Page 224 - Economy & Policy News

NITI Aayog plans policy for medium-size firms to aid their growth

Nageswaran said MSMEs should shed their fear of growth and transform across scales - from micro to small, from small to medium, and from medium to large enterprises

Centre plans to auction 30 underground coal mines in the next round

This comes as the coal ministry aims to increase underground coal mining to 100 million tonnes (mt) annually by 2030 against the current production of 34.3 mt

Cargo growth at major ports slowed in 10MFY25, shows ministry data

Private ports see contraction in coastal cargo in FY25

Railways, defence spends lift govt capital expenditure 51% in January

Capital expenditure for road ministry in the month of January 2025 was down 63 per cent over the corresponding month last year

MGNREGA work demand remains higher for the fourth straight month

Meanwhile, available funds for the scheme seems to be falling short of the expenditure and as on March 3, a negative net balance of Rs 18,681.24 crore is reflected in the books

Manufacturing PMI dips to 14-mth low in Feb as new orders, production fall

Despite slowing to the weakest since December 2023, rates of expansion in output and sales remained elevated, according to a private survey

Woman credit seekers up 3x in 5 years, says Niti Aayog & Cibil report

Women borrowers increased at 22% CAGR between 2019 and 2024

Bihar govt tables Rs 3.17 trn Budget, proposes women-centric schemes

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who holds the finance portfolio, tabled a Rs 3.17 trillion Budget in the Assembly

RBI deputy guv Swaminathan J moots empathetic stance for stressed MSMEs

Additionally, he highlighted the need for digital solutions, alternative credit assessment models, and greater participation in platforms like TReDS by lenders to mitigate the funding challenges

Amazon Web Services to invest $8.2 bn in Maharashtra by 2029-30: Vaishnaw

The minister said that Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to significantly increase employment in India as well

Only unemployment, inflation manufactured in bulk under Modi govt: Rahul

The former Congress president called for the removal of "unjust" taxes, eliminating monopoly, opening the doors of banks and giving rights to the talented

Power consumption grows slightly to 131.54 billion units in Feb, shows data

The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) also rose to 238.14 GW from 222 GW in February 2024

Uttar Pradesh govt aims to double maize production to 2.73 mt by 2027

The state is also looking to double maize production by 2027 to 2.73 million tonnes (mt) by augmenting its area and per-hectare yield

Relevance of gold as asset class to rise in coming years: CEA Nageswaran

He said that gold will remain relevant not only as a store of value, as an ornament for cultural and religious purposes, but also as an important portfolio diversification mechanism

Piyush Goyal heads to US for talks as Trump tariffs loom, say officials

Goyal's visit was sudden, as he departed after cancelling previously scheduled meetings until March 8

Indian manufacturing PMI at 56.3 in Feb, slowest expansion since Dec 2023

Feb manufacturing PMI: The decline was driven by weaker growth in output and sales, along with a slowdown in input purchasing to a 14-month low

Commerce minister Piyush Goyal to meet USTR ahead of tariff rollout

During US visit, commerce minister also expected to meet his US counterpart

Govt may ease norms to allow 2-month window for ITC on credit notes

Move would give taxpayers flexibility and preclude a financial burden

Any policy formulation must factor in uncertainty, says P K Mishra

The 1972-batch IAS officer spoke highly of the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme but stressed the importance of its long-term evaluation

The Applecart upset: US reciprocal tariffs bite into India growth plans

Apple's rapid India pivot now faces a Trump-sized tariff pothole