Page 5 - Industry News

Why India must ramp up coal gasification as part of its energy strategy

India's abundant coal reserves and rising energy demand make coal gasification a key strategy to reduce import dependence, boost industrial fuel supply, and strengthen long-term energy security

Has India's farm output finally become less dependent on the monsoon?

As India faces a below-normal monsoon forecast for 2026, improved irrigation, resilient seeds and policy support have strengthened farm output, though regional risks and inflation concerns persist

Zomato drops clause penalising restaurants for lower dine-in prices: Report

The clause was never enforced but has been dropped now, a Zomato source said on Thursday, without explaining the rationale for the decision

Odisha clears ₹124 crore spinning unit in Balangir to boost textiles

Cabinet approves yarn manufacturing unit by Shree Ambica Cotspin to strengthen cotton value chain, create jobs and spur industrial growth in the KBK region

EU unveils plan to curb energy prices, tackle shortages amid Iran conflict

Concerns over the bloc's declining competitiveness with China and the US have helped push energy prices to the top of the EU's political agenda

FDI firms' net sales growth slows to 8.7% in FY25 from 9.4%: RBI data

Net sales growth of the select FDI companies moderated to 8.7 per cent in 2024-25 from 9.4 per cent in the previous year, according to the RBI data on finances of foreign direct investment firms. The central bank on Wednesday released the data relating to the financial performance of non-government non-financial (NGNF) foreign direct investment (FDI) companies in India during 2024-25 based on audited annual accounts of 3,100 companies, which reported in the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) format. "Industry wise, net sales growth of services sector marginally increased to 12.7 per cent from 12.2 per cent in the previous year, while for manufacturing sector it decelerated to 5.1 per cent from 6.8 per cent in the previous year," the RBI said. Companies with direct investment from Singapore, the US and Mauritius accounted for more than half of the sample companies. Japan, the Netherlands and the UK were other major direct investment sources in India. Majority of the sample compani

India to buy urea at near double pre-war prices amid supply disruption

Urea from the West Asia, a major supplier to the South Asian nation, was quoted at $490 a ton before the war began, according to Green Markets data

Enterprise AI adoption held back by skills gap, says Nutanix AI chief

Nutanix Chief AI Officer Debojyoti Dutta says enterprises are struggling to deploy AI at scale due to a shortage of skilled professionals, even as adoption shifts from pilots to production

Tesla brings in 2nd model to India; to expand service, body shop network

American electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday announced acceleration of its journey in India, driving in the three-row six-seater SUV Model YL priced at Rs 61.99 lakh, its second offering in the country. The company, which last year made its much-awaited entry into India with the launch of its Model Y, is also revving up expansion of charging network across highways connecting major cities. "What we are going to do in the coming quarter or in this quarter is to expand our service and body shop network and presence in cities of Bengal, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad," Tesla India General Manager Sharad Agarwal said at the launch. Stating that the company will be closer to its customers, he said, "Service for us is more of peace of mind to our customers because you don't need to come to the Tesla service centre to fix your car." Charging is a very important part of the ecosystem that we are building here in India, he said and added the company had already enabled five supercharger

Government eyes E85 fuel rollout, but is India ready for the shift?

Reports suggest the government may soon notify E85 fuel rules as India eyes higher ethanol blends, but experts flag gaps in vehicle readiness, infrastructure, pricing, and transition timelines

PNG push gains pace: 500,000 new connections amid LPG supply concerns

India has accelerated its shift to piped natural gas, with more than 5.01 lakh new PNG connections gasified since March and over 5.68 lakh consumers registering for fresh connections, even as authorities manage LPG supplies amid geopolitical disruptions. With the war in West Asia disrupting cooking gas LPG supplies, the government is pushing households as well as industries to move to piped natural gas -- a more convenient alternative whose supplies have not been very badly hit. LPG users within the reach of a PNG connection have been asked to shift, while orders have been issued for expediting approvals for laying of pipelines that supply gas to burner tips. "Since March 2026, more than 5.01 lakh PNG connections have been gasified," said Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, at a news briefing on Tuesday. Gasified means the start of gas supplies. These connections include ones that may have been applied before the crisis as well as after ...

Infra investments to grow 50% through FY28 despite West Asia crisis: Crisil

Crisil sees strong infrastructure investment growth through FY28 backed by policy support and balance sheets, though risks persist across renewables, roads and real estate

Centre allows extra 25 lakh tonnes wheat export amid strong harvest outlook

The Centre on Monday allowed export of an additional 25 lakh tonne of wheat considering comfortable stock position amid likelihood of another strong harvest. With this, a total of 50 lakh tonne of wheat and 10 lakh tonne of wheat products have now been permitted for exports. "In view of the comfortable production outlook and higher stock availability, permitting additional exports was considered appropriate," the food ministry said in a statement. The export of additional quantity of wheat is expected to enhance market liquidity, facilitate efficient stock management, and prevent distress sales during the peak arrival season. It will also help stabilise domestic prices and strengthen farmers' incomes, while ensuring that the country's food security remains fully safeguarded. The country's wheat production is pegged at 120.2 million tonne for 2025-26 crop year (July-June) as per the second advance estimate of the agriculture ministry. The higher production was due to increase in w

CSR spend by NSE-listed firms jumps 23% to ₹22,212 crore in FY25: Report

Higher corporate profits lifted CSR spending, with more firms meeting or exceeding mandated outlays even as some funds remained unspent and were moved to designated accounts

Odisha permits diversion of irrigated land for industries, but with a rider

Odisha allows diversion of irrigated land for industries, mandating firms to create double the lost irrigation capacity under a new compensatory framework

Govt sets up committee for expert advisory on India's AI governance

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted an advisory body to provide specialised technical, policy, and strategic expertise to support the functioning of the recently constituted AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG). As an advisory body for the AIGEG -- the Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC) will provide it expert inputs necessary to make well-informed decisions on policy design, regulatory measures and India's engagements in AI governance across global forums, an official release said. The TPEC, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, brings together a carefully selected group of experts spanning academic research, the technology industry and digital policy. The AI Governance Guidelines task the committee with ensuring that the AIGEG's governance deliberations are supported by a contemporary and nuanced understanding of technological developments, policy approaches, regulatory design and glob

El Nino impact may be muted, govt ready for kharif sowing: Shivraj Chouhan

The agriculture minister reviewed kharif preparedness amid El Nino concerns, said strong reservoir levels, irrigation and contingency planning will help limit impact on farm output

Cabinet clears ₹12,980 cr maritime insurance pool with 'war risk' cover

Announcing the decision, Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet has approved the setting up of a domestic insurance pool to support India's maritime sector

Govt extends PMGSY-III with ₹83,977 crore outlay, approves rail projects

The Cabinet has extended PMGSY-III till March 2028 with ₹83,977 crore outlay and approved key railway expansion projects to enhance connectivity, capacity and support economic activity

Centre okays UP potato procurement at ₹6,500/ton; raises gram limit in AP

The Centre has approved the procurement of 20 lakh tonnes of potatoes in Uttar Pradesh at a market intervention price of Rs 6,500.90 per tonne, which will cost the exchequer Rs 203.15 crore, as part of a broader push to protect farmers from distress sales across multiple states. In a separate decision, the Union Agriculture Ministry raised the procurement limit for gram in Andhra Pradesh to 1.13 lakh tonnes, up from the existing cap of 94,500 tonnes. In Karnataka, the procurement window for tur has been extended to May 15 under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), giving farmers additional time to sell their produce at the MSP. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the proposals following a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers and senior officials, an official statement said. The Karnataka extension is expected to allow a larger number of tur farmers to access remunerative prices and avoid being forced into distress sales, the ministry said. The decisions were