Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognises over 1.02 lakh women-led startups
[Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade]
Key Updates:
- Among 2.12 lakh entities recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), over 1.02 lakh have at least one woman director or partner.
- Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) have invested ₹2,995 crore in women-led startups since 2020.
- The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme has approved ₹294 crore for women-led ventures out of ₹592 crore sanctioned since 2021.
- Under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, loans of ₹925 crore have been guaranteed since April 2023, including ₹39 crore for women-led startups.
- Of the 6,789 recognised startups that are closed, 2,950 had at least one woman director or partner.
Similar Coverage
- Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the fifth edition of the herSTART programme run by the Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council.
- The herSTART programme provides incubation, mentorship and market access support to women-led startups.
- CM Patel announced that the number of startups in India has risen from fewer than 500 about a decade ago to nearly 2,00,000, with women accounting for a substantial share of participation.
- He highlighted that opportunities are expanding for women in the semiconductor sector, including chip design, fabrication management, semiconductor packaging and deep-technology innovation.
- The Chief Minister inaugurated a newly built research park at Gujarat University and named the university's convention centre as Vidyagauri Nilkanth Sabhapuram.
- Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated the seven-year anniversary of its flagship initiative, SWAYATT (Startups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions).
- Launched on 19 February 2019, the initiative aims to democratise public procurement for startups, women entrepreneurs, youth, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), and Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- The initiative focuses on addressing three critical challenges for emerging enterprises: access to markets, access to finance, and access to value addition.
- Cumulative order values for women entrepreneurs on GeM rose from ₹1,265.62 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹83,323 crore by FY 2025–26.
- Order volumes for women-led enterprises increased from 1,01,530 to 44,48,894 over the seven-year period.
- Startup participation saw cumulative order values increase from ₹497.24 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹54,005.8 crore by FY 2025–26.
- Order volumes for startups expanded from 17,434 to 5,30,578 during the same period.
- GeM has established dedicated storefronts, including Startup Runway and Womaniya, to enhance the discoverability of these sellers among government buyers.
- The Union Cabinet approved the second edition of the Startup India Fund of Funds (FoF) with Rs. 10,000 crore (US$ 1.2 billion).
- The FoF aims to provide patient capital to deep technology companies, technology-driven innovative manufacturing ventures, and early-stage growth enterprises.
- The scheme adopts a sectoral and stage-focused investment approach to improve efficient capital deployment across business stages.
- Startup India initiative, launched in 2016, has increased recognised startups from a few hundred to over 2 lakh.
- The Fund expects to catalyse private investments, create jobs, and support India’s position as a global innovation hub.
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) notified revised norms expanding Startup India eligibility.
- General startups now recognised up to 10 years from incorporation with annual turnover not exceeding ₹200 crore.
- Deep-tech startups eligible for 20 years from incorporation with turnover cap raised to ₹300 crore.
- Multi-state and state-registered cooperative societies included as eligible entities under the framework.
- Entity formed by splitting or reconstruction of an existing business cannot qualify as a startup.
- Deep-tech startup must focus on new scientific or engineering knowledge, incur high R&D expenditure, and create significant novel intellectual property.
- Recognised startups gain access to government funding schemes, tax exemptions and regulatory relief.
- India has recognised more than 200,000 startups since Startup India launch in 2016.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approves Keki Mistry as interim part-time Chairman of HDFC Bank for three months.
[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), HDFC Bank]
Key Updates:
- HDFC Bank part-time Chairman and Independent Director Atanu Chakraborty resigned with immediate effect citing ethical concerns over certain practices within the bank.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the appointment of Keki Mistry as interim part-time Chairman of HDFC Bank effective 19 March for three months.
- Keki Mistry was Vice-Chairman of HDFC Ltd before its merger with HDFC Bank.
- HDFC Bank is the second largest bank with a market capitalisation of Rs 12.97 lakh crore.
- Atanu Chakraborty joined HDFC Bank board in May 2021 and oversaw the merger of HDFC Ltd with HDFC Bank.
- Chakraborty is a retired IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and served as Secretary in Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) during FY 2019-20.
Similar Coverage
- Parthanil Ghosh will succeed Anuj Tyagi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC ERGO General Insurance.
- His appointment is effective from 16 April 2026, subject to clearances from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
- Ghosh joined HDFC ERGO in 2016 after its integration of L&T General Insurance and has served as Executive Director since May 2025.
- He has over 30 years of experience in financial services, including more than 16 years in general insurance.
- During his tenure, he has overseen retail insurance, commercial lines, crop insurance, underwriting, reinsurance strategy, claims management and technology initiatives.
- Mayank Chakraborty secured his final GM norm by defeating Philip Lindgren in the eighth round of the Hotel Stockholm North by First Hotels Young Talents tournament in Sweden.
- He won the tournament with a score of 7.0/9 and a rating performance of 2670, finishing one point ahead of the field.
- The 16-year-old from Assam became the first player from the NorthEast region to achieve Grandmaster status.
- His live rating rose to 2508 after the event.
- England’s Jonah Willow B and Norway’s Aksel Bu Kvaloy finished second and third respectively.
- The Gujarat government appointed Uday Kotak as chairman of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Ltd (GIFT City).
- Uday Kotak is the founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
- He chaired the 2017 SEBI Committee on Corporate Governance that recommended sweeping governance reforms.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the re-appointment of Kaizad Bharucha as the Whole-time Director and Deputy Managing Director of HDFC Bank.
- The re-appointment is for a tenure of 3 years, effective from April 19, 2026.
- Shares of HDFC Bank closed at ₹931.15 on the BSE, reflecting an increase of 0.38 per cent.
- Lodha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to invest ₹1 trillion in a data centre park.
- RMZ partnered with the Andhra Pradesh government to facilitate investments totaling up to $10 billion.
- Eternal recorded a 73 per cent increase in Q3 FY26 profit to ₹102 crore, while revenue grew by 202 per cent.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) records India's total exports at US$ 790.86 billion for April 2025-February 2026
[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI)]
Key Updates:
- India's total merchandise and services exports grew by 5.79% to reach US$ 790.86 billion (₹72.76 lakh crore) between April 2025 and February 2026.
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) reported that merchandise exports during this period reached US$ 402.93 billion (₹37.07 lakh crore), an increase of 1.84% compared to the previous year.
- Non-petroleum exports rose by 5.03% to US$ 354.12 billion (₹32.58 lakh crore) during the April-February period.
- Merchandise imports reached US$ 713.53 billion (₹65.64 lakh crore), resulting in a merchandise trade deficit of US$ 310.60 billion (₹28.58 lakh crore).
- Services exports reached US$ 387.93 billion (₹35.69 lakh crore), creating a services trade surplus of US$ 200.96 billion (₹18.49 lakh crore).
- In February 2026, India's export value reached US$ 76.13 billion (₹7.00 lakh crore), representing an 11.05% increase compared to the previous year.
- Export growth was supported by sectors including engineering goods, electronics, chemicals, gems and jewellery, agri-based products, pharmaceuticals, marine products, rice, handicrafts, coffee, meat, dairy, and poultry products.
- Significant export growth was recorded in markets including China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Togo, Sri Lanka, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
Similar Coverage
- The Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has revised the base year of India’s Merchandise Trade Indices from FY 2012–13 to FY 2022–23 (2022–23 = 100).
- The revision was based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Prof. Nachiketa Chattopadhyay, Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata.
- The updated series includes Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Indices for Export Unit Value and Import Unit Value.
- The revised indices cover Principal Commodity (PC) classification, Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), and Broad Economic Categories (BEC).
- The DGCI&S will now compile Bilateral and Region-wise Trade Indices for the top 20 export and import partner nations of India.
- The indices track three types of Terms of Trade: Gross terms of trade, Net terms of trade, and Income terms of trade.
- The National Accounts Division (NAD) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) uses these indices as deflators for estimating real exports and imports in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compilation.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) utilises these indices for external sector assessment, balance of payments analysis, and evaluation of price competitiveness.
- The compilation methodology uses the Laspeyres Formula for weighted averaging of items and commodity groups.
- India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.10 billion in February 2026, compared with $14.42 billion in the same month of the previous year.
- Merchandise exports for February 2026 stood at $36.61 billion, while imports were recorded at $63.71 billion.
- The cumulative merchandise exports for the April–February 2025–26 period reached $402.93 billion, marking a 1.84% increase from $395.66 billion in the corresponding period last year.
- The trade deficit for February 2026 narrowed from the $34.68 billion deficit recorded in January 2026.
- Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal stated that exports to West Asia have been impacted by regional conflict and the government is considering support measures for Middle East exports.
- India has increased its procurement of Russian oil this month to manage volatility in global energy markets.
- Potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could impact approximately half of India’s monthly imports, particularly oil and energy-linked shipments.
- India achieved a record $47 billion (₹4.15 lakh crore) in electronics exports in 2025.
- Nearly $30 billion of total exports came from PLI-driven smartphone manufacturing.
- Electronics has emerged as the country’s third-largest export category.
- Domestic electronics production surged six-fold from ₹1.9 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25.
- Electronics exports have grown 11 times since 2014–15.
- The sector has created around 25 lakh new jobs.
- India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to a three-month high of $34.68 billion in January 2026, up from $23.43 billion in the same month the previous year.
- Total merchandise imports for January rose by 19% to reach $71.24 billion, while merchandise exports grew by 0.6% to $36.56 billion.
- Gold imports during the month increased more than fourfold to $12.07 billion, while silver imports rose by 127% to reach $2 billion.
- Services exports are estimated to reach a record high of $43.9 billion in January, marking a 26.3% year-on-year increase.
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry projects overall exports to reach nearly $860 billion in the current fiscal year, with services exports expected to exceed $410 billion.
- Cumulative exports, including both merchandise and services, rose by 6.15% to $720.76 billion during the April-January period.
- India’s imports from China were recorded at $108.18 billion during the April-January period of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
- Key drivers for goods exports included engineering goods, petroleum products, meat, dairy, and iron ore.
- The primary export destinations for Indian goods were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, United Kingdom (UK), Italy, and the Netherlands.
- Exports to the United States (US) fell by 21.7% to $6.59 billion in January, attributed to the impact of tariff barriers.
- Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports contracted by 0.24% to $32.78 billion in January.
- According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), total merchandise exports for the April 2025 to January 2026 period fell by 4.4% to $36.6 billion.
Shriram General Insurance Company (SGIC) launches Shri Health Suraksha 2.0 insurance suite
[Shriram General Insurance]
Key Updates:
- Shriram General Insurance Company (SGIC) has launched Shri Health Suraksha 2.0, an indemnity health insurance plan featuring unlimited restoration of the sum insured within a policy year.
- The policy removes standard industry caps on room and ICU charges, allowing policyholders to select facilities without budget-based restrictions.
- The plan offers a cumulative bonus of up to 250% for claim-free years and includes a zero co-payment structure where the insurer handles the full admissible claim amount.
- Coverage under the suite extends to air ambulance expenses up to the opted sum insured and includes medical consumables and traditional AYUSH treatments.
- SGIC is a joint venture between the Shriram Group and the Sanlam Group of South Africa.
- As of 31st December 2025, SGIC manages assets worth ₹14,249 Crore and maintains 69 lakh live policies across 285 branches in India.
- The company reported an employee strength of 4,219 as of the end of December 2025.
Similar Coverage
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approved certificates of registration for two insurance entities during its 134th Authority meeting held on March 9, 2026.
- Allianz Jio Reinsurance Limited was granted approval to operate as a reinsurer in India.
- Kiwi General Insurance Limited received a licence to commence operations as a general insurer.
- IRDAI initiated steps to align its regulatory framework with the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025.
- The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Act, 2025, was notified on December 21, 2025, and came into effect on February 5, 2026.
- The new legislation introduces amendments to the Insurance Act, 1938, and the IRDA Act, 1999.
- IRDAI granted in-principle approval for drafting and publishing regulations for stakeholder consultation to fast-track reforms under the new law.
- The government has introduced a new health insurance plan for central government health scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries known as Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima.
- It offers indemnity-based in-patient hospitalisation cover within India, with sum insured options of Rs 10 lakh or Rs 20 lakh available to CGHS beneficiaries.
- AYUSH treatments are covered up to 100% of the sum insured for in-patient hospitalisation; modern treatments are covered up to 25% of the sum insured, with an optional rider for 100% coverage.
- CGHS beneficiaries need to pay a premium, but the plan is available at a discount of 28% and 42% for 70:30 and 50:50 premium co-sharing, respectively.
- The policy is optional and can cover up to six family members under a single policy with no GST applicable.
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Sthree Suraksha Scheme on 11 February 2026 at Malayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram.
- The scheme provides ₹1,000 per month to 10,18,042 women and transwomen beneficiaries.
- Eligible beneficiaries are women aged 35 to 60 who are economically backward and not receiving other social welfare pensions, as well as trans women.
- The first month’s payment was transferred to the cleared beneficiaries on the afternoon of 10 February 2026.
- Punjab government launched Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojna on 24 January 2026 in Mohali.
- The scheme provides health insurance cover up to ₹10 lakh per year to three crore residents from 65 lakh families.
- Over 900 government and private hospitals in Punjab and Chandigarh are empanelled under the scheme.
- Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated Punjab is the first state to offer ₹10 lakh health insurance coverage.
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated the scheme.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) signs $3 billion green ammonia supply deal with Samsung C&T Corporation
[Reliance Industries Limited, Samsung C&T Corporation]
Key Updates:
- Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has signed a binding 15-year Supply and Purchase Agreement to supply green ammonia to Samsung C&T Corporation starting second half FY2029.
- The contract is valued at more than $3 billion and is among the largest binding long-term green ammonia offtake agreements globally.
- The deal supports India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and positions India as a major exporter of green fuels through a domestic clean-energy value chain.
- RIL is developing an integrated new energy platform covering renewable power generation, energy storage, green hydrogen production, and downstream green fuels and chemicals.
- RIL’s initiative includes domestic manufacturing of solar modules, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and electrolyser systems.
Similar Coverage
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notified Green Ammonia and Green Methanol Standards on 27 February 2026.
- Green Ammonia must have total non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions not exceeding 0.38 kg CO₂ eq/kg NH₃ averaged over 12 months.
- Green Methanol must have total non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions not exceeding 0.44 kg CO₂ eq/kg CH₃OH averaged over 12 months.
- Carbon dioxide for Green Methanol may come from biogenic sources, Direct Air Capture, or existing industrial sources.
- Renewable electricity used in production may be stored or banked with the grid as per regulations.
- MNRE will issue separate rules for measurement, reporting, monitoring, verification, and certification.
- Standards aim to decarbonise fertilisers, shipping, power, and heavy industry while boosting India’s green fuel exports.
- Reliance Industries will invest in America First Refining’s planned $300 billion oil refinery at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, the first new US refinery in 50 years.
- US President Donald Trump announced the project on Truth Social, calling it the biggest investment in US history and thanking Reliance as India’s largest privately held energy company.
- The refinery is expected to supply domestic US fuel markets, boost global energy exports, create thousands of jobs, and deliver billions of dollars in economic impact to South Texas.
- Trump claimed the facility will be the cleanest refinery in the world and attributed the investment to America First Agenda policies of streamlined permits and lower taxes.
- Reliance Industries has not confirmed Trump’s claim; its shares rose 2% to Rs 1,434 on BSE the following day.
- AM Green is developing India’s first and the world’s largest green-ammonia complex with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum.
- The integrated project spans 7.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity, 1,950 megawatts of electrolyser capacity and 2 gigawatts of round-the-clock renewable power supported by pumped hydro storage.
- The facility will be commissioned in phases—0.5 million tonnes per annum by 2027, scaling to 1 million tonnes by 2028 and full 1.5 million tonnes by 2030.
- Green ammonia produced at Kakinada will be used globally as a clean shipping fuel, for power generation and as a carrier for green hydrogen.
- NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and Assago Industries Pvt. Ltd. signed an MoU to develop India’s first large-scale green urea production ecosystem at the upcoming Green Hydrogen Hub in Pudimadaka.
- NGEL will supply green ammonia, captured CO₂, renewable power and utilities to Assago for producing green urea using clean feedstock.
- The Pudimadaka Green Hydrogen Hub is planned with a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per annum of green chemicals, including green methanol, green ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel and green urea.
- India consumes about 35–40 million tonnes of urea annually and imports 8–10 million tonnes each year.
- The collaboration targets import substitution and low-carbon fertiliser production to support the Atmanirbhar Bharat objective.
ITDC–Ministry of Tribal Affairs launch capacity building programme for tribal homestay owners
[Ministry of Tribal Affairs]
Key Updates:
- India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) launched a capacity building programme for tribal homestay owners in New Delhi.
- The inaugural ceremony was held at Kautilya Hall, Hotel Samrat.
- The first batch comprises 40 participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat.
- Training is delivered by IHM Ashok under ITDC.
- MoTA Secretary Ranjana Chopra and ITDC Managing Director Mugdha Sinha attended the launch.
- The ‘Tribal Homestay – Operation & Development Manual 2026’ was released; it is multilingual, including Hindi and Gujarati versions.
Similar Coverage
- The Government of Rajasthan launched the Rajasthan Homestay Scheme 2026 to strengthen rural and community-based tourism across the state.
- The scheme allows local families to convert part of their homes into registered tourist accommodations offering affordable stays and authentic Rajasthani cultural experiences.
- Online registration is available through the official Rajasthan Tourism portal.
- The initiative targets villages and small towns to reduce overcrowding in Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur.
- Support includes training on hospitality, hygiene, and tourism management, plus promotional assistance via Rajasthan Tourism campaigns and digital platforms.
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) hosted the first "national Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers" on 16-01-2026 to formally recognize them as collaborative partners in India’s public health ecosystem.
- The MoTA has set a target to formally recognise and enable one lakh tribal healers as partners in strengthening tribal health services.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between MoTA and ICMR–Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, for the establishment of India’s first National Tribal Health Observatory —the Bharat Tribal Health Observatory (B-THO) —under Project DRISTI.
- The initiative will institutionalise tribe-disaggregated health surveillance and focus on the elimination of malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, and Sickle Cell Disease elimination, aligned with the national goal of elimination by 2047.
- The programme positions tribal healers to play a transformative role in preventive care, early identification of illness, and timely referrals to strengthen last-mile health outreach.
- Seventeen Paliyar families from Shanmugam Parai Paliyarkudi village in Periyammapatti panchayat, Palani taluk, Dindigul district, submitted a petition to the Dindigul Collector.
- The Paliyar are a forest-dependent nomadic community traditionally engaged in collecting minor forest produce, goat rearing, and agricultural labour.
- House site pattas were issued three years ago, yet the families continue to live in individual hut houses on about one acre of government poramboke land.
- They oppose closely built concrete houses in dense colonies as such layouts contradict their customary lifestyle that requires space for livestock sheds and scattered housing.
- The petition requests a survey and demarcation of the patta land already allotted, followed by construction of separate concrete houses under the Tholkudi scheme in a layout respecting their cultural practices and ancestral lifestyle.
- ONGC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) to implement CSR-funded infrastructure and education-focused initiatives at Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).
- Under the CSR project, ONGC has sanctioned Rs 28 crore for strengthening digital learning infrastructure, health and hygiene interventions for girl students, capacity building of teachers, and career counselling and entrepreneurship training for students.
- The initiative will cover 144 EMRS located across 11 States and Union Territories, benefiting over 35,000 tribal students.
MoHFW Regulatory Reforms for Food Safety and Ease of Doing Business
[Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)]
Key Updates:
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) approved comprehensive regulatory reforms aligned with the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms of NITI Aayog.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) registrations and licences will now have perpetual validity, eliminating the requirement for periodic renewals for Food Business Operators (FBOs).
- With effect from 1st April 2026, the turnover threshold for registration will be increased from ₹12 lakhs to ₹1.5 crore.
- The threshold for State licensing has been set up to ₹50 crores, with Central licensing applicable for businesses exceeding this limit.
- Street food vendors registered under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, will be considered as deemed registered under FSSAI, benefiting over 10 lakh vendors.
- A technology-enabled, dynamic risk-based inspection framework will be implemented to incentivise compliant businesses and reduce repetitive inspections based on nature of food and past compliance records.
Similar Coverage
- The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), operating under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), has constituted a high-level Advisory Group on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).
- The panel is chaired by Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IICA.
- The group was established following an MCA order dated 31 December 2025 and is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
- The primary objective of the initiative is to modernise India’s corporate regulatory framework and simplify compliance procedures under the Companies Act, 2013.
- The Advisory Group will focus on rationalising e-forms, reducing procedural duplication, and exploring event-based compliance systems.
- The panel includes representatives from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI).
- Industry bodies represented in the group include the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
- The School of Business Environment at the IICA will serve as the Secretariat for the Advisory Group.
- The IICA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MCA for a research study titled Re-envisioning Ease of Doing Business for Viksit Bharat 2047.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated that its registration certificates and licences will now have perpetual validity and will not require renewal.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the perpetual validity reform effective from the date of the FSSAI announcement.
- The turnover threshold for registration has been increased from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore effective 10 March.
- State licensing will apply up to ₹50 crore turnover and Central licensing beyond this limit, effective 1 April 2026.
- Street food vendors registered with Municipal Corporations or Town Vending Committees under the Street Vendors Act 2014 will be deemed registered with FSSAI.
- The deemed registration is expected to benefit more than 10 lakh street food vendors by removing the need for multiple registrations.
- The 40th edition of AAHAR – The International Food & Hospitality Fair was inaugurated on 11 March 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- Italy is the partner country for the 40th edition, marking the first time the fair has featured a partner country.
- The event is organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and spans an area of 125,000 square metres.
- The fair features 1,800 participants, including 155 international participants from 17 countries.
- Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal noted that India is the seventh largest exporter of agricultural produce globally.
- India’s annual food and agricultural exports have reached nearly ₹5 lakh crore, exceeding USD 55 billion.
- The official AAHAR digital app was introduced to facilitate QR-enabled interactions, B2B networking, and hall navigation.
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry will provide support to exporters under the Export Promotion Mission.
- India has concluded nine Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) over the past three and a half years, providing preferential market access to 38 countries.
- Export Promotion Mission (EPM) launched by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal with ₹25,060-crore outlay over six years.
- Live Events Direct E-Commerce Credit Facility offers up to ₹50-lakh credit with 90% guarantee for digital exporters.
- Overseas Inventory Credit Facility provides up to ₹5-crore credit, 75% guarantee and 2.75% interest subvention capped at ₹15-lakh per year.
- Interest subvention of 2.75% on export factoring through RBI- or IFSCA-recognised entities, capped at ₹50-lakh per MSME annually.
- Trade Regulations, Accreditation and Compliance Enablement (TRACE) reimburses 60% of certification costs under Positive List and 75% under Priority Positive List with annual ceiling of ₹25-lakh per entity.
- Facilitating Logistics, Overseas Warehousing and Fulfilment (FLOW) gives up to 30% support for approved overseas warehousing costs over three years.
- Logistics Interventions for Freight and Transport (LIFT) reimburses up to 30% of eligible freight expenses, capped at ₹20-lakh per year for exporters in northeastern and hilly regions.
- INSIGHT programme covers 50% of project costs for trade intelligence, up to 100% for government or Indian mission proposals.
Asia-Africa Agri Alliance (AAAA) launched on 13 March 2026 to boost bilateral trade and investment
[Asia-Africa Agri Alliance (AAAA)]
Key Updates:
- The Asia-Africa Agri Alliance (AAAA) was formally launched by diplomats and agribusiness leaders from over ten nations to accelerate agricultural trade, investment, and technology transfer.
- The AAAA is established as a neutral, not-for-profit Section 8 institution to bridge gaps through investment-ready and policy-aligned mechanisms.
- The alliance operates on five pillars: trade and market access, technology and innovation transfer, investment and finance, policy and agriculture diplomacy, and capacity building.
- The forum will specifically focus on maize and millets as they are major crops in both the Asian and African regions.
- Asia and Africa together account for over 40 per cent of global agricultural production, with bilateral agri-trade exceeding $90 billion annually.
- Africa holds 65 per cent of the world's remaining arable land, and its agricultural sector is projected to reach a market value of $1 trillion by 2030.
- Key Indian representatives include Ashok Dalwai, Chairman of the Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission and former CEO of the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA).
- Participating industrialists include Atul Chaturvedi of Shree Renuka Sugars Limited and Sanjeev Asthana, CEO of Patanjali Foods Limited and President of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA).
Similar Coverage
- India and Uzbekistan launched a structured pharmaceutical and nutraceutical trade corridor on Monday.
- The corridor is backed by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health, Nutrify Today, and Pharma Eurasia.
- It aims to improve regulatory alignment, investment, and market entry for manufacturers targeting the $7–10 billion Eurasian healthcare market.
- Uzbekistan is positioning itself as a regional gateway through policy reforms, dedicated pharma parks, and investment facilitation.
- The corridor’s commercial execution will take place at Pharma Eurasia 2026 in Tashkent from May 20 to 22.
- The CIS dietary supplements market is estimated at over $5.8 billion annually.
- APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) launched BHARATI—Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement—to empower agri sector start-ups.
- Top 10 startups under BHARATI will get the opportunity to showcase their products at international platforms.
- APEDA-promoted agri exports grew 7% during April-November 2025-26 to USD 18.6 billion and are expected to cross USD 30 billion this fiscal.
- APEDA launched BHARATI—Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement—to support agri-food and agri-tech startups.
- BHARATI will provide mentorship, incubation, and policy facilitation to create direct pathways to global markets.
- The initiative positions startups as core enablers of India’s agri-export strategy.
- Indian Micro-Fertilisers Manufacturers Association (IMMA) will hold the 6th National Crop Nutrition Summit & B2B Expo on 5 and 6 February 2026 at National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai.
- The summit theme is 'Converge, Collaborate & Co-create' and will focus on crop nutrition, specialty fertilisers, biologicals, micronutrients, and India’s role in global agri-input manufacturing.
- Minister of Marketing & Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, will inaugurate the summit.
- Agriculture Commissioner, Government of India, Dr P. K. Singh, will attend as Guest of Honour and outline government perspective on agri-input reforms, ease of doing business, export competitiveness and specialty crop nutrition products.
- Participants include senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), national research institutions, State Agriculture Departments, and Commissioners of Agriculture from several states including Maharashtra.
- Day 1 themed 'Converge & Collaborate' will feature inaugural session, policy dialogue on One Nation, One License proposal, farmer recognition program, roundtable on integrating micronutrients and biologicals into fertiliser policy, 'Media Speaks' session, startup pitch platform, and industry networking sessions.
- Day 2 themed 'Co-Create' will focus on structured B2B meetings, masterclasses on international trade, institutional and government business, fundraising, and sessions on manufacturing, data analytics and digital technologies.
- The summit will conclude with an Industry–Government–Startup Conclave and a closing policymakers’ interaction.
- IMMA will highlight policy priorities such as implementation of One Nation, One License, faster approval processes for micronutrients, biologicals and specialty fertilisers, differentiation between subsidised and non-subsidised agri inputs, export-oriented regulations, and stronger enforcement against counterfeit and sub-standard products.
National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) successfully tests indigenously developed Floating LiDAR Buoy System off Muttom, Tamil Nadu.
[National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Tamil Nadu]
Key Updates:
- The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) conducted the successful sea trial of an indigenous Floating LiDAR Buoy System off the coast of Muttom in Tamil Nadu.
- The buoy integrates a buoyant platform with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to measure wind speed and direction profiles up to 300 metres above sea level.
- The system will enhance Indian Navy operational effectiveness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) by improving weather-ocean situational awareness and maritime-domain awareness.
- The buoy supports coordination with the Coast Guard and other agencies under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) framework for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
- The high-resolution offshore wind data will aid cyclone tracking, storm intensity forecasts, marine safety advisories, and offshore wind resource assessment for renewable energy development.
- Engineering challenges of constant buoy motion and power management were addressed through advanced motion compensation algorithms and energy-efficient battery systems.
- Real-time data transmission from remote offshore locations is achieved via satellite links and compression techniques.
- The project aligns with Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives to promote domestic innovation and self-reliance in ocean technologies.
Similar Coverage
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy jointly conducted four successful in-flight release trials of the indigenous Air Droppable Container ADC-150 from the P8I aircraft off the coast of Goa between February 21 and March 1.
- The ADC-150 is indigenously designed to deliver a 150 kg payload and enhances naval operational logistics capabilities for quick response to naval vessels under distress.
- Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam, is the nodal laboratory for the activity.
- Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Agra, developed the parachute system.
- Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, Bengaluru, provided the flight clearance and certification.
- Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, provided the instrumentation support for the trials.
- The ADC-150 system for the P8I aircraft was developed and qualified in a short timeframe to meet Indian Navy requirements.
- All developmental flight trials have been completed successfully and the system is expected to be inducted into the Indian Navy soon.
- Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stones for four river lighthouses on the Brahmaputra in Assam, the first such infrastructure on an inland waterway in India.
- The lighthouses are located at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, Pandu in Kamrup Metropolitan, Silghat in Nagaon, and Biswanath Ghat in Biswanath along National Waterway-2 (NW-2).
- The project has a combined outlay of ₹ 84 crore, with each 20-metre-high lighthouse powered entirely by solar energy.
- Each structure will have a geographical range of 14 nautical miles and a luminous range of 8–10 nautical miles to enable 24x7 safe navigation and accommodate weather observation sensors.
- The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project in April 2025.
- The DGLL, under the MoPSW, is the statutory authority responsible for providing aids to navigation across India's 11,098 kilometre coastline and inland waterways.
- The initiative follows a 53 per cent surge in cargo movement on the Brahmaputra waterway recorded by IWAI in the financial year 2024–25.
- Bengaluru-based startup AquaAirX Autonomous Systems launched Avataar, India's first amphibious drone capable of both aerial and underwater missions, on March 5, 2026.
- The drone has achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6), meaning a functional prototype has been tested in real-world operational environments rather than just controlled tanks.
- The startup secured ₹12.5 crore in seed funding for the project, led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha.
- Avataar is constructed with a carbon fibre body to resist saltwater corrosion and uses sound pulses for 3D mapping and communication underwater, functioning like an underwater Wi-Fi system.
- The vehicle is designed for multi-domain operations, including harbour surveillance, subsea pipeline inspection, and search and rescue for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard.
- The drone features a safety protocol that prevents it from diving if the battery level is too low to ensure mission reliability.
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), a third-generation ‘fire and forget’ type of missile with top attack capability, against a moving target at the KK Ranges in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar on Sunday.
- The homegrown MPATGM consists of an Imaging Infrared (IIR) homing seeker which tracks targets using infrared images, an all-electric control actuation system, and a tandem warhead that uses dual charges to defeat the layered armour of adversary tanks.
- The ‘Fire and forget’ type of missile refers to a weapon system that locks onto a target before launch and does not require further guidance from the operator after firing.
- Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited are the Development-Cum-Production Partners (DcPP) for the weapon system.
- The missile can be launched from tripod or a Military Vehicle Launcher and features a miniaturised infrared imaging seeker and advanced avionics on board for control and guidance.