Schneider Electric India has committed to a significant investment of ₹718 crore to expand its manufacturing footprint in Tamil Nadu, boosting local production capacity and supporting long-term industrial growth in the state.

Strategic Investment Plan

Under the agreement, the company will expand existing manufacturing facilities in Chennai and Coimbatore to strengthen production capabilities for advanced electrical equipment and energy management solutions. Furthermore, Schneider Electric will construct a new greenfield plant in Hosur.

New Plant in Hosur and Key Features

As per Projects Today, the new 5,00,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Hosur’s Horizon Industrial Park will manufacture prefab solutions and cooling systems. Alongside core operations, this plant will include rooftop solar installations, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and EV charging infrastructure, demonstrating a focus on sustainability and modern manufacturing practices.

The expansion also reinforces Tamil Nadu’s position as a preferred hub for advanced electrical and energy management technology in India.

Government Engagement and Support

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the ₹718 crore investment was formally signed in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, highlighting strong state support for industrial growth. Officials emphasized that the region offers predictable approval processes. They also highlighted the skilled talent pool and robust infrastructure as key factors in securing the expansion commitment.

Future Outlook

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) officially opened operations for its artificial intelligence arm, Reliance Intelligence (REIL), marking a major step in the company’s technology strategy. The unit aims to drive AI innovation in India and support the development of next-generation AI systems.

Leadership and Hiring Drive Underway

Under the leadership of Gaurav Aggarwal, who serves as the Chief AI Scientist at Reliance Jio, the new subsidiary has quickly moved to build its team. Aggarwal shared job postings on social media, calling on experienced AI and machine learning engineers to join REIL and contribute to cutting-edge work on language models and product incubation.

As per Times of India, the company is actively recruiting talent to build Indic-language models and other AI systems that can serve users across India’s diverse linguistic landscape.

Strategic Partnerships With Global Tech Leaders

Moreover, Reliance Intelligence is not building alone. It houses partnerships with global technology giants including Google and Meta Platforms. Through these collaborations, the unit plans to leverage open-source AI models and large AI platforms to develop enterprise-ready solutions.

In fact, the joint venture with Meta includes an initial investment of around ₹855 crore, with Reliance holding a 70% stake and Meta’s subsidiary owning the remainder. This partnership targets enterprise AI and service platforms that combine Meta’s AI expertise with Reliance’s vast digital infrastructure.

Vision for AI Infrastructure and Innovation

Beyond hiring and partnerships, Reliance Intelligence intends to build large-scale AI infrastructure, including gigawatt-scale data centers, and to use clean energy in these facilities. These investments aim to cement India’s position in the global AI race while making advanced AI tools more widely available to businesses and developers.

With these moves, Reliance is signaling that it wants to be a leader not only in deploying AI in existing services, but also in shaping India’s future AI ecosystem from the ground up.

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has unveiled a first-of-its-kind mobile innovation initiative called the Innovation Train to engage young innovators and drive practical solutions for local challenges across the state.

Train to Serve as Mobile Innovation Hub

KSUM will flag off the Innovation Train from Thiruvananthapuram on December 21. Subsequently, it will journey through several districts before reaching Kasaragod on December 22, where it will coincide with the IEDC Summit 2025.

Onboard, students will engage in design-thinking sessions, mentor interactions, ideathons and live pitch opportunities throughout the journey. Through these activities, the initiative aims to encourage students to identify community-rooted problems and rapidly translate them into actionable ideas.

Focus on Practical, Community-Led Solutions

As per Businessline, the Innovation Train will emphasize hands-on creative problem solving, where students work on real issues such as healthcare, education, agriculture, climate resilience, and public services. The mission is to generate over 200 practical, implementable solutions that are deeply tied to grassroots needs.

Furthermore, the initiative will highlight cross-sector themes including food-tech, responsible tourism, blue economy, circular economy, health tech, climate tech, and the use of AI in governance and local language applications — all designed to link local insight with institutional support.

Kerala Startup Mission’s Broader Student Innovation Push

This Innovation Train builds on Kerala Startup Mission’s ongoing efforts to nurture a culture of innovation among students and young entrepreneurs. For instance, KSUM runs various programs like IDEA Fest, which helps student innovators pitch ideas before expert panels, and mentorship initiatives that connect students with industry leaders and startup founders.

Moreover, the mission also administers grants and support schemes that provide seed and prototype funding to help innovators turn ideas into viable products.

On Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with private developers to build pumped storage power projects in Nawada district, Bihar. The combined capacity of these projects will reach 2,120 megawatts (MW), marking a major push in the state’s clean energy and storage infrastructure.

Strategic Investment and Government Presence

Details of Project Developers and Capacity

As per SolarQuarter, BSPGCL selected GreenCo Energies Pvt. Ltd. and Sun Petrochemicals Pvt. Ltd. to execute the pumped storage projects. GreenCo Energies will build a 1,200 MW facility at Ekamba village, while Sun Petrochemicals will develop a 920 MW plant at Gosaitari village.

Together, the two projects will create a combined energy storage capacity of approximately 14,281 megawatt-hours (MWh), using off-stream, closed-loop systems that pump and store water during low demand and release it during peak hours to generate electricity.

Investment, Grid Benefits, and Economic Impact

The state expects the projects to attract about ₹13,000 crore in capital investment, significantly boosting economic activity in the region. Furthermore, these pumped storage systems will enhance grid stability and efficiently manage intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind energy.

Officials Highlight Renewable Integration Goals

In his remarks, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emphasized that these new pumped storage projects will support Bihar’s growing electricity needs, help balance variable renewable generation, and advance the state toward greater energy self-reliance.

Indian Peroxide Limited (IPL), a quality-focused Indian chemical manufacturer, announced plans to set up a 400 TPD chlor-alkali plant at its Dahej manufacturing complex in Gujarat. The new facility, situated in the Dahej SEZ chemical hub, will employ advanced Japanese process technology and is set to commission by October 2026. The plant’s design allows scalability up to 800 TPD, reinforcing IPL’s long-term growth and capacity expansion strategy.

Strengthening Forward Integration and Supply Security

The chlor-alkali project forms a critical pillar of IPL’s forward integration roadmap. By entering the chlor-alkali value chain, IPL aims to build a globally competitive, fully integrated chemical manufacturing platform while ensuring reliable domestic supply. The project will help reduce import dependence. It will also support downstream sectors such as paper, textiles, aluminium, soaps, water treatment, chemicals, and infrastructure.

Building on a Strong Hydrogen Peroxide Platform

The announcement builds on IPL’s robust hydrogen peroxide manufacturing base at Dahej. The company operates a world-class 300 TPD hydrogen peroxide facility, developed through a phased expansion from 150 TPD to 300 TPD using advanced Swedish process technology. IPL’s facilities are FSSAI-approved and BIS- and ISO-certified, underlining its strong focus on quality, safety, and compliance.

As a specialty-grade hydrogen peroxide manufacturer, IPL offers a diversified portfolio including IPEROX PV, TETRA, SEMI, MIST, FG & COMBI, Silverox, and other high-performance formulations. The Dahej plant produces 35%, 50%, and 60% hydrogen peroxide for industrial and specialty applications. It serves FMCG majors, pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, water treatment, and other advanced industries. IPL also exports to more than 15 countries, reflecting its expanding global footprint.

Integrated Process Model Enhances Efficiency

With the addition of the caustic soda/chlor-alkali unit, IPL will achieve deeper backward and forward integration. The company will channel hydrogen generated as a by-product into hydrogen peroxide production. This move improves resource efficiency and strengthens its integrated process model. The Dahej facility is part of a larger integrated complex. It will emerge as a strategic chemical hub, aligning with Gujarat’s vision for value-added manufacturing.

Leadership Perspective on Long-Term Strategy

Amit Tyagi, Managing Director, Indian Peroxide Limited, said, “This is not merely a capacity addition. It is a strategic investment in the future architecture of India’s chemical manufacturing ecosystem. At Dahej, we are building an integrated caustic soda and hydrogen platform designed for scale, operational resilience and decarbonisation. This project strengthens IPL’s global competitiveness and positions us to deliver world-class chemical products in a carbon-constrained environment.”

Nuberg EPC Appointed for End-to-End Execution

To execute the project, IPL has appointed Nuberg EPC as Project Management Consultant (PMC) and EPC contractor, with responsibility spanning engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning. With over three decades of global process engineering expertise, Nuberg EPC has delivered more than 65 turnkey projects across 32 countries. It  includes over 25 caustic soda plants worldwide. The company also brings extensive experience in hydrogen peroxide, calcium chloride, sulphuric acid, and other complex chemical facilities. This expertise is supported by its own patented hydrogen peroxide technologies.

Aligning with the Green Energy Transition

In parallel, Nuberg EPC has built strong capabilities in green hydrogen, green ammonia, biofuels, and sustainable energy solutions through its dedicated green energy vertical. These capabilities align closely with global decarbonisation goals and support IPL’s vision for future-ready, sustainable chemical manufacturing.

The press release states that Nuberg EPC, recognised globally as the world’s No. 2 EPC company for chlor-alkali and No. 1 for hydrogen peroxide. It will deliver the project according to international engineering benchmarks, stringent quality standards, and optimized timelines. This approach further reinforces IPL’s ambition to build a high-performance, globally integrated chemical manufacturing platform.

India has set an ambitious clean energy goal of producing five million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030. Through strong policy backing and financial incentives, the country aims to position itself at the forefront of the global energy transition.

National Mission to Build a Global Green Hydrogen Hub

India’s green hydrogen production capacity is projected to reach five million tonnes per annum by the end of the decade. The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) plays a central role in this effort, with a clear objective to establish India as a global hub for the production, consumption, and export of green hydrogen. The mission prioritises the creation of a robust domestic ecosystem while aligning with India’s long-term clean energy and decarbonisation goals.

Policy Support Accelerates Manufacturing and Production

To drive scale and cost competitiveness, the government is actively supporting electrolyser manufacturing. So far, 15 companies have secured incentives amounting to ₹4,440 crore, enabling a combined electrolyser manufacturing capacity of 3,000 MW per year. In parallel, the government has allocated green hydrogen production capacity of 8,62,000 tonnes to 18 companies. These allocations will help companies accelerate technology adoption, reduce production costs, and support commercial-scale deployment across sectors.

Boosting Competitiveness Through Incentives

To further improve the economics of green hydrogen, the government has introduced additional support measures. Notably, projects commissioned by 31 December 2030 will benefit from exemptions on interstate transmission charges, significantly lowering operational costs.

Driving Decarbonisation Across Hard-to-Abate Sectors

Coinciding with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Day celebrations, the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) successfully concluded the 19th edition of its Annual Forum, held from 8–11 December 2025 at Exhibition World Bahrain. Notably, the milestone edition took place for the first time under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Majesty’s Representative for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and Chairman of Bapco Energies.

A Platform for Global Industry Dialogue

Hosted by Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), the Forum convened regional and global industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to shape the future of the chemical industry. Through focused dialogue on sustainability, digital transformation, innovation, and inclusive growth, the event reinforced Bahrain’s position as a regional hub for industrial leadership and international collaboration.

ESG Progress Takes Centre Stage

The Forum spotlighted insights from GPCA’s latest report, “Driving ESG Adoption: Progress and Challenges in the GCC Petrochemical Industry.” The findings revealed strong momentum across the region, with 79% of GCC petrochemical companies now publishing ESG reports and maintaining formal ESG committees. Furthermore, 83% have adopted the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework, well above the global heavy-industry average. Meanwhile, 88% have implemented responsible supply-chain systems, underscoring a commitment to transparency and accountability.

Sustainability, Carbon Markets and Innovation

Building on last year’s success, the GPCA Sustainability Pavilion returned for its second edition with dedicated Environment, Social, and Governance zones. In addition, GPCA introduced a Carbon Markets Workshop for the first time. It reflects the sector’s growing engagement with climate finance and emissions reduction mechanisms.

Empowering Youth and Advancing Inclusion

Human capital development remained a core focus throughout the Forum. The 4th GPCA Youth Forum, led by the GPCA Youth Council, drew more than 320 young professionals and students from across the Arabian Gulf. Over four days, participants engaged in mentorship, collaboration, and future-focused discussions. With 95% of GCC companies involved in community initiatives and widespread support for STEM education. The region continues to outperform global averages in youth engagement.

As per the press release, at the same time, the Forum hosted the second Women in Chemicals Workshop, delivered by McKinsey & Company in collaboration with GPCA. Held on 10 December 2025, the session explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping organizational leadership and management.

Driving the Low-Carbon Transition

Leadership Perspectives and Global Participation

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of GPCA, said the event reflected the industry’s strong commitment to sustainability, innovation, and inclusive leadership. He noted that GCC chemical companies are surpassing global benchmarks across several ESG indicators. This performance highlights the region’s ability to shape new standards for responsible growth.

A Global Platform for Strategic Alignment

ystral, the German specialist in mixing, dispersing and powder-wetting technologies, is expanding its footprint in India with the inauguration of a new facility in Bengaluru. The move significantly enhances the company’s technical, service and procurement capabilities, reinforcing its long-term commitment to India and the wider Southeast Asian market.

Building on a Strong Global and Indian Legacy

For decades, ystral has led the global market in high-performance mixing, dispersing and powder-wetting equipment, as well as turnkey process systems. The company serves a wide range of industries, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, coatings and paints, food, home and personal care, and battery manufacturing. In India, ystral has operated since 2013 through its wholly owned subsidiary, ystral india pvt ltd, steadily expanding its customer base and technical expertise.

Expanded Team and Capabilities in Bengaluru

With the relocation to the Bengaluru site, ystral is scaling up its Indian operations. The local team will grow from nine to fifteen specialists, covering process engineering, electrical engineering, software development, sales and service. As a result, the company will be better positioned to deliver faster response times and more comprehensive customer support. “This move reflects our continued commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and delivering world-class service,” said Srirangarajan Santhanam, Director of ystral india. “Our new premises match the infrastructure standards of our German headquarters and enable us to provide innovative, reliable and technically advanced solutions.”

Driving Competitiveness Through Localisation

At the same time, ystral is deepening localisation as part of its growth strategy. While the company will continue manufacturing critical high-precision components in Germany, it plans to increase component sourcing and manufacturing in India. “Greater localisation allows us to reduce lead times, offer delivery in INR and accelerate project execution,” said Dominik Seeger, Senior Vice President Sales at ystral. “In a fast-moving market like India, speed is a decisive competitive advantage.”

India Emerges as a Regional Growth Hub

India has become ystral’s fastest-growing market globally. Looking ahead, the new Bengaluru facility will evolve into a regional service hub supporting neighbouring Asian markets. It will also complement ystral’s operations in China and Singapore by taking on additional service responsibilities.

As per the press release, in addition, ystral india is set to contribute software development capabilities to the company’s global headquarters in Germany. Through this expansion, ystral strengthens its strategic focus on India and positions itself to meet rising demand for advanced mixing and process technologies across Asia.

Novartis is expanding the scope and scale of work at its India development centres as it sharpens its global focus on cardio-renal-metabolic diseases, oncology, immunology and neuroscience. At the same time, the Swiss drugmaker is stepping up investments in advanced technology platforms, including radioligand therapy (RLT), xRNA, gene and cell therapies, and data-intensive development models. Novartis now integrates India across the entire development workflow.

“Nearly every molecule that reaches late-stage development at Novartis sees strong contributions from teams in India,” said Dr Sadhna Joglekar, Senior Vice President and Head of the Development India Hub. Indian teams support a broad range of functions spanning chemistry, analytics, biostatistics, clinical operations, regulatory documentation and AI-enabled analyses, while actively contributing to multiple Phase II and Phase III programmes.

Measurable Contributions Across Priority Assets

Although Novartis did not disclose location-wise details, Dr Joglekar highlighted inclisiran, lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan and remibrutinib as recent programmes where India delivered tangible inputs. These included analytical method development, process optimisation, clinical operations and data management, reinforcing India’s role as a critical execution and innovation partner.

Obesity and Cardio-Metabolic Strategy Gain Momentum

Obesity is emerging as a key area of evaluation for Novartis. While the company does not plan to launch “another me-too GLP-1 or GIP agent,” it is actively assessing next-generation approaches. Early-stage research is underway on longer-acting biologics and siRNA-based mechanisms. Dr Joglekar noted that India already contributes to the broader cardio-metabolic strategy and will play a central role if an obesity programme advances to late-stage development.

A Deep and Integrated India Footprint

Novartis’ presence in India spans biomedical research, development, commercial and operations, employing over 9,000 people. With nearly 2,800 physicians, scientists and specialists in the Development India Hub alone, the country accounts for about 11% of Novartis’ global workforce. “India offers an advantage not just in scale and depth of talent, but in integrating science, data and operations within a single ecosystem,” Dr Joglekar said.

Building Advanced Digital and Scientific Capabilities

Looking ahead, Novartis is strengthening India-based capabilities in digital and hybrid trials, biomarker and quantitative sciences, model-informed drug development and complex CMC work. Platforms such as Protocol.AI and the Clinical Intelligence Platform are being enhanced through India-led data engineering and modelling teams. In parallel, safety science and real-world evidence functions are expanding as India evolves into a larger pharmacovigilance hub.

At Genome Valley and Hi-Tech City, teams have deepened work on RLT precursors, oligonucleotides, small molecules and analytical packages that support global lifecycle management. As platforms like RLT and xRNA mature, the complexity and scientific depth of work handled in India will continue to rise.

Accelerating Global Decisions at Scale

India’s role is also growing as Novartis evaluates new geographies, indications and patient cohorts. According to Dr Joglekar, “speed to evidence, quality at scale and platform expertise” are the three areas where India accelerates global decision-making. While many upcoming assets remain confidential, the model demonstrated with inclisiran, remibrutinib and RLT therapies is expected to extend across the pipeline.

“What is unique is that our hub does not support a single therapy area—it spans the full pipeline,” she added. As reported by businesstoday.in, with development professionals spread across Hyderabad, Genome Valley and Mumbai, nearly every Novartis global programme now has a strong India connection.

India reached a significant milestone in intellectual property creation during FY25, as patent applications crossed the one-lakh mark for the first time. More than 1.1 lakh patent applications were filed with the Indian Intellectual Property Office, up from 92,168 filings in FY24, reflecting nearly 20% year-on-year growth. This surge underscores India’s rising stature as a global innovation and research hub.

Domestic Innovators Drive Self-Reliance

Notably, domestic applicants accounted for nearly 62% of all patent filings, signalling a decisive shift toward home-grown innovation. This trend highlights the strengthening R&D ecosystem across Indian industry, academia, and start-ups, and reinforces the country’s push for technological self-reliance.

Overall IPR Filings Show Broad-Based Growth

Beyond patents, India witnessed robust expansion across all intellectual property categories. Total IPR filings grew by over 18%, rising to 7.4 lakh in FY25 from 6.3 lakh in FY24, according to the Annual Report 2024–25 released by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, Trademarks and Geographical Indications. This growth reflects sustained momentum in protecting innovation, branding, and creative assets across sectors.

Design Registrations Reflect Manufacturing and Aesthetic Innovation

Design applications recorded one of the sharpest increases, jumping over 41.5% to 43,005 in FY25, compared to 30,389 in FY24. The rise points to growing emphasis on product aesthetics and industrial design, particularly in consumer goods and manufacturing industries.

Trademark Filings Continue to Lead

Trademarks remained the most widely used form of commercial IP in India. Applications rose by 16%, reaching 5.5 lakh in FY25, up from 4.7 lakh in FY24, highlighting strong brand creation and market activity across the economy.

Copyrights and GIs Gain Momentum

At the same time, filings for copyrights and geographical indications (GIs) increased by around 20%, reflecting heightened recognition of creative works and traditional knowledge. Copyright registrations climbed from 36,726 to 44,095, while GI applications more than doubled from 134 to 275 in FY25.

Policy Reforms and Digital Tools Fuel Growth

The Intellectual Property Office attributed this robust expansion to targeted policy and administrative reforms. Key among them were the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024, which streamlined patent prosecution, and the adoption of international classification under the Locarno Agreement, simplifying industrial design filings.

In addition, technology-driven initiatives played a critical role. The deployment of AI-powered tools, including the Trade Mark Search Technology and the IP Saarthi chatbot, significantly improved examination speed, accuracy, and stakeholder engagement by providing round-the-clock support.

A Strengthening IP Ecosystem

Taken together, these developments signal a maturing intellectual property ecosystem in India—one that not only protects innovation but actively encourages it. As reported by timesofindia.indiatimes.com, with policy reforms and digital transformation working in tandem, India continues to strengthen its position as a global centre for innovation, creativity, and industrial design.