The 57th GST Council meeting turns to process reforms
The 57th GST Council meeting, on 8 October 2026, focused on process reforms in registration, returns, refunds and adjudication.
The full storyCurrent affairs
32 stories in the last twelve months
Economy & Business current affairs 2026 for CUET
Every Economy & Business story from the last twelve months, newest first, each in one line with the static fact it hangs on and a link to the full story.
October 2026
Fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave: 'Resilience in an Age of Flux'
The fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave met in New Delhi on 3–5 October 2026 on 'Resilience in an Age of Flux'.
The full storySeptember 2026
MSPs raised for the rabi crops of 2027-28
On 30 September 2026 rabi MSPs for 2027-28 were raised; safflower rose most (₹675) and wheat went to ₹2,610 a quintal.
The full storyIndustrial output grows 8.0 per cent in August 2026
Industrial production (IIP) grew 8.0% in August 2026, with manufacturing up 9.0% (quick estimate, 28 September 2026).
The full storyImport duty cut on crude edible oils
Customs duty on crude sunflower oil went to nil, and on crude soybean and palm oil to 5%, on 24 September 2026.
The full storySoftware exports reach US$ 221.4 billion
RBI's survey (18 September 2026): software services exports rose 8.2% in 2025-26 to US$ 221.4 billion.
The full storyRetail inflation 4.82 per cent in August, on the new 2024 base
CPI inflation (base 2024=100) was 4.82% in August 2026; food inflation 5.95%.
The full storyJapan's JCR raises India's rating to 'A-'
JCR upgraded India's sovereign rating from BBB+ to A- (Stable) on 2 September 2026.
The full storyAugust 2026
GDP grew 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026-27
Real GDP grew 7.8% in April–June 2026 (Q1 of 2026-27), against 6.9% a year earlier.
The full storyMPC holds the repo rate at 5.25 per cent
The MPC held the repo rate at 5.25% on 5 August 2026 and projected 6.7% growth and 5.0% inflation for 2026-27.
The full storyJuly 2026
A new urea investment policy: NIPU-2026
NIPU-2026, the National Investment Policy for Urea approved on 15 July 2026, replaces the 2012 policy to spur new gas-based plants.
The full storyJune 2026
GDP grew 7.7 per cent in 2025-26
Provisional estimates (5 June 2026) put India's real GDP growth for 2025-26 at 7.7%, up from 7.1% in 2024-25.
The full storyJune policy: rates held, inflation forecast raised to 5.1 per cent
The MPC held the repo rate at 5.25% on 5 June 2026, raised its 2026-27 inflation forecast to 5.1% and cut growth to 6.6%.
The full storyA ₹10,000 crore fund to steady jet fuel prices
On 3 June 2026 the Cabinet approved up to ₹10,000 crore as an interest-free advance to keep jet fuel prices stable for Indian airlines.
The full storyMay 2026
Kharif MSP 2026-27: common paddy at ₹2,441
Kharif MSPs for 2026-27, set 13 May 2026: common paddy up ₹72 to ₹2,441 a quintal; sunflower seed rose most (₹622).
The full storyECLGS 5.0: ₹2.55 lakh crore of guaranteed credit
ECLGS 5.0, approved 5 May 2026, targets ₹2.55 lakh crore of guaranteed extra credit to help firms through the West Asia shock.
The full storySugarcane FRP for 2026-27: ₹365 a quintal
The sugarcane FRP for 2026-27 was fixed at ₹365 a quintal on 5 May 2026, for a 10.25% basic recovery rate.
The full storyApril 2026
The first policy of 2026-27: repo rate held at 5.25 per cent
The MPC held the repo rate at 5.25% on 8 April 2026 and projected 6.9% growth and 4.6% inflation for 2026-27.
The full storyMarch 2026
Easier FDI from countries sharing a land border
On 10 March 2026 the Cabinet eased Press Note 3: up to 10% non-controlling ownership from land-border countries may use the automatic route.
The full storyFebruary 2026
A new GDP series, with base year 2022-23
A new GDP series with base year 2022-23 was released on 27 February 2026, replacing 2011-12; it put 2025-26 growth at 7.6%.
The full storyThe first CPI on base 2024: inflation at 2.75 per cent
The first CPI on base 2024 (released 12 February 2026) put January 2026 retail inflation at 2.75%.
The full storyMPC holds the repo rate at 5.25 per cent
The MPC held the repo rate at 5.25% on 6 February 2026, with a neutral stance.
The full storyUnion Budget 2026-27: ₹12.2 lakh crore of capital spending
The Union Budget 2026-27 (1 February 2026) raised capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore; total spending ₹53.5 lakh crore.
The full storyJanuary 2026
Economic Survey 2025-26: 7.4 per cent this year, 6.8–7.2 next
The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled 29 January 2026, put growth at 7.4% for 2025-26 and 6.8–7.2% for 2026-27.
The full storyDecember 2025
MPC cuts the repo rate to 5.25 per cent
The MPC cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25% on 5 December 2025, after inflation hit an all-time low.
The full storyNovember 2025
GDP grew 8.2 per cent in July–September 2025
India's real GDP grew 8.2% in July–September 2025 (Q2 of 2025-26), up from 5.6% a year earlier.
The full storyBig events of 2025
The GST Council moves to two main rates, 5 and 18 per cent
The 56th GST Council (3 September 2025) moved to two main rates, 5% and 18%, plus 40% for sin goods, from 22 September 2025.
The full storyA 50-basis-point repo cut, to 5.50 per cent
On 6 June 2025 the MPC cut the repo rate by 50 bps to 5.50 per cent — 100 bps of cuts since February 2025.
The full storyBudget 2025-26: no income tax up to ₹12 lakh under the new regime
Budget 2025-26 (1 February 2025): no income tax up to ₹12 lakh a year (₹12.75 lakh for salaried) under the new regime.
The full storyBig events of 2023
The Sixteenth Finance Commission, under Arvind Panagariya
The Sixteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, was constituted on 31 December 2023 for 2026–31.
The full storyThe RBI withdraws the ₹2000 note, which stays legal tender
On 19 May 2023 the RBI withdrew ₹2000 notes from circulation; they remain legal tender.
The full storyUPI links with Singapore's PayNow
India's UPI and Singapore's PayNow were linked on 21 February 2023 — the first cross-border person-to-person UPI link.
The full story