India is prioritizing the development of domestic rare-earth permanent magnet (REPM) manufacturing to reduce import dependence, secure supplies of critical minerals, and support clean-energy, electric mobility, electronics, and defence sectors. The initiative aligns with national strategies such as the National Critical Minerals Mission and recent mining-policy reforms that promote exploration, processing, and private participation. Alongside international partnerships and resource acquisition efforts through KABIL, strengthening REPM capacity positions India to build resilient supply chains, advance self-reliance, and integrate more strongly into global value chains for advanced materials.
Click to View MoreIndia’s crude oil basket has evolved from dominant dependence on West Asia to a more diversified mix, influenced by geopolitics, sanctions, price dynamics, and refinery flexibility. The decline of Iranian supplies due to sanctions, the rise of U.S. and African crude, and especially the rapid increase in discounted Russian oil since 2022 have reshaped India’s sourcing pattern. Today, India imports nearly 85% of its crude requirement, with Russia emerging as a leading supplier alongside Middle Eastern producers, reflecting a strategy focused on cost efficiency, energy security, and diplomatic balancing.
Click to View MoreThe manufacturing sector plays a crucial role in India’s economic development by generating large-scale employment, boosting GDP growth, and driving structural transformation from agriculture to industry. However, its performance has remained below potential, with the sector contributing only about 15–17% of GDP and around 11–12% of total employment. Constraints such as high logistics costs, infrastructure gaps, low R&D spending, skill mismatches, regulatory complexity, and dominance of informal enterprises have slowed progress. Government initiatives including Make in India, Production Linked Incentive schemes, PM Gati Shakti, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Skill India aim to raise competitiveness, enhance domestic value addition, and integrate India more deeply into global value chains. Overall, manufacturing remains central to India’s growth strategy, but sustained reforms and investment are needed to fully realise its potential.
Click to View MoreIndustrial parks are planned industrial ecosystems that provide serviced land, shared infrastructure, and simplified governance to accelerate manufacturing growth in India. Backed by initiatives such as plug-and-play parks, the India Industrial Land Bank, industrial corridors, and the Industrial Park Rating System, they play a crucial role in attracting investment, generating employment, promoting sustainability, and strengthening India’s integration into global value chains, while also requiring continuous upgrades to address infrastructure gaps, regional imbalances, and environmental challenges.
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The Securities Markets Code, 2025 seeks to modernise India’s capital market regulation by consolidating the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, the SEBI Act, 1992, and the Depositories Act, 1996 into a single, principle-based framework. The Code strengthens the regulatory role of Securities and Exchange Board of India, decriminalises minor procedural violations, enhances investor protection through a statutory Investor Charter and Ombudsperson, and improves oversight of market infrastructure institutions. By reducing regulatory fragmentation and aligning with global best practices, the Code aims to boost investor confidence, ease compliance, deepen capital markets, and support India’s long-term economic growth.
Click to View MoreThe CAG audit of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana highlights that while the scheme significantly expanded skill training and certification across India, serious shortcomings in beneficiary verification, financial disbursement, and monitoring weakened its impact. Issues such as invalid bank account details, delayed DBT payments, closed training centres, and duplicate documentation revealed gaps between digital records and ground realities. The findings underline the need for stronger data integrity, institutional oversight, and outcome-based evaluation to ensure that large-scale skilling initiatives translate into meaningful employment outcomes.
Click to View MoreThe replacement of MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) marks a major shift in India’s rural employment policy. While MGNREGA functioned as a universal, demand-driven and rights-based employment guarantee that supported vulnerable rural households, the new framework emphasises fiscal discipline, centralised planning and productivity-linked employment. The transition reflects the government’s intent to reform rural welfare delivery, but it also raises concerns about dilution of the right to work, increased burden on states, and potential exclusion of marginalised communities.
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Global Capability Centres have become a cornerstone of India’s modern growth strategy, evolving from low-cost support units into global hubs for innovation, engineering, and strategic functions. Supported by skilled talent, strong digital infrastructure, and enabling government policies, GCCs contribute significantly to high-value exports, quality employment, and technological advancement. Their expansion is deepening India’s integration into global value chains and reinforcing its position as a leading knowledge and innovation-driven economy.
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The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to modernise India’s insurance sector through 100% FDI, stronger regulatory powers for IRDAI, easier entry for foreign reinsurers, and greater autonomy for LIC, but by excluding reforms such as composite licensing, lower capital norms, and captive insurers, it remains a significant yet incomplete step toward achieving higher insurance penetration and inclusive growth.
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The One Nation, One Port initiative aims to standardise and digitise port operations across India to reduce logistics costs, improve efficiency, and enhance global trade competitiveness. By harmonising documentation, promoting paperless clearances, benchmarking port performance through Sagar Ankalan, and enabling digital trade via the MAITRI platform, the initiative strengthens India’s integration with global value chains. Aligned with PM Gati Shakti and Atmanirbhar Bharat, it transforms Indian ports into efficient, sustainable engines of economic growth.
Click to View MoreNational Energy Conservation Day, observed on 14 December, underscores the importance of efficient and responsible energy use in India’s development journey. Through initiatives such as CCTS, PAT, UJALA, PM Surya Ghar, energy-efficient building codes, and behavioural programmes like LiFE, India is reducing energy wastage, strengthening energy security, and advancing its clean-energy and climate goals.
Click to View MoreThe rupee’s fall past 90 reflects a strong US dollar, FPI outflows and a widening trade deficit. While it raises imported inflation and debt costs, it aids exports like IT and pharma. The RBI follows a managed float, using forex reserves to limit volatility and maintain economic stability.
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