Advisory to states on crop bonus policy to encourage greater crop diversification: FinMin.
The finance ministry on Sunday said its advisory to states to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds and millets, in line with national priorities for nutritional security, was intended at encouraging greater crop diversification. In a statement, the finance ministry said the January 9, 2026, letter from the Department of Expenditure Secretary, Ministry of Finance, to chief secretaries of states was an advisory and not a directive, to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India-UK free trade pact may come into force from second week of May: Official.
The India-UK free trade agreement, signed in July last year, is likely to come into force from the second week of May, according to an official. India and the UK, on July 24, 2025, signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), under which 99 percent of Indian exports will enter the British market at zero duty, while tariffs on British products, such as cars and whisky, will be reduced in India.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Piyush Goyal holds talks with Saudi Arabia trade minister on stronger supply chains.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Trade Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al Qassabi on ways to strengthen supply chains disrupted due to the West Asia crisis, after holding talks with his counterparts from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. All these countries are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with which India is negotiating a free trade agreement.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Rice export rules relaxed for select European countries.
India on Friday said that the requirement for a certificate of inspection from Export Inspection Council (EIC)/Export Inspection Agencies (EIAs) for rice exports is limited to the EU, UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. 'Exports to other European countries are exempt from this requirement for six months,' the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. The DGFT also revised the policy to export feathers, skins and other parts in line with applicable regulations of the EU and UK, including provision for issuance of Veterinary Health Certificate wherever required by the importing country.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
West Asia conflict: Govt to setup weekly monitoring mechanism to track exim trends.
The government will setup a weekly monitoring mechanism to track export-import trends and sectoral stress indicators amid concerns that supply chain disruptions, logistics constraints and rising input costs due to geopolitical tensions could impact industries, the commerce and industry ministry said Friday. In a statement, it said that Customs have agreed to examine specific cases relating to destuffing to further streamline procedures with regard to hazardous cargo.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
West Asia crisis: Piyush Goyal meets Kuwait, UAE to restore trade, energy flows.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday held separate discussions with his Kuwaiti and UAE counterparts on containing disruptions in energy supplies and restoring trade flows at the earliest. India's trade with West Asia has been disrupted severely because of the attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Ladakh turns to apricot blossoms to stretch short tourism season.
In a bid to extend the tourism season beyond the traditional summer months, the Tourism Department in the cold desert region of Ladakh has been organising Apricot Blossom Festivals across multiple villages, drawing inspiration from Japan’s famed cherry blossom celebrations. The festival is already underway in several locations, with apricot orchards in full bloom, transforming parts of the region into swathes of white and pale pink and attracting a growing number of travellers as well as local visitors.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Structural gaps affect growth of India’s high-value horticulture sector: Report.
The FICCI-Grant Thornton report -- ‘Vision 2030: Focusing on high-value horticulture for Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ -- has said that persistent upstream weaknesses, fragmented value chains, and weak market anchoring have limited the realisation of India’s high-value horticulture sector, though the sector has the scale, market demand, and policy momentum to become a central driver of farmer income growth and agri industrialisation. The report highlighted that a mission-led, market-backed transformation anchored in clean planting material production, orchard rejuvenation, localised processing, export readiness, and productive partnerships is essential to unlock durable value.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan releases the agricultural roadmap for four districts; observes Integrated Farming Model and interacts with farmers at Advanced Agriculture Festival.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented a major initiative for farmers on the second day of the Advanced Agriculture Festival being held in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, by releasing a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for four districts — Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, and Dewas. On this occasion, he also inspected an Integrated Farming Model with the objective of promoting modern agriculture practices. At the same time, during special sessions organised at the Festival on the Crop Insurance Scheme and Integrated Farming, the Union Minister directly interacted with farmers, listened to their problems in detail, and held extensive discussions with scientists and experts to find practical solutions.
Source: pib.gov.in
Department of Commerce and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Hold High-Level Meetings to Address Packaging, Logistics and Shipping Challenges Amid West Asia Situation.
The Government of India has continued its proactive and coordinated response to the evolving situation in West Asia by convening high-level stakeholder consultations to address emerging logistics, packaging and shipping-related challenges impacting India’s trade and export ecosystem. In this regard, two important meetings were held, one under the chairpersonship of the Commerce Secretary and another co-chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Commerce Secretary, bringing together senior officials, port authorities, shipping agencies, Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), industry representatives and other stakeholders.
Source: pib.gov.in