As per the revised calendar, the Quick Estimate of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) will now be released on 28th of every month (or next working day if 28th is a holiday). The index is compiled with data received from source agencies, which in turn receive the data from the producing factories/ establishments. (BASE 2011-12=100)
The Governments of India and France have signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft (22 Single-Seater and four Twin-Seater) for the Indian Navy. It includes Training, Simulator, Associated Equipment, Weapons and Performance-Based Logistics.It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force.
The IGA has been signed by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Mr Sebastien Lecornu. The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan, New Delhi on April 28, 2025.
Manufactured by France's Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities in maritime environment. The delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India.
Rafale-Marine has commonality with the Rafale being operated by IAF.
The 6th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) Meeting between India and Bhutan was held on 24th-25th April 2025 in Thimphu, Bhutan. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Surjit Bhujabal, Special Secretary and Member (Customs), CBIC, Government of India, and Mr. Sonam Jamtsho, Director General, Department of Revenue and Customs, Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan.
India is Bhutan’s top trade partner both as an import source and as an export destination accounting for about 80% of Bhutan’s overall trade. Trade with Bhutan through the land Customs Stations is significant as Bhutan is a land-locked country.
The India-Bhutan Joint Group of Customs meetings are held annually to discuss issues relating to re-defining and re-engineering of Customs procedures, promote Customs cooperation and Cross-border trade facilitation with alignment to global best practices. There are 10 Land Customs Stations along the India-Bhutan Border in the States of West Bengal (6) and Assam (4).
According to the latest Snow Update Report, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region experienced its third consecutive below-normal snow year in 2025, with snow persistence – the fraction of time snow is on the ground after snowfall–hitting a vicennial record low of – 23.6%.
The Delhi government launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme, offering free health treatment worth up to Rs 10 lakh to citizens aged 70 years and above in the city.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri distributed the first Vay Vandana cards to beneficiaries at an event in the capital.
Under this scheme, yearly medical assistance worth Rs 5 lakh will be provided free of cost. Additionally, Rs 5 lakh coverage will be provided under the Delhi government's scheme, making the total health cover Rs 10 lakh.
Under the Vay Vandana Yojana, each registered senior citizen will be provided with a unique health card.
This card will securely store their complete health record, regular health check-up information, and emergency service details. Under this scheme, all health tests for citizens aged 70 years and above in Delhi will be conducted completely free of cost.
Fiji's highest honour, the 'Companion of the Order of Fiji', was conferred on Karnataka-based humanitarian Madhusudan Sai. The award was presented by the President of Fiji, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, at a function held at the State House of Fiji, the official residence of the President.
Previous recipients of the 'Companion of the Order of Fiji' include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of India Droupadi Murmu.
According to the press release, Sai was conferred the award for establishing the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Hospital in Fiji.
In a tribute to the silent sentinels of India’s livestock economy, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, celebrated the World Veterinary Day 2025 on 26 April with a National Workshop in New Delhi.
This year’s global theme of World Veterinary Day 2025 is “Animal Health Takes a Team”, underscores the idea that animal health isn’t a solo mission; it’s a collective national effort involving vets, scientists, public health experts and farmers.
PB Fintech, the parent company of Policybazaar and Paisabazaar, has made a decisive move into India’s healthcare sector by investing Rs 539.4 crore in its newly established subsidiary, PB Healthcare Services. This significant capital infusion marks the first tranche of a larger Rs 1,461.6 crore seed funding round,
which is set to include contributions from both PB Fintech and external investors. The investment, completed through the subscription of 5.39 crore Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares at Rs 100 per share, has resulted in PB Fintech’s stake in the healthcare arm dropping from 100% to 32.14% on a fully diluted basis.
The strategic dilution of ownership is a deliberate step to attract additional capital and create an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) pool to bring in top talent and retain key personnel in the highly competitive healthcare sector.
PB Healthcare Services, incorporated in January 2025 and headquartered in Gurugram, has ambitious plans to establish hospitals with a combined capacity of up to 1,000 beds within its first year of operations. The initial focus will be on the National Capital Region (NCR), with subsequent expansion into other major metropolitan areas.
Bachatt, an emerging Indian fintech startup, has captured the spotlight by securing $4 million (over INR 34 crore) in seed funding to fuel the next phase of its digital savings platform. The round was co-led by Lightspeed and Info Edge Ventures, with Lightspeed contributing $2.8 million and Info Edge Ventures investing $1 million.
The funding round also attracted participation from prominent industry leaders, including Urban Company cofounder Abhiraj Bhal, L&T Finance’s Sunil Prabhune, and OYO executives Abhinav Sinha and Maninder Gulati.
Founded in November 2024 by Anugrah Jain, Ankur Jhavery, and Mayank Agarwal, Bachatt is on a mission to bridge the financial inclusion gap,
for India’s vast population of self-employed and non-salaried individuals. The startup’s daily savings app, currently in beta, allows users to start systematic investment plans (SIPs) with as little as INR 51 to INR 200 per day, targeting those earning between INR 30,000 and 70,000 per month.