Export duty on petroleum products revised as fortnightly levy review keeps petrol nil and raises diesel and ATF export charges.
Revised Special Additional Excise Duty and Road and Infrastructure Cess rates have been notified for exports of petroleum products for the fortnight beginning 1 May 2026. Diesel exports attract duty of Rs. 23 per litre as SAED only, aviation turbine fuel exports attract Rs. 33 per litre as SAED only, and petrol exports continue to attract nil duty. The export levies are reviewed fortnightly on the basis of average international prices, while domestic excise duty rates on petrol and diesel remain unchanged.

Unified Payments Interface scales India's digital payments ecosystem with massive adoption, interoperability, and financial inclusion.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has expanded over a decade into India's backbone digital payments infrastructure under NPCI and RBI oversight, with broad bank onboarding and wide merchant and person-to-person adoption. The system is described as a major driver of financial inclusion and high-frequency retail payments, supported by interoperability across banks and payment participants. UPI's scale is reflected in sharp growth in transaction volume and value, including daily and monthly record levels in 2025 and FY 2025-26, along with a large share of India's digital payments and nearly half of global real-time payment volume.

GST collections rise to a record high as April revenue shows a strong monthly increase in tax receipts.
Gross GST collections rose by 8.7 per cent in April to a record high, according to government data, reflecting a strong increase in tax revenues during the month. The reported collection level was the highest recorded for the period covered by the update, and the note presents the rise as part of the latest monthly GST revenue position.

GST collections reach record high as domestic receipts, import-linked inflows, and net mop-up all rise in April.
Gross Goods and Services Tax collections rose to a record high in April, with overall receipts increasing year on year. Domestic transaction revenues registered a moderate increase, while collections from imports rose sharply. Refunds also increased during the month, but net GST mop-up remained higher after adjustment for refunds.

Crypto currency frauds and terror financing emerge as new enforcement focus areas for the agency.
The Enforcement Directorate identified crypto currency frauds, terror financing, cyber-enabled crimes and narcotics trafficking as its new focus areas, while noting a decline in bank and real estate frauds after implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act. It also reported filing 812 chargesheets and 155 supplementary chargesheets during 2025-26, a 94 per cent conviction rate, pending money laundering trials, and restitution of assets to victims of financial fraud under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act and the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Trade barriers and tariff reduction shape the provisional EU-Mercosur deal, alongside safeguard clauses and legal challenge.
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement has taken provisional effect, beginning a gradual reduction of trade barriers and tariffs and opening wider market access for exporters and businesses on both sides. The deal is subject to a legal challenge before the EU judiciary and may be halted if the court rules against it. It preserves economic safeguard clauses for sensitive sectors such as poultry, beef, sugar and fruit while facing opposition over competition, environmental standards and market disruption.

Windfall gains tax on fuel exports reduced as diesel and aviation turbine fuel duties are revised downward.
Windfall gains tax on exports of diesel and aviation turbine fuel was reduced, with the special additional excise duty on diesel exports cut to Rs 23 per litre and on aviation turbine fuel to Rs 33 per litre. The road and infrastructure cess on diesel exports was made nil for the next fortnight, and the duty on petrol exports remained nil. No change was made in the existing excise duty rates applicable to petrol and diesel for domestic consumption.

FDI automatic route rules are being eased for foreign companies with limited Chinese shareholding, alongside faster processing for key sectors.
Foreign companies with Chinese or Hong Kong shareholding of up to 10 per cent are to be permitted to invest in India under the automatic route in sectors where foreign direct investment is allowed, subject to notification under FEMA. The relaxed regime does not extend to entities registered in China, Hong Kong, or other land-border countries, and earlier mandatory government approval requirements are being revised accordingly. FDI proposals in specified manufacturing-related sectors are to be processed within 60 days, and older proposals under the earlier framework are being reviewed for possible investment on intimation basis.

Reproductive rights and legal administration take centre stage as the Supreme Court flags pregnancy termination, airfare regulation, and tribunal delays.
The Supreme Court highlighted issues concerning reproductive rights, airfare regulation, mediation in a commercial dispute, court strikes, professional misconduct, and insolvency delays. It said a child cannot be forced to bear a pregnancy and urged amendment of the law to permit termination by rape survivors beyond 20 weeks, sought a Centre affidavit on airfare guidelines, appointed a sole mediator in a textile project dispute, and took note of delays and administrative concerns in judicial and quasi-judicial processes.

Fake Aadhaar racket enforcement exposes organised identity document forgery and illegal preparation of forged documents.
Police action against an alleged fake Aadhaar and forged-document racket led to the arrest of three persons operating an illegal setup to prepare identity documents. The search resulted in recovery of a fingerprint scanner, laptops, a hard disk, a scanner, multiple Aadhaar cards and other suspicious documents, indicating organised misuse of identity-document systems. Interrogation suggested that the group had been engaged in preparing fake identity documents for some time and was using the activity to deceive people and earn unlawful gain.

Investment facilitation and manufacturing confidence drive grounded projects, diversified inflows, and large-scale job creation across multiple states.
Invest India facilitated the grounding of 60 projects worth over USD 6.1 billion in Financial Year 2025-26, spanning 14 states and expected to generate more than 31,000 jobs. The investment inflow was led by Europe, with participation from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other markets, while emerging source countries reflected diversification in the investment base. The facilitation model covers the full investment lifecycle, supports joint ventures, and builds integrated industrial ecosystems. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and food processing accounted for a major share of grounded investments, alongside activity in electronics system design and manufacturing, aerospace and defence, and auto/EV.

Basmati farming training and AI-based crop survey initiatives expand capacity building, varietal assessment and export planning.
A 70-year lease arrangement has been concluded for the development of a Basmati & Organic Training Centre-cum-Demo Farm at Tanda Bijaisi, Pilibhit, involving APEDA, the Department of Agriculture and the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The proposed facility will support capacity building for Basmati and organic farmers and function as a resource centre for agricultural experts and students. India's first AI-based Basmati Paddy Survey project has also been launched for crop assessment, varietal identification, scientific advisory support and export planning.

Stressed asset resolution gains pace as NARCL expands acquisitions and accelerates recoveries across large borrower accounts.
National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) has expanded its stressed asset resolution role by acquiring 33 borrower entities with aggregate debt exposure of Rs.1,65,862 crore and participating in resolution processes under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. FY 2025-26 saw accelerated recoveries, with Rs.4,364 crore realised during the year and cumulative recoveries reaching Rs.6,345 crore across 23 accounts, while further recoveries remain underway.

Industry-aligned online MCA programme adds Microsoft certifications and Internshala tie-up to boost employability and career readiness.
Chandigarh University Online has launched its Online MCA programme with embedded Microsoft certifications in AI, cloud computing, software development, data analytics and IT administration to improve employability and career readiness. The university has also partnered with Internshala to give students access to industry-relevant opportunities and practical exposure through internships, jobs, online trainings and placement courses.

Workforce expansion in public sector banks aims to improve service delivery, financial inclusion, and operational capacity.
Public sector banks have been strengthened through calibrated human resource expansion, with recruitment aligned to manpower requirements and conducted through a centralised and standardised IBPS process intended to support transparency and efficiency. The staffing initiative has led to substantial year-on-year growth in selected candidates and is directed toward improving operational capacity, reducing workload pressures, enhancing customer service, supporting underserved areas, and advancing financial inclusion and credit outreach.

LPG subsidy targeting tightens as households with PNG connections must surrender domestic gas links.
Government is identifying households with dual LPG and PNG connections under an order that bars PNG consumers from retaining or obtaining subsidised domestic LPG. Such consumers must surrender their domestic LPG connection, while government oil companies and distributors are prohibited from issuing new domestic LPG connections or supplying cylinder refills to them. The measure is aimed at curbing misuse, targeting subsidies better, and prioritising LPG supply for households without piped gas access.

Resolution plan approval delays under insolvency law draw suo motu attention over backlog and tribunal capacity concerns.
Delay in approval of resolution plans by NCLT benches under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has been taken up by the Supreme Court on a suo motu basis. The Court flagged shortage of manpower and infrastructure in the NCLT system and noted a large backlog of pending approval applications nationwide, with delays extending beyond 700 days. The matter was directed to be placed before the Chief Justice of India for assignment to an appropriate bench.

Zero-rated exports under GST and IMEC momentum are strengthening Karnataka's trade prospects amid global disruptions.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is described as an alternative trade pathway to traditional maritime choke points amid geopolitical tensions, with the potential to improve connectivity and reduce freight and sailing-time costs. Exporters are also said to benefit from the GST regime because exports are treated as zero-rated supplies, allowing refund of input taxes. Recent measures have accelerated refund processing, reduced documentation and compliance costs, and eased working capital pressure.

Oil supply independence may pressure prices as the UAE exits OPEC and alters market expectations.
The United Arab Emirates' withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ gives it independent control over production and exports, potentially increasing global oil supply outside collective quota agreements. The article explains that any price effect will depend on whether the UAE can raise exports despite shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, and that markets may react immediately to expectations, speculation and uncertainty even before output changes occur.

Export promotion strategy focuses on MSME support, market access, logistics and monitoring for the export target.
A review of the export promotion strategy focused on achieving India's USD 2 trillion export target by 2030-31 through a structured monitoring framework, inter-departmental coordination and IT-enabled tracking. The Export Promotion Mission was highlighted as a flagship MSME-focused initiative with two sub-schemes covering trade finance and market access, supported by operational components including credit support, testing and certification, warehousing, logistics and trade facilitation. The review emphasised ground-level delivery for exporters, especially MSMEs, agricultural exporters and first-time exporters, alongside stronger Brand India promotion.