UPI transaction charges remain unavailable for consumers and person-to-person payments, while limited threshold-based merchant MDR may be considered. Proposed amendment of section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 is intended to support UPI sustainability, technological advancement and resilience. Consumer payments and person-to-person transactions are to remain free. Any future merchant discount rate would apply only to limited merchant transactions above a threshold, at a nominal rate, while most merchant transactions remain free. The framework supports investment in cybersecurity, fraud prevention and infrastructure, alongside a self-sustaining and inclusive digital-payment ecosystem.
Fair competition cooperation in renewable energy markets advances knowledge-sharing and evidence-based enforcement across interconnected digital and energy markets. BRICS competition authorities adopted a Joint Statement strengthening cooperation to promote fair competition, including in renewable energy markets. Cooperation focuses on dialogue, knowledge-sharing and consideration of cross-border competition challenges in digital markets, emerging technologies and the energy transition. Competition enforcement is to remain principled and evidence-based, supporting efficiency, consumer welfare, innovation and merit-based competition. A collaborative renewable-energy competition study identified evolving market dynamics and areas for future cooperation.
Cost optimisation in public finance strengthens investment decisions, risk allocation, indigenous manufacturing and value-driven government expenditure through specialised financial expertise. ICoAS cost optimisation supports public financial management through prudent resource utilisation, financial oversight and improved cost management across government. Its role includes supporting indigenous manufacturing, better investment decisions, efficient public expenditure and maximum value for public spending. With greater private-sector participation and Public-Private Partnerships, ICoAS officers are expected to promote cost efficiency, appropriate risk allocation and sound project structuring. Capacity building emphasises integrity, financial modelling, data visualisation, analytical frameworks and artificial intelligence for improved public-finance management.
Co-operative development financing would expand through direct assistance, share-capital participation and wider operational powers for sectoral support. National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes to broaden the Corporation's mandate to promote co-operative development. It would permit direct loans and grants to co-operative societies and other entities engaged in co-operative development, where funds are used for co-operative purposes. With Central Government approval, the Corporation could participate in the share capital of such entities. The proposals also expand the meaning of foodstuffs, remove geographical restrictions for industrial-goods assistance, and provide additional functional powers.
GST compliance failures and electricity subsidy controls raise allegations of financial irregularities and potential losses to the public exchequer. Allegations based on a Comptroller and Auditor General report identified purported GST compliance failures involving outstanding tax liabilities, e-way bills generated after cancellation of GST registrations, limited bill scrutiny, non-compliance, and turnover mismatches. The allegations also concerned electricity subsidies extended to consumers with prolonged zero bills or apparent non-residence, presenting these issues as possible financial irregularities and losses to the public exchequer.
Money-laundering prosecution complaints allege fund diversion through shell entities, credit-facility evergreening, layered transactions and fictitious project expenditure. Money-laundering prosecution complaints allege that funds from toll-road projects and credit facilities were diverted through group companies, contractors, shell entities and conduit accounts. In the toll-road matter, allegedly sham or back-dated subcontracting arrangements and subsequent documentation were used to portray transfers as genuine project expenditure. In the credit-facilities matter, fresh facilities were allegedly used to repay, rotate and evergreen earlier liabilities rather than for sanctioned end-use, with funds layered and presented as legitimate business expenditure or receipts. Attached assets are sought to be confiscated as alleged proceeds of crime.
Direct Benefit Transfer pension disbursement replaces cooperative-bank doorstep delivery, while preserving home payments for beneficiaries unable to use bank accounts. Direct Benefit Transfer of social security and welfare pensions to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts is intended to replace cooperative-bank doorstep delivery, except for bedridden and similarly situated beneficiaries. The change addresses delays in remitting undistributed pensions, deficient record updates and reconciliation, duplicate payments, delivery incentives, and compliance with Direct Benefit Transfer norms. Criticism focuses on beneficiary access to linked commercial-bank accounts, possible minimum-balance deductions, exclusion of cooperative banks, and the effect on doorstep-delivery workers.
Engineering business growth supported Raymond's first-quarter performance, with export expansion, capacity investment and net-debt-free financial flexibility. Raymond Limited reported unaudited first-quarter FY27 growth in total income, EBITDA and profit before tax before exceptional items, while remaining net-debt-free with a net cash surplus. Its Engineering business comprises Precision Technology & Auto Components and Aerospace & Defence. Growth in the former was attributed to export expansion, operating leverage, product mix and cost reductions. Aerospace & Defence growth was linked to production for global OEMs, portfolio expansion and increased capacity, although margins were affected by targeted research and development investment. Forward-looking statements remain subject to regulatory, political, economic and technological risks.
Savings account selection requires comparison of effective interest, fees, digital service, access, and individual banking needs. Savings-account selection should compare effective interest returns under slab-based rates, recurring operating charges and the customer's actual banking needs. Net value depends not only on advertised rates but also on relevant minimum-balance, card, ATM, alert and transfer fees. Digital reliability, customer support, branch availability and ATM access should be assessed according to the customer's average balance, cash use, transfer frequency, travel patterns and need for in-person assistance. The suitable account is one that matches real banking behaviour.
Urban cooperative bank regulation promotes licensing, governance, compliance support and cybersecurity measures to strengthen stability and depositor confidence. Urban cooperative banks are encouraged to recognise regulatory support through liberalised branch opening, doorstep banking, demand drafts, life certificates, dedicated regulatory coordination, enhanced gold-loan limits, one-time settlements and progress towards on-tap licensing. Sound governance is material to sectoral stability, while small-borrower lending is presented as a comparatively safe lending segment. The umbrella body can support member banks through technical expertise, compliance assistance, cybersecurity solutions and participation in a security operations centre to strengthen depositor confidence.
Korean food export promotion combines buyer consultations, regulatory guidance and consumer experiences to support entry into Indian and South Asian markets. Korean food export promotion in India and South Asia combined business consultations with consumer-facing activities. Individual meetings connected Korean exporters with regional buyers and generated memoranda of understanding for products including frozen gimbap, ginseng wine and kombucha. Exporters received on-site guidance concerning non-tariff barriers, including food import customs clearance and certification requirements. Preparatory online sessions addressed import procedures, regulatory matters and consumer trends, while consumer events promoted Korean food through tasting, retail and experiential activities.
Illegal immigration enforcement prioritises dismantling entry, documentation and employment networks while requiring citizens to report information through police channels. Illegal immigration enforcement involves continuous identification and verification operations, coordination with relevant officials, and confidential investigation of networks facilitating entry, identity documentation, accommodation and employment. Enquiries extend to intermediaries, contractors, Aadhaar procurement and verification practices, rather than focusing only on apprehended individuals. Citizen vigilantism, moral policing and social-media targeting of suspected migrants are discouraged because they may compromise investigations; information should instead be given through proper police channels.
Technology, transparency and governance strengthen urban cooperative banks through modern customer services, depositor protection and cooperative-sector support. Technology adoption, transparency, sound governance and modern customer services are identified as necessary for urban cooperative banks to remain competitive. Banks are encouraged to join the sector's umbrella organisation and self-regulatory body, which provides capital, information-technology infrastructure and liquidity support. Protection of depositors' money remains a regulatory responsibility, while banks are expected to improve governance, train staff, adopt technology and enhance customer-centric services. Customer prosperity and reduced perception gaps between the central bank and urban cooperative banks are emphasised as measures to strengthen the sector.
Authorised Dealer Category-II licensing expands permissible FEMA current account and foreign trade transaction services for cross-border payment customers. An Authorised Dealer Category-II approval under the Foreign Exchange Management (Authorised Persons) Regulations, 2026 enables Paul Merchants to undertake additional permissible non-trade current account transactions under FEMA, excluding gifts and donations, and foreign trade transactions within the applicable per-transaction limit. The approval supports foreign exchange and cross-border payment services, including overseas remittances for education, medical treatment, travel, and conference or event participation.
Integrated investor claim portal modernisation advances digital KYC, streamlined verification, stakeholder-informed safeguards, and efficient investor claim settlement services. Integrated IEPFA Portal 2.0 is proposed to modernise investor claim processing through digital KYC, pre-filled Form IEPF-5, entitlement search, and a simplified e-Verification Report filing workflow. Stakeholder feedback included Aadhaar eKYC address validation, KYC for authorised representatives, entitlement-letter validation checks, bulk DSC and eSign functionality, integration of approved IEPF Form-4 data, lower-value share valuation using NSE and BSE data, and alerts for frequent address changes to prevent fraud.
Foreign capital inflows supported the rupee despite geopolitical uncertainty, oil-price pressures, and volatile global market sentiment. Foreign capital inflows supported a marginal strengthening of the rupee against the US dollar despite global risk aversion arising from uncertainty surrounding negotiations affecting the Strait of Hormuz. Higher crude oil prices and weak domestic equity sentiment remained relevant pressures. Near-term currency movement was expected to depend on developments in the negotiations, weekend decisions, US employment data, the dollar index, crude oil prices, and the reported increase in foreign exchange reserves.
Energy security through diversified sourcing protected fuel supplies during Hormuz disruption and supports domestic exploration and alternative fuels. Energy security measures based on diversified crude oil and LPG sourcing, expanded infrastructure, increased domestic LPG production and alternative fuels were presented as maintaining fuel availability during disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic resilience is also linked to support for private deep-water oil and gas exploration, opening offshore acreage, and expansion of compressed biogas and ethanol blending. Ethanol-blended petrol testing identified limited contamination instances rather than a systemic issue, while excise duty reductions were described as cushioning consumers against global fuel-price volatility.
Credit valuation adjustment framework revises derivative capital requirements through flexible basic approaches, hedge recognition, and risk-sensitive counterparty treatment. Credit Valuation Adjustment framework revisions align CVA capital treatment with final Basel III standards. Eligible banks may use the full or reduced basic approach, while banks with an insignificant volume of non-centrally cleared derivatives may calculate their CVA capital charge at 100 per cent of the counterparty credit risk capital charge. The draft also clarifies CVA hedge recognition, introduces risk weights sensitive to sector and credit quality, and separates systematic and idiosyncratic CVA risk in the full basic approach.
Leverage ratio framework amendments propose Basel-aligned capital adequacy standards, with public feedback invited on the draft directions. Proposed amendments to the leverage ratio framework would revise Chapter VII of the 2025 Commercial Banks Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy Directions to implement the Basel Committee's Leverage Ratio 2017 Standard. Public comments and feedback on the draft Eleventh Amendment Directions, 2026, are invited until August 28, 2026, through the designated online platform, postal submission, or email.
BHAVYA Scheme project selection uses challenge-based evaluation of infrastructure, industrial ecosystems, and policy enablers under prescribed eligibility criteria. BHAVYA Scheme Phase-I proposals submitted by State and Union Territory governments will be evaluated and scored under prescribed eligibility and evaluation criteria. Challenge-based project selection considers connectivity and site suitability, quality of core, value-added and social infrastructure in the detailed project report, and the industrial ecosystem and policy enablers. The Scheme guidelines provide for completion of the first-phase selection process within one year from notification.
The Government is committed to taking steps for minimizing the impact of the global financial crisis on the Indian economy. To this end, Government has taken a number of steps since October 7, the most recent being the measures announced on 7.12.2008. These included:
(i) Additional plan expenditure upto Rs. 20,000 cr. in the current year mainly for critical rural, infrastructure and social security schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Indira Awas Yojana, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).
(ii) An across-the-board cut of 4% in ad-valorem Cenvat rate except for petroleum products.
(iii) Several other measures to support exports, housing, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) and textile sectors.
(iv) Authorising India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) to raise Rs. 10,000 cr. to refinance bank lending for infrastructure projects.
Subsequently, other measures have also been taken such as removal of ban on export of cement.
.2. Additional steps are being taken on the monetary, credit and fiscal front to further strengthen the contra-cyclical stance of policy. The Reserve Bank has today announced a set of measures. In addition, with a view to further liberalizing the policy on External Commercial Borrowing (ECB), the Government and the RBI have decided:
(a) The 'all-in-cost' ceilings on such borrowing would be removed, under the approval route of RBI;
(b) To facilitate access to funds for the housing sector, the 'development of integrated townships' would be permitted as an eligible end-use of the ECB, under the approval route of RBI;
(c) NBFCs, dealing exclusively with infrastructure financing, would be permitted to access ECB from multilateral or bilateral financial institutions, under the approval route of RBI.
(d) In order to give a boost to the corporate bond market, FII investment limit in rupee denominated corporate bonds in India would be increased from US $ 6 bn to US $ 15 bn.
The decisions at points (a) to (c) would be reviewed after June 30, 2009.
3. The flow of credit to the economy will be further enhanced by the following:
(i) An SPV will be designated shortly to provide liquidity support against investment grade paper to Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) fulfilling certain conditions. Details will be announced separately. The scale of liquidity potentially available through this window is Rs.25,000 crores.
(ii) An arrangement will be worked out with leading Public Sector Banks to provide a line of credit to NBFCs specifically for purchase of commercial vehicles.
(iii) Credit targets of Public Sector Banks are being revised upward to reflect the needs of the economy in the present difficult situation. Government will closely monitor, on a fortnightly basis, the provision of sectoral credit by public sector banks.
(iv) Special monthly meetings of State Level Bankers' Committees would be held to oversee the resolution of credit issues of micro, small and medium enterprises by banks. Department of MSME and Department of Financial Services will jointly set up a Cell to monitor progress on this front. Matters of MSMEs remaining unresolved with the Banks- SME Helpline for more than a fortnight may be brought to the notice of this Cell.
(v) Recently the guarantee cover under Credit Guarantee Scheme for micro and small enterprises on loans was extended from Rs.50 lakh to Rs.1 crore with a guarantee cover of 50%. In order to enhance flow of credit to micro enterprises, it has been further decided to increase the guarantee cover extended by Credit Guarantee Fund Trust to 85% for credit facility upto Rs.5 lakh. This will benefit about 84 per cent of the total number of accounts accorded guarantee cover.
4. State Governments are facing constraints in financing expenditure because of slower revenue growth. To help maintain the momentum of expenditure at the state government level, states will be allowed to raise in the current financial year additional market borrowings of 0.5% of their Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), amounting to about Rs 30,000 crore, for capital expenditures.
5. India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL), which has already been authorized to raise Rs.10,000 cr. through tax free bonds by 31.03.2009 for refinancing bank lending of longer maturity to eligible infrastructure bid based PPP projects, will be accessing the market next week for raising the first tranche of the amount. This will enable the funding of mainly highways and port projects on hand of about Rs.25,000 crore. To fund additional projects of about Rs.75,000 crore at competitive rates over the next 18 months, IIFCL is being enabled to access in tranches an additional Rs.30,000 crores by way of tax free bonds once funds raised in the current year are effectively utilized.
6. Exporters are especially hit by recessionary conditions globally. To support exports a number of steps have been taken. As a further measure:
(i) Taking into account the fact that the rupee has appreciated nearly four per cent against the dollar since November 2008, it has been decided to restore DEPB rates to those prevailing prior to November 2008. In order to provide predictability and stability of regime in the short term for future contracts, the DEPB Scheme would be extended till 31.12.2009.
(ii) Duty drawback benefits on certain items including knitted fabrics, bicycles, agricultural hand tools and specified categories of yarn are being enhanced. These changes will take effect retrospectively from September 1, 2008.
(iii) Exporters have raised a number of procedural issues where modification of procedures could reduce delays faced by exporters. To consider these and similar problems, Government has decided to constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of the Finance Secretary including Secretaries of the Departments of Revenue and Commerce to look into and resolve these issues on a fast-track basis.
(iv) EXIM Bank has obtained from RBI a line of credit of Rs.5000 crore and will provide pre-shipment and post-shipment credit, in rupees or dollars, to Indian exporters at competitive rates.
7. Other measures designed to counter recessionary trends are the following:
(i) Exemptions from CVD on TMT bars and structurals, and from CVD and Special CVD on cement, which were given to contain inflation, are being withdrawn. Full exemption from basic customs duty on zinc and ferro alloys, which was also provided to contain inflation, is being similarly withdrawn.
(ii) GOI will work with State Govts. to encourage them to release land for low income and middle income housing schemes.
(iii) States, as a one time measure upto 30.06.2009, will be provided assistance under the JNNURM for the purchase of buses for their urban transport systems. A scheme towards this end will be announced shortly.
(iv) Accelerated depreciation of 50% will be provided for commercial vehicles to be purchased on or after 1.1.2009 upto 31.03.09.
8. Government is closely monitoring its spending to expedite the pace of expenditure for all schemes and programmes. Government will set up a fast track monitoring committee to ensure expeditious approval and implementation of central projects. Chief Ministers are being advised to do the same.
9. The measures outlined above taken together with steps taken earlier constitute a substantial counter-cyclical stimulus in the current year. Government does not envisage any further measures in the current fiscal year. However, Government is aware that the measures required to provide an economic stimulus to the economy have to extend beyond the current financial year. Towards this end, it is finalising Plan and Non-Plan expenditure that will be required in the next financial year to maintain the tempo. The Plan for the next year will include proposals for recapitalization of the public sector banks. The recapitalization is expected to be of the order of Rs.20000 crore over the next two years. This will help to ensure that the banking system will not suffer from capital adequacy constraints in order to provide credit growth needed to sustain the economic momentum in 2009-10.
Economic stimulus measures liberalise external borrowing and strengthen liquidity and credit support for infrastructure and MSMEs.
Regulatory and fiscal measures provide a counter cyclical stimulus by liberalising External Commercial Borrowing approvals, permitting ECB for integrated township development and infrastructure NBFCs, increasing FII limits in rupee corporate bonds, authorising IIFCL to raise tax free bonds for infrastructure refinancing, creating an SPV to offer liquidity support to eligible NBFCs, instituting credit lines and revised bank credit targets with enhanced monitoring, and expanding credit guarantee coverage and MSME credit resolution mechanisms.
Note: It is a system-generated summary and is for quick reference only.
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