The Union environment ministry's expert panel has approved a fourth underground coal mining project in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district, close to the vital Bandhavgarh-Achanakmar tiger corridor. These clearances, granted since July, raise concerns about biodiversity and tiger movement, despite conditions for wildlife conservation plans and compensatory afforestation. The projects involve significant forest land diversion and pose risks like land subsidence and habitat disturbance for Schedule-I species.
The Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the procurement of military hardware worth an estimated Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. This significant move aims to enhance India's combat prowess and reduce dependency on foreign vendors, with approximately 98 per cent of procurements sourced from Indian industry.
The Indian coal ministry announced that 147 commercial coal blocks auctioned since 2020 are expected to attract approximately 55,000 crore in capital investment, generate 490,000 jobs, and contribute significantly to state revenues.
The three-month long outreach will be closely monitored by senior government officials.
China has announced new export controls on key machinery, including tunnel boring machines, walking excavators, and dredger components, citing national security. These restrictions, effective November 18, could significantly impact India's infrastructure projects, such as metro systems and high-speed rail lines, as China has previously limited such exports to India.
India's statistics ministry has defended its newly released economic growth estimates, stating that revisions to last year's GDP and the divergence between different price measures reflect updated data and estimation techniques rather than an attempt to artificially boost headline growth.
Tata Chemicals has stated its commitment to resolving outstanding issues with the Kenyan government after President William Ruto reportedly ordered its subsidiary, Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd, to cease operations, citing a lack of benefit to citizens.
Union Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy announced that the Indian government is intensifying its support for private mining entrepreneurs seeking critical mineral opportunities abroad, working with the Ministry of External Affairs and appointing mineral officers in embassies to facilitate these efforts.
India on Tuesday reiterated the call for free and safe navigation in international waters and the unhindered flow of commerce through international waterways in the region after the Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT El Gaia came under attack off the coast of Oman, with 13 of the 14 Indian nationals on board rescued while search operations are underway for one missing seafarer.
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has launched comprehensive conformity assessment and certification services for drone manufacturers, aiming to streamline the type approval process for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in India. This initiative supports the rapidly expanding drone sector by ensuring design, quality, and performance meet evolving safety and airworthiness standards.
The Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee (EAC) has cleared the expansion of the Magadh opencast coal mine in Jharkhand, operated by Central Coalfields Limited, despite pending court cases regarding alleged encroachment of forest land.
The United States Central Command announced strikes against Iranian military targets, including air defence and communication sites, in retaliation for alleged attacks on commercial shipping and US personnel. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry claims these strikes caused over 50 civilian casualties at a wedding and vowed a firm response. Iran's state media also reported retaliatory ballistic missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan and Bahrain, claims which were partially corroborated by Kuwait and Jordan reporting intercepted drones and missiles.
The Supreme Court has expressed concern over mining activities in the Aravalli hills and range, deferring any orders in favour of mining lease holders until it is fully satisfied with the environmental impact.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said the United States could "hit" Iran's heavily fortified underground nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain "very soon", days after Washington targeted Iranian military targets.
One of the important topics of discussion between the two leaders is expected to be the Northern Sea Route and the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor.
'...in which our names are written with our phone numbers.'
Metals and mining conglomerate Vedanta aims to achieve $10 billion in group Ebitda by FY27, a significant increase from $6 billion in FY26, and plans to reduce its overall debt by more than 20,000 crore during the same period, according to CFO Ajay Goel.
The Supreme Court of India has stayed a notification by the Rajasthan government that would have de-notified a portion of the National Chambal Sanctuary for sand mining, citing the threat to endangered species and the illegal nature of the activity.
Hyderabad-based Midwest Ltd has become the first Indian private company to secure overseas critical mineral mines, sealing a deal with Indonesia's state-run PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (PERMINAS) to ensure a long-term supply of rare earths.
The government is considering sending 'The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026' to a joint committee of both houses of Parliament for further examination, even as the Congress and some other opposition parties have demanded that it be withdrawn, sources said on Tuesday.
'We can integrate AI and tech into education, but that is just a means and not an end.' 'Ultimately, we need to control what happens in a classroom and we need to let teachers innovate their teaching style to suit the needs of Gen Z and beyond.'
A parliamentary panel has strongly recommended that the Indian government appoint a dedicated 'polar ambassador' to enhance its strategic engagement and diplomatic influence in the critical Arctic and Antarctic regions, aligning with global trends and India's growing focus on polar affairs.
Clearances include next-gen air defence, anti-tank missiles, anti-drone systems, loitering munitions, and naval UAVs.
Veena T, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Kochi for questioning regarding a money laundering case involving her defunct IT firm, Exalogic Solutions Private Ltd, and mining company CMRL. The probe focuses on alleged payments made without services and loans extended despite repayment failures, leading to accusations of generating "proceeds of crime."
The Supreme Court has established a high-powered committee, chaired by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), to independently review the Centre's report on the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hill range, aiming to resolve 'critical ambiguities' in its findings.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has implemented a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for its personnel in Manipur, mandating the use of bulletproof vehicles and restricting stray movements, following recent ambushes on Assam Rifles troops. Concurrently, two elite CoBRA battalions have been deployed to conduct operations against armed miscreants, aiming to strengthen security and restore peace in the violence-hit state.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav accuses the Congress of spreading misinformation regarding the new definition of the Aravallis and defends the government's commitment to protecting the mountain range while allowing limited, legal mining.
The Supreme Court has emphasised that the expert committee tasked with defining the Aravalli hills and ranges must consult domain experts and other stakeholders to ensure public input is heard.
The White House has not announced any decision following US President Donald Trump's meeting with his national security team regarding Iran, despite Trump's earlier indication that the discussion would lead to a 'final determination' on the matter.
The investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in CMRL's financial transactions and its links with Veena's now-defunct company Exalogic Solutions Private Limited.
'Why not aspire for 8 or 9 or even 10 per cent?'
The US military carried out 'self-defence strikes' targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats near the Strait of Hormuz, even as President Trump announced progress in ceasefire negotiations, stating Iran's enriched uranium will be 'turned over' or destroyed.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday claimed it had destroyed eight US military infrastructures in Kuwait and Bahrain in a joint missile and drone operation, describing the strikes as retaliation for a second wave of US military attacks on Iranian targets.
India's procurement of Venezuelan crude oil has picked up momentum since April and the South American nation has already emerged as the third largest oil supplier to the country.
India's industrial production expanded at a slower pace of 4.9 per cent in April, primarily due to tepid growth in the energy sector amidst the West Asia crisis. This data marks the first release under the newly revised base year of 2022-23 for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
If we really want to curb the further depreciation of the rupee and make the rupee appreciate, we want to come out of the mindset that the exchange rate is merely a number, bring policy corrections to help reduce the outflow of foreign exchange by imposing suitable tariffs to discourage imports and bring self reliance, discipline FPIs, and correcting rules governing royalty outflows, suggests Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convenor, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch.
Tensions escalate between Iran and the US over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane for global oil supplies, as both sides discuss extending a fragile ceasefire.
The US embassy spokesperson issued a statement clarifying President Trump's views on India after a controversial social media repost. The statement emphasised the strong relationship between the two countries and Trump's positive view of India's leadership.
Andhra Pradesh is spearheading an ambitious initiative to establish a fully integrated beach sand minerals, rare earth, and titanium ecosystem, aiming to attract over 50,000 crore in investments over the next decade. This move is part of India's broader strategy to reduce its reliance on China for strategic minerals and permanent magnets, with the state preparing a comprehensive rare earth policy and planning specialised industrial clusters.
Major foreign mining and refining companies have assured the Indian government that they will have sufficient stocks of rare-earth oxides to supply to the winning bidders under the country's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for indigenous manufacturing of rare-earth permanent magnets (REPMs), Business Standard has learnt.
