
The 16th meeting of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was held in New Delhi on 12 October 2026. Union Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds co-chaired the meeting, where British firms announced more than £1 billion in new commercial deals.
The Ministry of Steel has released a draft National Steel Policy Vision 2047, which proposes raising India’s crude steel capacity to 604 million tonnes per year by 2047. India’s installed steel capacity was approximately 220–222 million tonnes per year in October 2026.
On 11 October 2026, World Bank President Ajay Banga said the institution was discussing potential emergency financial assistance with 30 to 40 countries. The World Bank could mobilise up to 100 billion in crisis financing if global economic conditions worsen. This would exceed the 70 billion disbursed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mechanised Coal Handling Plant (MCHP) of the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) loaded 1,40,022 metric tonnes of coal on 10 October 2026. The coal was loaded onto two vessels, M.V. APJ Indrani and M.V. Ripley Pinnacle. This was the plant’s highest-ever single-day loading total.
On 28 September 2026, India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Penicillin G (Pen-G) and its salts from China. The probe followed an application by domestic manufacturer Lyfius Pharma Private Limited, which alleged that the imports were causing material retardation to the establishment of India’s domestic industry.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the minimum daily Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) maintenance requirement for scheduled banks from 90% to 99% of the prescribed CRR. The change takes effect from the reporting fortnight beginning 16 October 2026, while the overall CRR remains unchanged at 3%. The RBI announced the measure on 9 October 2026 amid banking-system surplus liquidity of about ₹3.88 lakh crore as of 8 October.
The Spices Board India and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) held a national seminar in Kochi, Kerala, on 9 October 2026 to discuss the proposed Bharat Spice Map. The initiative combines geospatial technology, scientific research and market intelligence to map spice-growing regions, varieties and quality characteristics.
On 8 October 2026, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) approved in principle a 30% trade-margin cap, based on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), for identified non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines. The proposed measure is projected to reduce prices by 20% to 70% and save patients an estimated ₹2,500 crore annually.
The Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on 7 October 2026. The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, voted unanimously to increase the policy rate from 5.25% and changed the stance from neutral to calibrated tightening.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India launched the “Samajh Se Investing Simple” investor awareness and education campaign under Project Jagrook on 5 October 2026 at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The launch coincided with World Investor Week 2026, which was observed from 5 October to 11 October.
The Union Cabinet approved a ₹10,000-crore commitment for the SME Growth Fund on 6 October 2026. The fund is meant to provide patient, growth-oriented equity capital to viable and scalable small and medium enterprises in India.
Odisha launched India’s first dedicated digital portal for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) incentives on 4 October 2026. The portal was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida at the Odisha Travel Bazaar 2026.