Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, along with AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha inaugurated a dedicated AYUSH Store on the quick-commerce platform Zepto. The initiative is part of the ongoing collaboration between the AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AYUSHEXCIL) and Zepto,
to expand the digital presence and consumer accessibility of traditional Indian wellness products.
The dedicated storefront brings together a curated range of authentic AYUSH products—making them easily discoverable for consumers through Zepto’s digital platform and delivery network.
In order to promote and ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been incentivizing setting up/ expansion of related infrastructure, including Millet processing units through its two Central Sector Scheme viz. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY),
Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and a Centrally sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme across the country.
One component of PLISFPI scheme focuses on Millet-Based Products (MBP), with an outlay of Rs. 800 crores.
The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority has achieved a major technological milestone by becoming the first port in India to launch the Digital Twin initiative for port management. The Port has marked a significant step toward smart, efficient, and technology-driven maritime management.
The platform was inaugurated on 23.02.2026 by Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Union Minister of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, marking a significant milestone in the Port’s journey toward intelligent and technology-driven maritime management.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has entered into a landmark partnership with the “Coalition of the Willing” to accelerate empowerment and opportunity for persons with hearing impairment.
The partnership aims to pioneer an integrated life-cycle model of empowerment that supports individuals with hearing impairment from early intervention and education to skilling, employment and social inclusion.
The Coalition of the willing is a consortium of organizations with diverse expertise in technology, education, accessibility and social empowerment. It includes Yunikee (Gopalakrishnan Foundation for the Deaf), Blee Tech Innovations Pvt. Ltd., Training and Educational Centre for Hearing Impaired (TEACH), WinVinaya Foundation, Buddy4Study India Foundation,
VCrop Technologies Pvt. Ltd., and the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC). Together with DEPwD, the coalition will work to design and implement innovative interventions that address multiple dimensions of empowerment.
In a significant step towards strengthening healthcare infrastructure in tribal areas, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Oil India Limited (OIL) and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, on 12 March 2026 at the corporate office of OIL in Noida.
Under this collaboration, OIL has sanctioned ₹86.27 lakh for strengthening and augmenting healthcare facilities at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Rajgarh district, an Aspirational District of Madhya Pradesh.
The project aims to enhance access to quality healthcare services for the local population, particularly benefiting tribal and other underserved communities in the region. The intervention will support the public health ecosystem by equipping healthcare facilities with ambulances, life-care and diagnostic equipment, and advanced life-support machines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth around ₹5,650 crore in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli.
The projects span clean energy, petroleum-related manufacturing, highways, railways and rural road connectivity.
Among the key projects, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a City Gas Distribution (CGD) network by Bharat Petroleum with an investment of about Rs. 3,700 crore.
The project will cover the Nilgiris and Erode districts and provide piped natural gas (PNG) to nearly nine lakh households as well as several commercial establishments.
Odisha retained its top position in the latest Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026 released by NITI Aayog, securing an overall score of 73.1. The state also improved its score from the previous year, reinforcing its lead in fiscal management among India’s major states. Goa and Jharkhand follow in the rankings, emerging alongside Odisha in the group of top “Achiever” states.
Gujarat and Maharashtra continue to feature among the top five performers, reflecting relatively stable fiscal fundamentals. Haryana recorded a notable improvement, climbing three positions compared with the previous year. Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana showed signs of mild recovery, while Punjab, West Bengal and Kerala remained at the bottom of the rankings.
The WHO Foundation and Novo Nordisk are collaborating to raise awareness on childhood obesity in India.
The collaboration would providing financial support towards strengthening of obesity prevention and health-system readiness in India, to curb the rise of childhood obesity through a scalable school-based health program, they said in a joint communication.
The initiative is part of Novo Nordisk’s CSR (corporate social responsibility), an industry representative said.
According to the World Health Organization, overweight and obesity now cause more deaths globally than underweight and are linked to multiple noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The communication pointed out that the collaboration will focus on obesity prevention, including healthier early-life environments, physical activity promotion, early risk identification, and preparedness within primary health care systems.
The WHO Foundation is an independent organisation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, created in 2020 to support the mission of the World Health Organization.
Anil Soni- Chief Executive Officer of the WHO Foundation.
Vikrant Shrotriya- Managing Director of Novo Nordisk India.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised its counterparty credit risk (CCR) framework to better align with norms set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, aiming to improve how banks measure exposures arising from derivatives.
The revisions lower capital add-ons for interest rate and foreign exchange contracts while increasing them for some long-dated equity and commodity swaps, a move that could temper activity in those segments.
The revised framework also clarifies the capital treatment for banks acting as clearing members on exchanges recognised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in equity and commodity derivatives segments.
Under the revised rules, regulated entities must include CCR exposures of all entities consolidated under the Basel III framework when computing capital on a consolidated basis. The changes also revise the add-on factors used to calculate potential future exposure under the current exposure method, bringing them broadly in line with international standards.
State Bank of India and Japan’s MUFG Bank have signed a strategic partnership agreement to advance bilateral financial collaboration and strengthen the India–Japan economic corridor.
The agreement aims to facilitate cross-border capital flows, create new synergistic financing opportunities and support sustainable economic growth across two of Asia’s largest economies.
The alliance will support Japanese corporates expanding in India as well as Indian enterprises pursuing international growth, including entry into Japan and other global markets.
The banks will also cooperate on M&A advisory, trade finance and retail banking solutions, facilitating Japanese corporate linked potential inbound and outbound transactions.
Under the agreement, SBI and MUFG will explore collaboration in structuring and financing projects with a specific focus on sectors such as M&A, aviation and real estate finance to support Indian and global clients.
Both banks will also help facilitate the introduction of Indian mid-corporates and micro, small and medium enterprises to Japanese corporate clients.
Fintech firm Cred received a final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to become a payment aggregator, allowing the firm to onboard merchants, collect payments on their behalf across instruments, and handle settlement and refunds.
The Bengaluru-based fintech company has an online and physical payment aggregator licence along with a prepaid payment instrument (PPI) approval from the banking regulator.
The group holds a corporate agency licence from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), a registered investment advisory licence from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and a third-party application provider (TPAP) licence from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
The Indian economy is projected to grow 7.1 per cent in the financial year 2026–27 (FY27), supported by private consumption and a mild pick-up in private investment, but with risks tilted to the downside as global trade tensions, tariff actions and geopolitical frictions keep the external environment “squally”, according to Crisil’s latest India outlook.
The report, titled India Outlook: Wading through Squally Waters, notes that India’s expansion has retained “real traction” despite a turbulent global cycle. It highlights that domestic demand has acted as a counterweight to global uncertainty, backed by stronger macro fundamentals, improved corporate balance sheets and a more responsive policy framework.
HDFC ERGO General Insurance’s board approved the appointment of Parthanil Ghosh as managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO), effective April 16, subject to regulatory approvals.
He will succeed Anuj Tyagi, who currently serves as the general insurer’s MD & CEO. Tyagi resigned on January 16, 2026, to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.
He joined the company in 2016 following the merger with L&T General Insurance and has served as executive director since May 1, 2025.
Ghosh has over three decades of professional experience in financial services and insurance, including more than 16 years of experience across the entire value chain in the general insurance industry.
India is set to host a top international archery competition for the first time in 22 years, with Delhi being awarded the second leg of the Asia Cup in 2027. The country last staged a major international archery tournament when the Asian Archery Championships were held in Delhi in 2005.
The decision was finalised after World Archery Asia president Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol, who is on a three-day visit to Kolkata, met Archery Association of India secretary general Virendra Sachdeva to discuss the hosting of upcoming international tournaments.
The second Thursday in March is observed as World Kidney Day, aimed at raising awareness and educating people about the role of kidneys and preventing kidney disease. This year's campaign theme is Kidney Health For All.
World Kidney Day 2026 will be celebrated on March 12, as it is observed on the second Thursday of March each year. The kidneys play an important role in flushing out all the wastes and excess fluids from our blood. This occurs through a process of filtration. These wastes and excess fluids are discharged from our bodies in the form of urine.
