Page 19 - Industry News

Parliamentary panel urges inter-ministry coordination on critical minerals

A parliamentary panel has stressed the need for seamless coordination among ministries to bolster the country's self-reliance in critical minerals like lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earth that are vital for a technology-driven future global economy. In its report, the Committee noted that the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, with its strong emphasis on self-reliance, holds immense potential to secure a sustainable supply chain of these minerals and enhance the country's industrial competitiveness. However, it cautioned that without effective coordination, these efforts may fall short. "The Committee...suggest that alongside the Ministry of Mines, which is leading these efforts, all ministries concerned, State governments and agencies should work in close alignment to ensure that the country remains competitive in the critical mineral sector," the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel has said in a report. The committee recommended that the mines ministry, which is ...

Production sprint: IIP growth hits two-year high of 6.7% in November

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) quick estimates for November signalled a 4.5 per cent uptick from levels seen in October

After muted start, GST cuts boost consumer durables demand in 2025

Cooling appliance makers had started the year with high hopes, but an early arrival of monsoon splashed away their enthusiasm

How energy flowed between hiccups and hope as solar stayed bright in 2025

Solar was a bright spot in a year marked by domestic challenges, like oil imports, and global concerns, such as climate change

Bank NPAs at multi-decade lows as gross NPA ratio falls to 2.1%: RBI data

RBI's Trends and Progress report shows banks' asset quality improved, with gross NPAs down to 2.1% by September 2025 and net NPAs at 0.5%, aided by recoveries and provisioning

$6 bn-plus foreign inflows make 2025 a watershed year for India's pvt banks

Cleaner balance sheets, regulatory support and strong growth prospects helped Indian private banks attract over $6 billion in foreign capital, with more deals expected in 2026

India's demand story is more broader than the old consumption binaries

India's consumption story spans mass and class markets alike, with demand spread across regions and incomes, calling for better tracking of household cash flows rather than outdated binaries

EV resale: Automakers launch buybacks, battery health checks to win buyers

Car OEMs are going beyond the initial purchase, institutionalising battery health checks and resale benchmarks to ease depreciation and battery-life concerns for EV buyers

Dense fog grounds 200 flights for second straight day in northern India

IndiGo, India's largest carrier, stated on its website that 113 flights were cancelled on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions in and around the national capital region

Domestic airlines may log ₹17,000-18,000 crore net loss in FY26: ICRA

The domestic aviation industry is estimated to post around Rs 17,000-18,000 crore net loss in the current fiscal year on account of a likely lower passenger traffic, among other factors, ratings agency ICRA said on Monday. Earlier, the industry was projected to post a loss of Rs 9,500-10,500 crore during 2025-26. ICRA has also revised downward its forecast for domestic air passenger traffic growth to 0-3 per cent in FY26 on account of multiple factors, including Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crash in June this year and thousands of flights cancellations by IndiGo earlier this month, among others. ICRA has revised its forecast for domestic air passenger traffic growth to 0-3 per cent in FY26 against its earlier projection of 4-6 per cent, the ratings agency said. This revision reflects a slower-than-expected traffic growth in April-November period of FY26, which was impacted by cross-border escalations that led to flight disruptions and cancellations during the year, along with the (

After slow start, auto sales set to end 2025 on a high as demand revives

India's automobile industry is set to post its highest-ever retail sales in 2025, supported by GST rationalisation, income tax relief, RBI rate cuts and improving rural demand after a good monsoon

1 in 5 domestic-only airports handle just two flights a day, AAI data shows

As many as 29 such airports either saw no domestic flight movements at all during the eight-month period or managed no more than 480 flights, an average of just two movements a day

MIAL's freight curbs may hit India's exports; cargo body warns disruptions

Air cargo agents say a proposed 10-month halt of freighter flights at Mumbai airport from August 2026 could disrupt export capacity, raise freight rates and hurt hub credibility

Infrastructure capex growth normalising, private investment edging up

Between FY26 and FY30, infrastructure capex is expected to rise to ₹90-100 trillion, up 60 per cent from ₹59 trillion over FY21 and FY25

THINK Gas to cut CNG, PNG prices under PNGRB's revised unified tariff

Leading gas distribution company, THINK Gas formed through the merger of largest private energy player AG&P Pratham and Think Gas has welcomed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board's revised Unified Tariff framework, terming it as a timely and consumer-centric reform. As per the revised tariff framework, THINK Gas customers in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka are expected to benefit from CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) price reductions of up to Rs 2.50 per kg and domestic PNG (Piped Natural Gas) reductions of up to Rs 5 per standard cubic meter (SCM). In a statement on Saturday, THINK Gas said it would voluntarily reduce Domestic PNG prices by up to Rs 4 per standard cubic metre (SCM) for customers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and up to Rs 2.77 per SCM in Rajasthan, even though these states are not yet connected to the National Gas Grid. To come into effect from January 1, 2026, the new framework by the Petroleum and Natural ...

Top 10 coworking firms control nearly two-thirds of flex office stock

India's top seven cities have nearly 1,400 coworking centres, with 10 big operators holding two-thirds of the total 82 million square feet of flexible managed workspaces, according to Vestian. Real estate consultant Vestian's latest report also highlighted that more than 475 coworking centres currently host Global Capability Centres (GCCs) bases. "As India's GCC landscape continues to evolve, flexible space operators will remain indispensable partners, offering flexibility, faster speed to market, and enterprise-grade infrastructure that global companies require, to scale efficiently in a highly competitive market," said Shrinivas Rao, CEO of Vestian. The consultant noted that the total stock of flexible workspaces has expanded to 82.3 million sq ft spread across nearly 1,400 centres in the top seven cities. "However, the market continues to remain consolidated, with the top 10 operators controlling 67 per cent of the total stock," it added. Bengaluru leads with 33.2 per cent shar

Listed firms' rent, lease costs fall since pandemic as biz grows faster

Business growth has been faster than these expenses

Active small business loans rise; total credit exposure hits ₹46 trillion

Aggregate small business credit exposure has reached Rs 46 lakh crore, an increase of 16 per cent as of September 30, a report said. "Active loan accounts have grown by 11.8 per cent to 7.3 crore. Policy support and multiple government credit schemes for MSMEs have helped sustain this momentum," CRIF High Mark-SIDBI Report said. Portfolio quality has improved across segments, it said, adding that loans overdue by 91 to 180 days declined to around 1.4 per cent as of September 2025, from 1.7 per cent in September 2023, it said. Enterprises continue to show lower risk profiles. Sole proprietors have also seen steady improvement and the share of very low and low-risk borrowers increased between September 2023 and September 2025, supported by better underwriting practices and wider use of digital data. "Sole proprietors continue to dominate the credit ecosystem. They account for around 80 per cent of total credit and nearly 90 per cent of borrowers. The fastest-growing segment is sole .

Retailers ramp up women hiring as sector reshapes frontline teams

The gender gap is widest in FMCG feet-on-street sales, where demanding travel, tough targets, low pay and poor facilities keep women below 5 per cent

New ship recycling rules kick in as India aligns with Hong Kong Convention

According to sector watchers, ship recycling and dismantling is getting increasingly concentrated in South Asia, with countries such as India and Bangladesh taking the lead