Technical textiles R&D approvals advance indigenous development, funding projects and curriculum expansion to bolster domestic capacity.
Ministry of Textiles approved 18 R&D projects under the National Technical Textiles Mission, combining high-value R&D, prototype and ideation grants across Geotech, Protech, Indutech, Sportech, Sustainable Textiles, Smart & E-Textiles, and Meditech, led by public research institutes to promote indigenous development and reduce import dependence. The Ministry also approved education, training and skill-development proposals to introduce academic papers, procure laboratory infrastructure and train trainers to support workforce capacity.

Duty remission scheme extension under RoDTEP preserves tax and duty reimbursements for exporters and continues committee review.
Extension of the RoDTEP Scheme preserves continued remission of taxes, duties and levies on exported products at existing rates, maintains the Scheme's budgetary framework and IT based implementation, and retains coverage of specified HS lines while reconstituting the RoDTEP Committee to review and recommend ceiling rates and consult export stakeholders.

Artisan welfare scheme expands market access and links traditional crafts to national convention infrastructure and events.
Phase 1 of Yashobhoomi has been dedicated as an integrated convention and exhibition centre positioned to host international conferences and exhibitions with multimodal connectivity and supporting infrastructure. In parallel, the government launched the PM Vishwakarma Yojna, a scheme for traditional artisans featuring a portal and outreach to expand market access, link artisans to exhibition platforms, and promote MSME participation, as part of broader measures to advance skill development, employment generation and inclusive economic growth.

Trade balance improvement narrows the deficit as imports fall and services exports support external receipts.
Overall exports (goods and services) in August 2023 and for April-August 2023 are estimated to have declined year on year while imports contracted more sharply, resulting in a substantial improvement in the overall trade deficit and a reduced merchandise trade deficit. Services exports contributed positively over April-August, and sectoral movements show notable export gains in electronic goods, engineering goods and selected agricultural products alongside steep declines in several import categories including silver, raw cotton, fertilizers and petroleum products.

Narcotics destruction: seized controlled substances incinerated at a CPCB authorized facility under hazardous waste rules with committee oversight.
Destruction of seized narcotics was carried out by the Delhi Customs Preventive Zone at a Central Pollution Control Board-authorized waste management facility by incineration, monitored by a High Level Drug Disposal Committee and executed in accordance with Hazardous & Other Wastes (M&TM) Rules, 2016, after transfer of contraband seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for final disposal under the prescribed hazardous-waste handling regime.

Trade policy: secure fair FTAs while boosting engineering exports through specialization, studies, and global expansion.
The Minister urges the engineering sector to expand exports in services, design, construction and R&D by 2030, recommends specialization and certification supported by National Education Policy 2020 flexibility, and calls for studies into international restrictions on Indian firms with potential reciprocal responses. He stresses negotiating fair and balanced Free Trade Agreements via stakeholder consultations to ensure benefits for businesses, professionals, and MSMEs and to better leverage FTAs for global market access.

National Logistics Policy centralizes digitization, standards and institutional mechanisms to cut logistics costs and boost performance.
The National Logistics Policy establishes a coordinated regulatory and institutional framework to reduce logistics costs and improve logistics performance through process reforms, digitization, capacity building and standardization. The Policy's Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan targets integrated digital systems, asset and service standardization, State engagement, EXIM logistics and sectoral plans, and creates governance mechanisms-such as a Services Improvement Group, dedicated logistics units and a digital issues portal-to enable inter-Ministerial coordination, industry integration via a Unified Logistics Interface Platform and data-driven interventions including a Logistics Data Bank and logistics cost estimation workstream.

Opium poppy licensing policy expands coverage and retains eligible cultivators under MQY M and CPS methods.
Annual policy increases eligible opium poppy cultivators and retains licences for those meeting the morphine yield threshold, while directing lower-yielding gum tenderers to the CPS-based method with five-year licences; prior-year CPS farmers who tendered and are not debarred remain eligible under relaxed conditions to broaden participation.

Most Favoured Nation duty remains applicable, while additional retaliatory duties on US apples, walnuts and almonds removed.
India has withdrawn additional retaliatory duties on US-origin apples, walnuts and almonds while retaining the Most Favoured Nation duty applicable to all imports; a Minimum Import Price for apples (with a specified exception) remains in force to prevent dumping and protect market quality, so the measure restores parity of market access without reducing base MFN tariff obligations.

Free trade agreement negotiations between UK and India progressed in a hybrid twelfth round; ministers agreed to advance talks.
Free trade agreement negotiations between the United Kingdom and the Republic of India progressed in a hybrid twelfth round from 8-31 August 2023, combining in-person and virtual participation. Ministers used the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial meeting on 24-25 August to take stock of the talks and agreed ways to progress negotiations, with a further (thirteenth) round scheduled for September.