States Urged to Expedite Capex Proposals, Use up Funds Before March 31
The Department of Expenditure has urged Indian states to fast‑track pending proposals under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure (SASCI) scheme as the March 31 deadline approaches. To date, ₹1.04 lakh crore has been released, and the FY26 Union Budget has revised the total outlay to ₹1.44 lakh crore, down from ₹1.50 lakh crore. SASCI provides 50‑year interest‑free loans, with a mix of reform‑linked and untied assistance, to sustain state‑level infrastructure spending. Officials are confident the remaining funds will be exhausted before the fiscal year ends.
Sarbananda Sonowal Hails PM Modi’s Trade Push, Calls It Break From Congress Era
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trade agenda, saying it marks a decisive break from the Congress era of policy paralysis. He highlighted nine free‑trade agreements signed since 2014 that give India preferential access to 38 developed economies and...
NHAI Gets Rs 12,357 Cr Towards Monetisation for 2025-26; Lower than the Budgeted and Revised Estimate of Rs 15,000 Cr
India's National Highways Authority (NHAI) has been allocated Rs 12,357 crore for FY 2025‑26 to monetize highway assets, falling short of the Rs 15,000 crore budgeted amount. The agency plans to monetize 24 road assets covering 1,472 km, with Maharashtra receiving the highest number of projects....
Indian Rice Exporter Seals 5,000-Tonne US Deal: IREF
A member of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) has secured a contract to ship 5,000 tonnes of basmati rice to a United States buyer. The agreement arrives shortly after the India‑US trade pact lowered tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to...
India’s Next Big Power Move Is Set to Unfold in the Bay of Bengal
India’s National Green Tribunal has approved the Rs 90,000‑crore Great Nicobar mega‑infrastructure project, clearing the way for a new International Container Transshipment Port at Galethea Bay. The first phase, slated for 2028, will handle over 4 million TEUs annually, with full capacity...
Cash Craze: Currency in Circulation Touches Record Rs 40 Lakh Crore
India's currency in circulation reached a record Rs 40 lakh crore in January 2026, up 11.1% year‑on‑year, while the cash‑to‑GDP ratio slipped to about 11.2%, down from a pandemic peak of 14.4%. Over the past decade, cash holdings have risen from Rs 11.8 lakh crore in...
India's Textile and Apparel Exports Down by 3.75% in January, Outlook Improves Now with India US Interim Deal
India's textile and apparel exports fell 3.75% in January 2026, dropping to $3.27 billion from $3.40 billion a year earlier, primarily due to U.S. tariffs that remained until February 7. Cotton yarn, fabrics and handloom products declined over 4%, while carpet and jute...
FM Nirmala Sitharaman to Push Biopharma, Semiconductor Missions in Norway
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Oslo to promote India’s Biopharma SHAKTI programme and Semiconductor Missions 2.0, seeking long‑term capital from Norwegian partners. She will meet Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and startup leaders at Oslo Science Park to showcase a ₹10,000‑crore,...
Unemployment Rate up a Tad to 5% in January, Higher Rise for Females
India’s unemployment rate ticked up to 5 % in January, a modest rise from 4.8 % in December. The increase was driven primarily by a sharper jump in female joblessness, which reached 5.6 % versus 4.8 % for men. Urban unemployment climbed to 7 %...
India, UK Making Genuine Effort to See if FTA Can Be Operationalised in April: Commerce Secy
India and the United Kingdom are pushing to operationalise their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by April, aiming to grant duty‑free access to 99 percent of Indian exports. The pact still requires approval from the UK Parliament before it can...
No Question of Ethanol Inclusion in India-US Deal: ISMA’s Deepak Ballani
India’s sugar and ethanol sectors remain outside the India‑US trade talks, with ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani confirming that ethanol is explicitly excluded and sugar export quotas have been modestly raised to 20 LT for 2025‑26. He warns that the limited quota‑based...
Cabinet Clears Rs 11,000 Crore Highway Projects in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana Under PM GatiShakti
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved highway projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana. Maharashtra will upgrade a 154.6‑km stretch of NH‑160A for Rs 3,320.38 crore, Gujarat will build a 107.67‑km 4‑lane segment of NH‑56 for Rs 4,583.64 crore, and Telangana...
Cabinet Clears Rs 1 Lakh Crore for India's Big Urban Reset; Aims to Unlock Rs 4 Lakh Crore Investment
The Indian cabinet approved a Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) to drive market‑led urban infrastructure over the next five years. The fund offers 25% central assistance, requiring cities to raise at least 50% of project costs from bonds, loans or...
New Rules for M&A Financing, Loans Against Shares
The Reserve Bank of India issued final guidelines allowing banks to fund acquisitions only when the acquirer already controls the target and seeks to increase its stake from 26% to 90%. Borrowers must have at least ₹500 crore net worth, three...
Trade Pacts Will Open New Markets & Won't Hurt Farmers, Assures Chirag Paswan
India’s decade‑long reform agenda, highlighted by UPI, GST and digital payment schemes, is now bearing fruit, according to Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan. New free‑trade agreements, especially the pending pact with the United States, are expected to unlock fresh export...
