Centre further extends FTP 2015-20 till Sept 30

New Delhi: India's Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 has been extended till September 30, 2021. The policy was applicable till March 31.

Accordingly, the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said: "The existing Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 which is valid up to March 31, 2021, is extended upto September 30, 2021." The present Policy came into force on April 1, 2015, it was applicable for five years till March 31, 2020, but was extended for a year due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Coming to Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) latest announcement, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which decides on key interest rates, will meet six times during the next financial year. As per the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the central bank is required to organise at least four meetings of the MPC in a year.

The first meeting of the six-member MPC to decide on the first bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2021-22 will be held from April 5 to 7. The policy will be announced on April 7. Half of the committee, which is headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, is made up of external independent members.