Duty credit scrip entitlement for service exporters enables import credit for capital goods while other export schemes provide complementary support.
The Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14 provides service exporters Duty Credit Scrip under the Served from India Scheme, usable for imports of capital goods and related equipment tied to the applicant's service sector business; exporters may also access EPCG benefits, Export and Trading House status, and Market Development Assistance, while a Services Export Promotion Council core group addresses consultancy and management services, with schemes relying predominantly on private sector participation.

Advance estimates of national income indicate sectoral growth shifts driving revised GDP and income trends.
Advance estimates for 2013-14 update GDP and national income at constant and current prices, attributing modest aggregate growth to services strength and agricultural recovery while manufacturing and mining remain weak; compilation relies on agriculture production forecasts, IIP, government accounts and sector indicators, uses sectoral implicit price deflators to derive current-price estimates, and provides expenditure-side figures for consumption, government spending and capital formation with accompanying shares and comparative statements.

Bilateral trade surge prompts credit and capacity offers to support infrastructure, skills and preferential trade negotiations.
India offered a Buyer's Credit facility of US$100 million to Namibia for infrastructure projects, alongside earlier Lines of Credit, and proposed capacity building measures including an ICT Training Institute, an Entrepreneurship Development Centre, an SME Skill Centre, and a dedicated trade negotiators' course. Bilateral trade surged in 2013 with India identifying its principal exports and imports and reaffirming support for priority cooperation sectors. Both parties urged early conclusion of the India-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement to facilitate a trilateral India-SACU-MERCOSUR arrangement.

Anti-dumping investigations ensure duties may be imposed after DGAD findings and Department of Revenue action to address injurious dumping.
Anti-dumping investigations commence on a substantiated domestic industry petition alleging dumping, injury and causal link; investigators issue preliminary and final findings in accordance with the Customs Tariff Act and its rules. Where findings support measures, the authority recommends imposition of provisional or definitive duties to the fiscal authority, which may then impose duties. Case work has focused on chemicals, pharmaceuticals, metals and related product groups and shows a mix of duties in force, terminated investigations and ongoing inquiries.

Export incentives for horticulture expand fruit exports through APEDA support for marketing, infrastructure, quality and transport schemes.
The Government addresses export constraints by providing financial assistance through APEDA and related schemes: Market Development for branding and market access; Infrastructure Development for post-harvest and perishable cargo facilities; Quality Development for testing and management systems accreditation; and Transport Assistance to mitigate freight disadvantages. Complementary incentives under focus market/product schemes support these measures, with plan allocations made to promote agricultural and fruit exports.

Lines of Credit and buyers' credit expand development finance cooperation, accelerating bilateral infrastructure, health and capacity projects.
India and Zimbabwe agreed to deepen cooperation in pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, health and SME sectors, with India offering concessional assistance under Lines of Credit and proposed Buyers' Credit support to accelerate implementation of India Africa Forum Summit projects, including a Food Testing Laboratory, Rural Technology Park and a Vocational Training/Incubation Centre. India will provide capacity building through an Executive Development Programme by IIFT and support Zimbabwe's ZIMASSET objectives in infrastructure, agriculture, mining and food production; PHARMEXCIL will explore generics production cooperation.

Index of Eight Core Industries shows year-on-year rise driven by higher electricity and steel output, with mixed sectoral results
The Index of Eight Core Industries rose year on year to 165.6 in December 2013 (a 2.1% increase), with a combined weight of 37.90% in the IIP. Electricity generation and steel contributed positively, while natural gas and coal declined; crude oil, refinery products, fertilizers and cement showed mixed modest gains. Data are provisional and revisions were made where revised historical monthly data were available.

Trade policy measures accelerate export growth and market diversification, expanding FTA-driven access to new territories.
Trade policy measures focus on reversing export decline by providing policy stability and targeted support to employment intensive sectors, alongside a market diversification strategy emphasising non traditional destinations. Special Economic Zones are identified as major export and employment platforms. Free Trade Agreements and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements are core instruments to expand market access and integrate India with new and emerging markets.

SEZ policy reform: extend export-scheme benefits and reclassify SEZ lending to reduce costs and restore investor confidence.
Policy and operational uncertainties affecting SEZs and EOUs include withdrawal of certain tax exemptions, uncertainty over sales tax treatment and non-refund of duties. Stakeholders recommended extending Chapter III Foreign Trade Policy incentives (Focus Product, Focus Market, VKGUY) to SEZ units, reclassifying lending to SEZ developers as infrastructure lending, directing states to address stamp duty, electricity duty, VAT and refund delays, ensuring parity of concessions vis-a -vis free trade agreements, and examining measures to make Offshore Banking Units in SEZs viable.

Foreign direct investment liberalisation expands sectoral access and imposes local sourcing and infrastructure conditions to integrate suppliers.
Foreign Direct Investment liberalisation expands sectoral access and distinguishes automatic and approval routes while raising FDI ceilings in several industries. Multi brand retail entry requires a minimum foreign investment and a mandated share of that investment in backend infrastructure within a set period. Single brand retail limits are raised with a mix of automatic and approval routes. The framework ties liberalisation to local integration obligations, including procurement preferences for small industries and measures to integrate domestic manufacturers into global retail supply chains, aiming to attract inflows while promoting technology transfer, employment, and supply chain improvements.

Monetary policy: repo rate raised 25 bps to 8%, CRR unchanged, inflation focused tightening and two monthly review cycle.
The central bank raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.0 per cent, left the CRR at 4.0 per cent, fixing reverse repo at 7.0 per cent and MSF/Bank Rate at 9.0 per cent. This tightening responds to elevated core and services inflation despite easing headline CPI from food price declines. The Bank undertook term repos and open market purchases to manage liquidity pressures, noted an improved external position with a lower CAD expectation, and committed to two monthly policy reviews with further action data dependent and aligned to the recommended disinflation glide path.

Policy repo rate increase to reinforce disinflationary path amid high CPI inflation and slowing growth.
The central bank increased the policy repo rate to reinforce a credible disinflationary strategy in response to persistently high CPI inflation and broad-based inflationary pressures, especially in services and wages, which threaten real incomes and the currency. The rate action aligns with a recommended glide path and baseline projections showing upside inflation risks; further tightening is not anticipated if disinflation follows the baseline, while faster disinflation would permit accommodation. The decision is framed alongside a weakening growth outlook and improving external balances, and accompanied by complementary reforms in market instruments and distressed-asset resolution.

Export duty on iron ore pellets imposed to conserve domestic iron supplies and curb sharp export growth.
Revision of production capacity based on packing machine speeds increases excise liability under the compounded levy scheme for pan masala and tobacco products packed in pouches; Central Excise notifications amend deemed production metrics and specify payable duty. Separately, an export duty on iron ore pellets has been imposed by Customs notification to address sharp export growth and protect domestic iron ore supply.

Maximum residue limit set for ethoxyquin in crustaceans restores trade certainty for shrimp exporters and export stability.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare established a Maximum Residue Limit of 0.2 ppm for ethoxyquin in crustaceans, including farmed shrimp, after committee approval and public notification; this replaced a previously applied lower default inspection threshold and followed an assessment by a food safety subcommittee that set an Accepted Daily Intake for ethoxyquin.

Formation of Special Purpose Vehicle to implement model solar smart micro grid, with funding and tariff framework for power sales.
Approval establishes a 100 percent subsidiary SPV of DMICDC to implement a Model Solar Power Project at Neemrana, capitalised by equity and debt released by the DMIC Trust to DMICDC with returns flowing back to the Trust. The SPV will develop an integrated solar PV and diesel generator smart micro grid, sell a portion of generation to a power trader at a tariff derived from competitive procurement, and supply identified industrial consumers under PPAs with tariffs fixed at signing.

Non-discriminatory market access agreed reciprocally to normalize trade and implement facilitation measures including border and procedural liberalization.
Commitment to establish normal trading relations with reciprocal Non-Discriminatory Market Access, implementing trade liberalization and facilitation measures at the land border such as seven-day operations at Wagah-Attari, enhanced operational hours, containerization of cargo, allowance of all tradeable items by land route, and liberalization of the business visa regime, supported by technical working groups (Customs, Railways, Banking, Standards, Energy) to devise modalities for implementation.

Merchanting trade guidelines: revised period extended and short term financing enabled with enhanced AD bank reporting requirements.
The revised guidelines define merchanting trade as resident purchase from non residents and resale to another non resident without goods entering domestic ports, note that such trade yields net foreign exchange inflows, extend the permissible merchanting trade period, enable short term financing for both export and import legs, and require Authorized Dealer banks to report outstanding merchanting trade half yearly for improved monitoring.

Exemption from stock holding limits for export consignments eases compliance and lowers exporters' transaction costs.
Stocks of edible oil, edible oilseeds and rice held for export are excluded from the stock holding limit under the Essential Commodities Act by the Removal of (Licensing requirements, Stock limits and Movement Restrictions) on Specified Foodstuffs Order, 2002 issued on 9 January 2014, a change intended to address exporters' compliance burdens and lower transaction costs.

Business-to-business cooperation strengthened by a tripartite MoU to boost information flow and urban transport collaboration.
Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between EEPC India, CII and Kotra creates a platform to improve business-to-business contact and the flow of market and technical information, institutionalising promotional activities such as trade fairs, exhibitions and seminars to enhance commercial linkages. The MoU highlights sharing technical knowhow in infrastructure development and identifies the Urban Transport sector for potential cooperation.

Energy security: India urges technological collaboration and investment to bridge domestic deficits and strengthen supply partnerships.
India's operative priorities are to secure reliable hydrocarbon supplies, exploit domestic resources, and act as both a major market and a technology and investment partner; fiscal discipline and measures to contain the current account deficit underpin growth, while stranded power and fertilizer capacity from gas shortages highlight urgent needs to bridge the energy deficit and foster international cooperation and technological collaboration in the hydrocarbon sector.