On 6th March, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated the seven-year journey of its flagship initiative, SWAYATT – Startups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions – reaffirming its commitment to making public procurement more inclusive for startups, women entrepreneurs and youth across India.
Launched on 19 February 2019, SWAYATT was conceptualised with the vision of democratising government procurement by enabling startups, women entrepreneurs, youth, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and last-mile sellers to directly participate in the public procurement ecosystem through Government e-Marketplace.
Rooted in GeM’s foundational pillar of social inclusion, SWAYATT focuses on addressing three critical challenges often faced by emerging enterprises—access to markets, access to finance and access to value addition.
SWAYATT has become a key pillar of GeM’s inclusive public procurement ecosystem, enabling startups, women entrepreneurs and MSEs to access government markets with greater visibility and opportunity. Dedicated storefronts such as Startup Runway and Womaniya further strengthen this ecosystem by enhancing discoverability among lakhs of government buyers across the country.
Women entrepreneurs have recorded strong growth on GeM, with cumulative order values rising from ₹1,265.62 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹83,323 crore by FY 2025–26. During the same period, order volumes increased from 1,01,530 to 44,48,894, reflecting the expanding participation of women-led enterprises in public procurement over the seven-year journey of SWAYATT.
Participation of startups has also witnessed strong momentum on the GeM platform, with cumulative order values increasing from ₹497.24 crore in FY 2018–19 to ₹54,005.8 crore by FY 2025–26. During the same period, order volumes expanded from 17,434 to 5,30,578, highlighting the growing role of startups in public procurement through the SWAYATT initiative.
German development finance institution DEG and Citi announced providing a USD 76-million co-financing package to Shriram Finance Ltd, aimed at accelerating economic inclusion, rural development, and climate-aligned mobility pan-India.
Under this, while DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH) has provided a 40 million euro loan (around USD 46 million) and Citi has extended a Rs 260 crore loan to the NBFC.
This collaborative and innovative financing is designed to strengthen the company's outreach to priority segments that remain underserved in India's credit ecosystem.
This is the second such collaboration between the two co-financing partners following the successful transaction supporting CreditAccess Grameen in 2024, underscoring the institutions' shared commitment to advancing inclusive and climate-positive financing in India.
The DEG loan will support lending towards MSMEs, electric EV financing, women borrowers, and customers in underserved areas that will enable access to formal credit through Shriram's networks across India.
Citi's financing will support smallholder farmers, a segment critical to India's food security and rural economy, yet often constrained by access to affordable capital.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bellatrix Aerospace to collaborate on the design, development and manufacturing of satellite systems and payloads, with a focus on enhancing indigenous capabilities in the Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) regime.
The collaboration combines BEL’s decades-long expertise in developing advanced electronics and mission-critical payloads for defence and strategic applications with Bellatrix Aerospace’s capabilities in satellite propulsion and satellite subsystems.
The partnership aims to leverage the complementary strengths of both organisations to develop next-generation satellite platforms designed for VLEO operations.
The MoU has been exchanged between Rashmi Kathuria, General Manager (SCCS) and Unit Head of BEL-Ghaziabad, and Rohan M. Ganapathy, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Bellatrix Aerospace.
International Women’s Day 2026 will be observed worldwide on March 8, a day dedicated to recognising the achievements of women and raising awareness about gender equality. The day celebrates women’s contributions across social, economic, cultural and political fields, while also drawing attention to the challenges many women still face.
For International Women’s Day 2026, the official theme is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The theme focuses on ensuring that legal rights and protections for women are not just written in laws but also implemented in everyday life.
Japan has approved ground-breaking stem-cell treatments for Parkinson's and severe heart failure, one of the manufacturers and media reports, with the therapies expected to reach patients within months.
Pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma received the green light for the manufacture and sale of Amchepry, its Parkinson's disease treatment that transplants stem cells into a patient's brain.
Japan's health ministry also gave the go-ahead to ReHeart, heart muscle sheets developed by medical startup Cuorips that can help form new blood vessels and restore heart function.
Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka won the Nobel Prize in 2012 for his research into iPS, which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body.
A trial led by Kyoto University researchers indicated that the company's treatment was safe and successful in improving symptoms.
The study involved seven Parkinson's patients aged between 50 and 69, with each receiving a total of either five million or 10 million cells implanted on both sides of the brain.
The iPS cells from healthy donors were developed into the precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson's disease.
India's state-run lenders are preparing a fresh round of green bond issuances after Bank of Baroda locked in a 7.10% coupon on a ₹10,000-crore, seven-year green infrastructure bond on March 4.
Union Bank of India is looking to raise about ₹10,000 crore, while State Bank of India may issue around ₹7,500 crore, three people familiar with the matter.
On the day of Bank of Baroda's issuance, state-run Sidbi scrapped a planned ₹8,000 crore, three-year bond after bids came in at higher-than-expected yields.
The 7.10% yield for Bank of Baroda paper was notable because the 10-year government bond was trading at around 6.72% at the time.
This implies that Bank of Baroda raised funds at a spread of roughly 40 basis points over the benchmark government security yield. Typically, such bonds are priced at a spread of 70-100 basis points above the benchmark paper.
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) fully subscribed to Bank of Baroda's issue and are likely to participate in the planned Union Bank and SBI bonds as well.
Recent deals include Nabard raising ₹5,055 crore at 7.10% for three years, while Canara Bank mobilised ₹5,000 crore at 7.24% for 10 years.
In a significant step towards strengthening industry-driven skill development and deepening Government–industry collaboration, the Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE),
Government of India, has signed a Flexible Memorandum of Understanding (Flexi-MoU) with Bajaj Auto Ltd., one of India’s leading automotive manufacturers, under the revised Flexi-MoU Scheme (June 2024).
The Southern Army Commander, Lt Gen Dheeraj Seth, will take over as the next Vice Chief of Army Staff on April 1 in New Delhi. The present VCOAS Lt Gen PP Singh would be taking over as the new Western Army Commander on the same day.
In Eastern Army Command, Lt Gen VMB Krishnan will be the next General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, while Lt Gen Sandeep Jain will be the new Southern Army Commander from April 1.
Earlier on February 6, Lt General PP Singh, Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) awarded Unit Citations to six Indian Army units for exemplary service, including the Intelligence and Field Security Unit (IFSU) deployed in the strategically sensitive Leh-Ladakh region on the occassion of Army Day.
The award ceremony was held on February 5, 2026, where Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh presented the Unit Citation to the Commanding Officer of IFSU, Colonel Jitendra Singh and Subedar Major Mandeep Singh. The citation recognises the unit's outstanding performance, devotion to duty, operational efficiency and acts of bravery in the Eastern Ladakh sector along the India-China border
Country's leading lender SBI on Saturday (March 7, 2026) announced the launch of a $500 million syndicated social term loan facility, focused exclusively on women empowerment with a greenshoe option, on the eve of International Women's Day.
This syndicated transaction is a milestone for SBI and the global ESG financing landscape, for the noble cause of women’s empowerment.
This financing is focused on accelerating social impact and demonstrates SBI's commitment to reducing 'the gender gap' and contributes meaningfully to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 — 'Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls'.
This transaction, which is dedicated to advancing women empowerment initiatives across India, is a milestone for SBI and the global ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) financing landscape, per the statement. It is focused on accelerating social impact and demonstrates SBI’s commitment to reduce “the gender gap”.
The 8th Janaushadhi Diwas was celebrated with enthusiasm across the country today, marking the culmination of the week-long Janaushadhi Saptah 2026 celebrations organised by Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers,
Programs were organised at 25 locations across the country to commemorate the occasion, where Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) owners were honoured for their outstanding performance and contribution towards promoting affordable and quality medicines under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, attended the event organised at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi as the Chief Guest. The event was also graced by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, as the Guest of Honour, and Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, as the Special Guest.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), in collaboration with the Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, launched the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge, a national initiative to strengthen India’s climate resilience architecture by building the foundational layers of a National Climate Stack for rural India.
India’s climate risks are intensifying with heatwaves, floods, droughts, and cyclones placing increasing pressure on agriculture and rural livelihoods. While climate data availability has improved, near-term hazard forecasting remains fragmented across datasets and siloed models.
The top three solutions will receive awards of ₹15 lakh, ₹10 lakh, and ₹5 lakh, respectively. Selected solutions may also be considered for post-Challenge pilots and adoption pathways through NABARD and partner programmes.
The Challenge is anchored in DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture, NABARD’s climate data platform. Through this initiative, NABARD seeks to strengthen DiCRA’s evolution from a digital public good into a digital public infrastructure capable of supporting interoperable, forecasting-enabled climate intelligence
George Russell took pole position and teammate Kimi Antonelli locked up the front row for Mercedes at Formula One's season-opening Grand Prix but Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen crashed out of the first qualifying session.
Briton Russell lapped the circuit in one minute, 18.518 seconds, 0.293 seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, who came back from a huge crash in final practice earlier on 7th March.
It was Mercedes first pole in Melbourne since Lewis Hamilton's in 2019.
Antonelli faces a nervous wait for his position to be confirmed after his patched-up car dropped cooling-fan parts at the start of Q3 and Norris ran over one, sending debris flying and triggering a red flag.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar will start third on the grid for Sunday's race, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fourth.
Home racer Oscar Piastri and defending champion Lando Norris were fifth and sixth for McLaren.
Aston Martin's twice world champion Fernando Alonso was eliminated in Q1, along with both the new Cadillac team's drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll was unable to take part in Q1, with Aston Martin.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Ketan Merchant as interim chief executive officer for three months, or until the bank’s managing director and chief executive officer, Rishi Gupta, resumes office following a reassessment of his “fit and proper” status by the bank’s nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) and board.
Merchant is the chief financial officer (CFO) of the bank. Following Gupta’s arrest, the bank’s board tasked Merchant to head the bank and its day-to-day operations in the absence of Gupta.
Gupta was arrested last month in connection with alleged goods and services tax (GST)-related violations, and has not yet received bail in the matter.
In December last year, RBI gave in-principle approval to Fino Payments Bank to transition into a small finance bank (SFB). It is the first and the only payments bank so far to apply for conversion into an SFB. Fino has up to 18 months to make the transition into an SFB.
The Panchayati Raj ministry led by Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ has launched a campaign ‘Say No to Proxy Sarpanch’. The campaign, launched on Sunday on the occasion of International Women’s Day, will run until March 18.
The campaign seeks to address the practice of proxy representations in gram panchayats, wherein elected women sarpanches are sidelined while their male family members – commonly referred to as ‘sarpanch pati’ or ‘pradhan pati’ – exercise authority in their name.
