Import controls on toys: mandatory testing, higher duty and compulsory standards certification to protect safety and promote domestic makers.
No ban on toy imports exists; instead, the government enforces import controls through mandatory sample testing with return or destruction on failure, increased Basic Customs Duty, and a Quality Control Order imposing compulsory standards certification and licensing for toys, applicable to domestic and foreign manufacturers, while supporting domestic industry via innovation challenges, virtual fairs, and MSME and cluster finance and infrastructure schemes.

Monetary policy: repo rate unchanged at 4% with an accommodative stance to support growth and anchor inflation.
The MPC maintained the policy repo rate at 4.0 per cent and an accommodative stance to revive and sustain growth while ensuring inflation remains within the medium-term target of 4% 2%, assessing current inflation as largely transitory supply-driven, noting global recovery divergence, elevated commodity prices, improving domestic activity with ample liquidity, and projecting CPI inflation at 5.7% and real GDP growth at 9.5% for 2021-22.

Export promotion measures expand trade facilitation and incentives to boost competitiveness and market access for exporters.
Government implements export-promotion measures enabling duty-free import of inputs and capital goods via Advance Authorization and EPCG facilitation, extends export credit support under an Interest Equalization framework, operationalizes export duty/tax remission through RoDTEP while maintaining rebate support under RoSCTL, and provides Transport and Marketing Assistance for specified agricultural exports alongside a digital Certificate of Origin platform to increase FTA utilisation.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations resumed to pursue a balanced, comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade framework.
Resumption of India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations is agreed to pursue a balanced, ambitious and comprehensive trade framework; commodity inclusion or exclusion will be finalised after extensive stakeholder consultations and consideration of each side's interests. A concurrent review of existing FTAs seeks to maximise export potential, benefit domestic industry and make agreements more user friendly and trade facilitative.

Agri-export promotion partnership to boost Karnataka exports through joint technology, traceability, and capacity-building initiatives.
The MoU between APEDA and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore creates a collaborative framework to boost agri-exports from Karnataka by jointly developing precision-farming technologies, diversifying export products and destinations, establishing product-specific clusters, market intelligence and traceability systems, and standard operating procedures. It emphasizes capacity building-promoting Farmer Producer Organizations/Companies, organizing B2B/B2C fairs, establishing a capacity building centre, and launching a Post Graduate Certification-alongside value chain development, real-time pest and disease solutions, and zoning/compartmentalization for animal and poultry exports.

Customs compliance portal centralises import export procedural and regulatory requirements, enabling searchable access to approvals and agency contacts.
Launch of the Indian Customs Compliance Information Portal (CIP) creates a centralized public repository providing step by step import and export compliance guidance, lists of required licences and certificates, and rules for special movements (samples, reimports/reexports, postal/courier consignments, self sealing, project imports); it is searchable by Customs Tariff Heading or goods description and includes a pan India map and regulatory agency contacts.

Export promotion: Indian-grown dragon fruit shipped to UK and Bahrain, supported by APEDA export assistance programs.
Consignments of Indian-grown dragon fruit were exported to the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Bahrain, sourced from farmers in Gujarat and West Bengal and shipped by APEDA-registered packhouses and enterprises. APEDA is promoting expansion into European markets to improve farmer price realisation by providing assistance under Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development components, while the Department of Commerce supports exports through schemes such as the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme and Market Access Initiative.

Merchandise export growth accelerates, driven by petroleum and gems & jewellery, improving trade balance despite rising imports.
India's merchandise exports reached an all time monthly high in July 2021 with substantial year on year and pre pandemic increases, and April-July cumulative exports rose markedly. Non petroleum and non petroleum/non gems and jewellery exports also grew, supporting the export recovery beyond energy and precious metals trade. Commodity gains were concentrated in petroleum products, gems & jewellery, cereals, textiles and engineering goods, while several food and agricultural categories fell; imports strengthened notably in crude petroleum, gold and industrial inputs, influencing the monthly trade balance.

Districts as Export Hubs initiative links regional agricultural exporters to international buyers, enhancing market access and trade outreach.
Under the Districts as Export Hubs initiative, a two-day Virtual Outreach Event and trade fair connected 197 district exhibitors in five agricultural product categories to domestic and international buyers, facilitating buyer-seller interactions supported by foreign missions and engagement with major supermarket buyers to enhance market access for small and regional exporters.

Agri Export Policy focus: promoting start-ups and capacity building to boost agricultural export competitiveness and supply chains.
APEDA held an orientation for start-ups and stakeholders in western Rajasthan to promote agricultural exports and support the export-oriented supply chain by explaining Government initiatives-Financial Assistance Schemes, risk management, RBI guidelines, pesticide compliance, and digital traceability-and promoting automation and mechanization to enhance quality and competitiveness under the Agri Export Policy (AEP) while coordinating State-specific action plans and capacity building.

Digital logistics document exchange enables secure, auditable document flows and a GHG calculator to guide sustainable modal choice.
Centre launched the Secured Logistics Document Exchange to digitize generation, storage and interchange of logistics documents using Aadhaar authentication and blockchain security, providing an audit trail, faster transactions, lower shipping cost and carbon footprint, easier verification and reduced fraud risk; alongside a Green House Gas Calculator to compare emissions and total transportation cost across modes and commodities to inform sustainable modal choice.

Export certification for buffalo meat ensures international market access after safety testing, sustaining export continuity and demand.
Indian boneless buffalo meat exports rose markedly year-on-year for April-June 2021-22, supported by APEDA facilitation and certified Quality, Food Safety and Environmental Management Systems. Export market access to numerous countries rests on compliance with World Organization for Animal Health guidelines and international testing, including Covid-19 certification for consignments, while supply chains have remained operational throughout the pandemic.

Geographical Indication exports: Raja Mircha's first fresh consignment abroad enabled by organic testing and coordinated export facilitation.
First-time export of fresh Nagaland King Chilli ('Raja Mircha') to London was arranged by coordinating export facilitation, relying on its Geographical Indication status and laboratory confirmation of organic cultivation. The consignment was sourced from Tening, packed at an APEDA-assisted packhouse in Guwahati, and addressed perishability and quality-control challenges by sending samples for testing prior to shipment.

Foreign exchange reserves adequacy secures import cover and cushions against external shocks, supported by favourable vulnerability ratios.
India's foreign exchange reserves provide an import cover of more than eighteen months and serve as a buffer against external shocks. External vulnerability metrics reported include a forex reserves to total external debt ratio of 101.2% and a short term external debt to reserves ratio of 17.5% at end March 2021, with volatile capital flows to reserves at 67.0% at end December 2020. Over 90% of reserves are held as foreign currency assets in a diversified multi currency portfolio of major international currencies.

Green Cities Platinum Rating recognition encourages SEZs to adopt sustainable planning and green infrastructure nationwide.
Kandla SEZ has been designated the first Green SEZ by receipt of the Green Cities Platinum Rating for Existing Cities, recognising its green master planning, policy initiatives and implementation of green infrastructure, with particular emphasis on water conservation and afforestation as part of a governmental commitment to the Green SEZs Mission.

Export infrastructure requirement expands market access for Uttarakhand produce, emphasizing organic certification and capacity building.
APEDA, together with the Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board and exporters, supported sourcing, processing and EU compliant organic certification for millets, enabled a first vegetable consignment to the UAE, and proposes financial assistance for a pack house to satisfy mandatory export infrastructure requirements while pursuing capacity building, quality upgradation, market promotion and supply chain strengthening to connect farmers with international buyers.

Industrial policy drive: PLI incentives and self-reliance aimed at boosting manufacturing, exports and global competitiveness.
The document emphasizes policy priorities to support startup expansion and export revival through structural reforms and targeted incentives. It foregrounds Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to develop national manufacturing champions, strengthen quality, productivity and economies of scale, and leverage India's competitive advantages to integrate into global value chains. The text frames Aatmanirbhar self-reliance as enabling confident international engagement, endorses reciprocity in trade negotiations, trade facilitation and FTAs to reduce non-tariff barriers, and identifies key sectors for immediate and long-term growth opportunities.

Lifetime validity of customs licences removes periodic renewals, reducing compliance burden and trade interface, promoting contactless customs.
Abolition of periodic renewals replaces recurring renewal requirements for customs brokers' licences and authorised carriers' registrations with lifetime validity, removing the need for repeated applications. Licence/registration holders may voluntarily surrender licences/registrations; licences/registrations inactive for more than a year may be invalidated to prevent misuse, while Commissioners of Customs may revalidate where inactivity is for genuine reasons, reducing compliance burden and limiting routine interface under the contactless customs objective.

Renewable integration: policy, market and technical measures to enable flexible grid operation and reduce renewable curtailment.
Report identifies policy, regulatory and technical measures necessary for large scale renewable integration, prioritising resource planning, institutional support, advanced technologies and cost effective storage. It advocates a mix of flexibility options - demand response, Time of Use tariffs, flexible coal operation, storage and grid improvements - alongside distributed solar and agricultural load shifts to reduce curtailment. Complementary market and regulatory reforms recommended include Market Based Economic Dispatch, revised regulations, smart meter deployment, proactive regulators and enhanced transmission and smart grid technologies to operationalise integration at state level.

Agriculture export policy expands market linkages and targeted support after a notable year-on-year export increase.
Agriculture exports rose 17.37% in 2020-21. Implementation centers on the Agriculture Export Policy, supported by State Level Monitoring Committees, Nodal Agencies, Cluster Level Committees and State-, country- and product-specific action plans. The Department of Commerce and sectoral export authorities provide market linkages via a Farmer Connect Portal and Buyer Seller Meets, and financial and infrastructure support through schemes such as the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiatives and a Central Sector Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme to mitigate international freight disadvantage.