Daily News - Friday, 12 September 2025

Govt clears MRP fixes for unsold FMCG inventory after GST rate change (Business Standard)

The government has allowed manufacturers, packers, and importers of pre-packaged goods to revise the maximum retail price (MRP) on unsold stock until December 31, 2025, following a major GST rate cut on FMCG items from 12–18% to 5%, helping companies adjust prices without wasting packaging materials. The revised prices can be updated using stickers, stamps, or online printing, but the original MRP must remain visible, and companies are required to inform consumers and authorities through advertisements and notices to ensure transparency. Industry leaders have welcomed this move, saying it provides operational flexibility, reduces costs, and helps avoid large-scale packaging waste, though tracking and updating prices across supply chains remains a significant challenge.

⁠India's Semiconductor Market Is Expected To Reach $103.5 Billion By 2030 (The Free Press Journal)

⁠India’s semiconductor market is set to nearly double from $54.3 billion in 2025 to over $103 billion by 2030, growing faster than global trends, driven by rising demand for smartphones, EVs, 5G networks, and data centres. With the India Semiconductor Mission and major investments like Micron’s plant in Gujarat, the country is building domestic capabilities, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, and turning Tier-2 regions into emerging hubs while fast-tracking approvals for future growth. What sets India apart is not just scale but advanced expertise—its engineers are already leading next-gen chip design using AI tools, and by 2030, India is expected to become the world’s second-largest semiconductor talent hub, powering innovation across the global supply chain.

⁠Japan model inspires India's spatial policy for urban planning (The Economic Times)

⁠Inspired by Japan’s approach to urban planning, India has introduced the National Spatial Policy (NSP) to guide city development over the next 20 years, ensuring economic growth and liveability by aligning state and city plans with long-term goals. The policy proposes a structured, three-tier system from national to regional levels, focusing on transit-first urbanisation, climate action, and planned land use—including using Japan’s ‘Kukaku Seiri’ concept to reorganize land for better infrastructure and reduce unplanned sprawl. With urban populations expected to jump from 30% to over 50%, this framework aims to tackle haphazard growth by integrating transport, environment, and investment priorities while upgrading ageing infrastructure and making cities more sustainable and efficient.

⁠Progress in trade pact talks with US satisfactory: Piyush Goyal (Financial Express)

India and the US are making steady progress in their trade talks under a positive atmosphere, with both sides aiming to finalize the first phase by November 2025, although disagreements over Russian oil purchases and opening India’s farm and dairy sectors have caused delays. Despite the formal talks being postponed after the US raised tariffs to 50%, leaders from both countries, including Modi and Trump, are staying in touch and remain optimistic that a successful agreement can be reached soon. The stakes are high for India, as the increased tariffs could slash nearly half its exports to the US—worth over $86 billion—impacting key industries like textiles and machinery and potentially slowing the country’s economic growth this year.