Insurance affordability: rein in acquisition and management costs to expand coverage, curb mis-selling and boost product access through design.
High distribution and administrative expenses sustain a low-penetration, high-cost insurance model; insurers must reduce customer acquisition costs and expenses of management, reassess product and channel value, and adopt digital distribution and customer-centric design to improve affordability and margins. The regulator expanded the Use and File procedure to enable quicker product launches within regulatory norms. Mis-selling undermines trust and must be prevented by correct sales practices. Universal, meaningful coverage by 2047 is framed as the penetration objective, founded on affordability, accessibility and awareness.

Money laundering asset attachment under PMLA leads to provisional seizure of land tied to alleged fraudulent land transfers.
Provisional attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was ordered against land held by associate companies and nominees of a real estate firm amid allegations that those entities served as land holding vehicles while funding, control and beneficial ownership vested with the company; the probe alleges irregular collaboration agreements and GPAs, weakened landowner bargaining after acquisition notifications, transfers to private colonizers at depressed rates, wrongful gains to the company and detriment to landholders.

PMLA attachment of a residential asset restricts transfer during investigation, pending adjudicating authority confirmation and possible confiscation.
A provisional attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has been issued against the Reliance Group residential property 'Abode' to prevent its transfer during an investigation into alleged bank loan fraud linked to Reliance Communications; the agency alleges the property was aggregated into a private family trust to disguise involvement and shield assets from liabilities arising from personal guarantees, and the attachment remains subject to confirmation by the PMLA Adjudicating Authority within 180 days, after which confiscation and vacation orders may follow.

Revenue Intelligence and Economic Offences Directorate expands remit to investigate economic crimes and tax evasion.
The government replaces the State Revenue Intelligence Directorate with a Revenue Intelligence and Economic Offences Directorate empowered to investigate real estate fraud, banking and insurance financial crimes, NBFC and securities offences, multi-level marketing scams, fake insolvency cases, fraudulent recruitment and admission documents, illegal encroachments, stamp and registration irregularities, shell companies and cooperative scams, and to integrate inputs from tax and other revenue departments to check revenue leakages and curb tax evasion.

Asset attachment under PMLA targets luxury property amid alleged bank fraud; further questioning scheduled by investigators.
A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act attaches the Mumbai residence 'Abode', a multi storeyed luxury house valued at Rs 3,716.83 crore, in a probe connected to an alleged bank fraud by Reliance Communications; the cumulative attached value in the investigation is about Rs 15,700 crore.

Judicial integrity concerns prompt objection to textbook chapter, with related Supreme Court guidance on public discourse and a trial stay.
The Chief Justice objected to an NCERT Class 8 chapter on judicial corruption, leading to its removal and highlighting protection of judicial integrity. The Supreme Court emphasised that high constitutional office holders must not target communities and stayed trial proceedings by the Enforcement Directorate against a state chief minister. Separately, the US initiated a preliminary countervailing duty on certain Indian solar imports and the UK introduced mandatory electronic travel authorisations and eVisas, reflecting trade remedy and migration procedural changes.

Two-child disqualification removed for local body elections, while discriminatory disease-based bar deleted and a new economic offences directorate established.
The cabinet introduced amendment bills to remove the statutory bar on persons with more than two children contesting local body elections and approved deleting "leprosy" as a disqualifying disease in municipal election law, while replacing the State Revenue Intelligence Directorate with a Revenue Intelligence and Economic Offences Directorate to investigate and prevent financial crimes, real estate fraud, shell companies, forged documents, illegal encroachments and revenue leakages, and coordinating inputs from tax and sectoral departments.

Countervailing duty on Indian solar imports shocks markets; solar stocks plunge while benchmarks remain volatile.
A US preliminary countervailing duty of about 126 percent was imposed on certain Indian solar imports following allegations of unfair manufacturing subsidies; the announcement triggered a sharp sell-off in solar-sector equities and contributed to volatile trading in broader benchmarks, with analysts and flow data citing trade uncertainty, net foreign outflows, and cautious investor positioning as proximate market drivers.

Indo-US trade deal risks farmers as unilateral US tariff actions leave exports vulnerable; India urged to suspend the agreement.
The Indo-US interim trade deal is criticised as one-sided because US imposition of a high duty on Indian solar module imports shows Indian exports are subject to unilateral executive tariff measures, leaving exporters vulnerable; opposition leaders urge India to put the agreement on hold to protect farmers and reassess safeguards for exporters in light of a judicial finding that such presidential tariffs exceeded lawful authority.

Integrated multimodal infrastructure: four projects evaluated to strengthen connectivity, capacity and last mile linkages under national planning.
The Network Planning Group evaluated four projects for conformity with PM GatiShakti principles of integrated multimodal infrastructure, last mile connectivity and a Whole of Government approach. Two third line railway projects (Jalandhar Cantt-Jammu Tawi and Manikpur-Itarsi) aim to augment rail capacity, resilience and operational throughput on strategic corridors. A Greenfield airport at Doloo, Silchar is proposed to relieve airport capacity constraints and stimulate regional socio economic growth. A Surat Metro extension is proposed as a dedicated feeder link to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR corridor to enable seamless last mile and modal integration.

Smartphone exports become top export category as manufacturing scale and premium device production boost overseas shipments.
Smartphone exports have become the country's leading export category, propelled by expanded domestic production and the manufacture of premium devices for high-value overseas markets. The growth in export value is linked to large-scale, export-oriented manufacturing and is expected to be reinforced by the commencement of new semiconductor production capacity, with market observers noting premium-brand assembly and diversified export destinations as key drivers.

Payment assurance: Bank honoured government principal and interest despite an ongoing fraud investigation and reconciliation caveats.
A branch-level fraud involving forged instruments and payment instructions affecting Government of Haryana departments is under investigation, with preliminary findings indicating possible employee collusion with external parties. Despite the ongoing probe, IDFC FIRST Bank has honored 100% of the principal and interest claimed by the affected departments, subject to final reconciliation and any further claims, and states it is cooperating with law enforcement and regulators under the FEMA / RBI framework.

Fair trade: Germany seeks balanced, regulated economic partnership with China and support for diplomatic resolution in Ukraine.
Germany seeks a fair economic playing field with China by demanding reduced barriers to foreign companies, remedies for systemic overcapacity and export or access restrictions that distort competition, and cooperation to uphold supply-chain stability. The visit also urges Chinese diplomatic assistance to help negotiate a comprehensive, lasting peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, linking trade concerns to multilateral crisis resolution.

Countervailing duties on Indian solar imports after preliminary subsidy finding; investigations and anti dumping probes continue.
The United States Department of Commerce issued preliminary affirmative determinations imposing a preliminary countervailing duty on certain Indian crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and related solar goods, while announcing different preliminary duties on comparable imports from Indonesia and Laos. Commerce noted increased imports of the Indian products, is conducting concurrent anti dumping investigations of solar cells from the three countries, and has scheduled a final determination in the countervailing duty investigations to follow the preliminary findings.

Free trade agreement negotiations between India and GCC launched to deepen trade ties, provide business predictability and boost investment.
A Joint Statement and prior Terms of Reference have initiated negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between India and the GCC to establish a predictable, broad-based trading framework. The Statement emphasises objectives of expanding and diversifying bilateral trade and investment, enhancing market access in identified export and import sectors, and leveraging historical ties and diaspora links. It frames the FTA negotiations as a mechanism to unlock trade potential, strengthen economic integration, and provide predictability for businesses, with specific tariff and regulatory commitments to be determined through negotiations.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations aim to deepen trade and regulatory cooperation between India and Israel.
First round negotiations for an India Israel Free Trade Agreement began under a signed Terms of Reference, with technical sessions on trade in goods and services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedures and trade facilitation, and intellectual property rights, aiming to provide certainty to businesses, strengthen supply chains and expand bilateral economic cooperation.

Preferential trade access expands through high quality FTAs, enabling broader market access and stronger export competitiveness.
India has expanded preferential trade access through a series of high quality free trade agreements, advancing negotiations with multiple partners including a Gulf Cooperation Council bloc, Israel, Chile and Canada. The government connects FTAs to export growth-citing increased merchandise trade with partners-and is supporting MSME integration via an Export Promotion Mission that improves credit access, reduces costs and assists with compliance. A four point roadmap directs grassroots FTA dissemination, a focus on quality and standards, value chain upgrading, and development of local export ecosystems through industry-MSME partnerships.

Wheat export permission allows limited shipments while preserving domestic food security and protecting farmer returns through set modalities.
The government authorised limited wheat exports while maintaining a general prohibition, subject to a capped export allocation and forthcoming operational modalities. Wheat flour and related products remain largely prohibited except for a separate limited allowance and government to government food security permissions. The policy is justified by assessed higher private and central stocks, projected central pool availability and increased acreage supported by MSP and procurement, with aims to stabilise domestic prices, prevent distress sales, improve liquidity and allow exports without endangering domestic supply.

Product contamination probe: forensic and food safety testing underway after suspected coolant leak linked to renal harm.
No urea traces were detected in milk linked to deaths and hospitalisations; ethylene glycol contamination and a suspected coolant leak from a freezer are under investigation. Recognised food safety, veterinary and forensic laboratories have received milk, product and environmental samples for phased testing; results will determine whether adulteration or accidental contamination occurred. The implicated dairy unit was sealed, the vendor detained, extensive household screening and blood testing conducted, and law enforcement indicated criminal proceedings will follow based on forensic and post mortem findings.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations to advance India-GCC cooperation in energy, trade and investment and strategic ties.
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council have initiated negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement alongside a Joint Action Plan under a Strategic Dialogue to deepen cooperation in energy, trade and investment, agriculture, security, and people to people ties, positioning the FTA as the central instrument to structure and expand economic relations between India and the six member GCC bloc.