Page 7 - Industry News

Coal blocks to be allotted only through auctions, govt tells Rajya Sabha

The government on Monday said 136 coal blocks have been successfully auctioned since 2020 following the Niti Aayog's recommendations, and future allocations will also be done through a participative bidding process. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Coal Satish Chandra Dubey said the government is ready to examine the Telangana state government's proposal to allot the Tadicherla coal block on an administrative basis to state-owned Singareni Collieries. "But, the state government of Telangana has to send a formal proposal giving reasons how this block is different from other blocks. "If such a proposal comes, the government will take a decision in the interests of the people of Telangana as per law and after keeping the recommendations of the Niti Aayog in mind," the minister informed the house. He said that after the recommendations of the Niti Aayog in 2020, the government has auctioned a total of 136 coal blocks, and ..

Power consumption rises 3.8% to 142.74 billion units in January: Govt

Power consumption in the country rose 3.8 per cent to 142.74 billion units in January from 132.5 BUs a year ago, amid increased usage of heating appliances during the intense cold in many parts of north India. According to the government data, the peak power demand met or the highest supply during January, also rose to 245.42 GW from 237.31 GW recorded in January 2025. The peak power demand touched an all-time high of about 250 GW in May 2024. The previous all-time peak power demand of 243.27 GW was recorded in September 2023. Experts said the use of heating appliances like geysers and blowers increased as cold conditions intensified across the northern part of the country in December and continued in January with spells of rain, while some areas also saw snowfall. Extreme cold weather led to an increase in power demand as well as consumption of electricity in various parts of the country, they said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that the country is ..

SEZ sale relaxation in Budget to boost import substitution, jobs: Comm Secy

The Budget's proposed conditional relaxation to allow special economic zone (SEZ) units to sell goods in the domestic market will help promote import substitution and create new jobs, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said. He said the details of the announcements will be rolled out in the next 2-3 months. The government on Sunday announced a one-time measure to allow SEZ units to sell their goods in the domestic market at concessional import duty rates, subject to certain quantitative restrictions. It was a long-pending demand of these zones as they were not able to sell their excess production due to global uncertainties and high import duties in India on labour-intensive sectors. The secretary said the proposal will help buy goods from SEZs rather than importing from third countries. "It will help in import substitution and better job creation. It will also provide a level playing field to DTA (domestic tariff area) firms (vis-a-vis SEZs)," Agrawal told PTI. About 7-8 sectors,

Monazite reserves pegged at 13.15 mn tonnes across 8 states: Reddy

The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has estimated significant rare earth minerals resources in beach sands and hard rocks, with 13.15 million tonnes of monazite identified in deposits from eight states. Monazite is a reddish-brown, phosphate mineral rich in rare-earth elements (REEs) and thorium, primarily sourced from heavy mineral beach sands and igneous rocks. "As on January 28, 2026, rare earth minerals resources estimated by AMD include 136 deposits of beach sand minerals containing 13.15 million tonnes of monazite (a mineral of thorium and rare earths) occurring in the coastal beach, teri/red sands and inland alluvium in parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and West Bengal," Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said in the Rajya Sabha. The deposits, containing about 7.23 million tonnes in-situ rare earth oxide (equivalent) resources, are located in

'Highway of immense opportunities': PM Modi lauds 'futuristic' Budget

PM Modi said the Union Budget, aligned with recent trade deals, provides unprecedented support to MSMEs, sunrise sectors, infrastructure, laying the foundation for jobs, growth, Viksit Bharat by 2047

Budget 2026: Govt allocates ₹600 crore for three dedicated chemical parks

For the first time, the Union Budget provides a dedicated allocation for chemical parks, with ₹600 crore earmarked in the Budget Estimates for 2026-27

iPhone 16 tops the charts in major reset of India smartphone market

India's smartphone market is premiumising fast, with Apple's iPhone 16 emerging as the country's top-selling model by volume in 2025, Counterpoint data shows

Centrally funded infrastructure projects see 18.3% cost jump in December

Revised estimates of 1,392 ongoing projects climbed to ₹35.1 trillion as overruns persisted, though the pace of cost escalation eased sequentially from November

Nabard's focus on rural MSMEs in Madhya Pradesh, says CGM C Saraswathi

Nabard's Madhya Pradesh chief general manager C Saraswathi outlines priorities around rural MSMEs, agri-processing, cold storage and tribal development

MP priority sector has credit potential of ₹3.75 trillion: Nabard

Nabard estimates priority sector loan potential in Madhya Pradesh at ₹3.75 trillion for 2026-27, about 20% higher than last year, led by agriculture and MSMEs

Economic Survey: Responsive state, competitive firms key to resilience

Economic Survey 2025-26 says India's resilience to global shocks hinges on state capacity, effective governance, competitive firms and trust-based regulation, not just macro stabilit

Nalwa Aero inks pact with 3 helicopter players to launch low-cost air taxis

Aviation tech firm Nalwa Aero on Thursday said it has signed an initial pact with helicopter operators Global Vectra Helicorp, Pawan Hans Ltd and Himalayan Heli Services to launch electric air taxi (eVTOL) services, offering fares as low as Rs 200 per passenger on select routes. As part of this strategic collaboration, signed at the ongoing Wings India aviation show in Hyderabad, Himalaya Heli Services has placed pre-orders for Nalwa's upcoming eVTOL aircraft, a statement said. The partners plan to deploy eVTOL aircraft for pilgrimage travel, including Char Dham Yatra routes, air ambulance services, urban and intercity air taxi operations, and offshore crew and logistics transport, Nalwa Aero said. According to the company, electric propulsion promises lower operating costs, reduced noise levels, and zero in-flight emissions, enabling operators to expand services into routes previously constrained by conventional helicopter economics. The quieter footprint is especially valuable for

India's internet user base crosses 950 million in 2025: IAMAI report

India's internet user base crossed 950 million in 2025, driven largely by rapid growth in rural connectivity, rising short-video consumption, and increasing adoption of AI, according to a report released by IAMAI on Thursday. The report also revealed that rural India accounts for 57 per cent of India's active internet users, i.e, approximately 548 million active users. The 'Internet in India Report 2025,' jointly prepared by Internet and Mobile Association of India and KANTAR, which highlights these trends, was released at the India Digital Summit in the presence of Manjula N, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, IT/BT and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka. According to the report, India now has 958 million Active Internet Users (AIU), marking an approximate 8 per cent yearonyear growth, reinforcing India's position as one of the world's largest and fastestevolving digital markets. It also reveals that 44 per cent of users have engaged with AIenabled

India plans seasonal adjustment for industrial output in data revamp

A discussion paper from the ministry, released on Wednesday, said using a new methodology could improve economic signals without causing excessive revisions

Fertiliser sales rise 3.8% in April-December on higher imports: FAI

Urea sales in the country increased 3.8 per cent to 31.16 million tonnes during April-December 2025 on account of higher imports, even as domestic production declined marginally, according to provisional data released by the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) on Wednesday. Urea sales stood at 30.02 million tonnes in the year-ago period. Domestic urea production during the period stood at 22.44 million tonnes, while imports rose 85.3 per cent to 8 million tonnes, supporting higher sales during peak crop nutrition months. Production of NP and NPK fertilisers (other than DAP) rose 13.1 per cent to 9.27 million tonnes during April-December 2025, with imports increasing 121.8 per cent to 3.29 million tonnes, the data showed. Sales of complex fertilisers remained largely stable at 11.74 million tonnes. Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) production during the period was recorded at 3.03 million tonnes, reflecting a 3.9 per cent decline compared to the previous year, while imports increased 4

Republic Day boost: Ecom, qcom firms witness up to 25% uptick in sales

Ecom and qcom platforms clock up to 25% YoY sales growth as Republic Day deals, flash discounts and festive offers drive demand across metros and Tier-II+ cities

Iran unrest has had minimal impact on Indian companies so far: Crisil

Domestic credit ratings agency Crisil on Wednesday said the unrest in Iran has not had any impact on Indian companies so far. However, if the tensions persist or escalate, leading to rise in crude prices, companies in oil refining, aviation and crude-linked sectors like specialty chemicals, paints, petrochemicals and synthetic textiles may be impacted, it said. "The ongoing unrest in Iran has not had any significant impact on India Inc's global trade, or the credit profiles of domestic corporates thus far," it said. Pointing out that Iran accounts for over 4 per cent of the global crude oil supply, the agency said any escalation that disrupts its production could spike prices and the same should be watched closely by a country like India that is dependent on imported crude. "While India's direct dependence on Iran for crude-linked products is low, any sharp rise in crude oil prices will have a cascading impact on sectors such as oil refining, aviation, specialty chemicals, paints,

Pine Labs reports ₹423.9 million Q3FY26 profit as digital payments surge

Indian fintech firms have continued to benefit from strong growth in cashless transactions, rising merchant adoption and a renewed investor appetite

Uttar Pradesh govt sets aside 425 acres for fintech, apparel parks

Uttar Pradesh has earmarked 425 acres near Noida airport for fintech and apparel parks, aiming to boost exports, jobs and its push to become an industrial hub

India-EU FTA: One-stop hub to aid movement of skilled professionals to EU

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