Cross-border Payments: Maldives and India went live on the Favara-UPI real-time payment corridor, letting customers transfer in MVR and credit recipients in INR via UPI, starting with Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank. Agri-Exports: APEDA facilitated the first-ever air shipment of Karnataka’s Neelam and Totapuri mangoes to the Maldives—1 metric tonne—opening fresh late-season export opportunities for growers and women-led exporters. Hospitality & Dining: Heritance Aarah’s Overwater Restaurants (Ralu Overwater Restaurant and Baani) won Wine Spectator’s 2026 Award of Excellence, while Kuda Villingili’s Mar-Umi also earned the same recognition for a third consecutive year. Tourism Marketing: Visit Maldives’ month-long digital push across YouTube, Instagram, Google and Yandex generated 160M+ impressions, 22M+ video views and 600,000+ website sessions. Finance for Liveaboards: Bank of Maldives launched Liveaboard Finance with vessel-backed funding at 9.5% per annum, up to seven-year tenors and USD repayments. Policy & Infrastructure: Parliament received a bill to replace the Uninhabited Islands Act, updating leasing rules for lagoons and islands for tourism, fisheries, industry and more. Industry Leadership: Mariyam Nazleena was appointed to IDS’s accounting and finance board, as the state-owned firm scales infrastructure delivery.