Summary : India's government has introduced significant reforms to boost foreign direct investment (FDI) across 15 key sectors, aiming to streamline processes and enhance the ease of doing business. These reforms include increasing the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's limit from 3,000 to 5,000 crore rupees, simplifying investment procedures, and encouraging investments by non-resident Indians. Key sectors affected include agriculture, defense, broadcasting, and civil aviation. The initiatives are part of broader campaigns like 'Make in India' and 'Skill India' to drive economic growth, create jobs, and integrate India more deeply into the global economy. The reforms also aim to consolidate FDI-related instructions for investor convenience.
Summary : The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India was elected as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for a three-year term starting November 10, 2015. Having joined the BIS Board in December 2013, he was welcomed into his new role by the Chairman of the BIS Board, who expressed gratitude for his ongoing contributions to the institution.
Summary : The Reserve Bank of India set the reference rate for the US Dollar at Rs. 66.3495 on November 10, 2015, slightly up from Rs. 66.3378 on November 9, 2015. Based on this rate, the exchange rates for other major currencies were determined: 1 Euro was Rs. 71.2992, 1 British Pound was Rs. 100.2806, and 100 Japanese Yen was Rs. 53.80. The SDR-Rupee rate will also be based on this reference rate.
Summary : Indirect tax revenue collections in October 2015 rose by 36.8% compared to October 2014, with cumulative collections from April to October 2015 increasing by 35.9% over the previous year. The total revenue for April-October 2015 reached Rs. 3,82,860 crore, up from Rs. 2,81,798 crore in the same period in 2014. Central Excise collections grew by 68.6%, Service Tax by 26.1%, and Customs by 16.8%. These increases were partly due to government measures like excise hikes on diesel and petrol, increased Service Tax rates, and withdrawal of certain exemptions. Excluding these measures, the growth was 11.6%.