Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), inaugurated seven major infrastructure projects valued at Rs 427.80 crore at Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in Paradip, Odisha. The event also witnessed the signing of concession agreements for three mechanisation projects worth Rs 1,580.36 crore aimed to further boost Paradip's capacity, efficiency and cargo-handling capabilities.
Source ↗Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with space startups, ISRO scientists, and students on India's 3rd National Space Day (23 August 2026), urging them to build India as a global space innovation hub. He announced a new scheme to provide satellite data access to agri-tech and climate-tech startups free of cost for the first 3 years of operation.
Source ↗The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) eased rules for rupee-based export transactions, providing Indian exporters greater flexibility to invoice overseas sales and receive payments in Indian Rupee (INR) or foreign currencies. The relaxation was provided through amendment of certain provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP 2023), aligning with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Foreign Exchange Management Regulations, 2023.
Source ↗India and Singapore reinforced their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) during the 4th India–Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held in Singapore by expanding cooperation across sectors such as semiconductors, digital connectivity, fintech, healthcare, green economy, food security, and advanced manufacturing. Key initiatives include the Green Lane Initiative for Semiconductors, green hydrogen supply chain development, and the 4th Singapore-India Hackathon (15–17 November 2026).
Source ↗The Government of India signed two key agreements with the Government of Mauritius, including a Government-to-Government (G2G) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on oil and gas cooperation and a petrol supply agreement. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed a 5-year agreement with the State Trading Corporation (STC) of Mauritius for assured supply of petroleum products including petrol, diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
Source ↗The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) announced plans to establish a National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) to standardise coaching quality and enhance India's sports ecosystem, as recommended by a task force led by Pullela Gopichand. The Board will function as the apex authority responsible for setting standards, approving pathways, accrediting institutions, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Source ↗The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) launched the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to promote rural women entrepreneurship and support the vision of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis. The campaign aims to orient 50,000 community cadres, train 5 lakh SHG women, formalise 50,000 enterprises, and promote agro-ecological practices among 20 lakh women.
Source ↗The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 230 million loan agreement to modernise and expand water supply and sanitation across Chennai, Tamil Nadu, making it the first Indian city to implement a comprehensive ring-main water supply system. Additionally, the ADB and Karnataka government signed a loan agreement of Rs 1,750 crore to fund the upgradation of government schools to expand infrastructure and learning facilities.
Source ↗The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Rs 62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme on 21 August 2026. The scheme will run for five years from FY2027-28 to FY2031-32, providing production-linked incentives to domestic mobile phone manufacturers for achieving specified production and export targets.
Source ↗Indian defence propulsion startup D-Propulse Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. successfully demonstrated India's 1st indigenously developed 5 kilo-Newton (kN) air-breathing Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) integrated with an aerospike nozzle. The new RDE offers 15-25% higher thermodynamic efficiency compared to conventional air-breathing propulsion systems and eliminates moving parts inside the combustor.
Source ↗