Page 3 - Industry News

India's unemployment rate rises to 5.1% in March, led by urban centres

The unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and older rose slightly to 5.1 per cent in March from 4.9 per cent in February this year, mainly due to high joblessness in urban areas, according to government data released on Wednesday. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), is the primary source of data on activity participation, employment and unemployment conditions of the population. The PLFS survey methodology has been modified from January 2025 to provide monthly and quarterly estimates of labour force indicators for the country. The Monthly Bulletins for April 2025 to February 2026 have already been released. The present Monthly Bulletin for March 2026 is the twelfth in the series. A statement on the PLFS stated that the UR among persons aged 15 years and above rose slightly to 5.1 per cent in March 2026 from 4.9 per cent in February 2026, mainly driv

CoRover claims 1.8 billion users globally as it expands agentic AI platform

Indian startup bets on agentic AI for governments and enterprises as adoption scales across sectors, driven by multilingual capabilities, high-volume interactions, and sovereign AI infrastructure

Shipping bottlenecks squeeze pharma flows as Hormuz crisis impact deepens

India's pharmaceutical industry remains dependent on China for bulk drugs, particularly fermentation-based antibiotics, vitamins and intermediates

Govt panel proposes aid to help power sector shift to green switchgear

A government panel has proposed financial incentives to promote green switchgear adoption, citing high costs and evolving technology, and to reduce dependence on imports

When rains falter: El Nino builds, India braces for water and farm stress

The call is for urgent conservation and replenishment measures, both for now and the future

Odisha govt bars power line cuts despite dues nearing ₹7,000 crore

Odisha has barred power disconnections for unpaid bills during summer despite dues nearing Rs 7,000 crore, aiming to provide relief amid heatwave and rising electricity demand

Fertiliser subsidy beats FY26 Revised Estimates, experts seek policy shift

India's fertiliser subsidy has exceeded FY26 Revised Estimates, prompting experts to call for policy reforms, including rational pricing, curbs on overuse, and bringing urea under the NBS regime

More women, same barriers show India's factory shift is incomplete

Women's participation will increase as employment opportunities grow

IMD forecasts 'below-normal' monsoon in 2026 for the first time in 3 years

The forecast, which has a model error of plus or minus 5 per cent, is mainly due to the development of El Niño conditions during the June to September months, the Met department said

Lufthansa faces deeper disruption as cabin crew joins pilots' strike

Flights from Germany to several Middle Eastern destinations are exempt due to the current conflict in the region, the union said

Over 80% phone models sold in India see 15% price rise, say analysts

Successive price hikes, leaner specs, and fewer launches point to a demand slowdown

Medtech industry split over Centre's move on standard device testing fees

Medtech firms are split over draft norms on standardised testing fees, with some backing transparency and others warning of higher compliance burden for low-risk devices

Star Air to launch 38 weekly flights linking Mundra with six cities

Regional airline Star Air on Monday announced it will launch services to Mundra with 38 direct weekly flights, linking the port city to six key cities across Western and Northern India, starting April 25. With over 17,000 additional seats now available each month, the move will boost air connectivity and economic growth in the region, Star Air said. The expansion sees Mundra directly linked to Mumbai, Hindon (Delhi-NCR), Goa (Mopa), and Surat, it said and added that in addition to the 38 direct weekly flights, the airline will also introduce 16 weekly one-stop connections, strengthening ties with Kolhapur and Bhuj and further supporting the region's workforce and entrepreneurs. With an additional 4,104 seats available weekly and 17,000 seats monthly, Star Air's expansion is set to drive new growth in business, trade, and tourism throughout Gujarat and beyond, it said. Star Air said it will deploy its Embraer E175 fleet featuring both business and economy class to operate services o

RIICO's land policies attract investors to Rajasthan, draw strong demand

The Direct Allotment Scheme-2025 was launched in January 2025 and is applicable until December 2026

Women's participation in flexi IT roles reaches 40% in FY26: Report

Placement of women in contractual or flexible roles in the IT and IT-enabled services sector has reached 40 per cent in FY26, reflecting the growing adoption of the workforce model, a report said on Saturday. Women's placements increased by 10 percentage points from FY22 to FY26, reaching 40 per cent in FY26, said talent solutions provider Careernet's report - Women in IT/ITeS: Trends in Contractual/Flexi Roles. The preferred roles tilt toward finance and accounting (43 per cent), followed by data science and analytics (34 per cent), UX, design and architecture (31 per cent), IT and information security (29 per cent) and engineering - software and QA (27 per cent), it said. Consulting (20 per cent) continues to lag, pointing to areas that have greater headroom for inclusion, added the report. Careernet's report is based on an annual sample of 3,000 placements in contractual positions in FY26 and was compared with data from the last four fiscal years. With respect to preference for

Rajnath Singh calls for more agri reforms, says funds no barrier to growth

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday called for more reforms in the agriculture sector, saying it is the backbone of the Indian economy, and that the shortage of funds would not come in the way of doing more for the farming community and rural India. Addressing the three-day Unnat Krishi Mela here, Singh said the Narendra Modi government has launched several schemes - PM-Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Soil Health Card and an online network of wholesale mandis - to boost farmers' income and farm productivity. "These efforts have transformed the lives of farmers. But I believe the change is not enough. There is a need to do even more for the agriculture sector and our villages," he said, adding, "We will not be worried about funds. The shortage of funds will not be an obstacle. I want to assure you this." Reflecting on his political journey, Singh said the farmer in him had never left despite holding several ministerial portfolios. "In my political life, I have .

India's fisheries exports rise to ₹68,000 cr after US tariffs: MoS Baghel

India's fisheries exports have risen from about Rs 60,000 crore to Rs 68,000 crore as the country tapped new markets following US tariff measures, Union minister Satya Pal Singh Baghel claimed on Saturday. The government aims to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore in fisheries exports over the next five years, he said on the sidelines of the second National Veterinary, Dairy and Fisheries Symposium 2026 in Nagpur. India is exporting prawns, tuna and other fish varieties to several parts of the world, including Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia, he said. "India's fisheries exports have increased by 25 per cent as we began exploring new markets soon after US tariffs were imposed," he said at the symposium at the Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University here. However, he did not specify the period of the growth. Later, the minister told the media that Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are major fisheries export hubs in the ..

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurates grid substations worth ₹600 crore

Odisha CM Mohan Majhi inaugurates grid substations and transmission lines worth Rs 600 crore to improve power supply, benefiting 22 lakh consumers in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas

US jobless claims rise slightly, labour market remains resilient

The labor market has been stuck in what economists call a "low-hire, low-fire" state which they blamed on uncertainty stemming from Trump's import tariffs and mass deportations

Speciality fertilisers can ease geo-political supply bottlenecks: Experts

In India, speciality fertiliser or non-subsidised fertiliser sales have been growing at the rate of 10-12 per cent per annum