National Productivity Week highlights MSME cluster productivity, Industry 4.0 readiness assessment, and proposed productivity rating systems.
NPC advanced cluster-based strategies to boost MSME competitiveness and global integration, advocating shared infrastructure and knowledge exchange. It proposed an Industry 4.0 Readiness Assessment Framework, an Indian Productivity Rating System, a 5S Assessment Framework for export readiness, sector-specific benchmarks, and a Learning & Development Centre to embed productivity tools. Energy efficiency, sustainable production, youth engagement, and international collaboration were presented as complementary measures to translate productivity gains into cost efficiency and competitiveness.

Technology sector urged to pursue trillion-dollar ambition by 2035 with tax incentives, clean energy and AI focus.
The minister urged the technology sector to pursue a trillion-dollar ambition by 2035 through applied AI, a 10 GW data centre capacity target by 2030, and strengthened clean energy integration, backed by income tax benefits for qualifying investments through 2047 to boost FDI, jobs and the data centre ecosystem, while emphasizing cybersecurity, data integrity, AI education, industry-led engagement with government facilitation, and coordinated action with states to streamline approvals and electricity access.

Customs reforms introduce trust-based governance and an integrated digital ecosystem to simplify clearances and aid trade.
Reforms introduced in the Union Budget 2026-27 emphasise trust-based governance, simplification of customs procedures, and implementation through staff sensitisation across Mumbai Customs operations; a single integrated digital ecosystem connecting export-import stakeholders and participating agencies is being pursued to accelerate clearances, strengthen business planning, and improve ease of doing business, with FAQs released for public facilitation and ongoing stakeholder consultations to address industry queries.

Low voltage motor business acquisition approved; Innomotics to acquire Siemens' unit in India through a slump sale.
The Competition Commission of India approved a proposed combination for the slump sale of the low voltage motor business of Siemens Limited to Innomotics India Private Limited. The Target Business sells low voltage motors for industrial applications in India and exports under an outsourced manufacturing model. Innomotics, part of KPS Capital Partners, is an industrial motors manufacturer supplying high and medium voltage motors and large drive systems to sectors including oil and gas, metals, cement, power and marine. A detailed order will follow.

Acquisition of ~6.63% stake in Valuedrive by Fidelity Funds via CCPS subscription and secondary purchase.
The proposed transaction involves acquisition of approximately 6.63% minority shareholding in Valuedrive Technologies Private Limited by Fidelity group investment funds through a mix of primary subscription and secondary acquisition of compulsory convertible preference shares, with Fidelity Funds acting as diversified investment vehicles. Valuedrive is an operating-cum-holding company in the Spinny Group operating an electronic wholesale motor-vehicle platform and owning subsidiaries in lending, insurance broking, automotive publishing/events, and ancillary services.

Amundi ICG proposed combination approved: Acquirer to buy 4.64% voting shares, nominate a director and subscribe to non voting instruments.
CCI approved Amundi's acquisition of 4.64% voting share capital of ICG via on-market purchases, a right to nominate a director, and subsequent subscription to non voting instruments up to 5.26% of ICG's capital. The Acquirer lacks direct Indian operations but is indirectly present through a minority joint venture that offers asset management services in India. The Target operates globally as an alternative asset manager across structured capital, private equity, real assets, private debt, and credit markets.

Aadhaar card tracing: High Court directs Centre and state to create an SOP for faster police access.
The High Court directed central and state governments to formulate an SOP for police access to Aadhaar card details to enable faster tracing of victims, stressing expedited procedures for missing children and suspected human trafficking; it ordered the Unique Identification Authority director be made a party, received a report from the state legal services authority on action taken after an alleged assault, and scheduled further hearing.

KELTRON secures Rs18 crore export deal to supply Passive Sonar systems; KS Smart to buy 40% stake in Kokonix.
KELTRON signed an Rs 18 crore export agreement, via Neo Power, to supply Passive Sonar systems to navies in the South Asia-North Africa region-its largest single export order following a successful 2025 shipment of 300 sonar elements that met delivery and quality standards. Concurrently, Kokonix will transfer a 40 percent stake to KS Smart to revive laptop manufacturing and bolster its smart-device production capacity.

India-US trade framework remains the basis for an interim agreement; fact sheet amended to reflect shared understandings.
The India-US joint statement is the binding framework for an interim trade agreement; amendments to the White House fact sheet were made to reflect shared understandings, removing references to pulses and digital services taxes and reframing commitments as intentions to reduce tariffs on specified US industrial and agricultural goods and to increase purchases of US energy and technology products.

New CPI series shows January inflation at 2.75%, revises basket and weights, impacting monetary policy signals.
The new CPI series rebased to 2024 (HCES 2023-24) expands the basket to 358 items, reweights components-notably lowering Food & Beverages to 36.75% and enlarging Housing to 17.67%-widens price collection across rural, urban and online markets, and reclassifies groups into a 12-category COICOP-aligned framework. Index values begin January 2025 with year on year comparability from January 2026 and a linking factor enables back-calculation; methodological changes aim to align inflation signals with current expenditure patterns and refine the basis for monetary and fiscal policy calibration.

Money laundering probe alleges director diverted company funds through front entities, benami deals and forged documents causing large losses.
The director allegedly exceeded limited authority to generate and conceal proceeds of crime by diverting company funds through front entities, reselling land to the company at inflated prices, transferring land and TDRs at undervalued rates, executing benami transactions, fabricating MoUs to create bogus possession claims, and facilitating fraudulent allotment of flats, causing over Rs 85 crore wrongful loss; the money laundering probe proceeds under PMLA with the accused produced and arrested during production proceedings.

New CPI series updates base year to 2024, widens basket and recalibrates weights to better measure inflation.
India introduced a new Consumer Price Index series with base year 2024=100, expanding coverage to 358 items and 12 classification groups, recalibrating weights using the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023 24, reducing the food and beverages weight to 36.75%, and updating price collection across extensive rural, urban and online markets to provide more contemporaneous inflation signals for policy calibration.

Loan recovery rules require agent training, call recording, respectful conduct, background checks and restrictions on contact timing.
The Reserve Bank proposes mandating recorded phone calls and civil conduct by recovery agents, prohibiting abusive language and inappropriate messaging, and banning contact at inopportune occasions. Banks must adopt internal guidelines, protect customer information held by agents, require completion of formal debt recovery training, and conduct pre engagement and periodic background verifications of agent representatives. Banks must exercise utmost caution before involving agents in matters that are subjudice and ensure recovery agencies comply with verification, training, and conduct standards.

Sensex falls amid IT sell-off and AI concerns; TCS drops below Rs10 lakh crore market capitalisation.
Benchmark indices fell on heavy selling in IT stocks as AI-related disruption fears and diminished expectations of a near-term Fed rate cut following strong US jobs data drove volatility; TCS tumbled over 5%, pushing its market capitalisation below the Rs 10 lakh crore mark, while foreign institutional investor inflows in February provided limited offsetting support.

New CPI series recalibrates weights and expands services and digital coverage to improve inflation measurement for policy use.
The National Statistics Office released a redesigned Consumer Price Index with base 2024=100 that recalibrates item weights using the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24, expands coverage of goods, services and digital channels, reduces the food and beverages weight, and aims to provide more accurate inflation signals to aid monetary policy calibration and stabilize CPI-linked fiscal items.

Intel's India-specific warranty policy deemed abusive of dominance; fined INR 27.38 crore and ordered to publicise withdrawal.
CCI held Intel dominant in the boxed desktop microprocessor market and found its India-specific warranty policy discriminatory and limiting of parallel imports, causing an appreciable adverse effect on competition under Section 4. The Commission imposed a reduced penalty of INR 27.38 crores after considering mitigation including policy withdrawal and directed Intel to publicise the withdrawal and submit a compliance report.

Samsung Galaxy F70e 5G available with Bajaj Finserv Easy EMIs offering flexible tenures and zero down payment.
Samsung launched the Galaxy F70e 5G and promotes purchase via Bajaj Finserv Easy EMIs offering quick approvals, customised payment terms, zero down payment on select models, and flexible tenures (3-60 months). Bajaj Finance Limited is identified as a deposit taking NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India and classified as an NBFC Investment and Credit Company that engages in lending and acceptance of deposits, with a diversified lending portfolio and published credit ratings.

India garment duty access: apparel made with US yarn or cotton to qualify for duty concessions under an interim trade pact.
India will receive apparel duty concessions under an interim India US trade agreement when garments meet yarn forward or cotton forward rules of origin by procuring yarn and/or cotton from the US, mirroring benefits extended to Bangladesh; the arrangement, contingent on signing the legal agreement by mid March, includes no quotas on raw material imports and aims to preserve protections for most Indian agricultural products.

Nationwide strike contests labour codes and protest limits; courts question RERA functioning and expressive boundaries.
Trade unions held a nationwide strike opposing labour codes and the proposed Industrial Relations Code, alleging it favours employers and curtails protest rights. The Supreme Court criticised state RERA bodies for facilitating defaulting builders and urged reconsideration of their constitution and enforcement. The government approved a government to government purchase of 114 combat aircraft, while a defence contractor proposed co development of an aero engine with full intellectual property transfer, raising procurement and IP compliance issues.

SPJIMR launches PGPDM Batch 27 to build development sector leaders with diverse, practice focused training and RBI emphasis on intermediaries.
SPJIMR launched Batch 27 of its PGPDM, a 37 member, gender balanced cohort emphasizing practice oriented learning and capacity building for development sector leadership. The programme highlights the importance of capable intermediaries to bridge government, business and society-critical to MSME promotion and entrepreneurial support-and is positioned as the only Indian development management programme with triple international accreditation.