The Next Energy Leap: Replicating Ethanol’s Success in Diesel
India is turning to bio‑isobutanol to replicate ethanol’s blending success in its diesel sector. Earlier biodiesel pilots with jatropha, used‑cooking‑oil and ethanol‑diesel blends faltered due to storage, flash‑point and supply challenges. Bio‑isobutanol can be derived from the same sugarcane feedstock that fuels ethanol production, blends without an emulsifier and retains diesel’s flash point, making a 10% blending mandate technically feasible. Realizing the opportunity will hinge on coordinated pricing, offtake guarantees and a supportive policy ecosystem.
Govt Defers Power Plant Maintenance for Three Months; Ready for Summer Demand
India’s Power Ministry has postponed scheduled maintenance at thermal power plants, freeing roughly 10,000 MW of capacity for the April‑June 2026 summer peak. The move is designed to offset an estimated 8,000 MW shortfall from gas‑based generators strained by West Asian supply...
West Asia Conflict: LPG Usage at 21-Month Low in March
India’s LPG consumption plunged 15.7% in March to 2.38 million tonnes, the lowest level in 21 months, as the West Asia conflict disrupted imports that transit the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, diesel and petrol demand surged to record...
E-Way Bill Generation Surged All Time High of over 14 Crore in March
India's GST Network reported a record 14.06 crore e‑way bills generated in March 2026, surpassing the previous high of 13.84 crore. The surge is attributed to year‑end stock clearance, the rollout of Form ENR‑03 allowing unregistered traders to file bills, and heightened...
Cotton Prices Firm up Tracking Global Prices
Cotton prices in India firmed above the ₹60,000 per candy (~$720) threshold for the first time this season, mirroring a rise in ICE futures that reached 73 cents per pound. The Cotton Corporation of India lifted the minimum support price...
Corn Prices Poised to Fall on Iran-US Ceasefire Pact
Corn prices have slipped to a four‑week low as the US‑Iran cease‑fire removes the immediate threat of nitrogen‑fertilizer disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, lifted their 2026 average CBOT corn forecast to 458.2 cents...
Air India at Critical Stage of Transformation: Tata Sons Chairman
Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran told Air India staff that the carrier has entered a critical phase of its four‑year turnaround. The airline has added roughly 17,000 employees, merged four subsidiaries into two, modernized core systems and is expanding and refurbishing...
FYL91 Commences New Flights to Hyderabad, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada
Pure‑play regional carrier Fly91 launched daily flights linking Hyderabad with Rajahmundry and Vijayawada on April 10, 2026. Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu virtually inaugurated the first Vijayawada‑Hyderabad service. The airline will double frequency to twice daily on both...
ASMS Launches Agri-Commerce Network AYOU in Hyderabad
Avio Smart Market Stack Ltd., formerly Bartronics India, is rolling out its agri‑supply platform AYOU in Hyderabad, with commercial operations slated to start next month. AYOU will aggregate fresh produce directly from farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations, then distribute to...
DGFT Rolls Out Procedure for Allocation of Calcined Coke
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued a detailed procedure for allocating imports of calcined petroleum coke (CPC) for the aluminium sector in fiscal year 2026‑27. Applications are now open, and allocations will be based on the recommendations...
Qatar Vows to Remain Reliable Energy Supplier to India Amid West Asia Tensions
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al‑Kaabi pledged to remain a reliable supplier of LNG and LPG to India during a two‑day visit by Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Qatar accounts for 45% of India’s LNG imports and 20% of its LPG, making it...
Govt Proposes Overhaul of Company Incorporation Rules to Cut Paperwork, Enable Risk-Based Checks
The Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs has released a draft to overhaul the Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014, eliminating mandatory physical verification of registered offices and introducing risk‑based checks. The proposal also consolidates multiple filing forms into streamlined e‑forms and adds...
Gadkari Bats for 100% Land Acquisition Before Approving NH Projects
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said no new national‑highway project should be approved without 100 percent land acquisition. He raised the threshold from the existing 90 percent rule, linking full acquisition to the appointment of a project start date....
IMF Warns of Deepening Global Food Crisis as Fertilizer Prices Surge
The International Monetary Fund warned that soaring fertilizer prices are set to deepen the global food crisis, potentially pushing the number of people facing hunger above 360 million. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva highlighted that transport disruptions and higher input costs are...
Yara India to Ramp up Digital Strategy to Strengthen Retailer Connectivity
Yara India is accelerating its digital agenda by onboarding most of its channel partners onto the Retailer Ordering System (ROS) within the Yara Connect mobile app, boosting last‑mile product traceability. The move dovetails with expanded R&D into biological fertilizers, reflecting...
DGS Issues Direct Pass-Through of Port Concessions to Exporters Amid West Asia Crisis
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) issued an advisory requiring that all port concessions—detention charges, ground rent, and reefer plug‑in fees—be passed directly to exporters, eliminating the previous reimbursement process that caused delays. The directive also places monitoring duties on...
Tanker Carrying 15,400 Tonne of LPG Arrives at JNPA in Navi Mumbai
India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority welcomed the India‑flagged LPG tanker Green Asha, which delivered 15,400 tonne of liquefied petroleum gas. The vessel successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, marking the first LPG cargo to dock...
Soybean Poised to Turn Bearish as US Farmers Shift From Corn
U.S. farmers are set to plant 84.7 million acres of soybeans—up 4% year‑over‑year—shifting acreage away from corn. BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, raised its average 2026‑27 soybean price forecast to 1,130 cents per bushel, a 7.7% increase. Global production is projected at...
Centre to Provide up to 200 Tonnes/Day LPG to Ceramics, Pharma, Specialised Industries
India's Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has ordered a 70% LPG allocation, capped at 200 tonnes per day, for critical sectors such as ceramics, pharmaceuticals, polymers and other specialised industries that cannot shift to piped natural gas. The allocation...
Construction Equipment Sales Fall 13% in FY26 on Project Delays, Weak Execution: FADA
Construction equipment (CE) retail sales in India fell 13% year‑on‑year to 71,227 units in FY26, making the segment the sole laggard in the country’s auto retail market. The decline was driven by project‑level delays, a high base from FY25 pre‑buying,...
Travel Demand for Dubai Should Normalise in Six Months, IHCL Puneet Chhatwal
Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) managing director Puneet Chhatwal said travel demand to Dubai should return to normal within five to six months, targeting September‑October. The Taj brand’s three Dubai hotels have seen occupancy plunge from 80% to 20‑30% after...
Shipping Far From Normalcy After Hormuz Truce
The conditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump’s cease‑fire announcement has eased market panic, but shipping remains far from normal. Roughly 800 vessels with more than 20,000 crew members are still stranded in the Persian Gulf....
Indian Ocean Dipole May Hold Key to El Nino’s Impact on This Year’s Monsoon
The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) could be the decisive factor in how this year’s strong El Niño shapes India’s June‑September monsoon. Sea‑surface temperatures in the Pacific are already 2‑3 °C above average, giving an 80 % chance of a ‘super’ El Niño by August....
West Asia Conflict May Trigger Layered Stress on Margins, Liquidity in India's Financial Sector: EY
EY warns that the West Asia conflict will cascade through India’s financial services sector, creating layered stress on margins, liquidity, and asset quality. Early signs include longer supply chains, higher freight and insurance costs, and tighter working‑capital cycles. Second‑order effects...
Titagarh Naval Systems Gets In-Principle Approval for ₹610 Crore Shipyard Expansion in West Bengal
Titagarh Naval Systems Ltd has secured in‑principle approval from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for a brownfield expansion of its Falta shipyard in West Bengal. The project involves a total investment of about ₹610 crore (approximately $74 million), with the...
India Delays Mandatory Energy Efficiency Rules for Induction Hobs Amid LPG Concerns
India has pushed back the mandatory star‑labelling and energy‑efficiency standards for countertop induction hobs to January 1 2027, a six‑month delay from the original July 2026 deadline. The Ministry of Power issued a notification replacing the earlier date, citing the need to boost...
India’s Coffee Exports Hit a Record High of $2.13 Billion in 2025-26 Fiscal
India’s coffee exports surged to a record $2.13 billion in FY 2025‑26, a 17% increase over the prior year. Export volumes rose 4.65% to 4.07 lakh tonnes, while the average price per tonne jumped 17% to roughly $5,600. The growth was driven by...
Oil Palm Price Breaches ₹23,000-Mark in Telangana
Telangana’s fresh fruit bunch (FFB) price rose to ₹23,005 per tonne, surpassing the ₹23,000 mark after the state government added ₹1,459 per tonne (about $18). The increase is intended to encourage farmers to expand oil‑palm cultivation. Simultaneously, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy...
PMI Services Slips to 14-Month Low of 57.5 in March
India's services PMI fell to 57.5 in March, a 14‑month low, reflecting war impact. Input‑price inflation hit a 45‑month high, while job creation rose for a third month, strongest since mid‑2025. The slowdown mirrors manufacturing PMI dropping to 53.9. Export...
West Asia Conflict Hits Surat Textile Hub Hard as Input Costs Rise; Operational Days Cut Down
The ongoing West Asia conflict has driven raw material and coal prices up 30‑35%, forcing Surat’s man‑made fabric sector to slash output and limit operations to five days a week. Industry leaders report daily losses of roughly Rs 100 crore (≈ $12 million), with...
Srinagar Airport Curbs Hours Amid Upgrade, Tourism Stakeholders Flag Concerns
Srinagar International Airport will operate only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between April 6 and July 31 as the Indian Air Force upgrades its runway. The curtailment compresses the usual 60 daily flight movements into a nine‑hour window, forcing airlines to reshuffle schedules....
Domestic Airfares Jump 44% Despite Govt Relief Measures
Domestic airline tickets in India jumped 44% year‑on‑year to about ₹8,450 (≈$102) in April 2026, up from ₹5,850 (≈$71) a year earlier, according to Cleartrip data. International fares rose a similar 43%, reaching ₹74,500 (≈$898). The surge persisted despite the...
Sagarmala Boost: Govt Clears Key Connectivity Project at Deendayal Port
The Indian government has approved a Rs 132.51 crore (approximately $16 million) Road Over Bridge at Deendayal Port, a key node in the Sagarmala programme. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted that the bridge will remove rail‑crossing bottlenecks and speed up cargo movement. Construction will...
Mappls App to Show Authorised Aadhaar Centres Across India
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has signed an agreement with MapmyIndia to embed a verified map of authorised Aadhaar centres into the Mappls navigation app. The feature, slated for rollout in the next few months, will let users...
Govt Employees Must Complete iGOT Training Annually for Performance Review
The Indian central government has mandated that all civil servants complete competency‑linked courses on the iGOT (Integrated Government Online Training) portal each year, with results feeding directly into their annual performance appraisal reports. Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra...
India to Replace 10% Conventional Fertilisers with Nano Products in 3-4 Yrs, Says IFFCO MD Patel
Indian fertilizer giant IFFCO reported an 8% rise in profit before tax for FY 26, with earnings reaching roughly ₹4,106 crore (about $495 million), surpassing its FY 22‑23 record. The cooperative announced a plan to replace 10% of India’s conventional urea and DAP consumption...
India’s Punjab Exporters Propose Barter Deal Between Basmati Rice and Iran’s Crude Oil to Offset War Losses
India’s Punjab Rice Millers Exporters Association has asked the government to negotiate a barter deal with Iran, swapping premium basmati rice for Iranian crude oil with payments in rupees. The proposal follows steep financial losses for exporters after the US‑Israel‑Iran...
PE-VC Exits Down 40 per Cent in FY26
Private equity and venture capital exits in India slumped 40% year‑over‑year, falling to $18.8 billion across 223 deals in FY26. Total PE‑VC funding also dipped 10% to $33.9 billion, with mega deals above $100 million shrinking in both count and value. AI attracted...
Russia Offers Fertiliser Supplies to Global South Amid Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Russia announced it is prepared to supply fertilizers and other agricultural products to countries in the Global South and East, citing the recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockage has halted roughly 50% of global fertilizer exports and...
India Signs Record 219 Advance Pricing Agreements in FY26
The Central Board of Direct Taxes announced a record 219 Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) for FY 2025‑26, the highest annual total since the scheme began in 2012, bringing the cumulative count to 1,034. Of these, 84 were bilateral APAs (BAPAs) with...
Inverted Duty Structure Posing Challenging for MSME Sector: Empower India
Empower India warns that India’s GST framework now suffers an inverted duty structure, where input tax rates exceed output rates across key sectors. This mismatch leaves many MSMEs with unutilised input tax credits, choking working capital and raising operating costs....
Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions and Trade Restrictions, AI Emerges as Key Driver of Global Trade Growth: McKinsey
Artificial intelligence is reshaping global commerce, with AI‑related hardware shipments surging nearly 40% in 2025 and accounting for roughly a third of worldwide trade growth. The United States emerged as the dominant demand hub, adding about half of all new...
Centre Approves Pulses, Oilseed Procurement in UP, Haryana and Karnataka
India's central government has approved minimum support price (MSP) procurement for safflower in Karnataka and large‑scale purchases of pulses and oilseeds in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the 2025‑26 and 2026 Rabi seasons. Karnataka will buy 6,923 tonnes of safflower...
Piyush Goyal Discusses Early Implementation of India-EU FTA with European Parliament Delegation
Union Minister Piyush Goyal met a European Parliament delegation in New Delhi to discuss accelerating the India‑EU Free Trade Agreement, which was concluded in January 2026 and is expected to be ratified by early 2027. The FTA targets $300 billion in...
Centre Approves NMPA’s Proposal to Redevelop Berth No. 9
India’s Union government has approved the New Mangalore Port Authority’s plan to redevelop berth 9 on a PPP DBFOT basis, with an estimated cost of ₹438.29 crore (≈ $53 million). The upgrade will raise the berth draft from 10.5 m to 14 m, with provisions for...
Relief for Stranded Seafarers, Directorate General of Shipping Extends Validity of Crew Certificates by Three Months
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has granted a three‑month extension to the validity of crew certificates, including safety and firefighting training, for Indian seafarers stranded in the Western Persian Gulf. The move directly benefits 485 Indian officers and engineers...
Sustained Rise in Crude Oil Prices May Hit Remittances, Stoke Inflation: Finmin Report
The Finance Ministry’s latest Monthly Economic Review warns that sustained crude‑oil price hikes could dampen India’s remittance inflows, which rose to $36.9 billion in Q3 FY26. Gulf Cooperation Council nations, accounting for about 38% of total remittances, face fiscal strain from...
South India Will Lead the March to a $5-10 Trillion Economy: CII Chairman
South India is positioned to drive India’s march toward a $5‑10 trillion economy, according to CII Southern Region chairman P Ravichandran at the Kochi convention. The six southern states generate roughly 38‑40% of the nation’s merchandise exports, about $124 billion, and have been...
PM Modi Inaugurates Phase I of Noida International Airport in Jewar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase I of the Noida International Airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, marking the launch of a major greenfield project for the National Capital Region. The first phase, built under a public‑private partnership, involved an investment of...
WTO MC14: Farmers’ Group Pushes for Permanent Moratorium on TRIPS Non-Violation Complaint
At the WTO’s 14th ministerial conference in Yaoundé, India’s Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh urged members to make the TRIPS non‑violation complaint moratorium permanent. The group argues that ending the moratorium would raise prices for agro‑chemicals and veterinary medicines, threatening small‑holder livelihoods...
