Page 5 - Industry News

Telecom industry wants another technology evaluation of D2M broadcasting

Telecom players have claimed that D2M broadcasting has direct implications for spectrum bands identified for existing and future 5G use

NCCCL bags ₹112.5 crore construction contract from Lodha Developers

New Consolidated Construction Company Ltd (NCCCL) has bagged a Rs 112.5 crore contract from realty firm Lodha Developers. In a statement on Monday, the company said it has received a Letter of Award from Lodha Developers Ltd for the construction of Tower 1 and associated non-tower ancillary structures at a residential development in Alibaug near Mumbai. "Awarded through a competitive bidding process, the mandate involves a total built-up area of approximately 7.26 lakh sq ft, with an estimated contract value of Rs 112.5 crore (exclusive of GST)," NCCCL said. Construction at the Alibaug site is expected to commence around mid-January 2026, with an estimated execution period of approximately 24 months. This is NCCCL's third contract with the Lodha Group, following the completion of a residential project at Palava spanning about 13 lakh sq ft across 11 towers, and a commercial building in Thane. Established in 1946, Mumbai-based NCCCL is an engineering and construction company. It ..

No shortage of urea in state: Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Meena

The agriculture minister's statement came after former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot criticised the state government for its failure to provide fertilisers to farmers on time

Highway sector at crossroads as low central awards boost state role: Ind-Ra

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) on Monday said India's highway sector is facing challenges, with muted central road award activity for the past two years, leading to increased competition and persistent project execution issues. The rating agency further said that although state awards have come to the rescue, the sector is likely to witness subdued revenue and margins. "The muted central award activity has altered the sector's dynamics, pushing states into the driver's seat. While this shift ensures continuity, it also introduces complexities around execution and financing," said Krishan Binani, Director, Corporate Ratings, Ind-Ra. Moreover, Ind-Ra said the sector is likely to witness a higher number of build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects at both the centre and state levels, necessitating increased private capital. Ind-Ra said it projects modest year-on-year revenue growth of 6 per cent to 8 per cent for the overall engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) sector in .

COAI raises red flags over Prasar Bharati's direct-to-mobile tech test

Telecom industry body COAI on Monday raised concerns over a direct-to-mobile service technology test commissioned by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati without involving telecom operators and mobile device companies. The direct-to-mobile broadcast service technology, if successful, will enable direct transmission of live TV channels on mobile phones without cellular connectivity. Prasar Bharati had signed a pact with IIT Kanpur 2019 to technically verify concerns regarding interference of direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast service with telecom services and heating of mobile devices due to the operation of the D2M broadcast service. IIT Kanpur conducted the test through Telecom Engineering Centre, authorised technology partner Aracion Technology, by involving Tata group firm Tejas Networks and a D2M smartphone. The test report, published in November 2025, refuted the concern raised by some stakeholders. "COAI has expressed serious concerns regarding the manner in which recent technical

Trai slaps ₹150 crore penalty on telcos for failing to curb spam calls

The telecom regulator Trai has imposed a penalty of Rs 150 crore on telecom operators for their failure to curb spam calls and messages, according to an official source. The Rs 150 crore penalty imposed for three years beginning 2020, however, has been challenged by telecom operators. "Financial disincentives of more than Rs 150 crore have been imposed on the telecom service providers for wrong closure of customer complaints and not taking action on telecom connections of spammers in accordance with regulations," the source said. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) imposes penalties on telecom operators who fail to comply with regulations that impose financial disincentives. The regulations provide for a financial disincentive of up to Rs 50 lakh per month per licensed Service Area for a telecom operator. "It is important to note that the financial disincentives are imposed on TSPs (telecom service providers) not because someone has sent through their network, but bec

Kerala govt to hand over paddy procurement to cooperative societies

The Kerala government has decided to entrust paddy procurement to cooperative societies, shifting to a farmer-centric, two-tier system aimed at ensuring quicker payments and reducing delays. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Monday. The government said timely procurement would prevent crop damage and help farmers receive payments at the time of purchase itself. The new model will be implemented through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies and will come into force from the upcoming season. Under the system, primary cooperative societies that are ready for procurement will purchase paddy directly from farmers. The government said the move would avoid dependence on Paddy Receipt Sheet (PRS)-based loans and ensure that farmers are paid immediately after procurement. At the district or taluk level, nodal cooperative societies will be formed with shareholding ...

Morbi ceramic hub to be showcased as special zone at VGRC Kutch-Saurashtra

Morbi district has emerged as a key pillar of India's ceramic economy, accounting for nearly 90% of Gujarat's total ceramic production and ranking second globally

Bayer, ADM extend Maharashtra soyabean farmer programme to 100K growers

Germany's Bayer AG on Monday said it has extended its partnership with US agribusiness ADM by three years to support soybean farmers in Maharashtra, scaling the programme fourfold to reach 1,00,000 growers. The partnership, launched in June 2022, reached 25,000 farmers by May 2025 and will now expand coverage from 35,000 hectares to 200,000 hectares, Bayer said in a statement. The expanded programme will cover seven districts in Maharashtra, adding Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, and Solapur to the original areas of Latur, Dharashiv, and Beed. The initiative focuses on sustainable farming practices through the ProTerra Foundation framework, covering production management, biodiversity protection, programme monitoring, crop documentation and post-harvest management, the company said. Bayer has delivered training programmes on good agricultural practices and integrated pest management, reaching over 58,000 farmers through audio bridge calls, while ADM's agronomist team receives regular ..

IIT Guwahati scientists develop catalyst to convert CO2 into methanol fuel

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have developed a photocatalytic material that can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol fuel using sunlight, according to officials. The effort is aimed at addressing one of the most essential challenges -- meeting rising energy needs without further harming the environment. The findings of the study have been published in the prestigious Journal of Materials Science. "The dependence on petroleum-based fuels continues to be a source of carbon dioxide emissions, causing environmental stress and global warming. To address this, researchers are working on designing photocatalytic methods to convert carbon dioxide into clean fuels," said Mahuya De, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati. Researchers worldwide have been working on addressing this critical challenge by utilising graphitic carbon nitride, a low-cost, metal-free, non-toxic material. However, due to limitations such as rapid energy .

HDFC AMC forays into private credit market with ₹2,500 crore fund

HDFC Asset Management Company has forayed into the fast-growing private credit market with its new Structured Credit Fund-I, targeting mid-market companies with alternative debt financing. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, will invest up to Rs 220 crore as an anchor investor in HDFC AMC's Structured Credit Fund-I, the asset management company said in its statement on Monday. The fund has already secured about Rs 1,290 crore in commitments in its first close, and is targeting a total corpus of Rs 1,500 crore, with a green-shoe option of an additional Rs 1,000 crore. The commitment amount includes sponsor commitment from HDFC AMC of up to 14 per cent of the fund corpus. The fund will invest in mid-market companies, and it has already committed Rs 380 crore across three deals spanning various sectors. It will target mid-teen returns over a 4-6 year horizon. HDFC AMC said that the fund will improve access to finance for underserved mid-ma

Bank employees' unions threaten to go on nationwide strike on Jan 27

Bank employees' unions under the aegis of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) have threatened to go on a nationwide strike on January 27, demanding implementation of a 5-day week. If the strike materialises, it would have a significant impact primarily on the operations of public sector banks for three days in a row, as January 25 and 26 are holidays. At present, bank employees get off on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, apart from Sundays. Declaring the remaining two Saturdays as holidays was agreed between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and UFBU during the wage revision settlement in March, 2024. "It is unfortunate that the government is not responding to our genuine demand. There would be no loss of man-hours because we have agreed to an extra 40 minutes working per day from Monday to Friday," UFBU said in a statement. Already, RBI, LIC, GIC, etc., are working for 5 days a week, it said, adding that the foreign exchange market, money market, stock exchanges

India becomes world's largest rice producer, surpasses China: Agri minister

India has become the world's largest rice producer, beating China, with a total output of 150.18 million tonnes, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday, as he released 184 new varieties of 25 crops. These new high-yielding seed varieties would boost crop production and enhance farmers' income, he said, while directing the ministry officials to ensure that these new varieties reach farmers quickly. The minister unveiled 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at an event held in the national capital, according to an official statement. Addressing the event, Chouhan said the country has achieved great success in the development of high-yielding seeds. Since the gazette notification process began in 1969, a total of 7,205 crop varieties have been notified, including rice, wheat, sorghum, maize, pulses, oilseeds, fiber crops, among others. Chouhan informed that 3,236 high-yielding varieties have been ..

US-Venezuela conflict unlikely to affect India trade: GTRI report

The US-Venezuela conflict will have a negligible impact on India's trade with the South American country, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. On January 4, American forces carried out a large military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and taking them to the US to face various charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. "India faces negligible impact, as trade with Venezuela has collapsed under sanctions, with crude imports down 81.3 per cent in FY2025 and overall bilateral trade remaining marginal," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Founder Ajay Srivastava said. For India, he said, the Venezuelan disturbance is unlikely to have any material economic or energy impact. Although India was a major buyer of Venezuelan crude in the 2000s and 2010s, bilateral engagement has weakened sharply since 2019 due to US sanctions, which forced India to cut oil imports and scale back commercial activity to avoid secondary sanctions, he added.

Centre to tackle fertiliser misuse, promote balanced use: JP Nadda

Union Fertilisers Minister J P Nadda on Saturday said the government will address issues relating to balanced fertiliser use and diversion of fertilisers for non-agricultural purposes in coordination with various departments. Speaking at a day-long Chintan Shivir in the national capital, Nadda said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently placed farmers at the core of governance, and policies must aim to ease their lives. "Despite various challenging circumstances, the department has successfully met the fertiliser requirements of farmers," he said, highlighting record production and necessary imports this year due to farmer-friendly measures. Minister of State for Fertilizers Anupriya Patel said the brainstorming session will generate ideas to aid in making India a developed nation by 2047, an official statement said. Fertiliser Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra said the government, PSUs and the private sector have all placed farmers at the centre of deliberations. "We have kept

Andhra Pradesh corners 25.3% of FY26 investments: Bank of Baroda report

The private sector dominated the investment pipeline with a share of 89.7 per cent or ₹23.87 trillion, while government sector investments stood at ₹2.75 trillion

Centre okays 22 more investment proposals worth ₹42K crore under ECMS

The government has approved 22 additional applications under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, taking total approvals to 46 companies with cumulative investment of Rs 54,567 crore

Ultra-rich splurge ₹7,186 cr on 51 homes in 2025; Mumbai dominates

Mumbai accounted for 35 of the 51 ultra-luxury home deals in 2025, cornering over ₹5,100 crore in value, as India's wealthy continued to back big-ticket residential assets

Semaglutide patent loss to create ₹5,000 crore opportunity: Report

Patent expiries of blockbuster weight-loss drug semaglutide may create a ₹5,000 crore generic opportunity for Indian pharma firms across India and key emerging and regulated markets

Air India pulls ahead of IndiGo in India's busiest Mumbai-Delhi skies route

Mumbai-Delhi corridor ranks among world's top 10 as competition pushes fares lower