The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted the release of the ‘I Am Circular’ Coffee Table Book, curetted by the International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE). The book is a vibrant celebration of India’s innovative spirit in driving the circular economy forward.
This Coffee Table Book features 30 of India’s most promising innovations identified through the nationwide ‘I Am Circular’ Challenge, an initiative designed to discover and amplify breakthrough solutions rooted in the principles of the circular economy. The selected innovations are based on three key themes: Design to Last, Work with Nature, and Use Existing Resources.
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), a flagship programme under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, is undergoing a major digital transformation with the launch of the next-generation Health Management Information System (HMIS).
Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), this comprehensive digital platform is scheduled to go live from 28th April 2025.
This year’s National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) will mark a special moment with the presentation of the Special Category National Panchayat Awards–2025 at the National event of NPRD-2025 to be held at Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat, District Madhubani, Bihar on 24th April, 2025.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of the Target Business by Kandhari Global Beverages Private Limited.
Kandhari Global Beverages Private Limited (Acquirer) is an authorized bottler of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Schweppes Holdings Limited (SHL),
and is engaged in the business of supplying and distributing non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) products in Rajasthan.
The Target Business comprise of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited’s business of preparing, packaging, supplying and distributing NAB products in North Gujarat and Union Territory of Diu (Target Business).
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in partnership with Startup India and Stride Ventures, announced the startup Buoyancy Plastics for Change Recycling Private Limited as the winner of the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge 2025, an initiative aimed at recognizing and empowering high-impact, homegrown startups.
The winner was chosen from over 120 startup applications received during the 30 days of running the challenge. Applications were received from 22 states of the country, from startups working in the sustainability, fintech and e-mobility sector.
The winner of this Challenge, Plastics for Change, was founded in 2015, and focuses on building a Fair Trade verified recycled plastics supply chain. The company is currently focused on ethical sourcing and aggregation of plastic waste to provide high-quality rPET, rHDPE and rPP materials to recycling units.
Stride Ventures is the largest venture debt fund in India, having committed over $1 Billion to over 170 new-age startups in the last five years.
This was the first time Stride Ventures hosted a Bharat Startup Grand Challenge. For the winner’s, Stride Ventures announced investing up to ₹10 Crore, subject to due diligence, along with further ecosystem support, mentorship.
Madhya Pradesh-based non-banking financial company (NBFC) Finodaya Capital has successfully raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by fintech-focused White Venture Capital, along with participation from early-stage investor Gemba Capital and several angel investors.
This funding values the company at a post-money valuation of approximately Rs 50 crore ($5.87 million)
Founded by former ICICI Bank executives Lokendra Tomar, Abhitabh Dixit, and Neeraj Biyani, Finodaya Capital recently secured its NBFC licence from the Reserve Bank of India on April 11, 2025.
Finodaya’s unique phygital model, a hybrid of digital infrastructure and physical branch presence, enables efficient credit underwriting and loan disbursal. This approach combines the speed and scalability of digital tools with the trust and reach of on-ground branches, helping borrowers transition from informal, high-cost lending sources to formal financial systems.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its circular, asked banks to start the migration of their existing domains to the ‘bank.in’ domain and complete the process before October 31, 2025.
The central bank, in its circular, said that it has decided to operationalise the ‘bank.in’ domain for banks through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT),
which has been authorised by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), under the guidance of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to serve as the exclusive registrar for this domain.
The Union health ministry launched the new competency-based curriculums for ten allied and healthcare professions in collaboration with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP).
The curriculum aims to produce globally competent allied and healthcare professionals to address the increasing prevalence of diseases,
and the growing demand for allied services.
According to several reports, India currently has more than 1.3 million allied and healthcare personnel such as lab technicians, physiotherapists, and dieticians.
The ten curriculums will cover professions such as physiotherapy, applied psychology and behavioural health, optometry, nutrition and dietetics, dialysis therapy, radiotherapy, medical radiology and imaging, anaesthesia, health information management, and physician associates.
Shukla added that the new curriculum will be mandatorily implemented from 2026, with other curriculums of professions scheduled under the NCAHP Act to be released at the earliest. Currently, there are 56 recognised categories under the Act.
India has agreed to work with Saudi Arabia to enhance the stability of global oil markets and to balance global energy market dynamics, according to a joint statement issued. The statement came after conclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Saudi Arabia.
The two sides emphasised the importance of cooperation in the field of green and clean hydrogen, including stimulating demand, developing hydrogen transport and storage technologies, exchanging expertise and experiences to implement best practices.
Bank of Baroda has announced its Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy and aspiration to achieve net-zero emissions by 2057. The move reinforces the bank's long-standing commitment to promoting responsible and sustainable banking practices, mitigating ESG risks and seizing opportunities for a low-carbon future, Bank of Baroda said in a release.
In line with the theme for Earth Day 2025 'Our Power, Our Planet', that highlights the importance of renewable sources of energy, Bank of Baroda would prioritise financing to renewable energy, it said.
The bank said it has introduced a range of sustainable finance products such as Green Deposits, Residential Rooftop Solar Loan Scheme and the Green Hydrogen Financing Scheme.
The Reserve Bank said it has cancelled the licence of Ajantha Urban Co-operative Bank Maryadit, Aurangabad, as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business (April 22, 2025), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement.
The Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra, has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
As per the data submitted by the bank, the RBI said 91.55 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receiving full amount of their deposits from DICGC.
As on April 3, 2025, DICGC has already paid Rs 275.22 crore of the total insured deposits.
The Reserve Bank relaxed norms to facilitate export through warehouses in 'Bharat Mart', a multimodal logistics network-based marketplace in the United Arab Emirates, that will provide Indian traders, exporters, and manufacturers access to the markets around the world.
In a circular, the RBI said banks may allow exporters to realise and repatriate full export value of goods exported to 'Bharat Mart' within nine months from the date of sale of the goods from the warehouse.
Further, banks have been asked to allow opening/hiring of a warehouse in 'Bharat Mart' by an Indian exporter with a valid importer exporter code without any pre-conditions, after verifying the reasonableness of the same.
It also apply on remittances by the Indian exporter for initial as well as recurring expenses for setup and continuing business operations of its offices.
