News Update

India’s first coal and Minerals exchange is expected to be finalised within the next eight to nine months as the government moves ahead with a new framework aimed at strengthening domestic coal supply, improving price uniformity and reducing the country’s dependence on imports.

The government is said to have permitted using imported coal in projects under the ₹37,500crore scheme to gasify approximately 75 million tonnes of coal and lignite, said people familiar with the matter.

States have recorded a steep surge in their revenue from mining and coal sectors over the past decade, while the central government’s share has declined at the same rate, according to data shared by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.

India turned into the world’s biggest coal power generation capacity builder, proposing as much as 638 million metric tons annually in new capacity last year. This was a surge from 329 million tons annually in new planned coal capacity a year earlier, and it drove an 11% increase in the global total for the year.

India’s clean energy expansion is extraordinary. Doubling its share in the capacity mix in just two decades, we have raced at a pace few countries can match.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has officially introduced a standardized mechanism for CERC grid connectivity extensions, allowing renewable energy developers and other eligible grantees additional time to meet critical project milestones.

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (POWERGRID) has approved an investment of ₹856.94 crore for the reconductoring of two key 400 kV transmission lines in Tamil Nadu as part of its network strengthening and capacity enhancement initiatives.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued an advisory on August 21 instructing state governments and power sector enterprises to offer a maximum four-month deadline waiver for green energy ventures.

India is accelerating its nuclear power expansion, with nine reactor units having a combined capacity of 7.5 GW currently under construction. The country operates 24 nuclear reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.78 GW as it works towards its ambitious target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047.

The Indian solar sector is at a crucial juncture. From the rapid pace of scaling up solar capacity, it is now all about sustainability in building a value proposition that offers quality, reliability and longevity.

The Steel Ministry has introduced melt-and-pour clause in the Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products Policy. This tightens the regime to ensure local procurement by suppliers to government tenders. A notification dated earlier this month mandated melt-andpour in flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of iron or non-alloy steel, and electrical steel and other articles of iron or steel among others.

Cement prices are likely to remain broadly range-bound through September as weak and uneven demand continues to limit companies' ability to sustain price increases, with a recovery in construction activity after the monsoon emerging as a key factor for the sector, according to a report by Centrum.