The government restricted the import of gold under advance authorisation to 100 kg per licence, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notice.
Importers will have to fulfil 50 per cent of the committed export obligation under a licence before issuance of a subsequent advance authorisation, according to the notice.
Regional authorities will also undertake mandatory physical inspection of first-time advance authorisation applicants.
“The advance authorisation holder shall submit a fortnightly performance report to the concerned regional authority,” the notice said.
These regional authorities would, in turn, submit a comprehensive monthly report to the DGFT detailing all the authorisations and corresponding import-export transactions of gold, to facilitate centralised monitoring.
The move comes just a day after the government raised the duty on gold imports to 15 per cent from 6 per cent to discourage imports of the precious metal.
India’s gold imports had jumped 24 per cent to $71.98 billion in FY26.
The European Union (EU) has updated its draft list of countries eligible to export marine products to the bloc to include India, the commerce ministry said.
India would not have been able to export seafood to the EU after September this year without the update.
The EU had in 2024 released a draft list of countries — which did not include India — that were eligible to supply products of animal origin intended for human consumption after September 2026, to ensure that the products did not contain antimicrobial medicines.
The EU had in 2024 released a draft list of countries — which did not include India — that were eligible to supply products of animal origin intended for human consumption after September 2026, to ensure that the products did not contain antimicrobial medicines.
Brussels revised the list on Tuesday and added countries that have demonstrated compliance with EU restrictions on antimicrobial use in food-producing animals and have provided the necessary guarantees and assurances under the EU regulations.
The EU, accounting for 19 per cent of India’s seafood exports in FY26, was the third-largest export destination for the product. India’s marine products exports jumped 14 per cent to $8.43 billion in FY26.
Following a 50 per cent tariff levy by the US, India’s top export destination for marine products, last year, the government has been making attempts to diversify seafood markets.
New Delhi has negotiated tariff concessions for marine products under its free trade agreements with the EU and the UK.
The EU had also in the past delisted some Indian fishing establishments, but India used quality control orders and standards to push for restoration.
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram and Delhi have been categorised as 'exemplars' in the logistics performance ranking for 2025, according to a report released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry.
Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday unveiled Unified Bharat e-Charge (UBC), a national platform he described as the “UPI for EV charging” that will allow electric vehicle users to locate, book and pay across charging networks operated by BPCL, Indian Oil, HPCL,
The announcement gives official shape to a “UPI for EV charging” framework that BusinessLine had first reported on May 10.
Backed by the Government of India and supported by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Unified Bharat e-Charge is designed as a “one nation, one app” system for EV charging.
Built on open protocols and developed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), the platform will display real-time charger availability, ownership, power output and location, enabling users to access any participating charger regardless of who owns the station.
Digital Bharat Nidhi has signed a pact with the Andhra Pradesh government to roll out the amended BharatNet programme in the state with financial support of Rs. 2,432 crore from the Centre, an official statement said.
The agreement was signed between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Andhra Pradesh government, Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (APBIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) for the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Programme to accelerate broadband connectivity across the rural parts of the state.
The Union Cabinet had approved the Amended BharatNet Programme on 4 August 2023 with the objective of upgrading, consolidating, and expanding the existing BharatNet network to ensure robust and future-ready broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats and villages on a demand basis.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) removed the requirement for prior approval for tie-up arrangements between Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I banks and non-bank entities offering outward remittance services through digital platforms.
Under the revised framework, AD banks can facilitate cross-border outward remittances for non-trade current account transactions through third-party websites, mobile applications, and software interfaces without seeking prior clearance from the RBI.
The central bank, however, said AD banks will remain fully responsible for compliance with Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) provisions, know-your-customer (KYC) norms, customer protection standards, grievance redressal, cybersecurity safeguards, and protection of remitter funds.
The framework also requires banks and partner entities to provide clear disclosures on exchange rates, charges, timelines for transfers, and beneficiary credits.
In addition, the RBI barred the routing of remitter funds through third-party accounts in India.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for a historic seventh term, extending his 40-year tenure following a landslide victory in January elections. One of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, Museveni, took the oath of office at an event at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, while being cheered by thousands of attendees.
Museveni won over 71 percent of the vote. Opposition leader Bobi Wine, an entertainer whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, received almost 25 percent votes. The election in January took place amid a nationwide internet blackout and reports of intimidation and abductions of the opposition.
Digital services company Jio Platforms has appointed Akash Ambani as managing director of the company ahead of its initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing.
Ambani has been on the board of Jio Platforms' telecom arm Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL) since October 2014. In June 2022 , he was elevated to the position of Chairman of RJIL.
During his tenure, Jio achieved the feat of crossing the 100 million subscriber mark in less than six months of its launch in 2016. The company posted profit of over Rs 30,000 crore and revenue of Rs 1.46 lakh crore for fiscal year 2026.
In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.
The theme of the 2026 observance, “Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing,” underscores how widening inequalities are shaping family life and influencing children’s futures. It calls for stronger investment in integrated, family-oriented policies to reduce disparities and support healthy child development.
An Indian delegation led by Shri Mukesh Kumar, Deputy Director General (International Relations), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), participated in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2026 meeting held from 28 April to 08 May 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.
India presented the proposal for hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-2030) in India. The ITU Council accepted India’s proposal to host the PP-2030 conference, marking a major milestone in India’s growing role in shaping global telecom and digital policy discourse.
India’s proposal is likely to be approved at ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 to be held in November 2026 at Doha, Qatar. The delegation also made interventions on several important subjects including ITU regional presence, ITU membership and organisation of ITU events, among others.
About ITU Council
The ITU Council acts as the governing body of the ITU and comprises 48 elected Member States. It meets annually in Geneva to oversee the organisation’s strategy, policy, budget and financial control. India has been a member of the ITU Council since 1952.
India has been nominated as the Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) from April 2026 to April 2028, a prestigious responsibility reflecting the nations growing role in international IT security standards development.
