Page 15 - Industry News

ADB approves $650 mn loan to boost India's rooftop solar rollout by 2027

Multilateral development bank ADB has approved a USD 650 million (about Rs 5,780 crore) policy-based loan to help the Government of India accelerate rooftop solar adoption and expand access to clean, affordable energy for 10 million households by 2027. The financing under Subprogram 1 of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program will support the government's flagship initiative Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) which aims to make rooftop solar systems widely accessible nationwide, ADB said in a statement on Tuesday. The programme is accelerating India's clean energy transition by removing long-standing barriers to rooftop solar adoption, including financing constraints and regulatory gaps, ADB Country Director for India Mio Oka said. It is making rooftop solar affordable and accessible for millions of households while creating green jobs, empowering women, and strengthening the financial health of the power sector, she

Food companies take note of rising AI-generated images for refund

Restaurants, aggregators deploy AI detection tools as morphed photos of melted cakes, flies in food drive fraudulent claims

Near-term margins for cement companies to remain under pressure

Weak Q3 pricing persists despite Y-o-Y profit gains, as aggressive capacity expansion overshadows near-term demand

Think & Learn RP, GLAS representative, EY India chief summoned by Kerala HC

The executives have been directed to appear on December 5 as the court examines alleged contempt involving the company's foreign assets

DreamFolks Services to acquire 60.24% stake in Dubai's Easy to Travel

The Rs 36 crore acquisition aims to diversify services and strengthen digital delivery via ETT's global airport network

Vivek Chaturvedi appointed CBIC chairman, to take charge on December 1

Chaturvedi's service record shows that his deepest and longest experience lies in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

Excise reset uncorks demand and investment in Andhra's liquor market

Retail privatisation, wider brand access and transparent rules are lifting volumes and drawing major players back to the state

Need anti-dumping duties on Chinese excavators, cranes: ACE's Sorab Agarwal

ACE's Sorab Agarwal urges urgent safeguard or anti-dumping duties on Chinese crawler excavators and tower cranes, warning that predatory pricing and subsidies are rapidly eroding India's market share

E2W sales stumble in November; Hero knocks Ola Electric out of top 4

Once the market leader, Ola Electric saw registrations fall below the 10,000-a-month mark, down to 8,254 units, almost half of what it posted in October, according to Vahan data

Incidents of paddy stubble burning down sharply 13% in 2025, shows data

In Haryana, the number has come down by a similar percentage to just 659

Experts on DoT mandate: SIM binding for OTTs unlikely to curb fraud

Industry and policy experts warn the new rules could upend user experience while doing little to curb cyber fraud

Govt must keep non-serious firms out of magnet scheme: Sona Comstar MD

Sona Comstar MD says Centre should consider 'ring-fencing' this sector through safeguard duties in future

OTTs may drive up to 10% growth for South cinema dubbing rights in 2026

Earlier, the dubbed rights of South Indian films were considered 'library fillers' or inexpensive content acquired to keep channels running round the clock

Consumption demand zooms to 3-quarter high; govt spending declines in Q2

Economists reckon this recovery could be a sign of the broadbasing of consumption in the economy, with rural consumption leading the way

Retailers expect double-digit growth as Black Friday sales go live

Retailers expect double-digit growth as Black Friday deals boost footfalls and sales, with malls extending hours and brands offering major discounts across fashion, beauty and lifestyle categories

Shapoorji Pallonji Finance eyes bonds to raise funds in early FY27

Shapoorji Pallonji Finance plans to tap the bond market in early FY27 but says high borrowing costs make a rating upgrade essential

Power projects should be granted connectivity on basis of PPAs: CERC

A staff paper suggests shifting from LoA-based approvals to PPA-linked or auctioned connectivity to ensure timely project execution and better use of grid assets

Seeds sector faces major shake-up as India readies new laws and treaties

'India's seeds sector heads into a decisive phase as new draft laws, amendments to plant-variety rules, and a global treaty converge to reshape how varieties are regulated, protected and shared'

Netbanking switch to provide better visibility into transactions: NBBL CEO

NBBL's Banking Connect aims to streamline netbanking by standardising bank-aggregator ties, giving regulators better visibility and improving settlement, success rates and grievance management

Govt plans rating system to assess NH contractor firms' performance

The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Thursday said it is developing a rating system to assess the performance of contractor firms engaged in National Highways works. The ministry, in a concept note, said that for rating purposes, the contracts would be divided into three classes: projects of Rs 100 crore or more up to Rs 300 crore; projects of more than Rs 300 crore up to Rs 1,000 crore; and projects of more than Rs 1,000 crore. The note said rating exercise shall be done once in a year, in the first iteration, eligible projects up to February 15 will be taken up and preferably rated by March 31, and thereafter, for eligible projects up to November 15 and preferably rated by December 31 every year. "Accordingly, rating of contractors/concessionaires would also be done in classes," it said. According to the concept note, ratings for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) projects shall be conducted together, whereas ratings