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1. The global Medical Value Travel market was valued at about USD 115.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 286.1 billion by 2030.

2. The global Medical Value Travel market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 10.8 percent during the period up to 2030.

1. Public capital expenditure in India rose from ₹2 lakh crore in FY 2014–15 to ₹12.2 lakh crore as Budget Estimate for FY 2026–27.

2. The Union Budget 2026–27 introduced new measures such as the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund and City Economic Regions to strengthen infrastructure-led growth and urban development.

Inland Waterways in India   1. India has 111 National Waterways with a total length of 20,187 kilometres, spread across 23 States and 4 Union Territories under the National Waterways framework. 2. As of March 2026, 32 National Waterways were operational in India, spanning 5,155 kilometres and supporting both cargo movement and passenger transport activities. 3. The Union Budget 2026–27 announced the operationalisation of 20 new National Waterways over the next five years to expand inland water transport infrastructure. 4. Cargo transportation on National Waterways reached an all-time high of 145.84 million metric tonnes in FY 2024–25 and 198 MMT till February 2026. Operational NWs in India (as of March, 2026) S. No. State(s) NW No. Limits of NW 1 Andhra Pradesh NW-4 Krishna-Godavari River Systems 2 Assam NW-2 Brahmaputra River (Dhubri-Sadiya) 3 NW-16 Barak River 4 NW-31 Dhansiri / Chathe 5 NW-57 Kopili River 6 Bihar NW-94 Sone River 7 Goa NW-68 Mandovi River 8 NW-27 Cumberjua River 9 NW-111 Zuari River 10 Gujarat NW-48 Jawai-Luni-Rann of Kutch River 11 NW-73 Narmada River 12 NW-87 Sabarmati River 13 NW-100 Tapi River 14 Kerala NW-3 West Coast Canal 15 NW-8 Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal 16 NW-9 Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal 17 Maharashtra NW-10 Amba River 18 NW-53 Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek and Ulhas River 19 NW-83 Rajpuri Creek 20 NW-85 Revadanda Creek-Kundalika River System 21 NW-91 Shastri River-Jaigad Creek System 22 Odisha NW-5 East Coast Canal and Matai River/Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra Rivers/Mahanadi Delta Rivers 23 NW-14 Baitarani River 24 NW-23 Budha Balanga 25 NW-64 Mahanadi River 26 Uttar Pradesh NW-110 Yamuna River 27 NW-40 Ghaghra River 28 Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal NW-1 Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia-Allahabad) 29 West Bengal NW-44 Ichamati River 30 NW-47 Jalangi River 31 NW-86 Rupnarayan River 32 NW-97 Sundarbans Waterway 5. The National Waterways Act, 2016 declared 111 inland waterways as National Waterways, including continuation of the first five and addition of 106 new waterways. 6. India aims to raise the Inland Water Transport modal share from 2 percent to 5 percent and increase cargo volumes to above 200 MMT by 2030. 7. The Union Budget 2026–27 seeks to increase the combined share of inland waterways and coastal shipping from 6 percent to 12 percent by 2047. 8. Passenger traffic on National Waterways increased from 1.61 crore in 2023–24 to 7.6 crore in 2024–25, indicating major expansion in inland water transport usage. 9. As of November 2025, cargo operations were functional on 29 National Waterways, cruise operations on 15, and passenger services on 23 waterways. 10. A total of 11 National Waterways supported cargo, cruise, and passenger movement together, showing the emergence of multimodal inland water transport integration. 11. The Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985 was enacted on 30 December 1985 and created the IWAI to regulate and develop inland waterways. 12. The Inland Vessels Act, 2021 was adopted on 11 August 2021 to ensure uniform rules, safe navigation, vessel regulation, and pollution reduction in inland waters. 13. The Jalvahak-Cargo Promotion Scheme, introduced on 15 December 2024, reimburses up to 35 percent of actual operating cost for waterway journeys on selected routes. Key Provisions and Targets of the Harit Nauka Inland Vessels Green Transition Guidelines Focus Area Key Provisions / Targets Green Vessel Ecosystem Promotion of green inland vessels, supporting infrastructure, and development of an operational ecosystem. Alignment with Maritime India Vision 2030 Supports the objectives of Maritime India Vision 2030 by promoting a higher share of inland waterways in the national transport system and encouraging greater cargo movement. Alignment with Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 Aligns with the long-term goals of Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aims for a complete transition to green inland vessels and a significant expansion of inland waterway cargo capacity. Linkage with Sustainability Builds upon earlier sustainability initiatives, including the Harit Sagar Guidelines 2023, by extending green practices from ports to inland vessels. Complementary Programmes Complements the Green Tug Transition Programme, ensuring a consistent approach to decarbonisation across maritime and inland water transport. Carbon Intensity Targets Targets 30% reduction in carbon intensity of inland waterway-based passenger transport by 2030 and 70% reduction by 2047 State-Level Transition Roadmap Serves as a roadmap for States to shift 50% of passenger fleet to green fuels by 2033 and 100% by 2045. Vessel Greening Targets Aims to green at least 1,000 inland vessels over the next 10 years and achieve 100% green vessels across all Indian water bodies by 2047 14. The Harit Nauka Guidelines launched on 8 January 2024 target a 30 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 and 70 percent by 2047. 15. Under Jal Marg Vikas Project on National Waterway-1, a ₹5,061.15 crore project covers the 1,390 kilometre Varanasi to Haldia stretch and is targeted for completion by 30 June 2026. Inland Waterways Cruise Operations in India Waterway Operational Stretch Current Status of Cruise Operations NW 1 Varanasi to Haldia River cruise services operate on this stretch; however, large cruise vessels generally operate only up to Patna due to depth limitations and pontoon bridges. NW 2 Guwahati to Neamati River cruise operations are active on this stretch. NW 3 Entire stretch Fully operational for passenger ferry and houseboat services. NW 4 Selected locations Passenger ferry services operate at intermittent locations. NW 8 Alappuzha to Changanassery Fully operational for passenger ferry and houseboat services. NW 97 Entire stretch Fully operational for river cruise movement. Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route Cross-border route Technically feasible; pilot cruise movements have been carried out. Initiatives for Upgrading Inland Water Transport Infrastructure in the North-Eastern States S. No. Initiatives Key Components / Details 1 NW-2 (Brahmaputra River) Comprehensive development has been undertaken during 2020-21 to 2024-25 at a cost of ₹498 crore Construction of terminals at Bogibeel and Jogighopa Development of tourist jetties at Bogibeel and Pandu. Regular fairway development works have been undertaken. Navigational aids have been installed to support smooth shipping operations 2 Ship Repair Facility and Connectivity at Pandu Ship Repair Facility at Pandu and an elevated road connecting National Highway-27 with Pandu Port and the Ship Repair Facility are being developed Project cost of ₹419 crore. 3 Development of NW-16 (Barak River) Development undertaken since 2020-21 at a cost of ₹134.72 crore. Major works include: Upgradation of terminals at Badarpur and Karimganj. Fairway development and maintenance of navigational aids.

India ranked as the 10th largest insurance market globally in 2024–25 by nominal premium volume, with a global market share of 1.8 percent.

2. Insurance penetration in India stood at 3.7 percent in 2024–25, with life insurance at 2.7 percent and non-life insurance at 1 percent.

1. Sagarmala was launched in March 2015 as a port-led development programme to modernize ports, improve logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and integrate maritime transport with road, rail, coastal shipping, and inland waterways.

2. India’s maritime significance rests on its about 11,099-kilometre coastline, nearly 14,500 kilometres of potentially navigable waterways, and the fact that around 95 percent of trade by volume moves through maritime routes.

1. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 were notified on 14 November 2025, giving full operational effect to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

2. Before finalisation, the consultation process on the draft Rules received 6,915 inputs from startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), industry bodies, civil society groups, government departments, and citizens.

1. Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Global upgraded India’s long-term sovereign credit rating from BBB- to BBB and its short-term rating from A-3 to A-2 on 16 August 2025.

2. The outlook attached to the upgraded sovereign rating remained stable, indicating confidence in India’s economic fundamentals, fiscal path, and broader policy management framework.

1. “Your Money, Your Right” was launched in October 2025 as a nationwide awareness and facilitation initiative to help citizens identify and reclaim unclaimed financial assets.

2. The initiative is coordinated by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with major financial sector regulators and institutions.

1. Services exports reached USD 348.4 billion during April-January Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), reflecting strong external demand and confirming the services sector as a major contributor to India’s trade performance.

2. In the first half of Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), services exports reached 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), extending the sector’s rising macroeconomic role beyond the pre-pandemic average of 7.4 percent.

1. National Single Window System (NSWS) has granted more than 8,29,750 approvals since launch, integrating 32 Central Departments, 32 States, 698 central approvals, and 7,435 state approvals through one digital gateway.

2. Ministry of Corporate Affairs 21 (MCA21) Version 3 supports company and Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) registry services with e-Scrutiny, e-adjudication, e-consultation, Compliance Management System, MCA Lab, chatbot helpdesk, dashboards, mobile applications, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).