The government announced that the food processing industry’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme has so far attracted investments of Rs 9,207 crore and created about 3. 29 lakh jobs.

The plan, which was started by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, is being carried out over six years, from FY 2021–22 to FY 2026–27, with a total expenditure of Rs 10,900 crore.

Its goal is to create jobs, improve value addition, and grow processing capability, especially in the rural and off-farm industries.

The plan includes important areas such as marine goods, processed fruits and vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat (RTC/RTE) meals. Additionally, it encourages branding and marketing programs that promote the worldwide presence of Indian food goods, as well as novel and organic items from MSMEs.

The initiative has given the green light to a total of 128 businesses, which cover 274 units throughout the nation and see significant involvement from the MSME sector. The program includes up to 68 MSME candidates and 40 contract manufacturing facilities.

According to the government, the initiative has resulted in substantial capacity development, technological advancements, and modernization of food processing facilities in a number of states.

With cumulative investments reaching Rs 9,207 crore against a committed Rs 7,722 crore across 22 states, investment under the scheme has surpassed initial commitments.

Additionally, the capacity for processing and preserving has increased by about 34 lakh metric tonnes annually.

Additionally, the administration said that, despite global challenges, sales of items supported by PLI have increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10. 58% while exports have increased at a CAGR of 7. 41%.

Under the plan, millet-based items have experienced a significant increase, with sales rising from Rs 345. 73 crore in FY23 to Rs 1,845. 25 crore in FY25. The acquisition of millets has increased dramatically as well throughout the time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the country’s experts on Monday for designing and building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

India has made a significant move in its civil nuclear path by moving forward with the second phase of its nuclear program, according to the Prime Minister. “The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, which was built and designed indigenously, has achieved criticality,” he stated.

The Prime Minister continued by saying that this cutting-edge reactor, which can generate more fuel than it uses, demonstrates the sophistication of the nation’s scientific capacity and the robustness of our engineering business. In the program’s third stage, according to Prime Minister Modi, it is a decisive move toward utilizing our extensive thorium resources.

​PM Modi said that it is a decisive step towards harnessing our vast thorium reserves in the third stage of the programme.​

“A proud moment for India.The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude, saying, “Congratulations to our scientists and engineers. ” The start of “core loading” at the 500 MWe PFBR plant in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, was observed by Prime Minister Modi in 2024.

He was given a tour of the reactor vault and control room during the visit, as well as an overview of the facility’s main components.

India will be the second nation, after Russia, to run a commercial Fast Breeder Reactor once it is operational. As a demonstration of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign, BHAVINI created and built the PFBR entirely locally, with substantial support from more than 200 Indian industries, including micro, small, and medium businesses (MSMEs).

At first, the reactor will run on a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made of uranium and plutonium. ​

Reflecting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the PFBR was fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI, with significant contributions from over 200 Indian industries, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).​

The reactor will initially use Uranium-Plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The term “breeder” refers to the Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core, which undergoes nuclear transmutation to generate more fuel. At this point, Thorium-232 will also be used as a blanket.

“Through transmutation, thorium will produce fissile Uranium-233, which will be utilized as fuel in the third stage,” the Prime Minister had said. In this way, the FBR acts as a bridge to the third phase of India’s nuclear program, enabling the complete use of the nation’s vast thorium resources.

The nuclear fuel may also be extracted from India using thorium cycle-based methods. ​

The FBR thus functions as a stepping stone for the third stage of India’s nuclear programme, facilitating the full utilisation of the country’s abundant thorium reserves.​

India can also use thorium cycle-based processes to extract nuclear fuel.​

This is particularly relevant to India’s nuclear energy production plan since India possesses one of the world’s biggest thorium deposits, which may be utilized to generate electricity for up to 60,000 years.

As in the previous two days, when two LPG ships, Green Sanvi and Green Asha, successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, the government announced on Monday that 16 Indian-flagged ships carrying 433 Indian seafarers are still in the western Persian Gulf.

Following the inter-ministerial meeting on West Asia, the official statement stated that the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) continues close monitoring in collaboration with RPSL agencies, ship owners, and Indian Missions.

“DG Shipping has so far made it easier for more than 1,599 Indian seafarers to return safely home, including 120 in the last 24 hours from airports and various regional locations around the Gulf,” the statement continued.

With no congestion being reported, port operations throughout India are currently functioning normally. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry have all reported that their state maritime boards are functioning well.

Thus far, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has assisted in the migration of 1,777 Indian citizens from Iran to Armenia and Azerbaijan for future transit to India.

Among these are 345 Indian fishermen and 895 Indian students. On April 4, 2026, the fishermen went from Armenia to Chennai. Additionally, the Embassy helped two foreign nationals—one from Bangladesh and one from Sri Lanka—travel through.

Out of all those who were evacuated, 1,545 entered Armenia, while 234 entered Azerbaijan. The government stated that India has thanked the governments of Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan for helping to ensure the evacuees’ safe passage.

With the top priority still being the safety, security, and well-being of the Indian community, the Ministry of External Affairs is still keeping a close eye on the changing situation in the Gulf and West Asia area.

From the war-affected area to India, around 7,30,000 people have traveled since February 28.

“With roughly 90 flights expected to operate to India today, airlines in the UAE continue to run a restricted number of non-scheduled flights in accordance with operational and safety concerns. The government stated that flights from Saudi Arabia and Oman to several Indian cities are still operating.

Rain forced the cancellation of the 12th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday, resulting in a point for each side.

Rain started to fall on the field only a few overs into the fourth over. The umpires were compelled to remove the players from the field as the rain grew heavier and the covers were promptly brought in. The entire playing surface was covered in sheets that the ground crew laid out quickly across the pitch, square, and run-ups.

Although the modified time for the check was scheduled for 8:45 PM IST, the covers remained firmly in place, and ultimately it was canceled due to rain.

The teams shared the idea as KKR fell to eighth place and PBKS maintained its dominance at the top.

The break would have been welcomed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who were in serious difficulty at 25/2 after losing two important foreign batsmen early on. In contrast, the interruption would have annoyed the Punjab Kings, who had controlled the game and were intent on keeping the pressure on.

With a quick inside the powerplay, Xavier Bartlett gave PBKS the ideal start.

Bartlett’s unrelenting accuracy in striking twice in quick succession in the early game added to KKR’s problems. Allen first fell in a similar way, trying to go big but only getting a thick outer edge. As Bartlett consistently hit the same place. A few moments later, Cameron Green’s thin streak persisted as he managed to edge a probing ball for only 4 to the keeper, unable to resist the allure off outside.

The situation at KKR was dire, and they were quickly behind by two runs.

In order to counter the in-form Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders made two crucial modifications as they elected to bat. During the toss, Captain Ajinkya Rahane informed that Varun Chakravarthy would be sidelined due to a hand injury he sustained while fielding in the previous game against SRH. Due to illness, Sunil Narine was also not present.

Navdeep Saini made his KKR debut and played his first IPL game since 2023, while Rovman Powell joined the team for his first game of the season.

These changes left KKR lacking in spin, with Anukul Roy as the only expert spinner in the XI and no additional spin options among their Impact substitutes.

The escalating tensions in West Asia are causing disruptions to the world’s energy flow, putting a strain on the supply of oil and gas and leading to significant price fluctuations, according to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Monday.

He warned in his speech to the 19th CII Corporate Governance Summit that the current war may have significant consequences for the world economy.

According to Pandey, the present catastrophe only exacerbates a string of shocks that companies and regulators have experienced in recent years, such as the COVID-19 epidemic and quick technological changes like artificial intelligence (AI), which have put institutional resilience to the test.

The SEBI chief emphasized regulatory changes, stating that the framework has changed in a measured way, improving disclosure norms through periodic and event-based requirements, establishing clear materiality thresholds and timelines, and strengthening board independence and oversight.

He also said that increased responsibility procedures, such as secretarial audits and a greater role for compliance officers, have helped to strengthen governance norms.

When discussing corporate governance, Pandey said that the emphasis should now be on the caliber of boardroom interaction and decision-making, rather than on the makeup of the board.

He emphasized the importance of independent directors and the necessity of ongoing capacity development via organized learning and robust knowledge frameworks.

Pandey also advocated for a move from frequent evaluations to ongoing monitoring, stating that institutional capacity would be essential for enhancing governance outcomes.

In the interim, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government have responded quickly to the changing circumstances, which has aided in calming market confidence.

However, he said that there are still supply-side challenges in the energy, logistics, and trade industries, and that sectors like energy-intensive businesses, exporters, and MSMEs are still experiencing operational and financial difficulties.

The next round of policy responses may need to concentrate on targeted liquidity support, credit assistance, and initiatives to maintain foreign exchange stability, according to Banerjee.

While praising “the series of timely, well calibrated, and coordinated measures” that have already been implemented in response to the global uncertainty brought by the West Asia conflict, the top industry group CII on Sunday requested further monetary and fiscal policy concessions from the government and the RBI to overcome it.

“The Government and the RBI have reacted with speed, clarity, and coordination,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of the CII. India’s policy framework is resilient and responsive to external shocks, as shown by the early steps taken to calm mood.

Simultaneously, CII noted that the situation is still changing, with underlying supply-side constraints in the energy, logistics, and trade sectors continuing beyond the initial phase. According to industry feedback, the initial set of policy actions has lessened the immediate effects, but several industries, notably MSMEs, exporters, and energy-intensive ones, are still experiencing operational and financial challenges.

Banerjee stated that “India’s experience during past crises has demonstrated that coordinated fiscal and monetary action can greatly increase resilience. ” The next stage of the policy response may thus need to prioritize trade cost management, targeted liquidity assistance, credit facilitation, and exchange rate stability.

The Finance Ministry has been urged by CII to introduce a time-bound Conflict-Linked Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (CL-ECLGS) that is modeled after the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) that was implemented during the epidemic. Through government-backed guarantees, the CL-ECLGS would provide more collateral-free working capital to impacted businesses, with a focus on MSMEs, exporters, and gas-dependent industries.

Additionally, it has requested the RBI to think about a brief, well-defined three-month moratorium and restructuring window for MSMEs, particularly those engaged in exports and ancillary operations connected to export supply chains.

The CII statement states that the RBI may establish a Special Refinance Window for MSMEs and other impacted sectors, along with focused liquidity assistance via tools like Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO), allowing banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to continue providing credit to productive industries at a fair cost.

Additionally, it said that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the RBI, could offer industry—particularly MSMEs—immediate contractual and operational assistance by extending delivery timelines for Central and State PSU contracts by 3–4 months without triggering Liquidated Damages clauses, and by lowering Performance Bank Guarantee and Security Deposit requirements to minimal levels to alleviate liquidity problems. To help manage increasing input costs during the interruption time, temporary reductions in electricity rates may also be made available.

Additionally, CII has proposed that, in deserving cases, banks be given the power to reevaluate and improve working capital restrictions for a short period of time, especially for gas-dependent, export-oriented enterprises that are experiencing transient distress. A calibrated increase in cash credit limits of up to 20%, together with soft lending conditions throughout the interruption, would give significant operational relief.

It has requested a brief decrease or waiver of administrative banking expenses, such as loan processing costs, foreign exchange management fees, and documentation expenses, which could be taken into account for MSMEs and impacted industries.

Additional items on the CII wish list include a time-bound rationalization of the tax and duty system on energy inputs to lessen the cascading cost consequences of the interruption, accelerated depreciation benefits on capital goods, and that the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform may be more actively expanded across affected industrial clusters.

According to industry insiders, Samsung Electronics and French AI firm Mistral AI held discussions on Sunday about possible collaboration in the AI memory space.

According to sources, Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI, met Jeon Young-hyun, the head of Samsung Electronics‘ device solutions sector, on Thursday at the company’s Hwaseong campus to discuss possible cooperation in the areas of AI chip supply chains and associated technologies.

Yonhap news agency reports that Mensch was in South Korea last week to coincide with French President Emmanuel Macron‘s trip to Seoul to meet with President Lee Jae Myung.

Mistral AI, which is frequently referred to as the European equivalent of OpenAI, is attempting to ensure a consistent supply of semiconductors in order to support its enormous language model, Mistral Large, and grow its AI infrastructure. As part of that endeavor, the tour of Samsung’s semiconductor factory is regarded.

A Mistral AI official stated that, in the wake of recent conversations between Samsung management and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su, it seems that Mistral AI is also attempting to negotiate with Samsung to guarantee a steady chip supply in the face of a constrained memory market.

In the past month, as the American tech giant looks to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) collaborations in the area, Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), met with representatives from Samsung Electronics, Upstage, and the South Korean government.

He spoke with Ha Jung-woo, the presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning, and Im Moon-young, the vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, about possible collaboration in the AI sector.

According to the committee, South Korean authorities presented Seoul’s initiatives to establish Asia’s fourth-largest economy as one of the top three AI powerhouses in the world during the meeting, and they also spoke on strategies to foster synergies between Korean businesses and AMD in the AI industry.

The committee stated that AMD and Seoul authorities have pledged to keep working together in ways that benefit both parties in order to foster an open and global AI environment.

In light of the ongoing developments in West Asia, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to hold off on making any changes at the next monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting next week (April 6-8), according to SBI Report.

The RBI would be far more cautious in expressing its stance, being the first policy since the beginning of the US-Israel and Iran war.

According to the study, the Central Bank has to “concomitantly explore the probability of conducting Operation Twist,” which raises the short-term yield while calming the yield on long-term papers and ensuring that various reference rates remain within the prescribed bands, in line with the policy rate in a measured manner, all while tackling the balance of payment deficit through carefully thought-out measures.

The entire planet has been thrown into disarray by a war in West Asia that has been ongoing since the previous policy.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the damage to regional infrastructure have caused the worst disturbance to the world oil market in its history since 1973.

“Clearly, India is experiencing the rising temperatures and is not unaffected by the present crisis. Crude oil prices are stubbornly over $100 per barrel, and the rupee is already trading at over 93 per dollar, which has caused imported inflation to rise in many states. “In addition to the projection of ‘Super El Nino’, this may also raise inflationary pressures,” stated Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor for the State Bank of India.

The RBI has made a number of announcements aimed at controlling speculation in both the onshore and offshore NDF markets, concerned about the increase in the rupee’s gravitational pull during the ongoing conflict.

Nonetheless, certain norms might provide practical difficulties for banks.

The report noted that the current CPI trajectory may point to inflation of more than 4. 5% for the next three quarters, even if the projections for FY27 are far below the RBI’s target range.

Nevertheless, Dr. Ghosh said, “the government’s recent choice for full customs duty exemption on a wide range of critical petrochemical products until June 30, 2026 may lower input costs and hence may have benign impact on imported inflation. ”

Given the current volatility in rupee and yield, the SBI economist said, “we believe the liquidity should be modulated to ensure rupee also gets support”.

The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by a score of 43 runs in their IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday thanks to a dominating batting performance by Tim David, Rajat Patidar, and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s astute spell of 3-41.

Padikkal’s smooth 50 off 29 deliveries—his second straight half-century of the season—laid the groundwork for the formidable total as David’s 70 not out off only 25 deliveries and Patidar’s undefeated 48 off just 19 balls helped RCB’s batting lineup obliterate CSK’s attack with relentless hitting in the marquee match.

RCB’s formidable 250/3, which established a new record for the highest total in IPL 2026, was brought about by the trio’s combined effort, which included an unbroken 99-run stand between David and Patidar, who engaged in mind-blowing range-hitting, off of just 35 balls.

In the penultimate over, David unleashed a spectacular David by hitting Jamie Overton for four sixes and a four to reach his second IPL half-century in just 21 balls, after hitting Noor Ahmad for three straight sixes. Even Virat Kohli had been moved to get up from his chair in the RCB dugout by his powerful hitting.

In response, CSK collapsed under the weight of the scoreboard, with Sarfaraz Khan’s 50 off 24 balls and Prashant Veer’s 43 being the only examples of defiance in the face of a series of top-order failures.

In IPL, Bhuvneshwar was at his disciplined best and even surpassed the 200-wicket milestone, with others contributing as well as CSK was bowled out for 207 in 19. 4 overs. For the first time in the IPL’s history, the convincing victory also signified that RCB has won four straight matches against CSK.

Following being placed into bat first, RCB started off cautiously, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli handling the initial swing from Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. In the fourth over, Kohli broke free of his restraints, hitting Henry for a six and two boundaries, but he was soon caught by Shivam Dube, who had missed an earlier opportunity, off Anshul Kamboj for 28 runs off 18 balls.

After a difficult start, Salt discovered a rhythm with pulls and slog-sweeps, sprinting to 46 off 30 before Dube dismissed him in the 11th over. After being dropped once at cover by Ruturaj Gaikwad, Padikkal changed his strategy in the middle overs.

He raised his bat to the cheering and boisterous Chinnaswamy audience after scoring two sixes and three fours off Dube and Henry to reach his second straight half-century. His innings ended with Jamie Overton’s delivery of 50 runs off 29 balls in the 15th over, when he attempted a lap stroke.

Patidar and David launched an amazing counterattack, leaving many people in amazement of it, from 151/3 in 14. 1 overs. In the 17th over, David targeted Noor Ahmad, hitting three straight sixes – two over deep mid-wicket and one over long-off – while Patidar struck Khaleel for two sixes and a four.

David was yorked, according to Kamboj, but a step over resulted in a free hit, which David slammed for another maximum. With an astounding 97 runs coming off the final five overs, Overton took the brunt in the nineteenth over, giving up 30 runs as David smashed four sixes and a four to reach his half-century in 21 balls, with a towering 106-meter maximum going over the stadium’s roof.

As Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed by Jacob Duffy and Ayush Mhatre was taken out for a bargain price by Bhuvneshwar, who claimed his 200th IPL wicket, CSK’s chase got off to a shaky start. Sarfaraz responded with a torrent of fours and sixes against Duffy, Bhuvneshwar, and Abhinandan Singh to reach fifty in just 24 balls after Duffy rejected Sanju Samson.

In the seventh over, however, his dismissal to Krunal Pandya, who also dismissed Kartik Sharma, left CSK reeling at 84/5. Veer and Jamie Overton teamed up for a lively 57-run partnership after Abhinandan ended Shivam Dube’s vigil.

Overton’s 37 off 16 balls and Veer’s 43 off 29 balls, respectively, were ended by Bhuvneshwar and Suyash Sharma. In a match that failed to live up to its excitement, Bhuvneshwar and Abhinandan dismissed Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj, securing a fantastic victory for RCB.

Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 250/3 in 20 overs (Tim David 70 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 50; Shivam Dube 1-30, Jamie Overton 1-42)
Chennai Super Kings 207 in 19.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 50, Prashant Veer 43; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-41, Abhinandan Singh 2-30)

The producers of director Rahul Sankrityan’s highly anticipated historical drama ‘Ranabaali,’ which stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in the key roles, have now revealed that the film unit completed a significant schedule in Rayalaseema.

The announcement was made on the X timeline of Mythri Movie Makers, the film’s production company. The video also showed the actors receiving a warm welcome in the area.

‘MAA SEEMA RAAYALASEEMA‘ was written by Mythri Movie Makers. All of Rayalaseema’s affection went to the Ranabaali couple. The group finished a crucial schedule in the area. The global premiere of Ranabaali occurred on September 11.

Vijay Deverakonda is seen speaking to a crowd of followers in the video snippet that was made available. It feels like returning to my hometown, he says. Anantapur seems like my second home when I’m here for the filming. I constantly have a seema sensation within me.

In the film, Rashmika Mandanna portrays his wife Jayamma, and Vijay Deverakonda portrays Ranabaali for the uninitiated. Sir Theodore Hector, the antagonist, is portrayed by Arnold Vosloo, who is most famous for his role in ‘The Mummy’.

Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar are producing “Ranabaali” on a massive scale, and T-Series is releasing the film. The film, which is being produced as a period action drama, is set during the British era.

The movie, which is set in the 19th century and is being produced as a huge pan-India effort, is based on actual historical events that occurred between 1854 and 1878.

According to some sources, the events in “Ranabaali” are based on real events from the 1850s that were not included in mainstream history texts. According to them, the movie will be set between 1850 and 1900 and will attempt to highlight events that the British historically misrepresented.

According to sources, Ranabaali will be a cinematic depiction of an era based on numerous real accounts, oral histories, and repressed documents, rather than a textbook summary or a biography.

‘Ranabaali’ will be the third movie in which Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna play a couple, following ‘Geetha Govindam‘ and ‘Dear Comrade‘.