Why E20 fuel has caused angst on the Indian auto market
The launch of E20 by the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created confusion and panic in the third largest auto market. How was E20 implemented? How does it help? E20 is petrol blended 20% with ethanol. This alcohol is primarily produced from sugarcane, maize and other grains. The fuel was first introduced in April 2023 at a handful of pumps and is now available across India. It replaces the 10% ethanol, known as E10, which most cars were designed to run on.
India to Continue Buying Russian Oil Despite US Tariffs
India will continue to buy Russian oil as it proves economical, its finance minister said on Friday, despite the Trump administration's decision to impose heavy import tariffs on Indian goods due, in part, to its energy purchases from Moscow.As Europe and the U.S. have shunned Russian oil over Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has taken advantage of discounts on Russian output to become the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude.New Delhi has said its purchases of Russian oil have kept the markets in balance.U.S.
Trump is "very disappointed" with Putin about Ukraine
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said he was "very dissatisfied" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He added that his administration planned to take certain actions to reduce deaths in Russia's conflict in Ukraine. The Republican leader said that he is not worried about the warm relations between Russia and China. Trump met with Putin and other key leaders of the European and NATO alliances at the White House in mid-August. Trump…
Indian automakers claim ethanol fuel is safe but reduces mileage, as motorists complain
India's new fuel blend with 20% ethanol is expected to reduce vehicle mileage by 2-4%, but it's safe, according to a lobby group that represents the country's carmakers. The group was aiming to calm motorists' fears in the third largest auto market in the world. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is focused on clean energy, set the target of 20% ethanol in fuel by 2025. This was called E20. In recent weeks, it has been the only option at almost all fuel stations.
India will allow private companies to mine uranium and import it to aid nuclear expansion
Two government sources have confirmed that India wants to allow private companies to mine, import, and process uranium. This is part of a plan to end the decades-old monopoly of the state over the nuclear industry and to bring in billions to boost the sector. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to increase nuclear power production by 12 times before 2047. It is also relaxing the requirements for foreign players to be able to own a minor stake in power stations, according to reports in April.
Adani will build India's largest privately-funded coal power plant within a decade
The group of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani will build and run a $3 billion coal fired power plant with a capacity of 2.4 gigawatts in Bihar, the company announced on Thursday. This is the largest coal plant built in India by private investment in over a decade. Adani Power announced that the first of the three units will be completed within four years and the last unit in five. After more than a decade, private investors are now returning to India's coal-based greenfield power projects.
Google will invest $6 billion into a data centre in southern India, sources claim
Google, the Alphabet division of Alphabet, will invest $6 billion in developing a 1 gigawatt data center and its power infrastructure within the southern Indian state Andhra Pradesh. This is the first investment made by the Alphabet in India. Two Andhra Pradesh sources who are directly involved in the matter said that the data centre will be built in Visakhapatnam and include $2 billion worth of renewable energy to power it. The data centre of the search giant will be the biggest in terms of capacity and investment in Asia.
Google will invest $6 billion into a data centre in southern India, sources claim
Google, the Alphabet division of Alphabet, will invest $6 billion in developing a 1 gigawatt data center and its power infrastructure within the southern Indian state Andhra Pradesh. This is the first investment made by the Alphabet in India. Two Andhra Pradesh sources who are directly involved in the matter said that the data centre will be built in Visakhapatnam and include $2 billion worth of renewable energy to power it. The data centre of the search giant will be the biggest in Asia in terms of capacity and investment.
Tribal fears increase in Himalayas after end of Indus Water Treaty
In April, the decades-old conflict between nuclear-armed neighbours flared up again when militants in India-controlled Kashmir killed 26 people. India then retaliated with airstrikes. A ceasefire that was signed in May brought both countries back from war. However, tensions have risen over another hot spot: the waters surrounding the Indus River basin. India announced the day after the attack in Kashmir that it would "put into abeyance", the Indus Waters Treaty.
Carrier is the latest multinational company to sue India for electronic waste regulations
The Indian unit for the U.S. Air Conditioning giant Carrier is the latest large firm to file a lawsuit against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the electronic waste regulations that have increased the fees manufacturers are required to pay to recyclers. The High Court of Delhi will hear the cases of Tata Voltas, Daikin of Japan and Samsung Electronics of South Korea on Tuesday. The companies all want the rules to be thrown out. India's government claims that only 43% (of the country's electronic waste) was recycled last year.
Why is the India-US trade deal being held up by farm products?
U.S.-India trade negotiators pushed on Wednesday for a finalisation of a tariff reduction deal before President Donald Trump's deadline July 9 but disagreements regarding U.S. agriculture and dairy remained unresolved. Why are agricultural imports sensitive in India? Agriculture and related areas only contribute 16% of India's $3.9 trillion GDP, but support nearly half the 1.4 billion people in the country. Farmers remain India's most powerful voting block…
What is more influential on crude oil? What is more influential: US bombs, or Iran's quiet allies?
The sharp decline in the Israel-Iran War Premium for Crude Oil shows how a few key words can move the market. However, it also hides the influence of those who remain largely silent. Brent futures, the global benchmark, plunged after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a "complete" and "total" ceasefire will be implemented between Israel and Iran. Brent crude oil ended Monday at $71.48 per barrel, down 7.2% compared to its previous close. It has also given up on its earlier rally which saw it reach as high as $81.40 - the highest since January 17.
What is more influential on crude oil? What is more influential: US bombs, or Iran's quiet allies?
The sharp decline in the Israel-Iran War Premium for Crude Oil shows how a few key words can move the market. However, it also hides the influence of those who remain largely silent. Brent futures, the global benchmark, plunged after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a "complete" and "total" ceasefire will be implemented between Israel and Iran. Brent crude oil ended Monday at $71.48 per barrel, down 7.2% compared to its previous close. It has also given up on its earlier rally which saw it reach as high as $81.40 - the highest since January 17.
India has said it will not restore the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan
Amit Shah, the Indian Home Minister, said that India would never restore the Indus water treaty with Islamabad and the water flowing into Pakistan would be diverted to India for its own use. This was revealed in an interview published by the Times of India. After 26 civilians were killed in Indian Kashmir in an attack that Delhi called a terrorist act, India "abrogated" its participation to the 1960 treaty which governs usage of the Indus River system.
Modi's India aims to strengthen energy and defence ties during Sri Lanka visit
India wants to promote investment and strengthen defence and energy ties with Sri Lanka during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the island country, where New Delhi is competing with China for more influence. Modi will arrive in Sri Lanka on Friday night. He is the first world leader to be hosted by Anura Kumara dissanayake since he assumed office. Sri Lanka wants to attract foreign investments to stabilize its economy following a financial crisis that occurred in 2022 during which India contributed $4 billion.
Tax tussles between Indian and foreign companies
In India, foreign companies often face difficulties due to the high tax demands on large M&A deals or accusations by the government of duty evasion. This can lead to lengthy litigation. The following are the most important tax disputes that have occurred in the past and present involving foreign companies. In January, the South Korean giant Samsung Electronics was ordered to pay back taxes and penalties of $601 million for avoiding tariffs on imports of key telecom equipment.
Adani Total Dhamra terminal expansion is not imminent, CEO claims
Adani Total, an Indian joint venture, has not yet conducted feasibility studies for doubling the capacity of the LNG terminal at Dhamra. Chief Executive Surjeet S. Lamba said this on Thursday. This comes a year after Adani Total announced that it was planning to expand its terminal. Lamba stated that the 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), LNG terminal in India's East Coast, where TotalEnergies SE, a French energy giant, has a 50% share along with the Adani Group in 2024, would operate at an average utilization rate of 25%.
Indian oil companies are in talks with U.S. LNG suppliers to purchase their supplies
Pankaj Jain, the Oil Secretary of India, said that Indian oil companies were looking to purchase U.S. LNG. This was boosted by Trump's administration lifting its ban on new export permits. India, the world's fourth-largest LNG importer, aims to increase its gas share in its energy mix from 6.2% to 15% by 2030. Jain stated that Indian oil companies were in talks with U.S. firms to source additional LNG. Among these companies, he said, were GAIL (India) Ltd., Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petrol Corp.
Sources say that India's steel minister is seeking $1.7 billion from the budget to assist mills reduce emissions.
Two government sources who are directly involved in the matter said that the Indian steel ministry requested 150 billion rupees (1,74 billion dollars) to be allocated to the budget as incentives for mills to produce low carbon steel. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister, will present the federal Budget for 2025-2026 on February 1. India, which is the second-largest steel producer in the world after China, is working on a policy to decarbonise the production of the alloy.
India announces a formula for classifying green metal
India's Steel Ministry announced on Thursday a formula to define 'green steel', classifying it into three categories based upon the amount of carbon emissions produced per metric ton of the alloy. A presentation by the Ministry of Steel in New Delhi revealed that "green steel" is steel with carbon dioxide emissions less than 2.2 tonnes per tonne. Steel with emissions less than 1.6 tonnes per ton of alloy will be classified as "five star green-rated steel", the cleanest among the three.