Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal Highlights India’s Expanding Global Economic Engagement and Growing Integration with Globa...
The Indian Economy in an Ever More Volatile and Complex World - Special Address by Dr. Poonam Gupta, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India at the 13t...
Global value chain integration advances trade partnerships, semiconductor capacity, and deep-tech innovation within broader economic engagement. India's global economic engagement prioritises trade and economic partnerships to strengthen participation in global value chains and supply chains, facilitating cross-border movement of goods and services. The approach is linked to projected semiconductor demand and development of artificial-intelligence capabilities, alongside innovation, deep-tech startup support and private-sector space activity. The startup ecosystem is described as having expanded substantially, with current policy emphasis on deep-tech innovation and participation in global markets.
Trade agreement review targets balanced, user-friendly, trade-facilitative rules to address asymmetries and strengthen regional commerce. The ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement seeks to enhance trade flows, address trade asymmetries, and deliver a balanced, effective, user-friendly, and trade-facilitative arrangement for businesses. It forms part of India's commitment to mutually beneficial trade partnerships and regional trade arrangements.
Portfolio management reforms broaden permitted investments, establish independent fund managers, and retain registered managers' responsibility for client portfolios. Portfolio-management reforms replace the 2020 framework and expand investments into IPOs, primary-market debt, listed overseas equity and debt, and direct plans of Indian mutual fund schemes. Investment-grade unlisted non-convertible debt may comprise up to 10 per cent of client assets under management with client consent. Independent Fund Managers may operate with registered portfolio managers, which retain responsibility and liability. Accredited-investor eligibility is broadened, while specified compliance requirements are relaxed where adequate audit trails and internal controls exist.
Merchant discount rate on UPI merchant payments may be treated as a taxable payment settlement service with input credit availability. GST treatment of MDR charged on UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000 is to be considered by the GST Council. The MDR framework imposes a merchant-borne charge for payment processing and settlement. As these activities are services, MDR may attract GST at 18 per cent, subject to the Council's view. Merchants paying GST on MDR may claim input tax credit, potentially reducing their net tax burden.
Fiscal responsibility limits frame cautions on new projects as budgetary discipline rather than financial crisis. Finance-department advice treats fiscal indicators as grounds for restraint in approving additional expenditure rather than as evidence that funds are unavailable. Funding new projects may be difficult until additional resources are mobilised or allocations already approved are reallocated. Project proposals lacking budgetary provision or earmarked funding may create cash-flow pressures and fiscal-management challenges, requiring deferment until resources are finalised.
Corporate document forgery allegations trigger investigation into unauthorised insolvency consortium participation and disputed share transfers. An FIR concerns alleged cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, corporate-document misuse, and unauthorised financial liabilities arising from participation in a corporate insolvency resolution process. Allegations include entering a consortium arrangement without the Parekh Group's knowledge or authorisation, reliance on a fabricated and unapproved board resolution, and unauthorised transfer of shares to a group-controlled entity. Investigation covers disputed-record authenticity, alleged digital-signature misuse, and financial transaction trails.
Energy security shapes continued Russian crude sourcing as alternative suppliers replace shortfalls amid potential sanctions-related restrictions. Russian crude imports are operating near 1.8 million barrels daily in September, with refinery maintenance, stronger Chinese buying, and disruptions to Russian export infrastructure constraining availability. Middle Eastern supply, especially from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, has offset reduced Russian volumes. Potential tougher restrictions on countries purchasing Russian oil could complicate procurement, but energy security and tight physical oil markets make a significant near-term reduction in Russian crude purchases unlikely. Replacement remains technically possible but may raise procurement costs and competition for medium-grade crude.
Direct tax payment gateway integration enables nationwide payments through digital options, branch channels, and customers' respective internet-banking services. IDFC FIRST Bank's payment-gateway integration for Central Board of Direct Taxes collections enables Direct Tax payments through UPI, credit cards, debit cards, Retail and Corporate Internet Banking, and branch-based cheque, demand draft, or cash payments. Customers of other banks may use their own internet-banking facilities through the gateway. Taxpayers create a challan on the Income Tax e-Filing Portal, select Payment Gateway and IDFC FIRST Bank, choose a payment mode, complete payment, and download or print the paid challan. Payment confirmations are also accessible.
Insurance distribution controls target commissions, expenses and loan-linked sales, reshaping bancassurance arrangements and intermediary remuneration structures. IRDAI's consultation proposals for insurance distribution contemplate lower Expenses of Management limits, tighter commission controls, and greater control over loan-linked insurance practices. The prospective framework concerns insurer and intermediary remuneration, distribution expenses, and bancassurance fee structures. Reported concerns centre on potential effects on insurer earnings, intermediary economics, and lending-linked distribution arrangements; the measures are not described as final operative obligations or enforcement action.
Personal loan eligibility and repayment planning: loan variants and digital applications remain subject to assessment, verification, and applicable terms. Eligible customers may seek collateral-free personal loans within stated amount, tenure and interest-rate ranges. Loan amount, interest rate and tenure determine the EMI and total interest payable, while calculator results are estimates rather than final repayment obligations. Eligibility includes nationality, age, employment and credit-score conditions, but approval, final pricing and loan amount remain subject to lender assessment, document verification and applicable terms. Online applications require personal, financial and employment details and KYC verification.
Nidhi company deposits lack insurance protection, requiring verification of government declaration before relying on high-return promises. Each company seeking to function as a Nidhi must file Form NDH-4 for declaration or updated Nidhi status and comply with the Companies Act, 2013 and applicable Nidhi Rules. Nidhi companies may accept deposits and grant loans only to members. Public investors should verify declared Nidhi status rather than rely on unusually high-return promises, agent representations, or informal assurances. Deposits with Nidhi companies are not insured by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation, and recovery may be difficult where a company fails or fraud occurs.
FCNR(B) liquidity deployment remains within banks' discretion, guided by credit pipelines, asset-liability positions, and prudent underwriting standards. Banks retain full discretion to deploy liquidity mobilised through FCNR(B) deposits, based on their credit pipeline, lending proposals, liquidity outlook and asset-liability position. No sector-specific direction applies to use of these funds. FCNR(B) deposits are fixed-term foreign-currency deposits in which principal and interest are repayable in the same foreign currency, protecting non-resident depositors from direct rupee exchange-rate risk. Continued prudent credit appraisal and underwriting standards are expected.
Compulsory Muslim marriage registration shifts registration to registrars under a statewide procedural framework, with local officials authorised when needed. Compulsory registration of Muslim marriages will operate under the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, framed under the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorces Act, 2024. Registration will be undertaken by registrars, with panchayat-level officials potentially authorised where application volumes require additional capacity. The framework addresses the registration forum after kazis were barred from registering Muslim marriages.
Macroeconomic resilience supports fiscal consolidation, financial-sector stability, and orderly foreign-exchange management through persistent global and market shocks. Policy management emphasises clear communication, policy certainty, macroeconomic and financial-sector stability, efficient use of buffers, and sustained structural reform. Fiscal prudence is treated as necessary to avoid unsustainable stimulus and preserve long-term stability. External-sector resilience rests on services exports and remittances, while oil and gold shocks and weaker capital inflows have created temporary balance-of-payments pressure. Further improvement is linked to lower oil dependence, export diversification, trade agreements, capital inflows and orderly foreign-exchange market management.
Software export growth strengthens IT ecosystem as campus expansion supports startup activity, infrastructure development, and skilled employment. Software export revenue generated by Technopark reached Rs 17,092 crore in FY 2025-26, reflecting year-on-year growth of approximately 17.3 per cent. Growth is attributed to IT infrastructure, a skilled talent base, and company performance. Technopark also operates as an IT and ITeS hub and startup ecosystem centre, with ongoing campus development intended to expand its position among major IT hubs.
Artificial intelligence centre of excellence partnership advances industry-aligned training, supervised internships, startup mentorship, and applied research collaboration. IIEST Shibpur and Tata Consultancy Services have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence at the Electrical Engineering Department's high-performance computing laboratory. The collaboration supports industry-aligned training, professional certifications, practical projects, supervised internships, startup mentorship, curriculum benchmarking, and applied research in natural language processing, computer vision, image processing, and advanced data analytics.
Money-laundering searches prompt protests over alleged political misuse while operations continue at public development offices and residences. Enforcement Directorate search and survey operations connected with a money-laundering investigation continued at development authority offices and premises linked with housing administration, a realty company, and private residences. AAP workers protested against the searches, alleging political and administrative pressure through central investigative agencies. The party further alleged that the operations could disrupt the development authority's functioning and impede Punjab government welfare schemes.
Money-laundering investigation procedure raises allegations over FIR registration, conflict concerns, and the choice between police, vigilance, or federal inquiry. A police inquiry, rather than a Vigilance inquiry, was directed following an Enforcement Directorate communication seeking registration of an FIR for cognizable offences. It was contended that FIR registration should be dealt with by the police and that governmental or ministerial intervention would raise concerns where a person facing allegations is involved in deciding the investigative course. A transfer to a federal investigative agency was sought on grounds of investigative independence and perceived conflict of interest.
Trade truce extension maintains tariff pauses and export-restriction rollbacks while negotiations continue on broader economic commitments. United States-China trade relations may remain governed by the Busan Agreement through January 10 under a stated two-month extension, though Chinese official confirmation is pending. The arrangement maintains pauses on elevated tariffs and prior rollbacks of restrictions affecting critical minerals and high-technology exports. Negotiations may produce a broader economic package or further continuation of existing terms, while implementation of agreed commitments is under review. The parties have also proposed reciprocal alerts on AI-related hacking incidents involving national-security concerns.
Gold Smuggling Enforcement: Concealed foreign-origin gold recovered from vehicles and a traveller, with arrests under customs law. Gold-smuggling enforcement involved the seizure of approximately 21 kg of foreign-origin gold in two operations and the arrest of five persons under the Customs Act, 1962. Gold bars were recovered from sophisticated vehicle-chassis cavities, while gold bars and cut pieces were recovered from a passenger's specially designed cotton waist belt. The operations concerned suspected cross-border gold movement and targeted organised smuggling networks using sophisticated concealment methods.
The Government has been concerned about the impact of the global financial crisis on the Indian economy and a number of steps have been taken to deal with this problem.
The first priority was to re-assure the people of the stability of the financial system in general and of the safety of bank deposits in particular. To this end, steps were taken to infuse liquidity into the banking system and also to address problems being faced by various non-bank financing companies. These steps have ensured that the financial system is functioning effectively without suffering the kind of loss of confidence experienced in the industrialised world.
Having assured stability of the system, the Government has focussed its attention on countering the impact of the global recession on India's economic growth. On the monetary side, the RBI has sought to pump sufficient liquidity into the banking system to enable bank credit to meet the expanded requirements of the economy keeping in mind the contraction in credit from non-bank sources. Banks have been provided adequate liquidity through a series of reductions in the CRR and additional flexibility in meeting the SLR requirement. Interest rate reductions have also been signalled by reductions in the repo and reverse repo rates, the most recent of which was announced on Saturday when both the repo rate and the reverse repo rate were cut by 100 basis points. Access to external commercial borrowings has also been liberalised so that borrowers capable of accessing funds from abroad are allowed to do so. The banks are being encouraged to counter what might otherwise become self-fulfilling negative expectations by enhanced lending to support economic activity.
These measures in the area of money and credit are being supplemented by fiscal measures designed to stimulate the economy. In recognition of the need for a fiscal stimulus, the government had consciously allowed the fiscal deficit to expand beyond the originally targeted level because of the loan waivers, issue of oil and fertilizer bonds and higher levels of food subsidy. In addition, the following steps are being taken:
1. Plan Expenditure:
In order to provide a contra-cyclical stimulus via plan expenditure, the Government has decided to seek authorisation for additional plan expenditure of upto Rs 20,000 crore in the current year. In addition, steps are being taken to ensure full utilisation of funds already provided, so that the pace of expenditure is maintained. The total spending programme in the balance four months of the current fiscal year, taking plan and non-plan expenditure together is expected to be Rs.300,000 crore.
The economy will continue to need stimulus in 2009-2010 also and this can be achieved by ensuring a substantial increase in plan expenditure as part of the budget for next year.
2. Reduction in Cenvat:
As an immediate measure to encourage additional spending, an across-the-board cut of 4% in the ad valorem Cenvat rate will be effected for the balance part of the current financial year on all products other than petroleum and those where the current rate is less than 4%.
3. Measures to Support Exports
i) Pre and post-shipment export credit for labour intensive exports, i.e., textiles (including handlooms, carpets and handicrafts), leather, gems & jewellery, marine products and SME sector is being made more attractive by providing an interest subvention of 2 percent upto 31/3/2009 subject to minimum rate of interest of 7 percent per annum
ii) Additional funds of Rs.1100 crore will be provided to ensure full refund of Terminal Excise duty/CST.
iii) An additional allocation for export incentive schemes of Rs.350 crore will be made.
iv) Government back-up guarantee will be made available to ECGC to the extent of Rs.350 crore to enable it to provide guarantees for exports to difficult markets/products.
v) Exporters will be allowed refund of service tax on foreign agent commissions of upto 10 percent of FOB value of exports. They will also be allowed refund of service tax on output services while availing of benefits under Duty Drawback Scheme.
4. Housing
Housing is a potentially very important source of employment and demand for critical sectors and there is a large unmet need for housing in the country, especially for middle and low income groups. The Reserve Bank has announced that it will shortly put in place a refinance facility of Rs.4000 crore for the National Housing Bank. In addition, one of the areas where plan expenditure can be increased relatively easily is the Indira Awas Yojana. As a further measure of support for this sector public sector banks will shortly announce a package for borrowers of home loans in two categories: (1) upto Rs.5 lakhs and (2) Rs 5 lakh-Rs 20 lakh. This sector will be kept under a close watch and additional measures would be taken as necessary to promote an accelerated growth trajectory.
5. MSME Sector
The Government attaches the highest priority to supporting the medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) sector which is critical for employment generation. To facilitate the flow of credit to MSMEs, RBI has announced a refinance facility of Rs.7000 crore for SIDBI which will be available to support incremental lending, either directly to MSMEs or indirectly via banks, NBFCs and SFCs. In addition, the following steps are being taken.
(a) To boost collateral free lending, the current guarantee cover under Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small enterprises on loans will be extended from Rs.50 lakh to Rs.1 crore with guarantee cover of 50 percent.
(b) The lock in period for loans covered under the existing credit guarantee scheme will be reduced from 24 to 18 months, to encourage banks to cover more loans under the guarantee scheme.
(c) Government will issue an advisory to Central Public Sector Enterprises and request State Public Sector Enterprises to ensure prompt payment of bills of MSMEs. Easing of credit conditions generally should help PSUs to make such payments on schedule.
6. Textiles
(a) An additional allocation of Rs.1400 crore will be made to clear the entire backlog in TUF Scheme.
(b) All items of handicrafts will be included under 'Vishesh Krishi & Gram Udyog Yojana'.
7. Infrastructure Financing
A large number of infrastructure projects are now being cleared for implementation in the Public Private Partnership mode. These projects may experience difficulty in reaching financial closure given the current uncertainties in the financial world. In order to support financing of such projects, Government has decided to authorise the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) to raise Rs.10,000 crore through tax-free bonds by 31/3/2009. These funds will be used by IIFCL to refinance bank lending of longer maturity to eligible infrastructure projects, particularly in highways and port sectors. In this way it is expected that IIFCL resources used for refinance can leverage bank financing of double the amount. Depending on need, IIFCL will be permitted to raise further resources by issue of such bonds. In particular, these initiatives will support a PPP programme of Rs.100,000 crore in the highways sector.
8. Others
(a) Government departments will be allowed to take up replacement of government vehicles within the allowed budget, in relaxation of extant economy instructions.
(b) Import Duty on Naphtha for use in the power sector will be eliminated.
(c) Export duty on iron ore fines will be eliminated and on lumps will be reduced to 5%.
The Government is keeping a close watch on the evolving economic situation and will not hesitate to take any additional steps that may be needed to counter recessionary trends and maintain the pace of economic activity.
Fiscal stimulus expands public expenditure and tax relief to sustain credit flow and support exports and MSMEs.
The Government announced monetary measures to ensure bank liquidity and credit supply via reduced reserve requirements, lower policy rates, SLR flexibility and liberalised external borrowings, together with fiscal stimulus through increased plan expenditure authorisation, a temporary across the board 4% cut in ad valorem Cenvat for most products, targeted export supports including interest subvention and enhanced refunds and guarantees, housing refinance facilities and bank packages for home loans, expanded MSME refinance and credit guarantee provisions, and IIFCL authorisation to raise tax free bonds for infrastructure refinancing.
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