Page 3 - Industry News

Clear interpretation key to labour Code success in India's reform journey

The second of the two-part series looks at working hours, employer responsibilities and compliance

Standing Committee flags MDR gap in UPI ecosystem, calls for revenue model

Parliamentary panel urges government to create a sustainable revenue model for the UPI ecosystem, warning that current incentives cover only a fraction of industry costs

SC ruling on Vinp Distilleries restores parity in ethanol procurement: ISMA

The dispute arose after Vinp approached the High Court seeking higher allocation under its long-term offtake agreement (LTOA) in the OMC tender for the 2025-26 ethanol supply year

Exporters' body urges govt to ensure LPG, gas supply for manufacturers

Exporters' body FIEO on Thursday urged the government to allocate LPG and natural gas to export-oriented manufacturing units on a priority basis, as any disruptions in the fuel availability will create problems in maintaining production schedules. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President S C Ralhan said that he has written a letter in this regard to the commerce and industry ministry. "Manufacturing exporters are facing issues. There is an urgent need for priority allocation of LPG/natural gas as fuel for export-oriented units (EOUs) and export-oriented SMEs," Ralhan said. The West Asia crisis, triggered by the launch of a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, has disrupted energy supplies in several countries. The government has revised the priority order for allocating domestically produced natural gas, placing LPG production alongside CNG and piped cooking gas at the top. He said that export-oriented manufacturing units are operating in a highly competitiv

FSSAI pushes for QR codes on plant-based food labels to boost transparency

Food safety authority FSSAI on Wednesday urged plant-based food manufacturers to adopt QR codes on product labels, saying existing labels are too small for consumers to read, as the regulator seeks to build trust in a rapidly growing sector. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chief Executive Officer Rajit Punhani, speaking at the 4th Plant-Based Foods Summit, said the authority was not looking to make QR codes mandatory, but wanted companies to voluntarily adopt the technology so younger consumers could scan and verify ingredient lists and nutritional content. "The label is too small, it's difficult to read and difficult to comprehend," Punhani said, adding that Gen Z consumers in particular could benefit from being able to scan codes to check daily nutritional requirements. Punhani acknowledged that the regulator faced conflicting pressures from the food industry and the medical community over the health merits of plant-based diets, and said misinformation on soci

Moody's warns of margin, cash-flow pressures for Indian fuel retailers

State-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) absorbing the impact of elevated global energy prices will lead to heightened margin and cash-flow volatility, Moody's Ratings said on Wednesday. "Domestic retail prices of fuels have remained largely steady since April 2022, despite swings in global oil and gas prices and the country's high dependence on imports," Moody's said in a note. "The companies will bear rising input costs from higher energy prices without corresponding increases in selling prices because the government's influence over retail pricing prevents timely cost pass-throughs." The three firms control nearly 90 per cent of retail fuel outlets in the country. Global benchmark Brent crude rose sharply and hit a high of USD 119 per barrel on March 9 before settling just under USD 90 the following day, reflecting a heightened geopolitical risk premium. However, retail pump r

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