Economy

News on Indian Economy

India and Italy Elevate Ties to Special Strategic Partnership, Opening a New Chapter in Defence, Trade and Technology Cooperation

The upgraded partnership shows that India and Italy are no longer looking at each other only through the lens of traditional diplomacy or cultural familiarity. The new framework places defence, trade, technology, critical minerals, maritime security, innovation, mobility and global governance at the centre of the relationship. In simple terms, the two countries are trying to build a partnership suited to the next decade rather than merely celebrate historical goodwill.

RAINMUMBAI: India’s First Weather Derivative Turns Monsoon Risk Into a Tradable Financial Instrument

The contract is based on Mumbai rainfall data sourced from the India Meteorological Department. It tracks how actual rainfall deviates from the city’s Long Period Average during the monsoon season. The system uses a Cumulative Deviation Rainfall model, developed with the involvement of IIT Bombay, to measure the difference between real rainfall and historical averages.

India’s Tea Exports Rise 93% to ₹8,719 Crore, Strengthening Global Demand for Indian Chai

The latest export figure also reflects the steady globalisation of Indian tea. What was once seen largely as a domestic habit has become an expanding trade opportunity. Indian tea is now consumed across markets in West Asia, Europe, North America, Russia, China and other regions. The growing export value suggests that international buyers are not merely purchasing bulk tea, but increasingly recognising the diversity and quality of Indian varieties.

PM Modi to Distribute Over 51,000 Appointment Letters at 19th Rozgar Mela

Since its launch, the Rozgar Mela has become one of the major platforms through which the Government of India has accelerated the distribution of appointment letters to selected candidates. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, around 12 lakh recruitment letters have already been issued through the previous 18 Rozgar Melas organised across the country.

UPI Handles 85.5% of India’s Digital Payment Transactions in H2 2025, Showing the Scale of India’s Cashless Economy

The numbers clearly show that UPI is now the backbone of India’s mass retail digital payments system. While UPI dominated transaction volume, other systems continued to serve their own specialised roles. NEFT and Prepaid Payment Instruments each accounted for 3.6% of transaction volume, while RTGS contributed only 0.1% of transaction volume because it is mainly used for large-value settlements.

India’s TEAM Initiative Opens Digital Commerce Doors for Small Businesses Across Bharat

For many artisans, home-based businesses, farmer producer organisations, small manufacturers and local retailers, the challenge has never been only production. It has often been market access. A walnut grower in a hill district, a food processor in the North-East or a small household enterprise may have a good product, but limited reach, weak buyer connectivity, poor digital visibility, high platform costs and logistical hurdles can prevent them from scaling. TEAM is aimed at solving precisely this gap by helping such enterprises with onboarding, cataloguing, packaging, logistics and customer management.

BHIM App Records Over 300% Growth in FY26, Signalling India’s Deepening Digital Payments Revolution

According to NPCI BHIM Services Limited, monthly transaction volumes on the BHIM app rose from 5.93 crore in April 2025 to 21.6 crore in March 2026. The momentum continued into the new financial year as well, with the app recording 22.49 crore transactions worth ₹26,040 crore in April 2026. This shows that the growth was not just a temporary spike, but part of a larger behavioural shift towards digital payments.

India’s Digital Economy May Contribute 20% to GDP by 2030, But Cybersecurity Will Decide the Strength of the Growth Story

India’s digital transformation has already become visible in everyday life. The spread of UPI, Aadhaar-linked services, paperless governance, digital public infrastructure, optical fibre expansion and online service delivery has changed how citizens, businesses and government institutions interact. The shift from a cash-heavy and paperwork-heavy system towards a more digital economy has improved speed, transparency and accessibility in many areas of public and commercial life.

India’s Toffee Exports Rise 166% Since FY14, Showing the Growing Global Taste for Made-in-India Confectionery

The development gained wider public attention after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Melody toffees to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Rome. The gesture became a light diplomatic moment, but it also highlighted something larger: Indian consumer brands are no longer confined to the domestic market. They are slowly gaining recognition abroad as part of India’s expanding soft-power and food-export profile.