India's Russian oil purchases prompt US tariff threats; India unveils e-Business visa; regional public-order and criminal charges advance.
US statements and a senator's account indicate potential tariff action tied to India's purchases of Russian oil and diplomatic requests to seek tariff relief. India has launched an electronic e-Business visa (e-B-4) for Chinese business activities. Regional legal measures include lifting travel restrictions on a former Nepalese prime minister, imposition of prohibitory orders in Birgunj for public-order reasons, scheduled sedition charge framing in Bangladesh, and a pending final chargesheet in a high-profile murder case.

Customs duty on electrical energy from SEZ to DTA held unlawful; refunds ordered for the specified period.
Levy of customs duty on electrical energy cleared from an SEZ to the DTA was declared without authority of law for the relevant period; administrative authorities must conform to prior judicial declarations and may not reenact an invalidated levy. The Centre and customs authorities are directed, after verification, to refund amounts deposited or encashed towards that duty for the specified period and to refrain from enforcing further demands for that period.

India's Russian oil purchases tied to US tariff actions and proposed punitive levies as pressure to reduce Russian energy revenue.
United States officials publicly linked tariff policy and legislative proposals to India's purchases of Russian crude, asserting that increased duties could be rapidly imposed and describing an existing 50 percent tariff with a 25 percent component attributed to Russian oil purchases. The statements presented tariff imposition and proposed punitive levies as instruments of broader sanctions related trade pressure to reduce Russia's energy revenue, noted continued purchases by Indian refiners through non sanctioned channels, and referenced recent declines in Russian shipments to India.

US tariffs on India can be raised quickly over India's purchases of Russian oil, warns US president.
Statements assert use of tariffs to influence India's purchases of Russian oil, noting a senator's bill proposing 500 percent levies on imports from countries buying Russian oil and reference to an existing 25 percent tariff applied to India; tariffs are presented as tools of trade pressure tied to foreign policy objectives concerning the Russia Ukraine conflict.

Varvee Global increases non-denim fabric capacity to 18 lakh meters monthly to support diversification and growth.
Varvee Global Limited increased Non-Denims - Shirting and Suiting Fabrics production capacity by 6 lakh meters per month (from 12 to 18 lakh meters) via optimisation of existing facilities and improved production processes, as part of a diversification strategy toward a targeted non-denim capacity of up to 50 lakh meters and supported by corporate restructuring and a reported debt-free balance sheet.

US tariffs over India's Russian oil purchases and international legal actions include sedition charges and a US drug trafficking appearance.
United States officials signalled readiness to raise tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil while diplomatic channels sought tariff relief; separately, Bangladesh courts and prosecutors moved forward with framing sedition charges and filing a final chargesheet in a murder case, and a deposed Venezuelan leader was scheduled to appear in the US on drug trafficking charges.

Indian envoy reportedly asked to seek tariff relief on duties tied to India's Russian oil purchases.
A US Senator said the Indian Ambassador asked him to request that the President relieve the tariff imposed on India for buying Russian crude; the article frames import tariffs as a policy tool to pressure purchasers of Russian energy, notes reported reductions in India's Russian oil purchases and continued procurement via non-sanctioned channels, and records diplomatic engagement with US legislators about energy, defence and trade cooperation.

Stock markets decline on tariff-threat linked to US warnings, dragging major blue-chips lower and dampening investor sentiment.
Equity benchmarks fell after US warnings of potential tariff increases against India triggered profit-taking and dampened sentiment; major private banks, IT firms and a large conglomerate were primary laggards while some industrial and consumer names gained. The report links the decline to geopolitical developments and trade-policy signals, notes continued net buying by domestic and foreign institutional investors, and records mixed global market performance with a small drop in Brent crude.

Tariff threats on India for buying Russian oil may rise under a proposed bill seeking extremely high import levies.
Tariff threats and proposed high-levy legislation were invoked to pressure countries buying Russian oil: a US political figure warned tariffs on Indian imports could be raised quickly, while a senator described a bill to impose very large duties on goods from buyers of Russian oil as a means to increase economic pressure on Russia by penalising its customers.

AYUSH export promotion: council-led quality certification and trade facilitation boosted exports and FTA market recognition.
AYUSHEXCIL implemented capacity building, export facilitation, regulatory compliance support, and international promotion, coinciding with a 6.11% rise in AYUSH exports to USD 688.89 million in 2024-25. The Council anchors the Ayush Quality Mark programme to strengthen certification and market recognition, is registered as a Section 8 company, and was notified by DGFT as the nodal Export Promotion Council, operating with the Ministry of Ayush and Commerce to leverage trade agreements and enhance international cooperation.

US tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases may be raised quickly, with a bill proposing 500% levies and existing duties cited.
Threats to increase tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil were publicly signalled by the US President, who said tariffs could be raised "very quickly"; a legislative proposal seeking 500 per cent levies on imports from countries buying Russian oil and an asserted existing 25 per cent tariff on India were cited as instruments of economic pressure.

India-EU trade pact talks enter final phase as minister visits Brussels to advance comprehensive FTA negotiations.
India and the EU are in final-phase negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement covering 23 chapters, including trade in goods, services, investment, rules of origin, customs and trade facilitation, technical barriers, trade remedies, government procurement, dispute settlement, competition, intellectual property rights and geographical indications. The EU seeks tariff cuts in sectors like automobiles and medical devices, tax reductions on select agricultural and beverage products, and a stronger IP regime; the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism is also a live negotiating item. Senior Indian ministers will meet EU trade officials in Brussels to bridge differences and advance closure.

KC Das UK expansion plans rely on the India UK trade pact to ease tariffs and regulatory barriers.
KC Das plans a UK market re-entry anchored on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, expecting reduced tariffs and regulatory barriers. The company will establish a Birmingham manufacturing base, seek a technically capable dairy partner, and source key inputs locally due to stringent UK import regulations. The agreement is expected to provide duty-free access for most Indian products, benefiting processed food exporters and facilitating KC Das's proposed resumption of UK operations in 2026.

Venezuelan oil: US control could ease sanctions and unlock nearly $1 billion owed to India.
US control or restructuring would lift sanctions and permit licences and payments to resume, enabling Indian investors to redeploy rigs, restore production at San Cristobal and Carabobo-1, and recoup nearly USD 1 billion in unpaid dividends through renewed exports while navigating interim asset freezes, criminal probes, and compliance conditions.

Airport seizures of hydroponic weed, diamonds and gold led to arrests and probes into alleged smuggling networks.
Customs effected multiple seizures at Mumbai airport over two days, recovering hydroponic cannabis (8.008 kg and 1.946 kg) with arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 849.6 carats of diamonds allegedly concealed in a body cavity, and several gold consignments including 1,470 grams of gold dust reportedly passed to an airport services employee; authorities are tracing wider smuggling and facilitation networks.

Blast at pharmaceutical unit in Anakapalli; no casualties, investigation and evacuations underway by authorities and firefighters responding
An explosion occurred at SVS Pharmaceutical in the Rambilli SEZ between 4:15 pm and 4:30 pm; police report no deaths or injuries, about ten people evacuated, eight fire engines deployed to control flames and smoke, factories and boilers inspectors engaged to ascertain cause, authorities verifying worker lists and evacuating nearby industrial units as a precaution.

Tea imports: mandatory quality testing and a promotion scheme aim to curb cheap inferior imports and support small growers.
Hundred per cent quality testing of imported tea is being formalised, with infrastructure to be created and legal and ministry approvals sought to restrict inferior imports harming domestic producers. The Tea Board will act as facilitator rather than intervene in auction systems, promote Indian tea abroad, and implement a Tea Development and Promotion Scheme with a Rs 1,500 crore outlay to benefit small growers. Stakeholders also urged acquisition of closed gardens, worker equity participation, and prompt payment of wages and statutory dues.

MSME exports: interest subvention on export credit and collateral guarantees to expand affordable trade finance for exporters.
Two interventions under NIRYAT PROTSAHAN strengthen MSME exports: an interest subvention on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit (base 2.75%, exporter cap Rs.50 lakh per IEC, limited to a notified HS six-digit positive list) and a collateral guarantee for export credit via CGTMSE (up to 85% for micro/small, 65% for medium exporters, maximum guaranteed exposure Rs.10 crore per exporter per year), both to be piloted with detailed operational guidelines and periodic reviews.

Export support package offers interest subvention and collateral guarantees to improve exporters' access to credit.
The government announced a Rs 7,295-crore export support package over 2025-31 comprising a Rs 5,181-crore interest subvention scheme subsidising pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit for eligible exporters (about 2.75% subsidy, capped at Rs 50 lakh per MSME annually) and a Rs 2,114-crore collateral support providing credit guarantees for export-linked working capital loans (up to Rs 10 crore per firm); RBI and DGFT will issue implementing guidelines and support applies to a selected positive product list while excluding restricted items, waste and scrap, and PLI-covered items.

Limestone export data denial upheld under commercial confidence exemption; no overriding public interest to justify disclosure.
Exporter-specific names, addresses and trade volumes of limestone shipments were held to be business-sensitive commercial information entitled to confidentiality; disclosure could harm competitors and undermine the fiduciary confidentiality of regulatory interactions, and no overriding public interest was shown to outweigh the RTI exemption.