India Weekly News Roundup: Key Economic, Policy and Climate Updates

India saw several important developments last week across weather, economy, policy, infrastructure and state governance. Northern states faced fast-dropping temperatures and worsening air quality, even as the south prepared for heavy rainfall. The country’s foreign-exchange reserves continued to show movement, major policy rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act came into effect, and the RBI shifted its bond-purchase strategy after six months. Protests shaped discussions around Bengaluru’s tunnel-road project, while sectors like aviation and agriculture faced their own pressures. Here’s a clear look at the major events that shaped India over the past week.

Cold-wave warning for Delhi-NCR and northern states

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a cold-wave alert for the Delhi-NCR region along with neighboring states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The alert came in the wake of minimum temperatures dropping to around 13°C in some areas, while maximums hovered near 26°C. Concurrently, Delhi-NCR’s air quality index registered “very poor” levels, with values in the 330–387 range in some localities. The region’s Stage III “Graded Response Action Plan” (GRAP) remained active, signalling heightened health risk and travel/commute disruption.

Forex reserves of India decline for consecutive weeks

• India’s foreign-exchange reserves declined by approximately US$ 2.7 billion in the week ended 7 November 2025, bringing the total to around US$ 687 billion. Foreign currency assets dropped by around US$ 2.45 billion, and gold reserves fell by about US$ 1.95 billion. The week immediately prior had also seen a fall of roughly US$ 5.6 billion, underlining sustained outflows or valuation pressures.

Economy: Such as wholesale inflation and export data

• Wholesale price inflation in India dipped to -1.21% in October 2025, down from +0.13% in September. The decline was driven by lower prices in food articles, crude petroleum & natural gas, electricity and mineral oils.

• Exports in select sectors show resilience. The textile & apparel sector posted a 10 % year-on-year growth in shipments to 111 countries during April–September 2025, reaching about US$ 8.49 billion, up from US$ 7.72 billion a year earlier. Within that, ready-made garments grew by ~3.42% and jute by ~5.56%.

• On the import side, India brought in around 16 million tonnes of edible oils in the marketing year 2024-25 (ended October), valued at ~₹1.61 lakh crore (≈ US$ 18.3 billion), reflecting a 22 % rise in value over the previous period while volumes remained almost flat. Imports of refined oils dipped slightly, while crude edible-oil imports rose to ~14.27 million tonnes from ~14.03 million tonnes the prior year.

Infrastructure & environment: Bengaluru tunnel-road protest

• In Bengaluru, local activists, student groups and opposition leaders staged protests near the Lalbagh Botanical Garden against the state government’s proposed 17 km tunnel-road between Silk Board and Hebbal, estimated at about ₹20,000 crore. The protesters flagged that no completed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or detailed geological/hydrological/biodiversity study was publicly available. They emphasized the risk of damage to the historic garden’s ecology and questioned the prioritization of the project over strengthening public transport.

Export sector diversification: Textiles hold up

• As mentioned earlier, India’s textile-sector exports to 111 countries grew by 10 % year-on-year in the April–September 2025 period (US$ 8.49 billion vs US$ 7.72 billion) despite global headwinds and tariff pressures in major markets. Key destination markets showing strong growth include the UAE (14.5%), Japan (19%), Spain (9%), France (9.2%), Germany (2.9%), and the UK (1.5%). Emerging markets like Egypt (+27%), Hong Kong (+69%), and Saudi Arabia (+12.5%) also contributed. The growth was underpinned by ready-made garments and jute segments.

Agricultural input/imports: Edible oil dependency rises

• India imported 16 million tonnes of edible oils in the 2024-25 marketing year, valued at about ₹1.61 lakh crore, up 22 % in value compared to the previous year, while volume growth was negligible. Notably, soybean-oil imports reached a record ~5.47 million tonnes; palm-oil imports declined to ~7.58 million tonnes from ~9 million. The uptick in import cost largely stemmed from higher global prices rather than domestic demand expansion. The figures accentuate India’s continued dependency on foreign edible-oil supply despite domestic efforts to raise output.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) resumes government-bond purchases after six months

• The RBI resumed net purchases of government securities in the week ended 7 November 2025, buying around ₹124.70 billion (≈ US$ 1.41 billion). The central bank participated as a buyer in three of the four sessions, signalling a shift in liquidity management. The benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2 basis points to 6.51 %. The move comes after subdued demand at a recent 7-year auction and follows earlier large-scale buying from January to mid-May.

Government notifies rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

• The central government formally notified the rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025. These set out how organisations must obtain consent, give users itemised breakdowns of personal data collected, and provide mechanisms to withdraw consent. Certain entities classified as “significant data fiduciaries” will face stricter compliance. The rules allow up to 18 months for full administrative compliance and 12 months for registration of “consent managers.” The notification marks the effective operationalisation of India’s first federal digital privacy framework.

State-wide investment push: Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh prepare for GBC 5.0

• The government of Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the fifth “Ground-Breaking Ceremony” (GBC 5.0) in the last week of November 2025 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow. The aim: attract investment commitments exceeding ₹5 lakh crore (~US$ 60 billion). A six-member organising committee has been formed, and a tender floated to hire an event management agency. Past GBC events in the state showed rising project counts and investment pledges from ~₹61,000 crore in GBC1 to ~₹10 lakh crore in GBC4.

State election in Bihar seen as key test for central government

• Voters in Bihar took part in a major two-phase election for the 243-seat state legislature, seen as a crucial barometer for the popularity of the ruling national coalition led by Narendra Modi. Issues on the ground included unemployment, law and order concerns, and voter-roll revisions that the Opposition claims disproportionately affected the poor and minorities. Results are expected 14 November. Given Bihar’s 40 seats in the national parliament and its historical role as a political bellwether, this election has wider implications for national-level strategy ahead of 2029.

Pilot deficit looms over Indian aviation industry

• The aviation sector in India faces a stark shortage of trained pilots. According to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, with some 1,700 aircraft on order, India will need about 25,000–30,000 pilots just to meet upcoming demand. Currently there are around 8,000 pilots, with 2,000–3,000 not actively flying. The government is pushing to expand “Flying Training Organizations” and advance cargo-airport infrastructure to absorb the growth.

Textile exports show resilience amid global headwinds

• India’s textile and apparel exports to 111 countries grew by about 10% year-on-year in the April–September 2025 period, reaching approximately US$ 8.49 billion compared to US$ 7.72 billion a year earlier. Ready-made garments grew by ~3.42% and jute by ~5.56%. Key destination markets showed strong growth: UAE (+14.5%), Japan (+19%), Egypt (+27%), and Hong Kong (+69%). This export strength offers signs of diversification and strength amidst cost pressures and global trade volatility.

Surge in edible-oil import value despite flat volumes

• In the 2024-25 marketing year (ended October), India imported about 16 million tonnes of edible oils, valued at approximately ₹1.61 lakh crore (≈ US$ 18.3 billion), a ~22% increase in value over the previous year, while volumes held nearly steady. Notably, soybean-oil imports rose to ~5.47 million tonnes, while palm-oil imports declined to ~7.58 million tonnes from ~9 million. The uptick in import cost reflects higher global prices rather than significantly higher domestic demand, highlighting vulnerability in food-import dependence.

The past week reflected the diverse challenges and transitions shaping India today. Weather extremes continued to test public resources, while financial indicators signaled ongoing adjustments in the broader economy. Policy frameworks moved forward with new data-protection rules, and large-scale infrastructure projects drew public scrutiny. At the same time, aviation demand, state-level political activity and agricultural import trends highlighted larger shifts underway in multiple sectors. Together, these updates offer a meaningful snapshot of India’s evolving social, economic and environmental landscape.

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