Page 16 - Industry News

Govt to lift airfare cap from March 23 imposed after IndiGo disruptions

The Civil Aviation Ministry said it would remove the temporary cap on domestic airfares from March 23, a restriction imposed after massive flight disruptions hit IndiGo in December 2025

Air India to introduce crew fitness policy; lapses may lead to pay loss

Air India is planning to introduce a health and fitness compliance policy for its cabin crew, under which those found underweight, overweight or obese could face derostering and loss of pay. The compliance assessment will be based on the cabin crew members' Body Mass Index (BMI) with a reading of 18-24.9 defined as 'normal' and accepted as 'desired range' by the airline. A BMI reading of less than 18 will be considered as 'underweight', though it may be acceptable subject to clearing of medical evaluation and functional assessment, according to the policy accessed by PTI. A BMI reading in the range of 25-29.9 will be defined as 'overweight' and will be considered acceptable, provided the cabin crew member clears the functional assessment. As per the policy, to be effective from May 1, a reading of 30 or above is 'obese' and not an acceptable range. A cabin crew member will be derostered if he or she is either 'underweight' or 'overweight' and will be required to clear the function

India confident of meeting power demand despite West Asia crisis

India has produced 1 billion metric tons of coal for a second successive year, ‌the ​coal ministry said on ​Saturday, which could be enough to meet summer power demand

Feb blip: India's core sectors headed for worst showing in 6 years

Output growth in the core sectors, that constitute about 40 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), halved to 2.3 per cent in February from 4.7 per cent in January

India's milk production up from 17 MT in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025: Official

Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) M L Jat has said India's milk production rose from 17 million tonnes in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025. Jat, a distinguished agronomist, highlighted dairy's dominance within the Rs 17.25 lakh crore livestock sector -- contributing 65 per cent of output and driving 16 per cent of India's gross value added (GVA), which supports 46.1 per cent of the population. "The Union Budget has allocated Rs 6,153 crore for animal husbandry (up 16 per cent) to recruit 20,000 veterinarians, subsidize colleges/labs and provide cooperative tax relief, powering Viksit Bharat in 2047," he said, while addressing the 22nd convocation of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) at Karnal in Haryana on Friday. According to an NDRI release, Jat said India's milk production surged from 17 MT (1950) to 247 MT (2025), led by Uttar Pradesh, with Punjab-Haryana topping .

Airlines warn free seat mandate will raise fares, hurt affordability

We were not consulted before this order was passed, said the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA)

Supply-side policies not enough to improve job outcomes: ILO expert

ILO's Radhicka Kapoor says stronger labour demand and structural reforms are needed to translate gains in education and welfare access into better employment outcomes

West Asia war: Politicians, mkts misjudging scale of disruption, says IEA

"The conflict in the Middle East has created the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, due to the near halt in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," the IEA said

Retailers embrace redesign, renovation as premiumisation takes centre stage

Retailers are redesigning stores with minimalist aesthetics and premium formats as rising consumer demand for curated experiences drives a shift in retail presentation

Odisha loses ₹4,162 crore to iron ore undervaluation, steps up checks

State reports Rs 4,162 crore loss due to ore undervaluation, introduces AI-driven monitoring and stricter rules to curb misreporting and improve transparency in mining

Centre proposes price caps, trading curbs in mineral exchange rules

Draft rules mandate strict surveillance, price disclosure and regulatory powers to cap prices and halt trading, aiming to formalise and bring transparency to mineral markets

Core sector growth slows to 2.3% in Feb on fall in oil, gas output

Production growth in eight core infrastructure sectors slowed down to 2.3 per cent in February from 3.4 per cent in the same month last year, according to government data. Production of crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products declined during the month. During April-February, the cumulative production growth in infrastructure sectors was 2.9 per cent, compared with 4.4 per cent in the same period of the last financial year.

Gas-based power plants increasingly becoming impractical: NTPC chief

NTPC Chairman Gurdeep Singh flags viability concerns for gas-based power plants amid fuel supply uncertainties and stresses need for flexible generation solutions

SC reserves verdict on 'industry' definition, re-examines 1978 ruling

Supreme Court reserves verdict on redefining "industry" under labour law, revisiting 1978 ruling that expanded scope of protections across sectors

PM Modi calls for global investment as power sector needs $2.2 trillion

PM Modi invites global investors to India's power sector, which needs $2.2 trillion over two decades to support energy transition and infrastructure expansion

Uttar Pradesh approves food processing projects worth over ₹200 crore

The approved private projects encompass farm segments including vegetables, horticulture, dairy, and poultry

Cabinet clears ₹33.7K crore BHAVYA scheme for 100 industrial parks

The new Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna or BHAVYA scheme, to develop industrial parks over an estimated 33,600 acres of land, will be implemented with States through a challenge mode

Petrol dealers may face cash crunch as OMCs seek advance payments

Dealers warn of reduced fuel orders as refiners end credit supply amid losses on petrol and diesel sales with retail prices unchanged

Centre clears IFFCO's nano NPK fertilisers under FCO amid West Asia war

Approval of nano NPK products aims to cut reliance on conventional fertilisers and ease supply pressures amid gas shortages linked to West Asia conflict

India needs bigger banks, consolidation for $30 trn goal: Former RBI DG

Former RBI deputy governor flags need for larger financial institutions, stronger capital base and consolidation across banking and NBFC sectors to support economic expansion