Page 28 - Industry News

Pesticide industry seeks tighter e-commerce rules to curb fake sales

The pesticide industry on Wednesday urged the government to tighten the regulation for e-commerce platforms selling crop protection products, warning that basic compliance checks are insufficient and calling for mandatory authorisation certificates to prevent fake products from reaching farmers. Industry body CropLife India said that the government should issue clear rules under the existing Insecticides Act, 1968, and include explicit provisions in the draft Pesticides Management Bill to regulate online sales, as concerns mount over product authenticity and supply chain traceability. "As digitisation is increasing in India, the usage of these platforms will grow. Pesticide is a regulated industry, and the entire supply chain should follow the regulatory framework," CropLife India Chairman Ankur Aggarwal told reporters after a national conference on crop protection product sales on e-commerce platforms. P K Singh, Agriculture Commissioner at the Ministry of Agriculture, said at the

Centre urges power utilities to cut supply costs to ease burden on users

At present, ‍India ‍has extended a ‌complete waiver of inter-state transmission charges for electricity storage projects until June 2028

Allcargo names Vaishnav Shetty Deputy MD as part of leadership transition

In a move aimed at facilitating a leadership transition at the Allcargo group, the company on Wednesday elevated Allcargo Global Ltd's Executive Director for North Asia Vaishnav Shetty to the position of Deputy Managing Director and inducted him as a member of the AGL Board of Directors. Vaishnav, the son of group founder and Chairman Shashi Kiran Shetty, will work closely with AGL Managing Director Adarsh Hegde, a statement said. The appointment has been approved by the Board of Directors, it added. AGL, the international supply chain arm of the Allcargo Group, accounts for as much as 80 per cent of the group's revenue. His elevation reflects the group's structured approach to succession planning and building a digital-first and future-ready organisation amid the ongoing restructuring exercise at the group, under which its businesses are being reorganised into four independent and focused entities, the company said. As part of this process, the group's international supply chain

AI regulation in India should follow risk-based approach: Trai chairman

Trai Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said India should adopt a risk-based approach to AI regulation, with oversight limited to high-risk use cases while low-risk applications remain under self-regulation

MATTER Motor Works plans to invest $100 million over next three years

Electric motorcycle maker MATTER Motor Works plans to invest USD 100 million dollars (nearly Rs 915 crore) in the next three years, as it plans to roll out four bikes besides entering the electric scooter segment, its Founder and Group CEO Mohal Lalbhai said on Wednesday. The company is targeting annual sales of 3 lakh units by 2029, while it looks to start exports to overseas markets by 2027, Lalbhai told PTI. "We are talking about four different classes of products. There will be variants underneath, but it will be four motorcycles and one scooter," he said when asked about the company's product rollout plans. Elaborating further, Lalbhai said, "We started off with a 175 to 200 cc equivalent (electric bike). We are going to be bringing in a 150 cc (equivalent) in 2026, then bringing in a 125 cc product in 2027, creating different form factors of the 150 cc and the 200 cc over 2028 and 2029." Then, towards 2029, he said, "We are looking at introducing a scooter once our entire ...

Centre likely to amend Sarfaesi Act for control over Central Registry

The Centre is considering amendments to the SARFAESI Act to clarify oversight of CERSAI, empower RBI, remove legal ambiguities, and improve credit enforcement and ease of doing business

Indian hospitality and travel sector sees surge in institutional capital

Institutional investors are increasing exposure to India's travel and hospitality sector, with deals like Warburg Pincus-Lemon Tree signalling confidence in asset-light growth and tourism demand

TCS, Infosys retain top positions in global IT brand value rankings

India's information technology behemoths continue to dominate the global landscape, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys maintaining their positions as the world's second and third most valuable IT services brands, respectively, according to the latest IT Services 25 (2026)' report by Brand Finance. India stood toe-to-toe with the US in the global IT rankings, with both nations fielding eight firms each in the top 25 list. The report, which tracks the brand value and strength of the world's leading IT firms, highlighted that Accenture (USD 42.2 billion brand value) has retained its position as the world's most valuable IT services brand for the eighth consecutive year. According to the report, TCS the world's second most valuable IT Services brand for the fifth year in a row holds a brand value of USD 21.2 billion in 2026. Infosys, with a brand value of USD 16.4 billion, was termed as the fastest growing IT Services brand over the past 6 years, with a brand value CAGR

Centre to bring four more sectors under GHG emission reduction rules

The industrial units in four additional sectors -- petroleum refinery, petrochemicals, textiles and secondary aluminium -- must now reduce emissions by a stipulated amount, following their induction into the country's GHG emissions intensity reduction regime, Environment Ministry officials said on Tuesday. The reductions are expected to be in accordance with the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025. The four sectors' inclusion comes months after the ministry brought traditionally high-emission sectors such as aluminium, cement, chlor alkali and pulp and paper in the ambit of the reduction regime. "As per the new norms, it has been made mandatory for as many as 208 industrial units spread across the country to reduce GHG emissions per unit of product (emission intensity), beginning 2025-26. The four more sectors added to the regime will help meet specific reduction targets by 2026-27 compared to a 2023-24 baseline," a senior official said. These industrial un

Recycling industry seeks GST cut on scrap ahead of Budget 2026-27

Apex body MRAI warns current GST regime hurting formalisation; demands removal of aluminium scrap duty

Compressed biogas emerges as fast-growing pillar of India's energy mix

India's compressed biogas sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, aided by policy support, blending mandates and investment, though challenges around feedstock and scale persist

India Inc likely to post 6% revenue growth in FY27: Fitch Ratings

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday said the aggregate revenue for its rated corporates will rise by 6 per cent in FY27 on steady GDP growth and an improved consumer-spending outlook, following a comprehensive reduction in GST rates. However, corporates could face some downside risks if additional US tariffs are imposed or in case of a sharp depreciation of the rupee. Fitch has recently revised India's GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 7.4 per cent, from 6.9 per cent, and expects annual growth of 6.4 per cent and 6.2 per cent over FY-27 and FY28, respectively. The rating agency expects GDP growth and robust infrastructure spending to underpin healthy demand for cement and building materials, electricity, petroleum products, steel, and engineering and construction (E&C) companies during FY27. Fitch-rated Indian corporates generally have low direct exposure to the current US tariffs, but unaffected sectors, including pharmaceuticals, could be hit by further US tariff announcements. Direct ...

Shift from cereals to horticulture gains pace across Indian farms

The past decade has seen farmers slowly but steadily expand acreage under more lucrative fruits and vegetables, signalling a gradual diversification away from cereal crops

Govt to extend quality certification fee relief for MSMEs by 3 years

The government is set to extend quality certification fee concessions by three years beyond the current mid-2026 deadline to support small and medium enterprises, a senior official said on Tuesday, as India pushes a quality-first approach to manufacturing. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has moved a proposal for the extension, which provides 80 per cent fee reduction for micro units, 50 per cent for small enterprises and 20 per cent for medium-sized firms. "Very recently we have moved a proposal, it is likely to fructify... this concession would be available for the next three years," said Bharat Khera, additional secretary in the Consumer Affairs Ministry, at a PHD Chamber of Commerce event. India needs to shift from compliance-driven to culture-driven quality standards to transform its Viksit Bharat manufacturing vision into reality, Khera said, warning that quality is not a compliance cost but "an enabler for market access". The BIS has published over 23,000 standards with

Signs of recovery: IT sector's results promising, guidance lifts outlook

Infosys and HCL Tech have both materially raised guidance. TCS has said that it expects FY26 international revenues to exceed the level of FY25

PSBs urge RBI to include state development loans in OMO auctions

Public sector banks have asked the RBI to include state development loans in OMO purchases as SDL spreads widen sharply due to heavy state bond supply

Budget 2026: Startups, investors push regulatory changes to unlock capital

Venture investors seek policy changes to unlock capital for deep-tech firms, ease regulatory burdens

SME chatroom: Para 4.15 of FTP vs ANF 7A - Procedure defeats policy intent

DGFT procedures and ANF 7A requirements risk undermining Foreign Trade Policy benefits, raising concerns over deemed exports, duty drawback claims and delayed rollout of interest subvention

Next round of tariff hikes likely after Jio IPO; analysts expect 15% rise

Delay in hikes due to organic increase in market leader Jio's ARPU

Realty firms roll out integrated platforms to tap India's GCC boom

According to Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, chief executive officer (CEO), Vestian, more than 1,850 GCCs are currently operating in India