News on Indian Economy
The Air Operator Certificate (AOC) marks a major milestone for the fledgling airline and the broader aviation sector. It follows a series of successful test flights, including water take-offs and landings conducted at sites such as the Ganga Barrage and Tehri Lake in Uttarakhand, demonstrating the operational readiness of the service.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and the Kenya Revenue Authority for the exchange of pre-arrival information on goods moving between the two countries. The agreement was signed by CBIC Member Yogendra Garg and KRA Commissioner General Dr Lilian Nyawanda in the presence of senior officials from both sides.
The MoU was signed by Neeraj Kumar Jha, General Manager of the Parcel Directorate, Department of Posts, and Abhishek Chakraborty, Chief Executive Officer of DTDC Express Limited, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations. The partnership builds on an existing collaboration between the Department of Posts and DTDC that began in 2025.
The campus now prepares daily meals for over 500 people, including around 250 hostel students who are served twice a day, along with 15 staff families residing on the premises. Instead of relying on LPG cylinders, the institution uses two biogas plants with a combined capacity of 90 cubic metres per day. These plants convert cow dung, kitchen waste and agricultural residue into usable cooking gas.
For decades, the Khambatki Ghat section was known for its steep curves, accident-prone stretches, and traffic congestion. The newly constructed tunnel now offers a safer alternative route, significantly reducing travel risks and improving driving conditions for commuters.
The agreement eliminates customs duties on 100% of Indian exports to New Zealand, providing a major boost to Indian industries, particularly labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and leather. It is expected to enhance India’s competitiveness in global markets while expanding opportunities for exporters.
The latest update from the Ministry of Railways says the corridor will use the Japanese J-Slab ballastless track system, based on Shinkansen technology, for the first time in India. Unlike conventional railway tracks that use loose ballast stones, this system uses a reinforced concrete track bed, cement asphalt mortar, pre-cast track slabs, rails and fasteners to create a highly stable track structure suitable for high-speed operations.
The mission is expected to give mushroom cultivation a structured policy framework rather than treating it as a small side activity. Reports say the government wants to scale production sharply, support growers with subsidies, create new production units, and bring women’s self-help groups into the centre of the programme. Some reports have pegged the proposed outlay at ₹12,960 crore, with a focus on training, production infrastructure and rural enterprise development.
The pact comes after negotiations that began in March 2025 and were concluded in December 2025, making it one of India’s faster recent trade agreements. New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has described the agreement as a major opening for exporters, while New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has projected it as a gateway to India’s 1.4 billion-consumer market.
The April data showed that manufacturing led the broader recovery in India’s private sector after growth had moderated in March amid disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. The Manufacturing PMI Output Index climbed to 59.1 from 55.7, showing a sharper rise in production activity, while goods producers also reported faster growth in new orders compared with service providers.
