Economy & Policy News

1991 reforms were born of compulsion, not choice: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Adds economy became top of agenda only circa 2000

No dedicated audit of workplace creche provision: Labour Ministry

The Centre told Parliament it has not conducted a dedicated audit of mandatory workplace creche provisions and does not maintain data on compliance by establishments

Parliamentary panel seeks early India-US bilateral trade agreement

The Parliamentary panel urged an early India-US trade pact while seeking exemptions from future US tariff hikes and stronger safeguards for Indian exporters

Tariff on most items to be in single digits in FY28 Budget: FM Sitharaman

The government aims to bring customs duty on most items to single-digit rates by the FY28 Budget while continuing tariff rationalisation and asset-focused borrowing

India's ₹124.9 trn MSME procurement mkt offers digital growth opportunity

Four in five small businesses expect online sourcing to drive growth over the next three years, highlighting a vast opportunity for digital procurement platforms

West Asia crisis shows need for fertiliser contingency plan: Parl panel

Says current DBT framework needs a relook; comes down heavily on bundling

Govt allocated ₹81,287 crore to NPCIL in five years: Jitendra Singh

The Centre told Parliament it allocated Rs 81,287 crore to NPCIL over the past five years while advancing nuclear projects and pursuing a 100 GW capacity target by 2047

Cabinet approves ₹23,731 crore GOBARdhan scheme for compressed biogas

The Union Cabinet has approved the ₹23,731-crore GOBARdhan scheme to scale up compressed biogas production, strengthen the circular bioeconomy and boost clean energy adoption

Cabinet approves ₹8,970 crore Guwahati-Tezpur highway project in Assam

The four-lane access-controlled NH-15 corridor will be developed under the BOT Toll model to improve connectivity, reduce congestion and support economic growth in Assam

No commitments relating to ethanol import from US under FTA talks: Govt

The government said India has made no commitment to import US ethanol for fuel blending, reaffirming that the blending programme relies entirely on domestic supplies

India must sustain 9.25% growth for 21 years to achieve 2047 goal: Lahiri

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Ashok Lahiri says India must sustain 9.25 per cent annual nominal growth for 21 years, backed by reforms, to achieve developed-country status by 2047

Coal stocks can meet power sector demand for 62 days: Coal Ministry

India's coal stocks for the power sector can support around 62 days of consumption as production and dispatch rise amid strong supply growth

Cabinet approves ₹8,970-crore Guwahati-Tezpur highway project in Assam

The government said the project would double the average travel speeds and cut travel time by half, while improving road safety, fuel efficiency, and reducing vehicle operating costs.

Urban, rural consumer confidence dips as price concerns persist: RBI survey

Households became more cautious about the economy, jobs and inflation in July, though they remained optimistic about income growth and spending, RBI's latest surveys showed

Rajasthan sanctions ₹2,101 crore for non-patchable, missing-link roads

Rajasthan approves ₹2,101 crore for constructing 3,232 missing-link and non-patchable roads to improve connectivity across 187 Assembly constituencies

Govt moves to end ISI's 94-yr society status, defends Bill amid backlash

The Centre says the proposed law will strengthen governance and expand academic opportunities at the Indian Statistical Institute, while faculty members warn it could erode institutional autonomy

Foreign etailers told to set up separate export-only units in India

The DGFT has notified a framework requiring foreign-owned e-commerce firms to create separate legal entities for inventory-based exports of Indian-made goods under the revised FDI policy

India's services PMI falls to 4-year low in July amid weaker demand

Softer demand, fierce competition and postponed orders slowed services activity, though export orders, employment and profit margins showed some improvement during the month

States' deficits run deeper than their Budgets, show CAG reports

CAG audits reveal that several Indian states understated their fiscal gaps in 2024-25 due to accounting practices, off-budget borrowings, and unrecorded liabilities

Eight coal gasification projects to draw ₹65,365 crore investment

The Centre says eight approved coal gasification projects are expected to attract investments of ₹65,365 crore and gasify around 12 million tonnes of coal annually