NEW DELHI | JUNE 30, 2026 – The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI) today executed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening institutional collaboration in actuarial research, pension policy formulation, technical knowledge exchange and professional capacity building.

The MoU was formally signed and exchanged during the inaugural session of the two-day Joint Conference on Pensions (JCP) 2026 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Organized around the central theme, “Sustainable Pension Systems – A Socio-Economic Imperative to Viksit Bharat,” the high-level forum has brought together senior government dignitaries, regulators, international experts, actuaries and economists to chart the future of retirement income security and pension expansion in India.

Under this strategic alliance, PFRDA and IAI will pool their respective expertise to drive research-backed policymaking, cultivate technical proficiency and spearhead product innovation. The partnership is uniquely positioned to design sustainable, long-term retirement solutions that align with India’s shifting macroeconomic and demographic landscape.

Addressing the assembly as the Chief Guest, Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India, emphasized that building resilient pension structures today is imperative to shield a future aging population. He underscored that moving forward, the industry must solve for steady, predictable post-retirement income streams alongside asset accumulation. Dr. Nageswaran further highlighted that achieving universal pension coverage, especially within the vast informal sector, requires absolute product simplicity, robust digital delivery and the preservation of long-term public trust.

Delivering the keynote address, Shri S. Ramann, Chairperson, PFRDA, observed that while the National Pension System (NPS) has successfully established a formidable framework for retirement savings, the subsequent challenge rests on optimizing the decumulation phase. He noted that the PFRDA-IAI collaboration will foster research-led, flexible and easily understood financial instruments designed around consumer realities, ultimately encouraging consistent long-term financial security over short-term market speculation.

Ms. Preeti Chandrashekhar, President, Institute of Actuaries of India, stated that escalating life expectancies demand that retirement security be elevated to a paramount national priority. She emphasized that collaboration between regulators, actuaries, economists and technologists will help create personalized products and solutions to help enhance society’s ability to manage longevity and uncertainty challenges with confidence.

Highlighting the global perspective, Ms. Ayako Inagaki, Senior Sector Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB), remarked on India’s unparalleled potential to scale pension inclusion by leveraging its world-class digital public infrastructure. She called for deep multi-stakeholder coalitions bridging governments, tech innovators and civil society, reiterating the ADB’s continued commitment to anchoring India’s journey through technical expertise and knowledge sharing.

The inaugural day concluded with intensive technical sessions examining goal-based decumulation frameworks, longevity risks and the newly launched Retirement Income Scheme under the NPS. A dedicated panel on “Linking the Missing Middle” explored scalable, affordable and digitally-driven social security models explicitly targeted at India’s burgeoning platform and informal workforces.

The Joint Conference on Pensions 2026 will proceed tomorrow with sessions dedicated to analyzing innovation in products, distribution and technology, using AI and data analytics, for new-age retirement income solutions, Investment practices and asset mix for pension investments with long-term horizon, Global pension trends, risk-mitigation frameworks and structural policy innovations designed to fortify India’s comprehensive retirement security roadmap to establish a fully pensioned society for Viksit Bharat 2047.

According to Vedanta’s 11th Tax Transparency Report, the FY26 breakdown highlights the company’s diversified impact on national revenue. The total includes Rs.14,840 crore in government royalties and profit petroleum, Rs.8,290 crore in income and capital taxes, Rs.11,897 crore in other taxes borne, and Rs.21,777 crore in indirect taxes. Additionally, the company accounted for Rs.3,188 crore in withholding taxes and Rs.1,180 crore in corporate dividends paid to the Government of India through Hindustan Zinc Limited, demonstrating strong fiscal discipline and transparent governance in support of the Viksit Bharat vision.

New Delhi, June 21: Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla on Saturday urged IITians to suggest reforms across various sectors and contribute to finding solutions to the problems faced by the common man.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants reforms in every sector with the aim of improving the lives of all citizens, Birla said while addressing a function on the launch ceremony of the book IIT – The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem, organized by Pan IIT Alumni India at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in New Delhi.

Pan IIT Alumni India, the apex body representing over 500,000 alumni from all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology across the globe, today celebrated 75 years of the IIT ecosystem with the launch of the PanIIT Book Club and the unveiling of its inaugural publication, “IIT: The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem,” authored by Shri Prabhat Kumar, IRS, Chairman, Pan IIT Alumni India, at the Lecture Hall Complex, IIT Delhi on Saturday evening.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential alumni communities, Pan IIT serves as a high-trust platform connecting academia, industry, government, entrepreneurs, investors, and the global IIT diaspora. Through flagship initiatives such as PIWOT (Pan IIT World of Technology), city summits, startup platforms, hackathons, AI initiatives, and policy dialogues, PanIIT has emerged as a catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship, and thought leadership, contributing to India’s emergence as a leading technology and knowledge economy.

Observing that the Modi government is committed to reforms, the Lok Sabha Speaker said, “All of you, with your vast experience, can contribute significantly to overcoming the challenges faced by ordinary people.”

Shri Birla said that as Lok Sabha Speaker, he would forward all valuable suggestions to the relevant Parliament Standing Committees for consideration and deliberation.

“Our Parliament Standing Committees should benefit from your experience, especially regarding what needs to be reformed and in which sectors. Your contribution to the country is essential,” Shri Birla said at the event comprising over 400 distinguished IIT alumni, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academicians, students, and industry leaders.

He added that whenever the country faces a challenge, it looks to the IITs for solutions.

“Whether it is COVID or any other challenge; whether it is the challenge of infrastructure, the challenge of the environment, the challenges of science, the challenge of space… whether it is the challenges of the digital world, AI or robotics, solutions to all these challenges emerge from India’s IITs,” Birla said.

Shri Birla also asked the IITians to inspire the next generation with their vision and ideas so that they too contribute their bit towards solving the daily challenges faced by the common man as well as small farmers.

The Lok Sabha Speaker spoke in detail about India’s knowledge tradition, scientific temperament, innovation, and the significant role played by the IITs in nation-building. He will also share his views on the contribution of research, technology, and youth power toward building a developed India by 2047.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prabhat Kumar, IRS, Chairman, Pan IIT Alumni India, said:

“The IIT story is India’s story. This book is both a celebration of our extraordinary legacy and a call to action for the next generation. It is time for IITians to move from Silicon Valley to the Indus Valley and build here, scale here, and create for the world.”

The evening commenced with networking and welcome interactions among distinguished guests, followed by the inaugural session and the ceremonial lighting of the lamp symbolizing the spirit of knowledge and innovation that has defined the IIT journey.

A landmark moment of the evening was the formal launch of the PanIIT Book Club, envisioned as a platform to celebrate intellectual pursuits and showcase the literary contributions of IITians. The inaugural title, “IIT: The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem,” chronicles the evolution of the IIT ecosystem over the past seventy-five years and its profound impact on India’s growth story.

In his Special Address, Rajendra Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs said: ”

Today, you have examples before us why this concept of self-reliance or Aatmanirbharta is so important in our context. If you talk about AI, today the world’s leading country has blocked access to Mythos and Fable for all foreign nationals. So, in some sense, if this kind of attitude remains, which is going to sustain for, a long time, we need to think about how we can reach that technological frontier by ourselves. And in that journey and that vision, the role of IITs needs to be really very, very important and we all need to gear up to improve our capability to reach that vision of taking our digital economy to those levels by 2047.”

The event also featured keynote addresses by eminent leaders from government, industry, and academia. A distinguished alumni leadership panel on “Celebrating the IIT Legacy: Shaping the Future of Viksit Bharat” brought together leading entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss the next frontiers of technology, startups, and economic growth.

Mr. Devesh Srivastava, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), Delhi and Mr. Gautam Kumra (IIT Delhi ’91), Chairman, McKinsey Asia Pacific, were among the key speakers.

Mr. Ravi Shankar, Founder, Decision Point; Mr. Madhur Singhal, Founder, Praxis; Mr. Neeraj Kumar, Founder, PeakMind.in; Mr. Kapil Makhija, Founder, Unicommerce, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Tanya Singhal, India Head, Global Energy Alliance.

#NamoBharat #NCRTC #RegionalMobility #ViksitBharat #

Namo Bharat Delhi Meerut  Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs  Office of Manohar Lal Manohar Lal Government of UP Delhi Government

Delivering the convocation address, Justice Ashok Bhushan, Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), said the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has evolved significantly over the past decade, with major legal and operational issues now settled through landmark judicial pronouncements. He described the period from 2016 to 2021 as the “era of establishment” and the current phase as the “era of refinement,” noting that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Act, 2026, reflects the legislation’s continued evolution. Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal, President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), in his keynote address, emphasized the need for stronger judicial and institutional coordination to ensure timely insolvency resolutions and advocated the adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency to enhance India’s attractiveness as a global restructuring destination.

Addressing the conference, Ministry of Corporate Affairs Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee described the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code as a transformative reform that has reshaped India’s financial and corporate ecosystem. She highlighted that nearly ₹4 lakh crore has been recovered through resolution processes, with creditors realizing around 170 percent of liquidation value, while more than 32,000 cases were settled before formal admission, preserving credit worth nearly ₹14 lakh crore. Referring to the recently enacted Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Act, 2026, she said the reform would further strengthen the insolvency framework and support the national vision of building a developed India under Viksit Bharat.

To sustain this momentum across States, UTs, and PSUs, the CBC is introducing a data-driven monitoring framework to evaluate the long-term impact of these behavioral interventions. This involves continuous feedback loops from the public, peer-to-peer assessment modules, and regular refresher courses for the newly minted master trainers. By shifting the bureaucratic paradigm from a rule-bound mindset to a role-based, citizen-first approach, the expanded Jan Seva programme aims to create a highly responsive public delivery system. Ultimately, this nationwide scaling will transform the day-to-day interactions between the government and its citizens, turning the milestone of 10 lakh trained officials into a catalyst for a completely reimagined civil service culture.

#CapacityBuilding #MissionKarmayogi #SevaBhav #ViksitBharat#Radha Chauhan #Alka Mittal

#CapacityBuilding #MissionKarmayogi #SevaBhav #ViksitBharat

Radha Chauhan | Alka Mittal |

Constructed with an investment of Rs 611 crore, this pipeline-fed terminal is designed to streamline energy logistics across the region. By transitioning to a more efficient supply chain, the facility is expected to slash annual logistics costs by approximately Rs 290 crore.

Economic and Environmental Impact

The Malkapur Terminal is not just an industrial milestone but a major win for environmental sustainability and regional development:

Operational Efficiency: The terminal will provide seamless fuel access to 23 districts across Telangana, ensuring a steady energy supply for local industries and consumers.

Carbon Footprint Reduction: By optimizing transport routes and utilizing pipeline delivery, the project will reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 27,000 MT annually.

Job Creation: Beyond infrastructure, the terminal is a catalyst for the local economy, generating significant direct and indirect employment opportunities for the youth in the state.

The Prime Minister highlighted major progress in rail, port and waterway connectivity, including linking the Kashmir Valley and North-East capitals to the rail network. Developed at an investment of around ₹11,200 crore under the PPP model, the Noida International Airport is one of India’s largest greenfield airport projects and is expected to boost regional connectivity and economic growth.