Economy / Market Snapshot – MARCH 2025

General News

• Parliament extends tenure of ‘One Nation, One Election’ Joint Committee until Monsoon Session.
• Parliament passes Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeking to enhance functioning & independence of Railway Board.
• Lok Sabha passes Immigration Bill; 7-year jail term, ₹10 lakh fine for anyone using fake passport, visa.
• Birth certificates sole proof of DOB for passport applicants born on or after Oct 1, 2023: Centre.
• Lok Sabha signs MoU with Meity for AI-powered initiatives in House.
• FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces ₹500 crore corpus for Manipur to establish contingency fund.
• Centre approves ₹78.44 crore investment to transform Punjab into historical tourist destination.
• ECI sets 3-month deadline to fix duplicate voter ID issue, ensure accuracy in electoral rolls.
• PM Modi, New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon jointly inaugurate Raisina Dialogue 2025.
• India-New Zealand sign 5 agreements in defence, education, sports, horticulture, forestry.
• India launches multi-nation alliance for collaboration on sustainable development.
• PM Modi, Mauritius PM hold bilateral meet, sign 8 MoUs to strengthen bilateral ties.
• NSA Ajit Doval, US Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard discuss India-US ties in New Delhi.
• Jaishankar holds talks with UK PM Keir Starmer, discusses advancing bilateral ties.
• India achieves record ₹1.27 lakh crore in indigenous defence production in 2023-24.
• Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement worth ₹54,000 crore to enhance defence system.
• Defence Ministry inks ₹6,900 crore contracts with Bharat forge, TATA for artillery gun systems, vehicles procurement.
• US aerospace giant GE delivers first of Tejas Mk1A engines, ends 2-year delay.
• India signs contract with Russian firm to supply engines for T-72 Tanks.
• Chandrayaan-5 approved by govt, to be joint mission with Japan’: ISRO chief V Narayanan.
• Saurabh Bharadwaj appointed Delhi AAP chief, Sisodia to head Punjab unit.
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar takes charge as president of BJP’s Kerala unit.
• Ayushman Bharat scheme expands to Delhi, millions to get ₹5 lakh cover.
• Tamil Nadu uses rupee symbol in Tamil as Budget 2025 logo amid NEP row.
• DMK hosts Opposition meet on delimitation in Chennai: 4 CMs, BJD and BRS attend; TMC opts out.
• Uttarakhand Cabinet approves implementation of Unified Pension Scheme.
• BSP chief Mayawati replaces brother Anand Kumar with Randhir Beniwal as national coordinator.
• Chhattisgarh government approves new Naxalite Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy.
• Land for jobs scam: Rabri Devi, Tej Pratap and Lalu Prasad Yadav quizzed by ED.
• Delhi HC withdraws judicial work from Justice Yashwant Varma after CJI direction in cash recovery row.
• Ilaiyaraaja 1st Indian to perform ‘valiant’ western classical symphony in London.
• PM Modi inaugurates Vantara in Jamnagar, showcases commitment to wildlife conservation.
• North Korea’s Kim Jong Un reaffirms support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• Vanuatu PM orders to revoke fugitive Lalit Modi’s passport.
• France, Germany, Italy and U.K. back Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction.
• Israel halts Gaza aid, pressures Hamas to accept US-backed ceasefire extension.
• Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at White House ends abruptly after heated exchange.
• US suspends all military aid to Ukraine in wake of Trump-Zelenskyy row.
• EU outlines €800 billion in defence funding options after Trump pulls Ukraine military aid.
• Ukraine and Russia agree to Black Sea, energy infra ceasefire in US-brokered deal.
• Saudi Crown Prince meets Ukrainian President Zelensky, US Secretary of State Rubio.
• U.S. Senate approves funding bill hours before shutdown deadline, sending to Trump for signature.
• Trump signs order to dismantle US Education Department while keeping some core functions.
• US President orders major overhaul of American elections; mandates citizenship proof for voter registration.
• NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams return to Earth after 9 months stuck in space.
• Mark Carney sworn in as Canada’s new PM; vows country will never be part of US.
• Greenland’s pro-business Demokraatit opposition party wins parliamentary elections.
• Bangladesh Interim Government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus meets Xi Jinping & secures duty-free access until 2028.
• UN chief announces new ‘UN80 Initiative’ to improve efficiencies amid shrinking resources, uncertainty.
• Passenger train in Pakistan ‘hijacked’ by Baloch separatists; military ends train standoff, 21 hostages and four troops killed.
• Earthquake rocks Myanmar and Thailand.
• 18th edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off.
• WPL 2025: Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals in final to win second title.
• IML 2025: India Masters clinch inaugural IML title, beat WIM by 6 wickets.
• ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final: India win third title with four-wicket victory over New Zealand.
• BCCI introduces major rule changes for IPL 2025: Saliva ban lifted, captains get over-rate relief.
• BCCI announces central contracts for women’s cricket team; Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Deepti retained in Grade ‘A’.
• India clinches both Men’s & Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025.
• Sports Ministry revokes WFI suspension after 15 months, restores NSF status.
• World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025, New Delhi: India tops medal tally with 134 medals

Business News

• Govt upgrades Railway PSUs IRCTC, IRFC to Navratna CPSE.
• Govt notifies revisions to investment, turnover criteria for MSMEs; to take effect from April 1.
• Government disburses ₹14,000 crore under PLI schemes across 10 sectors since 2021.
• Government discontinues medium and long-term gold deposits under Gold Monetisation Scheme.
• Amit Shah unveils Sahkar Taxi to boost driver earnings amid Ola, Uber pricing probe.
• PM Modi launches development projects worth over ₹2,500 crore for Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• Andhra, HUDCO enter into ₹11,000 crore loan deal for Amaravati construction.
• Nitin Gadkari announces ₹10 lakh crore multi lane project aiming to reduce road accidents.
• Cabinet announces ₹37,216 crore fertiliser subsidy for Kharif 2025.
• Bill Gates meets PM Modi; MoU to be signed between India AI Mission & Bill Gates Foundation.
• India’s goods trade deficit narrows to $14.05 billion in February, lowest since August 2021.
• India scraps import duties on EV battery and mobile phone components amid tariff cuts.
• UPI transactions in January surpass 16.99 billion, highest recorded in any month.
• Energy Investors Summit: Chhattisgarh gets investment proposals of ₹3 trillion.
• Delhi budget 2025: CM Rekha Gupta presents ₹1 lakh crore budget.
• Jharkhand government tables ₹1.45 lakh crore budget for FY 2025-26 in assembly.
• J&K Budget 2025: CM Omar Abdullah allocates ₹815 crore for agriculture & ₹390 crore for tourism development.
• Karnataka Budget: Siddaramaiah presents ₹4.09 lakh crore budget, defends welfare schemes and fiscal discipline.
• Telangana presents ₹3.04-lakh-crore budget for 2025-26.
• Mumbai Metropolitan Region will be a $1.5 trillion economy by 2047: Ajit Pawar tables Maharashtra Budget 2025.
• Telangana presents ₹3.04-lakh-crore budget for 2025-26.
• India, Maldives to settle bilateral trade in local currencies.
• EU, Ministry of Textiles launch 7 projects in 9 states to boost industry.
• NSE revises market lot sizes for derivative contracts on select indices.
• RBI approves ATM interchange fee hike by ₹2 for cash withdrawals, effective May 1.
• SEBI tightens digital advertising norms for registered entities.
• IndusInd Bank taps Grant Thornton for fraud checks in accounting case.
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) secures ₹2,463 crore defence order for radar systems.
• US President Donald Trump declares 25% tariff on all imported vehicles entering US.
• Trump announces reciprocal tariffs from April 2, calls out India & China for ‘unfair systems’.
• Trump signs executive order to create strategic bitcoin reserve.
• India cuts tariffs for key trade partners, talks ongoing with US, EU, UK.
• China strikes back at Trump tariffs with 15% levies targeting US farmers.
• Canada announces additional tariffs on $20.7 billion of US goods.
• Fed keeps interest rate steady at 4.25% to 4.5%; anticipates two rate reductions later in the year.
• Chinese banks hold their benchmark lending rates for fifth month.
• IMF approves $1.3 billion loan for Pakistan, frees first tranche of bailout package.
• Sri Lanka gets fourth tranche of $334 million bailout package from IMF.
• ECB cuts rates for sixth time since June in face of economic upheaval.
• IMF expresses satisfaction with Pakistan’s economic measures.
• Bank of Japan keeps interest rate unchanged ahead of Fed meet outcome.
• Govt agrees to raise stake in Voda Idea to 49% with fresh share acquisition worth ₹37,000 crore.
• Bajaj Finserv to buy out Allianz’s stake in life & general insurance arms for over ₹24,000 crore.
• Vehicles older than 15 years not to be provided fuel at petrol pumps in Delhi after March 31.
• Ericsson, Volvo Group and Bharti Airtel to explore XR Digital Twin tech AI in manufacturing.
• HPCL, Tata Motors launch co-branded diesel exhaust fluid ‘Genuine DEF’.
• Centre gives nod to Telangana’s second domestic airport in Warangal.
• Bajaj Auto launches its all-new electric autorickshaw brand ‘GoGo’.
• Hero Electric faces insolvency as bidders invited, probe ongoing.
• Tesla finalises deal for first India showroom in Mumbai’s upscale Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
• Ola Electric becomes first 2W EV manufacturer to bag PLI incentives.
• Tata Power arm, Andhra govt tie up for 7,000 MW projects.
• Meghalaya inaugurates first scientific coal mine after nearly a decade long ban.
• Jio, Nokia, AMD & Cisco launch AI platform.
• Google debuts AI model for robotics, challenging Meta, OpenAI.
• Tech Mahindra partners with Google Cloud to enhance AI adoption for enterprises.
• Andhra inks pact with Cisco to enhance digital skills development in State.
• HCLTech launches agentic AI-powered smart manufacturing solution on Google Cloud.
• Airtel signs distribution pact to bring Starlink to India.
• Jio ties up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer Starlink’s broadband internet in India.
• BIS cracks down on E-Commerce platforms selling unsafe Non-Certified products.
• Meesho picks Morgan Stanley, Kotak and Citi as bankers for $1 billion IPO at valuation of $10 billion.
• Zomato shareholders approve renaming parent company to Eternal.
• Sports18 channels rebranded as Star Sports in major expansion move before IPL 2025.
• Singapore state-run Temasek acquires 10% stake in Haldiram’s for ₹8,000 crore.
• N Chandrasekaran joins IMF advisory council on entrepreneurship & growth.
• Roshini Nadar part of owner HCL Tech, becomes 1st Indian to be part of world’s top 10 richest women list.
• US surpasses China as the world’s billionaire capital, while India ranks 3rd:: Hurun Global Rich List.