Q1 Growth Is 2.7 Times the Full-Year Rate
Cumulative merchandise and services exports in April-June 2026-27 are estimated at $232.73 billion, against $208.98 billion a year earlier — growth of 11.37 per cent. Full-year 2025-26 growth was 4.22 per cent, to $860.09 billion. The quarter is running at about 2.7 times the previous year’s pace.
Energy · City Gas :Distributors Get Paid in Gas, Not Cash
The Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections takes effect on 1 September. Eligible city gas distribution entities receive 200 standard cubic metres of domestic, lower-priced gas for every incremental billed domestic connection, over two tranches in six months. There is no cash subsidy line.
Trade · European Union:₹29,534 Crore of Steel Meets a Carbon Bill
The Department of Commerce, NABCB and EEPC ran a CBAM awareness session for exporters at Vanijya Bhawan on 18 August, with iron and steel and aluminium as worked case studies. India’s finished-steel exports to the EU were ₹29,534 crore in 2023-24, on Joint Plant Committee data — about 35 per cent above the five-year average.
Banking · Rural: ₹3.78 Lakh Crore of It Is Farm Credit
Regional Rural Banks grew gross loans 10.3 per cent to over ₹5.78 lakh crore in 2025-26. Agriculture and allied activities account for ₹3.78 lakh crore, or 77 per cent of priority-sector lending. That implies a priority-sector book of about ₹4.91 lakh crore — roughly 85 per cent of everything the RRBs lend.
Trade · Singapore: Seventy Firms Travel With Four Ministers
Piyush Goyal left for Singapore for the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, joining Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar and Ashwini Vaishnaw. The accompanying delegation of about 70 senior business representatives spans technology, AI, manufacturing, infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, maritime and professional services.
Investment · Japan: Goyal Opens the Door to Japanese Capital
Addressing a Japanese delegation in New Delhi on 18 August, the Commerce and Industry Minister invited Japanese businesses to deepen investments and partnerships in India, describing the India-Japan relationship as of growing depth and strategic importance. The pitch lands in the same week as the Singapore roundtable and the Pune BRICS track.
Agri-Business · Makhana: ₹79 Crore a Year for 80% of a World Market
The Central Sector Scheme for Development of Makhana carries ₹476.03 crore over 2025-26 to 2030-31 — an average of ₹79.34 crore a year. India produces close to 80 per cent of the world’s makhana, almost all of it from nine Bihar districts. Few Indian commodities combine that market share with that small an outlay.
Telecom · BRICS: Eleven Economies Compare Digital Rulebooks
The 7th BRICS ICT Working Group met at Pune from 17 to 19 August under India’s chairship, with digital public infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity and child online protection on the agenda. The Digital BRICS Forum and Expo follows on 20 August and the 12th Communications Ministers’ Meeting on 21 August.
Telecom · States: Five Signatories for One BharatNet Contract
Digital Bharat Nidhi signed an implementation agreement for the Amended BharatNet Programme in Chhattisgarh with the state government, CSBIL, BSNL and CHiPS. The five-party structure signals that rural fibre is being delivered through a state special purpose vehicle rather than a single central contractor — a different accountability chain.
Manufacturing · Steel: ₹27,106 Crore of Speciality-Steel Investment
The Production Linked Incentive scheme for speciality steel anticipates additional investment of ₹27,106 crore and downstream capacity creation of around 24 million tonnes. With carbon border pricing arriving in export markets, newer capacity is materially cheaper to certify than old capacity — which aligns industrial policy with climate policy.
Markets · Previous Close: Sensex Ends Tuesday at 77,235.46
The Sensex closed on 18 August at 77,235.46, down 0.63 per cent, with the Nifty 50 at 24,154.90, down 0.55 per cent. The rupee weakened 7 paise against the US dollar and gold and silver both eased. Wednesday’s close was not available at the time of this edition.
Policy · Statistics: Vice-President Presses the Case for Clean Data
Speaking on 18 August, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan argued that accurate data is essential for effective governance and for delivering benefits to the right beneficiaries. For business, the practical read-across is straightforward: scheme targeting, credit registries and subsidy transfer all sit on the same statistical base.