Page 14 - Industry News

Centre to leverage digital infra to optimise food, fertiliser subsidies

Government plans to use AgriStack and CBDC-based pilots to better target fertiliser and food subsidies, reduce leakages, and improve transparency in welfare delivery systems

Banking sector to maintain strong growth over the next two years: ICRA

Profitability in the banking sector is expected to remain healthy, supported by stronger core earnings

India wheat output seen increasing 2% to record 120.21 MT 2025-26

India's wheat production is estimated at a record 120.21 million tonnes in the 2025-26 crop year, up 2 per cent from 117.94 million tonnes in the previous year, government data showed on Tuesday. Wheat, a major rabi (summer) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks. Total rabi crop production is estimated to rise 3.16 per cent to 174.51 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 169.16 million tonnes a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said in its second advance estimate. Pulses output is projected to grow 7 per cent to 16.24 million tonnes in the rabi season of 2025-26 from 15.23 million tonnes a year ago, as the country looks to narrow a demand-supply gap that has left the country dependent on imports. Gram production was pegged slightly higher at 11.79 million tonnes against 11.11 million tonnes, while lentil output was estimated at 1.73 million tonnes versus 1.65 million tonnes. However, urad output is seen lower at

India's hiring outlook hits record high for April-June quarter: Report

Indian employers reported a strengthening of hiring intentions for the April-June quarter of this year, supported by surging business confidence and resilient domestic demand, a survey said on Tuesday. According to ManpowerGroup's latest Employment Outlook Survey, the Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q2 2026 hit a record high of 68 per cent, up 17 points from the previous quarter and rising 24 points year-over-year. The Net Employment Outlook (NEO) is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity. The Employment Outlook Survey was of more than 3,000 employers across India, conducted from January 1 to February 3, 2026. As per the report, the combination of Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms and strong economic growth projections for 2026 provides a solid foundation for businesses. Furthermore, improving trade prospects, such as India-EU agreeme

Global fertiliser prices may strain India's subsidy maths for next year

The subsidy burden might rise as retail rates of major fertiliser such as urea and DAP has to kept fixed to support farmers while import cost and cost of domestic production will go up

Centre plans major push to train allied health professionals, caregivers

Addressing the concluding session of the webinar, Dr VK Paul, member (health) at government think tank NITI Aayog said that the strategic way forward includes strengthening existing institutions

LPG constraints: India's auto industry braces for impact on production

Siam asks MoPNG to give clarity on availability

Air India, AI Express to operate 60 flights to West Asia on Tuesday

Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 60 flights to and from cities in the Middle East, including 32 non-scheduled services connecting the UAE. Amid the escalating Middle East conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, airlines are operating services in a calibrated manner as there are airspace restrictions and closures in the region. On Tuesday, Air India and Air India Express will together operate 14 flights to and from Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate 14 services to and from Muscat. "In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate a total of 32 ad hoc non-scheduled flights between Indian cities and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 10 March 2026, subject to the availability of slots and other conditions prevailing at the respective point of departure at the time," a statement said on Monday. These 32 flights will connect to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah from different Indian cities. Akasa Air sai

Women-led startups saw 9% funding drop in 2025, says Tracxn report

Deal activity also fell significantly, with the number of funding rounds dropping 29 per cent from 2024

Missing half in India's growth puzzle: Female labour participation just 42%

Over 125 million women in India with secondary or higher education are outside the labour force

Farmers stage fresh protest in Delhi against India-US trade deal

The protest site, close to the historic Jantar Mantar observatory near the parliament complex in New Delhi, was packed with demonstrators

IndiGo London-Mumbai flight diverted to Cairo; Delhi-Manchester returns

Another IndiGo flight operating from London Heathrow to Mumbai, diverted to Cairo on March 8 due to Flight Duty Time Limitations, and will resume its journey on March 10

India emerges as world's second largest arms importer: SIPRI

India was the world's second largest importer of arms and military hardware from 2021 to 2025 and the largest chunk of the imports came from Russia, Swedish think tank SIPRI said in a new report on Monday. Ukraine which received 9.7 per cent of all arms transfers in 2021-25 was the world's largest arms importer in that period, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said. China dropped out of the top 10 arms importers for the first time since 1991-1995 due to expanded domestic production of its own designs, the think tank noted in its report, 'Trends in International Arms Transfers'. The United States supplied 42 per cent of all international arms transfers during 2021-25, up from 36 per cent in 2016-20, it said. Four states in Asia and Oceania -- India, Pakistan, Japan and Australia -- ranked among the 10 largest arms importers globally in 2021-25. The main supplier to the region in 2021-25 was the US, which accounted for 35 per cent of regional arms imports.

Embraer sees E175 assembly in India in 2028 if it secures 200 orders

Earlier this ​year, Embraer and India's Adani Group had announced a memorandum of understanding to establish a final assembly ‌line for the Brazilian firm's first-generation jetliners in India

AAP MP Raghav Chadha urgers govt to open Udan Yatri Cafes at more airports

The Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Monday urged the government to ensure that more Udan Yatri Cafes are opened at airports across the country to provide affordable eating options to passengers. Raising the issue in the special mentions in Rajya Sabha, he lauded the Udan Yatri Cafes, a government-backed initiative providing affordable, high-quality snacks and beverages at major Indian airports. Chadha, however, said that the "ground reality" is that these cafes are only there at a few airports. "Usually, passengers eat in the waiting area before boarding, but the Udan Yatri cafes are before check-in and security, so passengers are not able to use them," he said. "Due to limited counters, there are long queues, especially during peak traffic hours. Further, the limited menu options and capacity constraints restrict accessibility," he added. Chadha urged the government to ensure these affordable cafes are opened at all airports and are made more accessible.

Only 22% of candidates trained under PMKVY secured employment, shows data

Government data show that only 22% of candidates certified under PMKVY 1.0 to 3.0 secured jobs, with placements for SC and ST candidates at about 25%, even as PMKVY 4.0 delinks training from targets

720 million basic savings bank accounts exempt from balance penalty: FM

About 72 crore Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA), including those under the PM Jan Dhan scheme, are not subject to any penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, she said banks offer zero-balance savings accounts facility in Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDAs), including the accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), to ensure universal access to banking facilities, particularly for unbanked, vulnerable and small depositors, and to promote financial inclusion. These accounts do not require maintenance of any minimum balance, and the account holders are provided basic banking services such as deposits, withdrawals and ATM access free of charge, without levy of any penal charges. "Approximately 72 crore BSBDAs, including PMJDY accounts, are not subject to any penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance," Sitharaman said.

India Energy Stack pilot to begin in five states next fiscal year: Govt

The India Energy Stack, an integrated digital public infrastructure for the power sector, will be launched in five states on a pilot basis in the next financial year before its nationwide rollout, Parliament was informed on Monday. The total fund allocated for the development of IES (India Energy Stack) is Rs 51.3 crore, of which Rs 3.88 crore has been released, Union Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. Distribution utilities of Delhi, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai have been identified for pilot implementation of IES, and the timeline for demonstration of the same is FY 2026-27, Naik said. After the successful demonstration, India Energy Stack is envisaged to be rolled out across the country, the minister informed the Upper House. Rapid growth in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and consumer participation in energy markets is transforming the sector, yet fragmented systems and the lack of seamless digital integrat

Nasscom asks IT firms to boost cyber readiness amid West Asia crisis

IT industry body Nasscom on Monday advised technology companies to strengthen operational preparedness and cybersecurity frameworks in the wake of the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia, cautioning that periods of uncertainty can heighten risks of disruptions and cyber threats. Issuing a fresh advisory to member companies, Nasscom said while business operations currently remain stable, organisations are proactively reviewing contingency plans and strengthening resilience measures to mitigate potential disruptions "should the situation evolve over time". The advisory comes amid conflict in West Asia following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks, disrupting airspace and raising concerns over regional stability, cyber threats, and potential spillover effects on global technology infrastructure, travel routes, and maritime trade. The widening conflict has also rattled global markets, as investors turned cautious amid fears around

West Asia war: 45K Indian containers stuck; export costs increase fivefold

Exporters stare at either a diversion in routes, or a U-turn to India