The focus is now on accelerating PSP development through faster approvals, better-quality detailed project reports (DPRs), simplified clearances, and early excavation permissions. Speaking at a recent event, Prasad said hydropower and PSPs would be central to supporting India's renewable energy expansion by providing the reliable and flexible capacity needed to balance rising solar and wind generation. "A huge amount of variability is getting introduced into the grid.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has conducted a nationwide crackdown on wildlife trafficking, seizing over 440 endangered animals and 15 kg of ivory, and arresting 33 individuals involved in organised crime syndicates.
The Finance Ministry's expenditure department has approved a substantial Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, significantly increasing the country's investment in global chip-making ambitions and aiming to establish India as a major semiconductor hub.
The Indian government has ratified an 8.25 per cent interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) deposits for the financial year 2025-26, with over seven crore contributing members expected to see this credited to their accounts this month.
Millions of EPFO subscribers can now check whether 8.25% annual interest for FY2025-26 has been credited to their provident fund accounts.
India's finance ministry anticipates inflation will remain relatively contained in the coming months, supported by a correction in crude oil prices and softening input costs following the cessation of the West Asia conflict, despite earlier spikes in wholesale and retail inflation.
Despite decades of efforts towards energy transition, oil will remain the critical energy source for all nations for some decades. We can hope for peace opening the Strait of Hormuz, but must prepare for war closing it, points out former foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
It is because dealing with a regulatory system that is largely headed by retired IAS officers then becomes relatively easy, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The Indian government is accelerating its sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies, including a significant offer for sale (OFS) in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) expected "very soon," to meet its 80,000 crore mobilisation target and reduce its holdings to 75 per cent in most listed PSUs by year-end.
India has strongly refuted claims by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) regarding excess capacity in its steel and textile sectors, arguing that the nation's significantly low per capita consumption of these products contradicts such assertions, according to Amitabh Kumar, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce.
India was on Friday accorded the vice presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body that sets standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, for the first time.
'The real shock is going to be from a deficient monsoon.'
India has launched anti-dumping investigations into imports of thermal paper, Biaxially Oriented Polyamide (BOPA) Film, and certain antioxidants from China, following complaints from domestic manufacturers alleging material injury due to cheap imports.
Police in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, have registered a case against a postal assistant after suspicious transactions worth approximately Rs 4.5 crore were allegedly detected in his bank accounts.
'Why not aspire for 8 or 9 or even 10 per cent?'
The government has refuted rumours of a monetisation scheme for gold held by temple trusts and religious institutions, clarifying that such claims are false and misleading.
India and Nepal have launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) cross-border remittance mechanism, linking India's UPI with Nepal's NPI. This system allows real-time money transfers via mobile banking, enhancing convenience for travellers and businesses, fostering financial inclusion, and strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
India's Central government is likely to see its fertiliser subsidy bill double to a record 3.4 trillion in FY27, up from the Budget estimate of 1.7 trillion, due to surging global fertiliser prices exacerbated by the West Asia war. This significant increase, coupled with revenue losses from excise duty cuts for oil-marketing companies, is straining the government's fiscal space, though capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized over 24 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Kerala and arrested five individuals involved in trafficking networks.
Despite the Centre's GST 2.0 guidelines aiming to facilitate provisional refunds within seven days for low-risk cases, many large taxpayers are still encountering significant delays in obtaining Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds under the inverted duty structure (IDS), with experts citing inconsistent state-level scrutiny and subjective interpretations.
State-owned enterprises in India are projected to significantly increase their overseas borrowings, potentially exceeding $15 billion in FY27, driven by the Reserve Bank of India's new concessional forex swap facility which offers a 3 per cent funding-cost advantage.
Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stated that India's economy is projected to return to a 7 per cent-plus growth trajectory by 2027-28 (FY28), or sooner if external conditions improve, despite near-term challenges from the West Asia crisis.
After reviewing the preparations at the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pradhan said meetings have been held under the Cabinet secretary, and all the states have been asked to cooperate.
Work has commenced on restoring the North and South Blocks to their original design, paving the way for the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum project, with a target completion date for the first phase set for 2028.
Businesses may eventually have to file returns largely based on invoices uploaded by suppliers, with limited scope for manual changes.
HDFC Bank's shares experienced a dip on Wednesday after a newspaper report alleged that the bank made illegal payments to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to secure large deposits, raising concerns about corporate governance.
The finance ministry has clarified that its letter to state chief secretaries, urging them to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets, was an advisory and not a directive. This clarification comes in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism, who called the advisory a 'treacherous act against farmers'.
The Indian government has imposed a new windfall gains tax of Rs 3 per litre on petrol exports, while simultaneously reducing the levy on diesel to Rs 16.5 per litre and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to Rs 16 per litre, effective May 16.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model and its potential threat to financial systems' data security.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model threatening data security of financial systems.
'OMCs are incurring losses of Rs 1,000 crore per day due to the West Asia crisis.'
Following through announcements with enforcement of measures is key, as a run through recent Indian economic history shows, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The Indian government has increased import duties on gold and silver from 6 per cent to 15 per cent to curb inbound shipments of precious metals amid a rising import bill due to the West Asia crisis.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed a 20-point policy agenda to the finance ministry, including a conflict-linked emergency credit line guarantee scheme and tax rationalisation on energy inputs, to support MSMEs, exporters, and energy-intensive industries affected by the ongoing West Asia war.
A senior official from the Union Ministry of Finance died and three others were injured after a BMW allegedly struck his motorcycle in Delhi. Police are investigating the incident.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened a high-level meeting with bank heads to assess cybersecurity risks linked to advanced AI models, following concerns over Anthropic's Claude Mythos system and its potential impact on financial data security.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has reached a record Rs 314 lakh crore in transaction value in FY26, representing more than a 4,000-fold increase since inception.
A growing conflict between India's insolvency law and tax rules is creating fresh uncertainty for companies undergoing resolution, with tax authorities increasingly denying the benefit of carrying forward past losses even after resolution plans have been approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
The Israeli Finance Ministry has warned that the ongoing war with Iran could cost Israel an estimated NIS 9.4 billion (USD 3 billion approximately) per week under current restrictions on economic activities.
India's like-for-like gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue growth slowed to a five-year low of 5.57 per cent in FY26, reaching Rs 23.32 trillion, primarily driven by a significant surge in import revenues.
