Page 2 - Gujarat

Tamil Nadu overtakes Gujarat in new investor registrations for September

Rising investor numbers hint at a shift, yet broad household uptake stays low

Gujarat announces ₹947 crore relief package for farmers hit by heavy rains

The Gujarat government has announced Rs 947 crore relief package for farmers in five districts for crop damage due to heavy rains in August and September. Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani on Monday said the decision was taken by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who held meetings even on Diwali to ensure the special package is finalised for farmers. Assistance of Rs 563 crore will be provided as per provisions of SDRF, while Rs 384 crore has been added from the state budget, totalling Rs 947 crore, he said. The assistance will be paid to affected farmers from 800 villages in 18 talukas of Junagadh, Panchmahal, Kutch, Patan and Vav-Tharad districts, a government release said. "Financial assistance will be given as per norms fixed by the state government for crop damage assistance, which are different for irrigated and non-irrigated land per hectares. The financial assistance norms are also different for normal and horticultural crops," it added. Vaghani said due to special geographi

Nirav Modi claims 'sensational developments' to come in UK extradition case

Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, in prison for over six years, has told a UK court there are sensational developments to come when his Indian extradition case on fraud and money laundering charges reopens for a hearing in London next month. The 54-year-old appeared in the dock before High Court Judge Simon Tinkler at the Royal Courts of Justice here on Friday to present his defence in an unrelated case, involving an over USD 8 million unpaid Bank of India debt. The judge turned down Nirav's application for a stay on the proceedings on the grounds of technical and medical constraints in prison, which is set to proceed to a trial scheduled in January 2026. They (Bank of India) refer to my extradition I'm still here. There will be some sensational developments, and I have never used these words before, said Nirav, during a pre-trial review hearing. The fugitive diamond merchant, wanted in India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam case, told the court he

First freight train carrying industrial salt from Gujarat reaches Anantnag

The first 21-wagon consignment of industrial salt from Gujarat reached south Kashmir on Friday, adding another milestone in freight transportation for the Jammu division of Northern Railway, officials said. The train, carrying 1,350 tonnes of industrial salt from Kharaghoda Goods Shed in Gujarat, arrived at the Anantnag goods shed in Kashmir, they said. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal said, The Jammu Division of Northern Railway on Friday received the first 21-wagon consignment of industrial salt from Gujarat at the Anantnag goods shed in Kashmir. The industrial salt is mainly used in tanning, pulp, soap, and brick kiln industries. According to officials, the new mode of transport will ensure a steady supply of essential commodities to the Valley, reduce logistics costs and travel time, and lessen dependence on road transport especially during adverse weather conditions when road connectivity is disrupted. In recent months, the Valley has witne

Gujarat cabinet reshuffle, Coca Cola IPO, JSW Steel, Hindustan Zinc post strong Q2 profits, & more

Rivaba Jadeja and new Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi were among 26 ministers sworn into Gujarat’s revamped cabinet on Friday.

Gujarat CM inducts 19 ministers, Harsh Sanghavi takes oath as Deputy CM

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday reshuffled his cabinet by inducting 19 MLAs as ministers, taking the total strength of his council of ministers, including himself, to 26, and elevated junior home minister Harsh Sanghavi to the post of Deputy Chief Minister. Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers as well as those who were elevated to the cabinet rank and given MoS independent charge from ministers of state. Sanghavi, who represents the Munjara assembly constituency in Surat city, took oath as the deputy CM. Till now, he held the post of Minister of State for Home. Sanghavi and five other MLAs who were part of the previous Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet, continue to be in the council of ministers. Though all 16 ministers had resigned on Thursday, the resignations of these six ministers were not accepted by the CM. While three of these six - Kanubhai Patel, Rushikesh Patel and Kunvarji Bavalia- were earlier cabin

Cabinet expansion: Gujarat CM seeks Guv's permission to hold oath ceremony

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday morning met Governor Acharya Devvrat and sought his permission to hold the oath ceremony of his new cabinet members, a government release said. During the meeting at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, the CM informed the governor about the current status of the Gujarat cabinet, said the release. He also sought permission from the governor to hold the oath ceremony of the cabinet members, it said. The ceremony is scheduled to be held at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar at 11:45 am as part of the planned cabinet expansion, the release added. On Thursday, all 16 ministers except CM Patel had resigned. Patel will expand his cabinet on Friday, the state government had announced earlier.

Major cabinet rejig in Gujarat today: 22 ministers expected to take oath

Gujarat Cabinet rejig: The Cabinet overhaul is likely to introduce additional ministerial positions, and balance caste and regional dynamics

Entire Gujarat Cabinet quits; CM Bhupendra Patel to form Cabinet on Oct 17

The new cabinet will take oath on October 17 at 11:30 am at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, according to an official statement

NTPC, Gujarat govt partner to explore conventional and renewable energy

State-owned power giant NTPC Ltd on Thursday said that it has inked an initial pact with the government of Gujarat to explore opportunities in both conventional and non-conventional energy sectors. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange took place in the presence of Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat; Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of New & Renewable Energy; Kanubhai Desai, Minister for Finance, Energy and Petrochemicals, Gujarat and other senior dignitaries, a company statement said. The agreement, signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference held in Mehsana, Gujarat, aims to explore opportunities in both conventional and non-conventional energy sectors, the statement said. NTPC is India's largest integrated power utility, contributing one-fourth of the country's power requirements and has an installed capacity of over 83 GW, with an additional capacity of 30.90 GW under construction, including 13.3 GW of renewable energy capacity. The company is ...

Conversion victims can face action if they try to convert others: HC

The Gujarat High Court has said that persons claiming to be victims of religious conversion can also face legal action if they later attempt to convert others. On account of their act of "influencing, pressuring and alluring other persons to convert to Islam", a prima facie offence is made out against them, the court of Justice Nirzar Desai said on October 1, hearing a batch of petitions moved by several persons. The petitioners claimed they were originally Hindus and had been converted to Islam by other persons, and hence they were themselves victims of conversion and not accused. The court noted that they were involved in "pressuring and alluring other persons to convert to Islam," which would prima facie make out an offence against them. Several men accused of religious conversion had approached the HC, contending that they were themselves victims of religious conversion and the First Information Report (FIR) against them was misconceived. They sought the FIR lodged against the

Centre okay ₹707 cr for Assam, Gujarat floods; ₹904 cr for fire services

A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance for Assam and Gujarat that were hit by floods and landslides in 2024. The committee has also approved Rs 903.67 crore for Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the expansion and modernisation of the state fire services. "A high-level committee, headed by the Union home minister, has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, affected by floods and landslides in 2024," an official statement said. The assistance has been provided from the NDRF, subject to an adjustment of 50 per cent of the opening balance for the year available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Of the total amount of Rs 707.97 crore, a share of Rs 313.69 crore has been approved for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat. Of the total outlay of Rs 903.67 crore given to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and

Cyclone Shakhti turns 'severe'; IMD issues alert for Gujarat, Maharashtra

Cyclone Shakhti, the season's first in the Arabian Sea, has intensified into a severe storm with wind speeds reaching 100 kmph, prompting IMD alerts across coastal states

Cyclone Shakti intensifies, set to bring heavy rain, strong winds to Mumbai

First cyclonic storm of the season expected to bring rough seas, heavy rainfall, and wind speeds of up to 65 km/h along coastal Maharashtra; authorities advise caution

Cyclone Shakhti intensifies in Arabian Sea, heads towards Gujarat coast

Cyclone Shakhti, the first cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea in the post-monsoon season, was moving towards Dwarka off the Gujarat coast on Friday and was expected to intensify further, the weather office said. The cyclonic storm over the northeast Arabian Sea moved west-northwestwards with a speed of eight kmph during the last six hours, and lay centred at 2030 hrs IST on Friday, over the same region, nearly 300 km west of Dwarka, 330 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan) and 360 km west of Porbandar. Shakhti, a name given by Sri Lanka, is likely to move initially westwards and then west-southwestwards, intensifying further into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday morning. "Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move west-southwestwards and reach central parts of north and adjoining central Arabian Sea by 5th October," the weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department said. Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, sea conditions are very likely to be rough t

India's dairy sector grew by 70% in last 11 years, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India has made significant strides in the dairy sector over the past 11 years, noting that it has grown by 70 per cent during this period and is now the fastest-growing sector in the world. He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's dairy sector has expanded by 70 per cent in terms of capacity. In the world, India's dairy sector is the fastest-growing, Shah said after inaugurating the newly constructed Sabar Dairy Plant facility in Industrial Model Township here, as part of efforts to promote the cooperative sector. Built at a cost of Rs 325 crore, the plant will house state-of-the-art machinery and is expected to generate direct and indirect employment. The newly inaugurated Sabar Dairy plant here is the country's largest production facility for curd, buttermilk, and yogurt, with a daily capacity of 150 metric tonnes of curd, 3 lakh litres of buttermilk, 10 lakh litres of yogurt, and 10 metric tonnes of ...

Sir Creek dispute returns: Rajnath says India will respond strongly

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warns Pakistan against any "misadventure" in Sir Creek as the decades-old maritime dispute gains fresh urgency for India

Three killed, 20 injured as bus hits parked truck in Gujarat's Botad

Three persons were killed and nearly 20 others injured when a private bus rammed into a truck parked on a roadside in Gujarat's Botad district in the wee hours of Monday, police said. The bus was carrying tourists from Ranpur taluka in the district when it hit the stationary truck near Paliyad town, police inspector Parbad Vanda said. "Three men died on the spot and around 20 persons were injured," the official said. "The bus was carrying tourists from a village in Ranpur taluka of the district. They had gone to Junagadh and were returning home when the accident occurred," he said. The injured persons were shifted to different hospitals, the official added.

Nextgen Semiconductor plans to raise up to ₹1,500 cr in 12 months

Nextgen Semiconductors, which has announced to set up a chip facility in Gujarat, on Friday said it plans to raise around Rs 1,000-1,500 crore through equity and other instruments in the next 12 months. Nextgen has announced to invest more than Rs 8,800 crore in phases to build India's fully integrated Silicon (Si) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor platform in Dholera, Gujarat. The company plans to raise around Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 1,500 crore over the next 12 months via a mix of equity and structured instruments, Nextgen said in a statement. Nextgen aims to establish a wafer-to-power electronics components' ecosystem that will accelerate India's self-reliance in critical semiconductor technologies for electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centres, and industrial electronics, the statement said. It plans to build the platform with a phased investment of over Rs 8,800 crore, the company said. Nextgen looks to start project work at Dholera by April 2026 and the facil

KPI Green Energy secures ₹3,200 cr sanction from SBI for Gujarat projects

The sanction will part-finance the firm's 250 MW solar project and 370 MW hybrid project, strengthening its IPP portfolio with a combined capacity of over 1 GWp