Page 12 - Industry News

Labour Ministry publishes draft rules; gig workers' unions seek clarity

Draft rules under the new Labour Codes set minimum work-day criteria for gig workers to access social security benefits, prompting unions to seek clarity on eligibility and safeguards

Semaglutide patent loss to create ₹5,000 crore opportunity: Report

Patent expiries of blockbuster weight-loss drug semaglutide may create a ₹5,000 crore generic opportunity for Indian pharma firms across India and key emerging and regulated markets

Torrent Gas cuts CNG price by up to ₹3.50/kg, PNG by up to ₹2 per unit

Torrent Gas has cut CNG prices by up to ₹3.50 per kg and domestic PNG by up to ₹2 per scm after PNGRB's unified tariff came into effect from January 1, 2026

Andhra Pradesh attracts 25.3% of proposed investments in FY26: Report

State accounted for over a quarter of India's proposed investments in the first nine months of FY26, emerging ahead of Odisha and Maharashtra, according to a Bank of Baroda report

Govt okays 22 proposals under electronics components manufacturing scheme

The approved proposals include those from Dixon, Samsung Display Noida Pvt Ltd, Foxconn (Yuzhan Technology India Pvt Ltd), and Hindalco Industries

Duty hike on tobacco products will hurt farmers, fuel smuggling: FAIFA

The farmers' body warned that higher retail prices will reduce legal cigarette consumption, hurting demand for domestically-grown tobacco and potentially creating a glut in the crop market

Tobacco Institute urges review of tax hike on cigarettes, tobacco products

The Tobacco Institute of India calls on the government to reconsider the steep excise and GST hike on tobacco, warning of hardships for farmers, MSMEs, retailers and a surge in illicit trade

Labour Code draft rules clarify doubts, concerns still remain

Draft rules under India's four Labour Codes clarify wages and gratuity calculations, extend social security, but smaller firms still face implementation concerns

New Year's Eve frenzy: Grapes, biryani, pizzas among most-ordered items

The surge in sales activity, across different platforms, came even as gig worker unions had called a nationwide strike

Excise duty on tobacco, health cess on pan masala from February 1

From February 2026, India replaces GST compensation cess with excise and health cess on tobacco and pan masala, introducing capacity-based duties and higher cigarette taxes

Centrally funded infra projects saw cost overruns swell to 22% in Nov

Cost overruns in centrally funded infrastructure projects widened to 22.2% in November, pushing revised project costs to ₹29.55 trillion, Mospi data showed

Switch to LNG may save $1 billion spent on oil imports, says PNGRB

Regulator's study is based on a scenario where 10% of diesel vehicle owners opt for LNG

Coal India posts 4.6% output growth in December, but offtake drops 5.2%

Coal India on Thursday reported a 4.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in production and a 5.2 per cent fall in offtake in December.

Power consumption rises 7% to 138.39 billion units in Dec amid cold wave

The peak power demand had touched an all-time high of about 250 GW in May 2024. The previous all-time high peak power demand of 243.27 GW was recorded in September 2023

ATF prices cut 7.3% in January, commercial LPG cylinder hiked ₹111

ATF price in Delhi was cut by Rs 7,353.75 per kilolitre, or 7.3 per cent, to ₹92,323.02 per kl, according to state-owned fuel retailers

Datanomics: House demolitions double in 7 years; rehab remains scarce

In 2023, Delhi accounted for the highest share of evictions at 53 per cent, followed by Gujarat at 30 per cent and Assam at 4 per cent

MCA eases KYC compliance for directors, shifts filing to once in 3 years

MCA has relaxed KYC norms for company directors, cutting the filing frequency to once every three years while mandating updates within 30 days of any change in personal details

In an AI world, BPM industry embraces AI to rethink the BPO future

Explaining the rationale behind the acquisition, Capgemini chief executive officer Aiman Ezzat said the BPM industry remains one of the fastest-growing segments

India's lab-grown diamond market shines brighter with investor backing

Rising funding, rapid store expansion and Titan's entry are pushing lab-grown diamonds from niche to mainstream, as Indian consumers embrace affordable, sustainable fine jewellery

A silent attrition of women doctors ails India's healthcare system

A silent attrition is hollowing out India's healthcare workforce, with implications for patient care and equity