Industry News

Micro lenders turn to secured loans to negate asset quality pressures

Microfinance lenders are expanding into secured products such as gold, mortgage and MSME loans as RBI's revised norms and asset quality pressures push them to diversify portfolios

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 11:51 PM IST

West Asia war: Gas crunch disrupts factories, from production to canteens

Fuel shortages linked to the West Asia war are disrupting factory output and canteen operations across India, forcing gas-dependent units to cut production and seek alternative energy sources

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 11:50 PM IST

Delhi Metro 'cheapest' among world's top 10 networks at just $0.13

India now has the third-largest Metro network in the world, after China and the US

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 10:50 PM IST

SC takes cognisance of illegal sand mining in National Chambal Sanctuary

Court expresses concern over impact of illegal sand extraction in the Chambal Sanctuary on endangered riverine species, including the critically endangered gharial

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 10:43 PM IST

Trai proposes lower threshold for action on spam flagged by telcos' AI

Regulator proposes lowering complaint threshold for action on AI-flagged spam and seeks compliance with spam regulations from call management apps and phone diallers

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 10:09 PM IST

Serving, still: Restaurants turn to coal, wood amid LPG supply crisis

Many go back to coal and wood, while some give offers in return for cylinders

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 9:12 PM IST

ISMA urges PMO to fast-track ethanol blending beyond 20% amid energy crisis

Sources said ISMA, in a letter written a few days ago, stated that while global energy markets remain uncertain, accelerating domestic biofuel utilisation is both an economic and strategic imperative

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 8:50 PM IST

Govt clears food safety reforms; street vendors to get deemed Fssai status

Government has approved food safety reforms including deemed FSSAI registration for street vendors and perpetual validity for licences to simplify compliance for food businesses

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 8:34 PM IST

India's captive, commercial coal mines cross 200 MT production in FY26

Production from captive and commercial coal mines crossed 200 million tonnes in FY26, surpassing last year's output ahead of schedule and marking a key milestone for India's coal sector

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:58 PM IST

Govt targets installing 39 lakh rooftop solar systems under PMSGMBY in FY27

The government plans to install 39 lakh rooftop solar systems with 11,700 MW capacity in FY27 under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the MNRE informed a parliamentary panel

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:47 PM IST

CDSCO mandates online applications for manufacture, sale of r-DNA drugs

CDSCO has mandated online submission of applications for licences to manufacture and sell r-DNA-origin drugs through the ONDLS portal to streamline regulatory processes

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:42 PM IST

India's REIT market grows 6-fold since FY20 on listings, price gains: CBRE

India's REIT market has grown more than six-fold since FY20 to Rs 1,726 billion in the first nine months of FY26, supported by new listings and steady unit price appreciation, CBRE said

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:38 PM IST

HMEL to invest ₹2,600 cr in speciality, fine chemicals sector in Punjab

Mittal said a large downstream industrial ecosystem can be developed around the refinery and petrochemical industry in Punjab

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:26 PM IST

Bombay HC seeks Centre's response on LPG cylinder supply shortage plea

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea by LPG distributors alleging shortages in the supply of domestic cooking gas cylinders

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 7:11 PM IST

UP acquires 24,000 acres in Bundelkhand for industrial development

A vast chunk of land in BIDA has also been acquired in the Jhansi district, the most prominent hub of Bundelkhand

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 6:48 PM IST

Rajasthan govt directs officials to ensure uninterrupted power in summer

Rajasthan has stepped up preparations for peak summer power demand, focusing on supply security, solar capacity and battery energy storage systems

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 4:44 PM IST

New labour codes drive faster growth in group life insurance premiums

Group life insurance premiums grew faster than individual policies in FY26 as revised labour codes, including higher basic pay norms & expanded gratuity provisions, boosted corporate-linked insurance

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 4:24 PM IST

Amazon Air expands to Northeast, adds Guwahati, Kolkata to cargo service

The expansion, expected to speed up shipments by 5x, will support deliveries across all seven sister states- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 1:48 PM IST

Darjeeling tea production at risk as factories face industrial LPG shortage

Output has collapsed from a peak of around 14 million kg in 1990 to under 6 million kg in recent years, with 2024 and 2025 recording new historic lows

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 1:26 PM IST

West Asia conflict disrupts India's kitchens, clouds its tech ambitions

Gas shortages triggered by the West Asia conflict are disrupting kitchens, restaurants and small industries in India, exposing the country's fragile LNG-dependent energy system

Updated On: 13 Mar 2026 | 9:25 AM IST