Economics
Trade, fiscal policy, banking, agriculture and economic indicators
Kharif sowing picks up, but still 21% below last year
Total kharif sowing stood at 350.85 lakh hectares as of early July 2026, a 21% decline from 442.8 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year Paddy a...
India, EU working to finish legal scrubbing of FTA text in 15-20 days: Piyush Goyal
India and the European Union are in the final phase of legal scrubbing of their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) text, expected to conclude within 15–20 days. Once...
India, EU aim to complete FTA legal scrubbing in 15-20 days, says Piyush Goyal
The legal scrubbing phase of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement is expected to be completed within 10–15 days, as per a statement by the Union Commerce Minist...
New rural employment scheme prioritises water security works
A gram panchayat-level planning framework was released for rural works under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission, Gramin (VB-GRAMG)...
ASEAN seeks deeper tariff cuts as India pushes FTA review to narrow trade deficit
Negotiations are underway for a formal review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), with the Commerce Department in consultation with domesti...
Women-targeted unconditional cash transfer schemes beat expectations: EAC-PM paper
A working paper released under the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) evaluated two state-level unconditional cash transfer (UCT) schem...
Saudi Arabia cuts oil prices for Asia customers by $11 a barrel in biggest reduction in 26 years
Saudi Aramco cut the official selling price (OSP) of its flagship Arab Light crude for Asian customers by $11 per barrel for August 2026 deliveries, its stee...
Can India's new rural jobs scheme deliver? VB-G-RAM-G may mount fiscal pressure on states
The VB-G RAM G scheme (Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin), which replaced MGNREGS on July 1, 2026, is now drawing scrutiny fro...
What the lifting of gas curbs means? | Explained
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas withdrew most provisions of the emergency Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 The order had been imposed af...
VB-G RAM G: A potential rural income hike comes with a burden
The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, known as VB-G RAM G, replaced MGNREGS effective July 1, 2026, marking the m...
Why ethanol is crucial for India’s mobility transition, an expert explains
An industry explainer examined ethanol's role in decarbonising India's road transport sector, framing it as one of the fastest and most cost-effective pathwa...
Eastern India lead in GI registrations, MP records highest registration in 2025-26
Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of new Geographical Indication (GI) registrations among all states in financial year 2025-26 Eastern India collect...
Jaishankar meets Qatar PM, lauds mediation efforts as US, Iran return to negotiating table
The External Affairs Minister concluded a bilateral visit to Qatar, holding talks with the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Moha...
What is Japan’s Official Development Assistance & how India emerged as its largest recipient
Japan committed an ODA loan of JPY 275.858 billion (approximately ₹16,420 crore) to India in March 2026 for four infrastructure projects spanning urban trans...
Indonesia looks beyond UPI, eyes India's digital blueprint
Indonesia and India are advancing integration of Indonesia's national QR payment system (QRIS) with India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), building on a d...
Hormuz to home, India’s resilience in uncertain times
Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran in March 2026 — triggered by the US-Israel military operation on Iran — India faced an acute energy sup...
Amit Shah to launch several projects as Ministry of Cooperation completes five years
The Ministry of Cooperation celebrated its 5th Foundation Day on July 6, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with the launch of several new initiatives. The...
First instalment of ₹25,863 crore under VB-GRAM G released
The Union Ministry of Rural Development released the first instalment — termed the "Mother Sanction" — of ₹25,863 crore to states and Union Territories for r...
India and Russia set $50 billion investment target by 2030
India and Russia have set a target of $50 billion in mutual investments by 2030, focusing on joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and...
From farms to factories, why Punjab’s urea diversion case matters nationally
Punjab Police registered a criminal case against the General Manager and other officials of the state-owned MILKFED cattle feed plant in Khanna, along with o...