Community innovation program links grassroots innovators to technical ecosystems, targeting underserved regions and mobilizing local institutions.
The Atal Community Innovation Centre program creates localized innovation hubs to connect community knowledge with technical and market ecosystems, promoting translation of grassroots ideas into commercial products across underserved regions, and linking ACICs with Panchayati Raj institutions while mobilizing CSR and public resources to build inclusive district level innovation infrastructure.

Exchange rate surveillance should remain multilateral to prevent bilateral currency labelling and preserve IMF oversight.
The address emphasizes the Fund's treaty-based mandate for exchange rate surveillance through Article IV consultations, publication of assessments of misalignment and Multiple Currency Practices, and use of technical models. It contrasts this multilateral framework with unilateral bilateral labelling of "currency manipulation," arguing that strengthening the Fund's quota-based legitimacy and integrated surveillance is the proper legal-policy response to ensure even handed oversight and effective management of global spillovers.

National e Commerce policy under formulation; draft published for public comment following broad stakeholder consultations and industry engagement.
Formulation of a National Retail Trade Policy and a draft National e Commerce Policy is proceeding through extensive stakeholder consultations led by DPIIT and the Department of Commerce; a Think Tank and Task Force with government and industry experts examined digital economy challenges, and a draft e commerce policy has been placed in the public domain with comments received from companies, industry associations, think tanks and other stakeholders to inform further consultations.

E commerce policy draft opens regulatory framework for marketplaces, data, infrastructure and domestic digital economy to public consultation.
A draft national policy on e commerce sets a framework for six core areas-e commerce marketplaces, regulatory issues, infrastructure development, data, domestic digital economy stimulation and export promotion-based on Think Tank and Task Force deliberations, technical sub group reports and stakeholder submissions; responsibility for "Matters related to E Commerce" was reallocated to the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade and the draft was placed in the public domain for consultation.

Import Restriction on Poppy Seeds: imports limited to licit producer countries with mandatory certification and contract registration.
Import of poppy seeds is limited to designated licit producer countries and requires a certificate from the exporting country's competent authority confirming legal cultivation. Importers must register contracts with the Central Bureau of Narcotics prior to import under Department of Revenue guidelines, which may impose country caps and quantitative restrictions. Domestic licit cultivation licences for opium poppy are issued annually under notified General Conditions of Licensing. Accompanying annexes provide recent import and export trade data, with recent figures noted as provisional.

Subsumption of CVD and SAD under GST reduced customs duty receipts and shifted import revenue to IGST and cess.
The subsumption of CVD and SAD into GST from 1 July 2017 shifted import-related revenue composition: customs duty receipts, which rose from 2009-10 to 2016-17, declined after subsumption, while IGST plus Compensation Cess net receipts from imports increased substantially, indicating a reallocation of import tax revenue streams rather than growth in total import taxation.

Bank fraud prevention measures strengthen detection, due diligence and enforcement for large NPAs, with legal and institutional reforms.
The Government has established a framework requiring banks to examine large-value NPAs for possible fraud, report findings to NPA review committees, initiate wilful-default examination upon reporting to the central bank, and seek intelligence inputs. PSBs must enhance due diligence for large loans by obtaining certified passport copies of promoters/directors, consider publishing photographs of wilful defaulters per Board policy, rotate officials and request travel-restriction measures. Reforms include the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, a Central Fraud Registry, the National Financial Reporting Authority and technical connectivity between core banking and messaging systems; central bank data shows detected frauds by institution.

Domestic procurement preference for steel directs public buyers to prioritize domestically manufactured steel, strengthening supply-side protections.
The central government revised the Domestically Manufactured Iron and Steel Products Policy to require ministries, departments and their agencies to procure only domestically produced steel for covered contracts, lowered the procurement-value threshold for application, and included EPC contracts within its scope. Complementary measures include Steel and Steel Product Quality Control Orders applicable to domestic production and imports, imposition of trade remedies to protect domestic industry, and export-promotion schemes to boost steel exports.

Public procurement transparency to expand e-marketplace use; ministries and PSUs urged to simplify registration and onboard.
Action plan to expand Government eMarketplace focuses on simplifying registration and procurement procedures, improving product quality and transparency, onboarding more central ministries, state governments, PSUs and banks, and requiring Joint Secretary-level coordinators to identify additional products and services for procurement through GeM.

Customs exchange rate determination sets new prescribed currency conversion rates for import and export valuation from July 2019.
The Board, exercising the power under Section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, prescribes specific rupee equivalents for listed foreign currencies to be used for customs valuation, with separate conversion rates for imported and exported goods set out in Schedule I (per unit) and Schedule II (per 100 units). The notification takes effect from 19th July, 2019 and supersedes the prior notification of 4th July, 2019 except as to past actions.

Trade Partnership advances India UK cooperation to address non tariff barriers and expand services and digital trade.
India and the UK committed to deepening a bilateral Trade Partnership to expand market access, address non tariff barriers, and develop building blocks for more ambitious trade arrangements. The Joint Working Group on Trade will continue sector work streams in food and drink, ICT, and life sciences and expand to chemicals and services, emphasising regulatory cooperation and business engagement. Both parties reaffirmed support for the rules based multilateral trading system and pledged continued WTO cooperation, while advancing MoUs and mechanisms to facilitate investment, digital trade, IP protection, and SME participation.

Export promotion of perishable goods enabled a refrigerated sea route to Europe, reducing transport costs and expanding hinterland exports.
A government supported pilot established a refrigerated multimodal supply chain for exporting North Indian mangoes to Europe, coordinated by APEDA and state mandi authorities after a Reverse Buyer Seller Meet. The trial used refrigerated road transport to port and sea carriage to extend shelf life and reduce per kilogram transport costs versus airfreight, showcasing logistical and post harvest techniques to overcome cold chain constraints and expand export access for hinterland producers.

Special Economic Zones approvals for agro and food processing confirm notified statuses and operational roll-out across states.
Seven Special Economic Zones for the Agro and Food Processing sector have been approved; six are notified and three are operational. State-wise revenue for SEZ-based Food and Agro Industry units is reported for three years, and units are stated to comply with applicable safety standards. An annexure lists each SEZ with developer, location, sector type and status.

Retaliatory tariffs deployed after national security based import duties triggered targeted additional duties on specified US imports.
Imposition of additional import duties under national-security tariff authority prompted India to deploy retaliatory tariffs on twenty-eight specified product lines from the United States via a customs notification effective mid June 2019, implemented after bilateral trade dialogue failed to secure withdrawal of the earlier duties and intended to increase duty incidence on those imports.

Procedural ban on marine exports: European Union has not imposed export restrictions on Indian marine products, government confirms.
No procedural ban on export of marine products from India has been imposed by the European Union; government written reply confirms the EU has not placed procedural restrictions, while data show the EU as the third largest destination for Indian marine products by export value.

Export incentive schemes extend MEIS and interest equalization to perfume exports, while export infrastructure aid lacks proposals.
The Government made perfume exports eligible for incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and included the sector in the Interest Equalization Scheme for rupee export credit, aiming to lower export costs and support labour intensive/MSME exporters. Separately, the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme was launched to finance export infrastructure, but no proposals have been received under TIES for perfume manufacture and export at Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh.

Import duty on natural rubber stays at bound WTO level, with port and licensing restrictions limiting imports.
The Government set applied import duties for dry forms of natural rubber at the WTO-bound level, constrained further increases, imposed port-entry restrictions for natural rubber imports, and shortened the advance licensing utilization period; natural rubber lacks an official Minimum Support Price and no Rubber Stabilisation Fund scheme exists, while subsidy applications exceeded available funds and will be considered when funds are released.

Special Economic Zone establishment requires state consent before approval, and SEZ domestic removals attract import-equivalent customs duties.
SEZs may be established by the Central Government, State Governments or persons for manufacture, services or as Free Trade and Warehousing Zones, but proposals are considered by the Board of Approval only after written consent of the concerned State Government. Goods removed from SEZs to the Domestic Tariff Area are chargeable to customs duties equivalent to those on importation, including anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties where applicable; the document also provides year-wise duty receipts and a States/UTs breakdown of approved, notified and operational SEZs.

National e Commerce policy consultation advances as draft released and stakeholder comments inform regulatory framework for retail sector.
National Retail Trade Policy formulation proceeded through comprehensive stakeholder consultations with trade associations and industry, including high-level video conferences and meetings to address small trader and retailer concerns. National e Commerce policy work was led by a Departmental Think Tank and Task Force with technical sub-groups; a draft was published for public comment and meetings with e commerce companies and retail associations were held to gather stakeholder feedback for the regulatory framework.

Tea Development and Promotion Scheme clarifies assistance focus and confirms no loan provision while region-wise export data maintained.
Tea Development and Promotion Scheme provides financial assistance for production, productivity and welfare of tea garden workers but contains no provision for extending loans to tea industry or tea growers. Due to pre-export blending obscuring State-origin, the Tea Board does not maintain State-wise export shares and instead publishes region-wise export statistics based on ports, with 2018-19 region-wise quantity, value and unit price reported.