Government and RBI Strengthen Digital Lending Ecosystem Through New Regulatory Framework, Digital Lending App Directory and Enhanced Customer Safeguar...
A First for India: EbixCash World Money's Perpetual RBI Licence Brings Trade and Family Remittances Within Reach of Millions - Unlocking Opportunities...
Strengthening Customer Grievance Redress: The Role of the Internal Ombudsman - Keynote address by Shri Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor at the Internal ...
Digital lending safeguards require verified app associations, responsible recovery, data privacy, grievance redressal and reporting channels against illegal loan apps. Digital lending safeguards include a public directory enabling customers to verify a digital lending app's association with a regulated entity. The Digital Lending Directions, 2025 impose mandatory requirements on recovery practices, data privacy and customer grievance redressal for regulated entities, lending service providers and digital lending apps. Measures also include blocking illegal loan applications following due process, cybercrime reporting channels, complaint facilities for unlawful money collection, and public awareness programmes on fraud prevention and risk mitigation.
Authorised Dealer Category-II remittances expand to specified trade and family-maintenance payments under the revised FEMA framework. FEMA framework revisions described as effective from May 2026 expand Authorised Dealer Category-II activities to include specified trade remittances and family-maintenance remittances, subject to the applicable RBI and FEMA framework. EbixCash World Money Limited states that its perpetual AD-II licence carries this expanded scope. The release describes a non-bank channel for MSME and SME cross-border payments, supported by Nostro-account settlement, remittance and travel-card services, and technology-enabled compliance measures including document verification, sanctions screening, fraud detection and transaction monitoring.
Foreign investment regulation: Draft rules propose simpler, principle-based compliance and clearer separation of procedural requirements from investment policy. Draft Foreign Exchange Management (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2026 propose a simplified, principle-based foreign investment framework. The proposals rationalise provisions, harmonise definitions, and separate procedural foreign-exchange requirements from foreign direct investment policy and sector-specific conditions. They aim to streamline procedures, reduce compliance burdens, enhance operational flexibility, and apply investor-neutral and investee-neutral provisions while preserving regulatory safeguards. The draft Rules remain subject to public consultation before finalisation.
Prepaid payment instrument programme adds mobility and gift card capabilities with digital servicing subject to applicable programme conditions. Prepaid payment instrument programme launched for Indian Overseas Bank through CARD91's technology stack, incorporating RuPay National Common Mobility Card and Gift Card capabilities. The programme was implemented following requisite approvals, testing and compliance validation. The RuPay NCMC facility supports prepaid, tap-based payments for metro, bus and parking transactions, subject to the bank's programme conditions and user eligibility. Digital card servicing may include balance enquiry, transaction history, reload or top-up functions, and customer support, subject to applicable programme terms.
Free trade agreements and e-commerce export reforms expand preferential market access, address non-tariff barriers, and support small exporters. Export market diversification is advanced through trade agreements, export-promotion measures and capacity building. Free Trade Agreements seek preferential market access, increased trade and investment, and support for labour-intensive exports, while technical barriers to trade provisions and engagement mechanisms address standards, regulatory requirements and non-tariff barriers. Cross-border e-commerce exports are supported through trade-finance and compliance assistance, E-Commerce Export Hubs, District Export Hubs, simplified courier-export procedures, reverse-logistics facilitation, logistics planning, duty-and-tax remission, and MSME export facilitation.
Production Linked Incentive Schemes strengthen domestic manufacturing through investment support, export growth, employment generation, monitoring and eligibility reforms. Production Linked Incentive Schemes for 14 sectors promote domestic manufacturing, investment, exports, employment and global competitiveness. Overall coordination and monitoring rests with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, while sector-specific implementation is undertaken by the relevant ministries and departments. Implementation is periodically reviewed, with scheme modifications, rationalised guidelines, relaxation of specified eligibility conditions, project monitoring, stakeholder consultation and inter-ministerial issue resolution used to improve uptake and strengthen domestic manufacturing ecosystems.
Separate corporate insolvency processes remain contested over foreign asset treatment, specialised resolution needs, and creditors' commercial decision-making. Separate corporate insolvency resolution processes for VIL and VOVL are disputed following reversal of an earlier consolidation direction. Independent processes were preferred because the entities operate in distinct sectors and may require specialised resolution, while creditors' choice was treated as commercial wisdom not ordinarily open to tribunal interference. The dispute also concerns whether foreign oil and gas assets should be treated as VIL assets, against the background of VIL's conversion from co-obligor to corporate guarantor to ring-fence those assets from domestic business liabilities.
Drone technology collaboration promotes joint manufacturing, technology transfer, rural entrepreneurship and global market access through an integrated industrial ecosystem. India-Russia industrial collaboration in drone technology is proposed through engagement on technology transfer, joint manufacturing, research collaboration, investment, exports and global market access. Drone City is presented as an integrated ecosystem covering manufacturing, research and development, testing, certification support, skill development, incubation, warehousing, startup acceleration and international technology partnerships. Its expansion and panchayat-level entrepreneurship programme are expected to create rural drone enterprises and employment in manufacturing, component production, quality control, maintenance, logistics and technical support.
WTO trade policy review will assess India's trade measures, transparency framework, reforms, and responses to member questions. India's eighth Trade Policy Review under the World Trade Organization framework examines its trade policies and developments during the 2021-2025 review period. The process uses a Government Report and a Secretariat Report and provides a comprehensive peer examination of border and behind-the-border trade measures to promote transparency, predictability and understanding. The review addresses trade agreements, Goods and Services Tax rationalisation, digital trade-facilitation measures, and Member questions on digitisation, MSMEs, women's economic participation, Viksit Bharat and the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Fisheries subsidy disciplines promote sustainable marine resource use while excluding aquaculture and inland fisheries from their scope. The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies disciplines subsidies concerning marine wild-capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea. It prohibits subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and fishing of overfished stocks, promoting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside its scope. India's fisheries management framework is identified as supporting implementation while preserving policy space and safeguarding the interests of traditional and small-scale fishers.
Revised Index of Core Industries adopts a new base year, adds iron ore, and revises sector measurement methodology. The revised Index of Core Industries series adopts 2022-23 as its base year, replaces the former series and expands coverage to nine industries by including iron ore. Steel is measured using gross production data, while only raw coal is retained to avoid double counting. Weights are derived from the corresponding Index of Industrial Production series and normalised to 100. A geometric-mean linking methodology connects the former and revised series. June 2026 provisional estimates show overall year-on-year ICI growth, led principally by iron ore and electricity.
Risk-based export controls exposed alleged pharmaceutical diversion, prompting NDPS enforcement against transnational illicit opioid trafficking networks. Risk-based export controls and intelligence-led enforcement under the NDPS Act, 1985 addressed an alleged attempt to divert an export consignment of high-strength Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets into illicit international channels. Enquiries with the International Narcotics Control Board and competent authorities indicated that the declared destination had been misrepresented. The action involved seizure of the consignment and arrests of persons alleged to be connected with the export arrangement and conspiracy. The operation emphasises risk-based profiling, export-control scrutiny, intelligence sharing, and international coordination against pharmaceutical diversion and transnational drug trafficking.
Trade tariffs on Canadian goods target alleged discrimination against American automobiles, alcohol and dairy products under trade law. United States trade action imposes tariffs on most Canadian goods, citing alleged discriminatory treatment of American automobiles, alcoholic beverages and dairy products. The measures apply to goods previously protected under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, subject to exclusions for energy products, potash, fish and critical minerals. The stated grounds include Canadian retaliatory tariffs, restrictions on American alcohol sales, treatment of dairy imports, and tariffs on certain United States motor vehicles outside preferential trade treatment.
Foreign exchange market movement saw rupee depreciation amid geopolitical risk, higher crude prices, stronger dollar conditions and equity outflows. Foreign exchange market movement saw the rupee depreciate by 6 paise to close at 96.36 against the US dollar, amid global risk aversion, higher crude oil prices, escalating US-Iran tensions and rising US Treasury yields. Market commentary indicated that anticipated Reserve Bank of India intervention could limit further downside. The report also noted a stronger dollar index, domestic equity-market declines, foreign institutional equity outflows, and an increase in India's foreign exchange reserves.
Concessional foreign-exchange swaps incentivise fresh FCNR(B) deposits and foreign borrowings to strengthen balance-of-payments liquidity. The concessional foreign-exchange swap facility incentivises fresh FCNR(B) deposits, overseas foreign-currency borrowings and external commercial borrowings to strengthen the balance of payments and support foreign-exchange liquidity. Its availability is time-limited, with FCNR(B) deposits eligible until September 2026 and OFCB and ECB inflows eligible until December 2026. Reported inflows were primarily mobilised through FCNR(B) deposits.
Geographical indication recognition protects traditional product identity while supporting rural entrepreneurship, quality maintenance, digital access and artisan market opportunities. Geographical Indication recognition is being pursued for additional traditional products from Jharkhand to protect product identity and expand protected regional products. GI recognition supports cultural heritage, rural entrepreneurship and market access for artisans and primary producers. Post-registration measures emphasise product-quality maintenance and digital e-commerce access, alongside skill development, marketing initiatives, rural haats and support for non-farm sectors.
Banking sector earnings concerns and geopolitical tensions pressured benchmark equities, while broader markets and selected defensive sectors gained. Indian benchmark equity indices declined following heavy selling in major private-sector banking shares amid concerns over weaker net interest margins and quarterly earnings. Banking and financial sector indices were the principal laggards. Renewed United States-Iran tensions, crude-oil concerns, global market weakness and reported foreign institutional investor equity sales added to investor caution. Broader domestic market indices nevertheless closed higher, with selected defensive and infrastructure-linked sectors recording gains.
Internal Ombudsman independence strengthens fair customer grievance resolution, prevents escalation, and drives institutional learning from recurring complaint patterns. Internal Ombudsmen should independently review qualifying customer grievances to ensure fair, reasonable and timely internal resolution rather than mechanically affirming earlier decisions. Regulated entities should prevent eligible complaints from bypassing Internal Ombudsman review and should assess redress by the quality, transparency and fairness of outcomes, not merely complaint closure. Complaint patterns should be used for root cause analysis and institutional improvements, with Boards and senior management empowering Internal Ombudsmen and treating complaint trends as early-warning information. Technology may support analytics and faster processes but cannot replace judgment, empathy and impartiality.
UPI security framework mandates advanced controls, alongside risk-based limits and authentication safeguards to strengthen payment ecosystem resilience. Unified Payments Interface is an NPCI-operated payment system authorised under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Cross-border UPI arrangements facilitate person-to-person remittances and person-to-merchant payments through partner institutions in multiple countries. Security measures include risk-based transaction limits, safeguards against unauthorised mobile-number changes and misuse of SMS-based authentication, and enhanced application-security requirements. The Comprehensive UPI Information Security Framework 2025 and Mobile Application Security Framework mandate advanced controls to strengthen UPI ecosystem safety and resilience.
Fintech consumer protection strengthens payment security, data safeguards, innovation testing, fraud monitoring, cybercrime reporting, and public awareness mechanisms. Fintech regulation and consumer protection are being strengthened through self-regulatory standards, digital payment security controls, personal-data safeguards, regulatory sandbox testing, and cyber-fraud reporting mechanisms. The FinTech self-regulatory organisation framework promotes ethical conduct, market integrity, dispute resolution, transparency, and accountability. Banks must maintain minimum security controls for payment channels, supported by AI and machine-learning fraud monitoring for UPI transactions. Citizens may report cyber incidents and illegal loan apps through designated reporting channels, alongside awareness initiatives on fraud prevention and risk mitigation.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh announced India's Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the occasion of the India-Africa Forum Summit of African Heads of States/Governments and their official representatives in New Delhi on April 8, 2008.
The DFTP Scheme grants duty free access on 94% of India's total tariff lines to be implemented over a period of five years. Specifically it will provide preferential market access on tariff lines that comprise 92.5% of global exports of all LDCs. Products of immediate interest to Africa which are covered include cotton, cocoa, aluminium ores, copper ores, cashew nuts, cane-sugar, ready-made garments, fish fillets and non-industrial diamonds.
The Scheme is open to all 49 LDC members including 33 LDCs in Africa. The Scheme provides that in order to avail benefits under this Scheme, individual LDC members submit a Letter of Intent to the Government of India. The Scheme further provides that in order to enjoy tariff preference, the beneficiary country submits a Certificate of Origin along with the consignment.
As of today, the Department of Commerce has received Letters of Intent from 10 LDCs, out of which Customs Notifications No. 96 and No. 99 have already been issued on 13.8.2008 and 28.8.2008 in respect of 7 LDCs, namely Cambodia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Samoa, Malawi and Lao PDR. The Letters of Intent received from 3 other LDCs, namely Madagascar, Rwanda and Uganda, are under process.
Duty free tariff preference: preferential market access granted to eligible least developed countries subject to origin documentation.
The Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme grants duty free access on the majority of India's tariff lines to eligible Least Developed Countries, covering tariff lines representing the bulk of LDC exports and including specified commodities and manufactures. Eligibility requires each beneficiary LDC to submit a Letter of Intent and to furnish a Certificate of Origin with consignments; implementation proceeds via Customs notifications, with several LDCs having submitted intent and certain notifications already issued.
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