News on Indian Economy
For France and United States’s markets, India is often not exporting complete front-line weapon platforms. Instead, Indian companies are increasingly embedded in global aerospace and defence supply chains, supplying fuselages, empennages, aerostructures, electronics, precision parts and specialist subsystems to global OEMs. That is a different export model, but an equally important one.
Under the approved plan, 2×48 fibre optical fibre cable will be laid over a total network length of 1,929 route kilometres. Of this, 1,456 route kilometres will fall under the Ahmedabad division, while 473 route kilometres will be covered in the Ratlam division.
Joha rice, an aromatic variety known for its distinct fragrance, fine grain, and rich taste, received Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2017 and is cultivated across more than 21,000 hectares in Assam.
The scale-up is visible in output numbers. Fish production has risen from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, reflecting average annual growth of around 7%. That production growth has translated into export momentum as well. India’s marine product exports have more than doubled over the past 11 years, climbing from ₹30,213 crore in 2013-14 to ₹62,408 crore in 2024-25, with shrimp continuing to anchor the export basket at ₹43,334 crore.
The project is being taken up as part of the Sagarmala Programme and is aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, both of which aim to build stronger multi-modal transport networks and improve logistics performance across the country. Construction is being executed by Western Railway on a deposit basis.
India’s exports to Australia have grown from USD 4 billion in FY 2020-21 to USD 8.5 billion in FY 2024-25, while export growth in 2024-25 alone stood at 8 percent over the previous year. In FY 2025-26, up to February, total trade between the two countries stood at USD 19.3 billion, indicating continued momentum in the relationship.
The PM-WANI model is designed as a market-driven framework that allows local entrepreneurs to set up and operate Wi-Fi access points based on commercial viability, with the government acting primarily as an enabling policy platform. That structure is intended to widen last-mile internet access without relying solely on large-scale centralised infrastructure, particularly in areas where affordable broadband availability remains uneven.
On the production side, SAIL registered its highest-ever crude steel output at 19.43 million tonnes and saleable steel production at 19.176 million tonnes, marking a new operational high for the company. The performance, according to the Ministry of Steel, also reflected improvements in efficiency parameters, underscoring SAIL’s push toward more competitive and sustainable steelmaking.
In simple terms, it tries to do for digital commerce what UPI did for payments: reduce dependence on a few dominant gateways and make the network itself the public rails on which many businesses can operate.
The company’s March 2026 performance also remained strong. NMDC produced 5.35 million tonnes and sold 5.90 million tonnes of iron ore during the month, registering year-on-year growth of 51 percent in production and 40 percent in sales over the corresponding period last year. For the full financial year, sales stood at 50.23 million tonnes, up 13 percent, making FY26 the best year in the company’s history in both output and dispatch volumes.
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