Cabinet clears Rs 10,000 crore SME fund, new transport authority; hails PM Modi’s 25 years in public life

Union Minister for [Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw announcing the recent cabinet decisions

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved a series of measures spanning support for small and medium enterprises, integrated transport planning and logistics, and a resolution marking PM Modi’s completion of 25 years of continuous public service.The Cabinet approved a Rs 10,000 crore commitment towards setting up the SME Growth Fund, which will provide direct equity support to growth-oriented small and medium enterprises, with a focus on manufacturing and businesses with potential to emerge as global champions. The government said the fund will address a gap in long-term growth capital for SMEs seeking to expand, adopt technology and enter international markets.The Cabinet also approved the establishment of the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), an SPV that will serve as an apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, project appraisal, monitoring and data analytics. It will prepare a long-term national transport master plan covering multiple modes.Separately, the Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating PM Modi on completing 25 years of continuous leadership as head of government.

Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund

The Cabinet approved the government’s commitment of Rs 10,000 crore towards the establishment of the SME Growth Fund, aimed at providing growth-stage equity capital to small and medium enterprises.The fund will be set up as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) and is intended to address the shortage of long-term risk capital available to SMEs beyond the early stages of business.A majority of the fund’s allocation will be directed towards small and medium manufacturing enterprises. It will also consider SMEs operating in industrial clusters in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.The government said the fund will support enterprises seeking to expand capacity, adopt advanced technologies, enter international markets, integrate into global value chains and undertake strategic investments or acquisitions.The initiative is part of the measures announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 to strengthen the MSME ecosystem through equity, liquidity and professional support.

Integrated transport & logistics authority

The Cabinet approved the setting up of the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) as a Special Purpose Vehicle to strengthen integrated planning, research, project appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment across India’s transport and logistics sectors.ITLA will function as the national apex institution for integrated transport planning and will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of 10 years or more. The plan will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.The authority will also evaluate sectoral and annual transport plans to ensure that they align with the long-term master plan and promote multimodal infrastructure development.ITLA will undertake technical appraisal of central government infrastructure projects costing Rs 500 crore or more, while financial appraisal will continue under existing mechanisms. It will also monitor such projects and conduct post-implementation impact assessments.The authority will build a National Transport Data Repository by integrating datasets including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems to support freight-flow and origin-destination analysis.

Cabinet resolution marks PM Modi’s 25 years in government

The Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 years of continuous leadership as head of government.The resolution highlighted his tenure as Gujarat chief minister and his subsequent leadership at the national level, linking initiatives such as SWAGAT and Jyotigram in Gujarat with national programmes including PRAGATI.It cited welfare measures including Jan Dhan accounts, housing and other programmes, as well as reforms such as GST and the replacement of colonial-era criminal laws.The resolution also highlighted higher public capital expenditure, growth in electronics and defence production, UPI and digital public infrastructure, India’s space programme and domestic vaccine development.On national security, it cited the 2016 surgical strikes, 2019 Balakot air strikes and 2025 Operation Sindoor, along with the removal of Article 370, One Rank One Pension and the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff.The resolution also pointed to India’s role in the G20 and BRICS, advocacy for the Global South, Vaccine Maitri and international recognition received by Modi. It concluded by linking development with India’s cultural heritage and environmental commitments.