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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is rolling out an artificial-intelligence-powered system to predict the arrival of the southwest monsoon at the sub-district level, an upgrade from the national and state-level forecasting that has kept farmers unsure about when to plant their crops.Meanwhile, IMD will make the all-important announcement about the onset of the southwest monsoon on Thursday.IMD will provide block-level monsoon onset forecasts at least 10 days in advance, covering more than 3,000 sub-districts across 16 states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The system draws on AI-based models, extended-range prediction tools, and statistical techniques to generate probabilistic forecasts and will disseminate alerts through mobile applications, SMS, and local agricultural extension networks."The AI-enabled monsoon advance forecasting system will provide probabilistic forecasts of monsoon progression," said Jitendra Singh, minister of Earth Sciences.Singh said the system combines AI-based forecasting models, extended-range prediction systems, and statistical techniques to provide operationally useful forecasts for agricultural planning and preparedness.IMD, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) have jointly developed the systems.IMD has already forecast a below-normal monsoon this year, about 92% of the long-period average, raising concerns for the farm sector, which remains mostly rain-dependent.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: India’s listed electronics manufacturers are under pressure to defend profitability as the mobile-phone assembly boom slows, prompting a shift towards higher-value industrial electronics.Investors remained jittery through the last fiscal, driven by concerns that slowing consumer sentiment could weigh on the rapid growth that electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firms have delivered so far.In an interview with Mint, Jasbir Singh Gujral, managing director of Syrma SGS Technology Ltd, India’s second-largest listed EMS firm, said, “We’re increasingly looking to capture a larger chunk of contracts from defence, aerospace and med-tech verticals, all of which represent opportunities for original design manufacturing, and also bring significantly higher margins. We’ve already started this transition, and we plan to do more of it this fiscal.”Beyond mobile phones and laptops, EMS firms are expanding into smart metres for electricity boards, aerospace and defence subsystems, railway safety instrumentation, printed circuit boards and display assemblies, and medical devices deployed in hospitals.India’s annual mobile phone shipments have remained subdued since the covid-19 pandemic, with industry estimates pointing to a single-digit decline this calendar year from 152 million smartphones shipped last year.The margin pressure driving this shift is increasingly visible.In FY26, Syrma SGS reported an operating margin of 7.1%, up 2.3 percentage points.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India’s electric-bus rollout under two central government schemes is nearing completion, with Karnataka, Maharashtra and Delhi accounting for the largest share of allocations, while Uttar Pradesh received no buses and Bihar was allotted 400, according to parliamentary data analysed by Mint.As much as 98% of the buses planned under the PM E-Drive and PM E-bus Sewa programmes have now been tendered, the data showed, effectively bringing the government’s push to electrify state-run bus fleets into its final phase and shaping how electric buses will enter urban transport over the next decade under long-term contracts.Data on the e-buses tendered under the PM E-Drive by the ministry of heavy industries and the PM E-bus Sewa by the ministry of housing and urban affairs showed Karnataka (5,250 e-buses), Maharashtra (4,109 e-buses), and Delhi (2,800 e-buses) leading the chart.The country's most populous state Uttar Pradesh did not win any busesunder the schemes while Bihar won only 400 buses. The contribution of these states is important to note given their large population and high dependence on public transport.Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu all have received only 50 e-buses each, with Ladakh receiving 48, and Andaman & Nicobar getting 45, the data showed.Tenders under these central schemes assume importance as these state-run buses will ply on Indian roads for at least the next decade, since these are long-term contracts.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India is looking to accelerate its government fleet electrification programme via its clean energy agency to central ministries, state governments, public sector banks, and autonomous bodies—widening a drive that has so far hardly made a dent in a vehicle fleet of over 800,000 units.Led by the Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a central clean energy agency, the expansion plan will offer state governments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) a leasing-based 'EV as a Service' model that eliminates purchase costs and provides charging infrastructure and maintenance. The model, launched in 2024, will help circumvent the two big barriers to fleet electrification: high capital outlay and logistical complexity.“CESL is also reaching out to public sector banks, central/state governments, PSUs, autonomous bodies, etc., to align with the government’s larger vision of reducing fossil fuel dependence, lowering operational fuel costs and accelerating clean mobility adoption across public institutions,” a CESL spokesperson told Mint.The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for increased use of electric vehicles (EVs), and as the finance ministry directed all public sector banks, insurance companies and financial institutions to switch to EVs as part of an austerity programme.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: State-run Oil India Ltd (OIL) plans to raise its exploration and production capital expenditure by over 10% to ₹10,000 crore this fiscal year, chairman and managing director Ranjit Rath said, as the country grapples with an energy shock amid the West Asia war.The Maharatna company, which traces its origin to India’s first commercial crude oil discovery in Digboi (Assam), expects to produce about 4 million tonnes (mt) of crude oil this fiscal, compared with 3.45 mt in FY26. He added that work on the $20-billion Mozambique LNG project has resumed.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.High up in the mountains or deep in the jungles, your smartphone may still stay connected, thanks to direct-to-device (D2D) satellite technology making its way to India. However, the technology has opened up divisions, as telecom operators, satellite service providers and broadband firms spar over customer control, spectrum, and launch timelines.The department of telecommunications (DoT) has proposed a 'wholesale' model for satellite communications like D2D, which is currently under the telecom regulator's consultation process.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged higher adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduced fossil fuel use amid the ongoing West Asia war, the ministry of heavy industries approved ₹503.86 crore to set up 4,874 public EV chargers.The approval falls under the Centre’s ₹10,900 crore PM E-Drive electric mobility scheme. It marks the first sanction for charging infrastructure under the scheme, which has earmarked ₹2,000 crore for EV chargers and targets 72,300 units nationwide.The move comes as EV penetration rises — about 60% of three-wheelers, 4.8% of cars and 6% of two-wheelers sold in India are now electric — but charging gaps persist.Mint explains the subsidy mechanism and why public charging is critical to India’s electric mobility transition.The PM E-Drive scheme allocates ₹2,000 crore specifically to support EV charging infrastructure.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector has strong long-term potential, especially if crude oil prices remain elevated. Since India imports most of its crude oil, higher fuel prices translate to increased petrol and diesel costs, making EVs more economical for retail customers and commercial fleet operators.EV adoption is already accelerating in two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, and urban delivery fleets due to their lower running and maintenance costs.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Street keenly awaited Bharti Airtel’s board meeting outcome on Wednesday, more for its agenda of Africa telecom business ownership restructuring rather than the March quarter (Q4FY26) results announcement. Investors heaved a sigh of relief as the exercise simplifies the holding structure of Africa telecom business.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Noida-headquartered Dixon Technologies, India’s largest publicly listed electronics manufacturer, expects revenue growth of 15-17% in FY27, with management expecting growth to accelerate to as much as 45% if its long-pending joint venture with Vivo gets government approval.In an interview with Mint following the company’s FY26 earnings on Tuesday, Saurabh Gupta, director and group chief financial officer of Dixon Technologies, said the company is in “advanced-stage talks” with the government regarding the Vivo joint venture and remains confident that approval is only “a matter of time away”.The proposed joint venture with Vivo, in which Dixon holds a 51% stake, was first disclosed in December 2024. However, with Vivo owning the remaining 49%, the venture has been under the Centre’s scrutiny for more than 18 months under the government’s Press Note 3 restrictions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Exploding sales of low-speed electric scooters—powered heavily by cheap Chinese imports—are giving a headache to India’s established electric vehicle (EV) makers, who warn that the poor-quality products risk hurting consumer confidence in electric two-wheelers just as the sector is gaining scale.Low-speed scooters—with speeds capped at 25 kmph—do not need to be registered on the Vahan portal, and so their growth has gone under the radar. But industry estimates point to sales numbers matching that of established players such as TVS Motor Co., Bajaj Auto, Ola Electric Mobility, and Ather Energy, among others.According to two-wheeler consultancy InsightEV, sales of low-speed electric scooters shot up more than 200% in 2025 to an estimated 1.3 million units.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A kilo of apples at Nature’s Basket, a retail chain associated with well-off shoppers, costs ₹499. At a modest local vendor, these would cost ₹200-250 per kg. Admittedly, their quality and source of origin may differ.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Rail engineering firm Jupiter Wagons Ltd is preparing a major global expansion through exports of battery energy storage systems (BESS), wheelsets and freight wagons, while also entering passenger coach and metro train manufacturing through a partnership with a global rail company.The company expects exports and new mobility businesses to become key growth drivers over the next three years as it diversifies beyond its core wagon manufacturing operations, looking to double its revenues by 2028-29.“Exports could contribute 20-25% of revenue over the next few years as we scale up our battery systems, wheelsets and wagon businesses internationally,” managing director Vivek Lohia told Mint in an interview, adding that the company’s proposed entry into rail coach manufacturing later in 2026 would also provide opportunities for tapping the market for exports.The company’s current exports contribute less than 5% of its annual revenue.Jupiter Wagons, which accounts for over 40% of India’s wagon manufacturing capacity, is already exporting BESS to the US and African markets and plans to scale overseas shipments significantly after securing international certifications later this fiscal year.“We are pursuing international certifications for BESS to comply with stringent US and EU standards that will help scale exports of this product,” Lohia said.The company’s containerized BESS based on lithium-iron-phosphate technology are being deployed for renewable energy storage, industrial backup, EV charging and data centre applications.“We are seeing strong demand not only from engineering, procurement, and construction applications but also from commercial and industrial users,” Lohia said.The company

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India has issued guidelines defining and classifying intensive care units (ICUs), a regulatory step that will affect 71,000 hospitals and over 1.38 million registered doctors in the country, as the government aims to eliminate hospital-acquired infections and address uneven critical care standards, according to an official familiar with the matter and a document reviewed by Mint.The directorate general of health services (DGHS), operating under the health and family welfare ministry, has categorized ICUs into three levels. The standards start at Level 1 units that are intended for basic stabilization with a minimum of six beds and one ventilator, to Level 3 units equipped for advanced multi-organ failure support with bedside portable CT and mobile digital radiography.The norms set round-the-clock physician coverage, nurse-to-patient ratios and require Level 2 and Level 3 doctors to hold a Doctorate of Medicine or a Doctorate of the National Board in intensive care.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Banks are at their peak performance in India. Credit growth is faster than nominal GDP growth, world-class digital platforms have arisen and regulations have been supportive. Return on assets reached a milestone 1.4% and gross non-performing assets (NPAs) fell to a 13-year low in fiscal year 2024-25.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The Centre's reliance on small savings to finance its budget deficit increased in the previous financial year, with collections under the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) rising to ₹2.19 trillion in the 11 months to February 2026, said two government officials aware of the matter.The overall mobilization from these long-term, lock-in-based savings schemes such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana helped reduce pressure on market borrowing, even though monthly inflows remained uneven, the officials cited earlier said on the condition of anonymity.According to department of expenditure data reviewed by Mint, NSSF collections during the first 11 months of FY26 were nearly ₹30,000 crore higher than ₹1.89 trillion recorded in the same period of FY25.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s automotive sector is navigating what can only be described as a “perfect storm” — geopolitical instability, rising crude prices, currency weakness and tightening emission norms.With 90% crude oil import dependence, Brent crude crossing $110 per barrel, and the rupee at a record low of ₹95.40/USD (as on 5 May), the economics of internal combustion engine (ICE) ownership are under strain.At the same time, regulatory shifts — E20 ethanol blending and BS6 Stage 2 norms — are reshaping the cost structure of conventional vehicles.In this environment, electric vehicles (EVs) are transitioning from being a green alternative to a fiscal hedge. For Indian consumers, electric mobility is increasingly looking like a viable long-term solution.India’s 90% crude import dependency makes it acutely exposed to the West Asia war.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Paytm Payments Bank, culminating a series of supervisory actions that began with a halt on new customer onboarding in March 2022 and subsequent stringent business restrictions.While the action may appear rooted in regulatory non-compliance, it has reignited a broader debate over the viability of payments banks. Conceived to serve the unbanked, their relevance is now being questioned amid near-universal account ownership driven by Jan Dhan Yojana and intensifying competition from fintech platforms, most notably UPI.With a key player exiting, concerns are mounting over the sustainability of India’s differentiated banking model.Payments banks were set up to advance financial inclusion by offering small savings accounts and digital payment services to migrant workers, small businesses and low-income households in the unorganized sector.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.On 29 April, the Centre issued guidelines requiring electric truck makers to localize components such as battery management systems and vehicle control units to qualify for incentives under the PM E-Drive scheme. E-truck makers must use domestically produced components from September 2026.The government had eased rules during the 2025 rare-earth magnet shortage by extending deadlines for importing related subassemblies without forfeiting incentives.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.For many Indian households, the rupee hitting a record low of 94.85 to a US dollar might feel like a distant headline that has little to do with their finances. Especially when no child studies abroad, no holiday is booked overseas, and no money sits in any international fund.It is easy to assume households are insulated from the volatility of the foreign exchange market.However, the reality of a globalized economy is that the dollar is woven into the daily life of an Indian household, even with no direct spending in dollars.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.At 11.40 am on Saturday, millions of phones across India blared a loud alert simultaneously, interrupting calls and conversations. The disruption was deliberate. It was a nationwide test of a multilingual cell broadcast system developed by the state-owned Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for emergency warnings during disasters.