India and Chile signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on 08 May 2025, marking a significant advancement in their bilateral trade relations.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified the expansion of the CGSS which increases the ceiling on guarantee cover per borrower under the Scheme from Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 20 crore.
The extent of guarantee cover provided has also been increased to 85% of the amount in default for loan amount up to Rs. 10 crore and 75% of the amount in default for loan amount exceeding Rs. 10 crore.
Further, the Annual Guarantee Fee (AGF) for startups in 27 Champion Sectors has been reduced to 1% p.a. from 2% p.a.
India participated in the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from May 5 to 9, 2025.
India highlighted its significant progress in forest conservation and sustainable forest management, reaffirming its commitment to achieving the Voluntary National Contributions (VNCs),
under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030. India reported a consistent increase in forest and tree cover, now encompassing 25.17% of its geographical area as per the latest India State of Forest Report as a result of key national initiatives like the restoration of land under the Aravalli Green Wall,
a 7.86% increase in mangrove cover over the past decade, afforestation of over 1.55 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, and plantation of 1.4 billion seedlings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) campaign.
A key moment of India’s participation was the invitation to all UN Member States to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)—
a global platform launched by India to support conservation of the seven big cat species through joint research, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building.
The Indian delegation called for global action on the outcomes of the Country-Led Initiative (CLI) hosted by India in Dehradun in October 2023, which focused on forest fire management and forest certification.
India also acknowledged and appreciated CLI efforts led by the Republic of Congo, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Austria, and emphasized the importance of integrating CLI outcomes into formal global mechanisms to support priority forestry issues.
India also hosted a side event on “Restoring Degraded Forest Landscapes: India’s Approach to Sustainable Forest Management and Climate Resilience.”
Further, India joined a high-level panel on “Valuing Forest Ecosystems in National Policy and Strategy,” where the delegation shared findings from pilot studies in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and tiger reserves.
These studies quantified ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water provisioning, and biodiversity conservation using frameworks such as the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA).
The Indian delegation to UNFF20 was led by Shri Sushil Kumar Awasthi, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary.
The global sovereign credit rating agency, Morningstar DBRS, upgraded India’s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency – Issuer Ratings from BBB (low) to BBB with a Stable trend.
India’s Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Ratings were also upgraded to R-2 (high) from R-2 (middle) with a Stable trend.
India marked a strong and impactful presence at the World Bank Land Conference 2025. In the four day conference held from 5th to 8th May 2025, in Washington D.C., India assumed the role of a Country Champion under the leadership of Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
During the conference, global attention was drawn towards India’s flagship initiatives like SVAMITVA Scheme and Gram Manchitra platform, as models of inclusive, technology-driven rural governance.
On the occasion of World Thalassemia Day 2025, Coal India Limited (CIL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, commemorated the remarkable success of its flagship CSR initiative, the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY), at a special event held at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.
The scheme, which supports free bone marrow transplants for children suffering from thalassemia and aplastic anemia, has emerged as a life-transforming initiative for hundreds of families across the country.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Hafele India Pvt. Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 07 May 2025 in New Delhi, to strengthen India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem by empowering product startups, MSMEs, and entrepreneurs.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to building resilient local supply chains and accelerating India’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub.
Under this strategic collaboration, Hafele will drive initiatives that support product innovation, local sourcing, and entrepreneurship through targeted investments, mentorship, and
integration into global value chains.
Hafele will expand its support to startups and MSMEs by offering access to infrastructure, supplier development opportunities, technical collaboration, and market access. Hafele has already committed over USD 2.5 million in an Indian appliance manufacturing startup and has extended purchase orders to Indian MSME manufacturers.
The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), in collaboration with Aerospace Services India (ASI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), successfully hosted the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) India Eco-System Summit 2.0 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on May 07, 2025.
The Miss World Organisation has announced that celebrated actor and founder of the Sood Charity Foundation, Sonu Sood, will be presented with the prestigious Humanitarian Award at the Grand Finale of the 72nd Miss World Festival in Telangana for his philanthropic work during COVID-19.
This special honour recognises his exceptional service to humanity and unwavering commitment to social upliftment through his foundation. The award will be conferred on May 31, 2025, at the HITEX Arena in Hyderabad as part of the festival's final celebrations.
Julia Morley CBE- Chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organisation.
Kotak Mahindra Bank has issued a Revised Cardholder Agreement, effective June 1, detailing adjustments to interest rates, fees, minimum‐due calculations and rewards programmes. According to the bank’s website, the changes will align card terms with customer usage trends and regulatory guidelines.