schedule II gives rates per 100 units. The notification supersedes the earlier CBEC notification except for past actions, thereby providing the conversion table to be used for customs purposes.

Export support measures sought to expand incentives and diplomatic market assistance to strengthen exporters' competitiveness nationwide.
Participants reported stable export volumes and sought expanded support despite recent initiatives such as the Interest Equalisation Scheme and Merchandise Exports Incentive Scheme. EPCs requested targeted measures including interest subvention for gem and jewellery, increased MEIS incentives, inclusion of merchant exporters under IES, Brand India promotion, more project export incentives, and activation of Indian missions to support exporters. The Minister urged continuous EPC engagement, noted DGFT actions, and committed to pursue inter departmental issues while warning of funding and policy limits.

Monetary policy easing: policy rate reduction with narrowed corridor to strengthen liquidity alignment and bank lending transmission.
Monetary policy was eased by reducing the policy repo rate and narrowing the policy rate corridor through adjustments to standing facility rates, while operational measures include lowering the minimum daily CRR maintenance, smoothing durable liquidity via asset operations, moving toward neutral average liquidity, allowing substitution in market repos, and a modest reduction in statutory liquidity to create lending space; the stance remains accommodative and transmission will be supported by liquidity framework refinements and the MCLR regime.

Services sector growth: national exhibition to promote exports, FDI attraction and international B2B linkages and policy engagement.
The release announces GES 2016 as a government partnered trade exhibition to promote India's services exports, attract foreign direct investment and facilitate international B2B and government business engagement. It lists sectoral focus areas, program components (B2B meetings, exhibitions, knowledge sessions), and expected participation by international delegations, buyers, exhibitors, states and PSUs, framing the event as a platform for export promotion, investment facilitation and strengthening of services sector competitiveness.