India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
Sugar Price: India's sugar production is projected to fall short of local consumption for the second year in a row. Due to poor sugarcane harvests, sugar mills are shutting down earlier than normal, which may create supply constraints in the market and result in price increases. Industry experts estimate that total production for this season will be approximately 28 million metric tons, which is considerably lower than earlier forecasts. At the start of the season, ISMA and NFCSF had predicted production to be around 31 million tons, while domestic demand was estimated at about 29 million tons. Heavy rainfall has adversely affected sugarcane production this year. As per NFCSF data, 467 out of the 541 mills that commenced operations this year had ceased by the end of March, compared to 420 by the same time last year. This indicates that the number of mills that have closed this year is significantly higher than the previous year. In the first half of the 2025-26 marketing year, India produced 27.1 million tonnes of sugar, marking a 9% increase from the previous year, but this is still deemed insufficient for the entire season. Mills, particularly in key producing states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, have shut down prematurely. In February, the government increased the sugar export quota to 2 million tonnes, adding 500, 000 tonnes to the previous limit of 1.5 million tonnes. However, the decline in production has now strained domestic stocks. This season started with an opening stock of around 5 million tons, but the next season may begin with less than 4 million tons. As a result, sugar prices are anticipated to rise in the domestic market in the upcoming months. In February, India increased the sugar export quota to 2 million tonnes, adding 500, 000 tonnes to the already approved 1.5 million tonnes. Following a decline in production last year, the industry was hoping to increase stocks and export surplus this season, but lower production means initial stocks for the next season will also be low. An official familiar with the matter said that this season began with an initial stock of 5 million tonnes, but the next season will begin with less than 4 million tonnes. This could certainly lead to a rise in sugar prices.
SOLAPUR, India (Reuters) - India is likely to produce a record amount of sugar in the next marketing year from October after millions of farmers expanded cane cultivation, encouraged by ample water supplies and declining prices of competing crops, farmers and industry officials told Reuters. The rebound in production would allow the world's second-largest sugar producer to resume exports in 2025/26, they said, after a lack of rain cut cane yields and led to two years of restrictions. Indian exports could cap global sugar prices, traders said, by increasing supplies in the world market at a t ...Read More >
July NY world sugar #11 (SBN25) on Thursday closed down -0.33 (-2.07%), and August London ICE white sugar #5 (SWQ25) closed down -1.10 (-0.23%). Sugar prices on Thursday extended their three-month-long selloff, with NY sugar dropping to a 4-year nearest-futures low. Sugar prices have been under pressure over the past three months due to expectations of a global sugar surplus. On May 22, the USDA, in its biannual report, projected that global 2025/26 sugar production would increase by +4.7% y/y t ...Read More >
Lucknow: As many as 21 out of 23 cooperative sugar mills managed to make 100% cane price payment, underlining the state govt's aggressive push for timely payments to farmers.Data show that the 23 cooperative sugar mills had to make a total cane due payment of Rs 2,730 crore, of which Rs 2,669 crore - around 97.78% of the total - has been paid.The apparent high level of compliance among cooperative mills is significant, considering that this segment has historically struggled with liquidity issues and delayed payments.In all, cumulative dues of only Rs 60.69 crores are pending on the cooperativ ...Read More >
Lucknow, Dec 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday warned of stringent action, including under the National Security Act (NSA), against those involved in selling adulterated fertilisers and black marketing. Chairing a high-level meeting in the presence of the agriculture and cooperative minister, the chief minister issued strict instructions to ensure adequate availability and smooth distribution of fertilisers across the state. He said accountability would be fixed at every level and offenders, irrespective of their position, would face action. According to an of ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Wheat procurement in Punjab began on Wednesday on a troubled note as arhtiyas (commission agents), who play a central role in mandi operations, went on strike over a set of unresolved demands, raising concerns over disruptions in the procurement process. The arhtiyas are demanding restoration of the old system of 2.5% dami (commission), reimbursement of ₹55 crore deducted by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) as employees' provident fund (EPF), and withdrawal of the decision to cut commission for procurement of foodgrains meant for storage in silos. Punjab is expecting the arriv ...Read More >
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season has barely begun, but it has already delivered its first major controversy. Following Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, a pointed remark from captain Ajinkya Rahane has triggered a wider debate - forcing Cricket Australia (CA) to step in with a clarification. At the centre of the storm is Cameron Green, KKR's high-profile signing worth INR 25.20 crore, who did not bowl a single over despite MI's dominant chase of 220. KKR seemed in control after posting a commanding 220/4, but the script ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) India's sugar sector has grown to become a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry, and it is driving rural prosperity and energy security, Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday. The minister was addressing the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' & 'National Efficiency Award Ceremony'. "Under the PM Shri @narendramodi ji's leadership, India's sugar sector has grown into a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry (annually), driving rural prosperity, energy security and green power through reforms like record ethanol blending and Atmanirbharta in fuel," Joshi said on a social ...Read More >
In a major twist to the ongoing crackdown on misleading or fake oral-rehydration solution (ORS) drinks, the Delhi High Court has granted an interim stay against key orders issued by FSSAI, effectively pausing the ban on use of ORS branding for certain beverage products. The stay comes following a petition by JNTL Consumer Health (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), allowing it to continue marketing its ORS-branded product and addressing stock in the market. After the FSSAI's October 14 advisory b ...Read More >
Hyderabad: State Agriculture Director, Dr B Gopi, announced a major technological initiative aimed at streamlining urea distribution across Telangana. Addressing the media on Tuesday, he stressed that science and technology must support agriculture and revealed that a special mobile application developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will soon be launched to ensure a transparent and efficient supply of urea to farmers. Dr Gopi explained that the app will be managed under the supervision of the Agriculture Department and will integrate land records to prevent the diversion of urea. ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 3: World food commodity prices rose in March for the second month in a row, largely due to higher energy prices linked to the conflict escalation in West Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Friday. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago. "Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushione ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old girl from Sabroom in South Tripura district, reportedly went missing in the national capital. Following this, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha gave necessary instructions to the police to take immediate and appropriate action on the matter. Also Read | Trump Announces 30% Tariffs on EU Goods as Trade Talks Stall. In a statement posted on its official social media account, the Tripura Chief Minister's Office stated, "The report of Miss Sneha Debnath, a resident of Sabroom, who has reportedly gone missing in New Delhi, has come t ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Indian stock markets edged higher on Tuesday (September 2), with the Sensex gaining around 350 points and the Nifty crossing above 24,700. Investor sentiment improved ahead of the GST Council meeting, where tax cuts on several consumer goods are expected, and Reliance Industries led the gains after a global brokerage raised its price target. Positive GDP data and hopes of stronger festive demand also supported the rally. All major sectors traded in the green, with energy and oil & gas stocks showing strength, while mid- and small-cap indices also advanced. A big highlight of the sess ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A delegation led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Tuesday met Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, urging the Centre to raise Odisha's parboiled rice evacuation quota under the Central Pool from 20 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 25 LMT. In a formal letter submitted to Joshi, Pradhan expressed gratitude to the Centre for enhancing Odisha's paddy procurement target from 50 LMT to 58 LMT for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25, covering both Kharif and Rabi crops. He said the upward revision had significantly boosted the c ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday assured that the country has an adequate supply of seeds and agro-chemicals for the upcoming kharif season, and asked states to check hoarding, black marketing, smuggling and diversion of fertilisers for non-farm usage. Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, additional secretary in the agriculture ministry, said, there is an adequate availability of seeds for the upcoming kharif (summer-sown) sowing season. "The most important input is seeds. The total estimated requirement of seeds for the Kharif ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) India's sugar sector has grown to become a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry, and it is driving rural prosperity and energy security, Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday. The minister was addressing the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' & 'National Efficiency Award Ceremony'. Also Read | RBI Bank Holiday List for July 2025: Banks To Remain Closed on These Days This Month, Check Region-Wise Bank Holidays Dates. "Under the PM Shri @narendramodi ji's leadership, India's sugar sector has grown into a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry (annually), driving rural pr ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) wrote a letter to Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, voicing concerns regarding the potential removal of restrictions on ethanol imports for fuel blending, amidst ongoing trade discussions with the United States. In the letter, ISMA emphasised the critical role of the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) in promoting clean energy and uplifting Indian farmers. ISMA highlighted that the government's clear policy direction, anchored in the National Policy on Biofuels (2018) and supported b ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
DHARMAPURI: Farmers urged the Dharmapuri district administration to take steps to open the paddy procurement centres in Harur and Naripalli in view of the surge in paddy cultivation in the region. Paddy cultivation is expected to increase from 20,000 hectares to 25,000 ha in the district, said farmers. Many farmers in Harur and Pappireddipatti have cultivated paddy expecting good rainfall in the upcoming northeast monsoon season. This coupled with the availability of water sources in these taluks has resulted in a surge in the cultivated area. Speaking to TNIE, S Rajendiran, a farmer from H ...Read More >
India sugar output lags demand for second straight yearLower cane yields force mills to close earlier than usualSugar stocks expected to drop, supporting local prices India's sugar production is set to fall below consumption for a second straight year, as lower cane yields force mills to close faster than usual, trade officials told Reuters on Thursday. Lower output, coupled with rising exports, is likely to reduce domestic stockpiles and support local prices, which had been under pressure due ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned educational institutions that cases would be booked against them if drugs were found in their premises. The CM announced that the state's Anti-Narcotics Bureau would henceforth be known as Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and was tasked with curbing the menace of narcotics in the state. Speaking at an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025 at Shilpakala Vedika here, Reddy placed an onus on educational institutions to ensure their campuses were free of drugs. "It is the ...Read More >
Lucknow, July 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Gangwar on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Congress for raking up the caste issue time and again for its "vested" interests. Taking aim at the Congress and its 'Yuvraj' (an apparent reference to Congress scion and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi), Minister of State for Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills Gangwar said that the party's memory has weakened. Minister Gangwar's remark came two days after Congress leader Udit Raj stirred a row by questioning the government's "partisan" approach i ...Read More >
The longer-term implications are complex. India is achieving its fuel-blending targets, but at the cost of crop diversity. India's farmlands are in the middle of a quiet-but-dramatic shift. New government data show that crops linked to the ethanol economy -- sugarcane and maize -- are steadily expanding, while oilseeds like soybean, a critical crop for the country's edible oil security, are losing ground. This pattern is visible across states, being reinforced by policy incentives guaranteeing demand for ethanol feedstock. Bump for some The Ministry of Agriculture's latest weekly progress r ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that a dedicated team will be set up within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for sugarcane research in the country. This team will also work on the sugarcane policy. The Minister made this announcement while addressing a national discussion on the sugarcane economy, organised by Rural Voice and the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories in collaboration with ICAR. Chouhan said that sugarcane variety 238 have shown good sugar content but is vulnerable to red rot di ...Read More >
Chennai: A new micro composting centre along South Cooum Road has become Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) latest step toward solid waste management, a system equally dominated by private players and residents' groups in the city. The two-week-old facility processes around 3 tonnes of green and brown waste, generating 300kg of compost daily.Chennai once had nearly 194 composting centres mostly located in and around burial grounds, many of which were shut down over hygiene and efficiency issues. "Apart from this one, we also run a two-year-old centre in Ward 59. The aim here is to handle larg ...Read More >
India has adequate seed stock available for the upcoming sowing season, a government official said on Wednesday, as war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global supply chain. "India has enough seed stock available for the upcoming sowing season," Additional Secretary, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Maninder Kaur Dwivedi said during the government's inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia. Also read: Tanker carrying Iran crude signals India after 7-year import gap ...Read More >
Lucknow: Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak on Saturday launched a blistering attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing him of treating public property like personal wealth and misleading the people of the state. "The people of Uttar Pradesh are no longer naïve -- they now know the difference between promises and actions," Pathak said. Addressing mediapersons in Lucknow, Pathak criticised the alleged institutionalised corruption during the SP govt's 2012-2017 tenure. "From the JPNIC to the Gomti Riverfront and the mining department, everything was tainted by mismanagement, nepotism, and l ...Read More >
Mumbai: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Saturday assured that efforts are underway to increase the strength of judges in the Bombay High Court, which is currently functioning with less than 70% of its sanctioned strength. Speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Bombay High Court, CJI Gavai said, "As on July 1, the High Court is functioning with 65 judges as against its sanctioned strength of 94." He added that the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court has recommended 15-16 names for appointment, which are under consideration. "At no cost, the independen ...Read More >
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The widening conflict in West Asia has driven a sharp 60 per cent surge in feedstock natural gas prices for fertiliser plants which is expected to raise the government's subsidy burden. With the conflict disrupting energy supply lines, supply of natural gas -- a primary feedstock for producing ammonia, which is the building block for nitrogen-based fertilisers -- has been restricted to 80 per cent of the demand. To meet the deficit, fertiliser companies are buying liquef ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) A three-storey chawl collapsed in the western suburb of Bandra here in the early hours of Friday, with at least 10 people feared trapped in the debris, civic officials said. As many as seven people have been rescued from the debris so far and admitted to the civic-run Bhabha Hospital, they said. According to preliminary information, chawl number 37 in the Bharat Nagar area of Bandra East collapsed around 5.56 am. Eight fire engines are at the spot along with teams from the Mumbai police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's local ward machinery, an official from ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's annual rate of inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) fell further in the negative zone to a two-year low of (-) 0.58 in July this year, compared to the same month of the previous year -- primarily due to a decrease in the prices of food articles and fuels such as petrol, diesel and natural gas, according to data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Thursday. The WPI inflation for July is also lower than the -0.13 per cent that was recorded in the previous month of June. WPI-based inflation has been steadily easing since Marc ...Read More >