Maharashtra's cabinet has approved Rs 3,708 crore in financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a state healthcare infrastructure project, managed by the Medical Education and Drugs Department. The funding targets medical education, nursing services, and healthcare delivery across the state. Separately, the Maharashtra Medical Council will shift from elected to government-nominated membership, following recommendations from a high-level committee, with corresponding amendments to the governing Act. Six additional districts, Hingoli, Jalna, Palghar, Beed, Dhule, and Parbhani, have been added to NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme, expanding total coverage to 177 talukas under the Planning Department. On the workforce side, government service cadre recruitment through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission will scale from 53 to 153 services, aligned with the Developed Maharashtra 2047 vision document, with a new 'Nipun Setu' initiative integrated via the Maha jobs portal. Tata Power Company will receive four acres in Kulgaon-Badlapur for a power substation, and Rs 61.24 crore has been approved under NABARD's Rural Infrastructure Development Fund for coastal fishermen facilities.
India's government plans to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act to restore UPI merchant discount rates, ending the zero-MDR regime in place since January 2020.
India's government has introduced the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing changes to payments regulation, income tax, and the Finance Act to attract FDI and support Make in India. The Bill's final shape will depend on parliamentary debate and committee review.
The government's Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes to replace the blanket UPI MDR ban with a system allowing the Centre to notify which payment modes stay fee-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 5,000 crore Bhogapuram greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh, built under a public-private partnership model. He also laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in the state, signalling a broad investment push for the region.
