The ministry of coal has invited applications under its Rs. 37,500 crore incentive scheme to promote commercial-scale surface coal and lignite gasification projects across India. The initiative marks the next phase of the government’s strategy to increase domestic value addition and reduce dependence on imported industrial feedstocks and fuels.

Financial Support for Commercial Gasification Projects

Approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2026, the scheme offers financial assistance to eligible developers that establish coal and lignite gasification facilities. These projects will convert domestic coal and lignite into higher-value products, including synthetic fuels, industrial feedstocks, chemical intermediates and other value-added products. By encouraging commercial-scale deployment, the government aims to strengthen India’s coal-based chemical and energy value chain.

RFP Released Following Operational Guidelines

The ministry issued detailed operational guidelines on June 25, 2026 and subsequently released the Request for Proposal (RFP) for interested participants. Developers seeking support under the scheme must submit their applications by 7 September 2026. To encourage broader participation and provide clarity on implementation requirements, the Ministry will hold a pre-application conference on 20 July 2026. As reported by projectstoday.ai, as the application process begins, the scheme is expected to attract participation from energy companies, chemical manufacturers and infrastructure developers looking to invest in commercial coal gasification projects in India.

Lineage Power (LPPL), a material subsidiary of Pace Digitek, completed one year of commercial battery energy storage system (BESS) manufacturing at its Bidadi facility in Karnataka. During this period, the company manufactured more than 260 utility-scale BESS containers, representing over 1.25 GWh of integrated battery storage capacity.

Major Utility-Scale Manufacturing Achievement

The milestone ranks among the largest utility-scale cell-to-BESS manufacturing accomplishments by an Indian company within a single year. As demand for grid-scale energy storage continues to rise, LPPL has rapidly expanded its production capabilities while maintaining a strong focus on operational performance and project delivery.

Integrated Manufacturing Ecosystem at Bidadi

Over the past twelve months, the company has developed a comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem designed around efficiency, quality and reliable execution. The Bidadi facility brings together engineering and design, battery system assembly, container fabrication, Power Conversion Systems (PCS), Energy Management Systems (EMS), Engineering, and Procurement and Construction (EPC) capabilities. By integrating these functions under a unified operating model, LPPL can streamline manufacturing and improve project coordination.

Strengthening India’s Energy Storage Ecosystem

The 1.25 GWh milestone highlights the growing role of domestic manufacturers in India’s expanding battery energy storage sector. As reported by projectstoday.ai, with utility-scale storage becoming increasingly important for renewable energy integration and grid stability, LPPL’s manufacturing scale and integrated capabilities position the company to support future energy transition projects across the country.

Barentz strengthened its personal care business in India by opening an application laboratory in Mumbai. The company designed the facility as a collaborative innovation hub where customers, brand owners and ingredient principals can work directly with Barentz’s technical teams to accelerate product development.

Innovation Hub for Personal Care Formulations

The Mumbai laboratory will support the development of a wide range of personal care products, including skin care formulations, hair care products, sun care solutions, colour cosmetics and personal hygiene applications. By providing a dedicated space for formulation collaboration, Barentz aims to help customers bring differentiated products to market more quickly.

Combining Global Expertise with Local Market Insight

With the laboratory, Barentz can integrate its global formulation expertise with a deep understanding of Indian consumer preferences and regional market trends. The facility will enable customers to develop trend-driven and locally relevant solutions that align with Indian regulatory requirements and evolving consumer expectations.

Comprehensive Technical Support Services

The application laboratory offers a broad range of technical services, including prototype development, ingredient evaluation, sensory optimization, stability testing and technical troubleshooting. As a result, customers can streamline their development processes, reduce time-to-market and improve formulation performance.

Supporting India’s Fast-Growing Personal Care Market

Valérie Lepoultel, Global Vice President, Personal & Home Care at Barentz, highlighted the strategic importance of the investment. “India represents one of the most dynamic and fast-growing personal care markets globally, with increasing demand for innovative and locally relevant solutions.” She added that the Mumbai laboratory will allow Barentz to work closely with customers to accelerate development and launch differentiated products faster.

Strengthening Long-Term Partnerships

According to Lepoultel, the investment reflects Barentz’s commitment to supporting customers and partners through a combination of global technical expertise and deep local insight. As reported by personalcaremagazine.com, by expanding its application and formulation capabilities in Mumbai, the company is positioning itself to play a larger role in India’s rapidly evolving personal care and cosmetics industry.

Godavari Biorefineries commenced commercial operations at a new 200 KLPD corn and grain-based distillery at its Sameerwadi facility in Karnataka. The company invested Rs. 130 crore in the project, which increases the site’s total ethanol production capacity to 800 KLPD. The unit adds 60 million litres of annual ethanol production capacity, strengthening the company’s role in India’s growing biofuels and renewable energy sector.

Multi-Feedstock Integration Enhances Operational Flexibility

By integrating grain processing with its existing sugarcane-based operations, the Sameerwadi complex can now switch between raw materials based on seasonal availability. The flexibility offers several advantages: Protects production volumes from feedstock shortages, reduces the impact of climate-related disruptions, improves supply reliability and supports rising customer demand for ethanol. Godavari Biorefineries is better positioned to contribute to India’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) and strengthen the country’s energy security.

Supporting India’s Clean Energy Future

Samir Somaiya, Chairman and Managing Director of Godavari Biorefineries, highlighted the strategic significance of the expansion. “India’s energy future will be built from its fields. By introducing a grain-based ecosystem alongside our sugarcane footprint, we are building a resilient and circular biorefinery model that draws its strength from the sun, the soil and the small farmer,” Somaiya mentioned. He added that the ethanol blending targets provide a strong foundation for India’s biorefinery sector and that the company remains committed to building a reliable and resilient feedstock supply chain that supports agricultural communities across its sourcing network.

Strengthening Ethanol and Renewable Energy Supply

With the commissioning of the new distillery, Godavari Biorefineries has reinforced its capability to deliver a diversified portfolio that includes fuel ethanol, bio-based specialty chemicals and renewable energy products. The company can now produce these offerings using multiple agricultural feedstocks, improving both resilience and sustainability across its operations.

A Step Toward a Circular Biorefinery Model

The Sameerwadi expansion reflects Godavari Biorefineries’ broader strategy of developing a circular biorefinery ecosystem that maximises resource utilisation while supporting farmers, renewable fuel production and India’s transition toward cleaner energy sources. As per the press release, as demand for ethanol and bio-based products continues to rise, the enhanced capacity is expected to help the company maintain a consistent supply while creating long-term value for both customers and agricultural stakeholders.

Ekki Group is strengthening its international presence by collaborating with established global manufacturers to co-develop and produce advanced pumping solutions for agriculture, building services, infrastructure, municipal utilities and specialised industrial applications. The company combines Indian manufacturing capability, engineering expertise and market access to build partnerships focused on local production, technology integration and expansion into emerging markets.

From Agricultural Roots to a Global Pump Player

Over the decades, the company evolved from an agricultural pump manufacturer into a leading player in India’s pump industry. Today, Ekki is a market leader in openwell-sump submersible pumps and is expanding into advanced pump segments through international joint ventures. “Ekki’s focused portfolio and partnership-oriented approach creates a unique platform for meaningful joint ventures,” said Kanishka Arumugam, co-CEO of Ekki.

Unlike some large pump manufacturers with fully integrated product portfolios, Ekki sees greater opportunities for collaboration because its product range complements rather than competes with many global partners. According to Arumugam, the company is building long-term joint ventures with international manufacturers that want to expand into new products and markets. These collaborations may include design, technology sharing, manufacturing, market access or a combination of all four.

‘1+1 = 111’: Creating Exponential Value

Ekki believes that the greatest value comes from combining complementary capabilities. “When the right capabilities come together, they create exponential impact,” Arumugam explained.nBy integrating manufacturing excellence, engineering capability and market reach, the company aims to create win-win partnerships that deliver significantly greater value than either partner could achieve independently. Ekki has already established cross-border collaborations with manufacturers in Germany and the United States and is expanding its manufacturing footprint to support future partnerships under its Alliance Vision. One notable collaboration is the company’s joint venture with Germany’s Homa, while its existing US partnership is being expanded into a broader strategic alliance.

A Strong Manufacturing and Engineering Platform

The Ekki Group has more than $100 million in assets and operates four manufacturing facilities including KOOT, a dedicated components division supplying pump and motor components to global manufacturers. An engineering university that educates more than 3,000 engineering and business graduates. These resources provide international partners with access to manufacturing capacity, engineering talent and technical expertise needed to support large-scale joint ventures.

Why Partnerships Matter in Today’s Market

Arumugam believes collaboration has become increasingly important in an environment shaped by economic volatility, financial uncertainty and rapid technological change. “Partnerships offer one of the strongest paths to sustainable growth. We don’t compete with our partners; we complement them.” Over the last decade, Ekki has developed relationships with more than 90 companies across East Asia, Europe and the Americas. These partnerships cover research and development, manufacturing, distribution, localisation and supply-chain collaboration.

Building a Consortium of Industrial JVs

Ekki plans to create a consortium of complementary industrial joint ventures that reinforce one another over time. The company believes this model will help partners co-develop new products, reduce manufacturing costs, access advanced technologies, leverage India’s engineering capabilities, achieve economies of scale and expand into new regional markets.

India as a Strategic Manufacturing Hub

For international manufacturers seeking to establish or expand operations in India, Ekki positions itself as a preferred local partner. The company offers manufacturing infrastructure, engineering expertise and deep knowledge of the Indian market—advantages that many global players may not easily access on their own. “Our approach is built on trust, transparency and long-term thinking. Alliance-building is not just a strategy for us—it is one of Ekki’s ways of growth,” said Arumugam.

While pumps, motors and systems remain Ekki’s core business, the company is also expanding into engineering services, advanced technology ventures and consortium-based industrial platforms. “Collaboration and co-opetition define our strategic advantage. We partner with the best to build stronger businesses together,” Arumugam added. As reported by worldpumps.com, Ekki’s long-term ambition is to become the preferred joint venture partner for global companies entering India and to be recognised as one of the most respected industrial companies emerging from the region.

KSB Group launched NoriResist, a carbon-based high-performance coating designed to enhance the durability, efficiency and sustainability of pumps and valves operating in harsh industrial environments. The company developed the diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating through close collaboration between its research teams, application technology specialists and industry partners. Primarily targeted at wastewater treatment and process engineering applications, NoriResist offers a robust solution for components exposed to abrasive and corrosive media.

Wide Range of Pump Components Covered

KSB can apply the coating to several hydraulic components, including impellers, wear plates, discharge covers, casing wear rings, impeller wear rings and casings of close-coupled pumps. In addition, NoriResist is compatible with grey cast iron, nodular cast iron and steel materials, while selected plastic components can also receive the coating.

Exceptional Hardness and Wear Resistance

The coating achieves a hardness of 4000–8000 HV (40–80 GPa), making it highly resistant to abrasive wear. Consequently, it performs particularly well in fluids containing sand and other solid particles that typically accelerate component erosion.

Precision Coating Without Component Distortion

KSB applies NoriResist in micrometre-thin layers, which helps preserve the original weight, dimensional accuracy and hydraulic contours of the component. As a result, impellers do not require rebalancing after coating, the low application temperature prevents distortion and the process avoids undesirable microstructural changes.

Field Trials Confirm Long-Term Performance

Field trials conducted in heavily contaminated wastewater applications demonstrated that NoriResist maintained both surface quality and hydraulic efficiency even after thousands of operating hours. By contrast, conventional coatings showed noticeable wear and experienced a measurable decline in efficiency during the same operating period. The coating helps components retain their original contours and sharp vane edges, thereby reducing flow separation and minimizing efficiency losses. According to KSB, coated components can achieve up to three times the operating life of uncoated or conventionally coated alternatives.

Enhanced Reliability in Abrasive and Corrosive Services

NoriResist features a low-friction surface that reduces adhesion and deposit formation. Therefore, pumps handling abrasive or corrosive fluids can operate more reliably with fewer performance disruptions. Moreover, the coating remains chemically inert and thermally stable at temperatures of up to approximately 500°C, while resisting many aggressive substances commonly encountered in industrial processes.

Sustainability and Lower Life Cycle Costs

Beyond performance improvements, KSB designed NoriResist with sustainability in mind. The coating is recyclable and helps avoid the release of plastic and heavy metal particles into the environment. As reported by worldpumps.com, longer maintenance intervals and reduced spare-parts consumption can lower resource use and decrease overall pump life cycle costs, making the technology attractive for operators seeking both operational and environmental benefits.

Yara International ASA announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Yara North America, Inc., will acquire Gulf Coast Ammonia’s ammonia production facility in Texas City, from GCA Holdings LLC for $1.3 billion. The acquisition marks a significant step in Yara’s strategy to diversify energy exposure, enhance production competitiveness and strengthen its global ammonia supply chain.

A Major Addition to Yara’s Ammonia Portfolio

Yara will take ownership of the ammonia plant, which has an expected nameplate capacity of 1.3 million tons per annum (mtpa). As part of a long-term supply arrangement, Air Products will provide industrial gases, including hydrogen and nitrogen, to support the facility’s operations. Yara plans to use its established midstream ammonia platform to supply both external customers and its own internal fertilizer production network.

Plant Commissioning and Production Ramp-Up

The Texas City facility is currently in the commissioning phase and is expected to continue ramping up toward full production and stable operations by the end of 2026. Importantly, Yara aims to increase output beyond the plant’s nameplate capacity by leveraging its operational expertise in ammonia production. Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of Yara International, said the acquisition will improve operational resilience and provide greater flexibility in energy sourcing. “By bringing this plant into the Yara portfolio, we are strengthening our operational resilience and diversifying our energy costs at a time when supply flexibility matters more than ever,” Holsether added. He added that the new U.S. production capacity supports Yara’s long-term strategy of diversifying energy exposure, capturing economies of scale, lowering fixed costs, reducing capital intensity per ton of ammonia produced and strengthening Yara’s Global Competitiveness. The acquisition aligns with Yara’s disciplined investment strategy aimed at improving competitiveness and supporting long-term earnings growth.

Long-Term Partnership with Air Products

The transaction includes the ammonia synthesis loop, ammonia storage facilities and exclusive access to loading infrastructure. Air Products will continue supplying hydrogen, nitrogen and other utilities through a long-term contract. The company operates the largest hydrogen pipeline network in the United States, which provides Yara with increased exposure to Henry Hub-linked natural gas pricing. Yara noted that this operating model resembles its successful setup in Freeport, where similar collaboration has delivered strong operational performance.

Improving Reliability and Efficiency

Following an extensive technical due diligence process, Yara confirmed that the Gulf Coast Ammonia plant has the potential to become one of the most efficient and profitable assets in its global portfolio. Yara will work closely with Air Products to improve plant reliability, optimize performance and increase production efficiency as the facility moves toward stable commercial operations. Beyond conventional ammonia production, the acquisition also creates opportunities for low-carbon ammonia development. As per the press release, Yara and Air Products are expanding their collaboration through the previously announced marketing and distribution agreement for renewable ammonia from the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia. Yara stated that the Gulf Coast facility could provide a flexible, phased pathway toward low-carbon ammonia production, subject to regulatory developments and financial viability.

Trade Reaches Historic Peak

Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade reached a record 436.98 million tonnes (Mt) in 2025, marking a 6.3% increase over the previous year, according to the International Gas Union’s (IGU) World LNG Report 2026. The growth was driven primarily by higher exports from the United States, alongside increased shipments from Qatar, Malaysia, Angola, and Nigeria. Canada and Mauritania/Senegal also joined the global LNG market as new exporters, highlighting the continued expansion of the industry. 

Europe Drives Demand Growth

Europe emerged as the fastest-growing LNG importing region in 2025, with imports rising by 26.1 Mt as countries sought to replace declining Russian pipeline gas supplies and replenish storage. In contrast, imports into Asia declined, mainly due to lower demand in China and India. The United States retained its position as the world’s largest LNG exporter, followed by Qatar and Australia. 

Investment Remains Strong

The report also highlights sustained investor confidence in the LNG sector. Global liquefaction capacity increased to 524.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by the end of 2025, while 68.4 Mtpa of new liquefaction capacity received final investment decisions during the year. Developers increasingly incorporated lower-emission technologies, including electric-drive systems and carbon capture solutions, into new LNG projects. As per a press release, floating LNG (FLNG) projects also continued to gain momentum, reflecting growing interest in flexible offshore production. 

Positive Long-term Outlook

Although geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted supply and increased price volatility in early 2026, the report states that the LNG industry’s long-term fundamentals remain strong. Rising global energy demand, urbanisation, digitalisation, and the transition toward cleaner energy are expected to sustain LNG demand through 2035. The report concludes that continued investment, innovation, and international cooperation will be essential to ensuring secure, affordable, and lower-emission energy supplies in the years ahead. 

thyssenkrupp nucera and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) have signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement to support the growth of green hydrogen projects in India. The partnership will focus on the phased localization of alkaline water electrolyzer module fabrication in the country.

As per the press release issued by thyssenkrupp nucera, the collaboration combines BHEL’s engineering, manufacturing, and project execution expertise with thyssenkrupp nucera’s proven electrolysis technology. Together, the companies will participate in green hydrogen project tenders and support their implementation across India.

Strengthening India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem

The agreement aims to establish local manufacturing capabilities and create a strong foundation for large-scale green hydrogen deployment. Furthermore, the partnership supports thyssenkrupp nucera’s long-term strategy to expand its presence in India’s rapidly growing green hydrogen market.

“India is one of the most important growth markets for thyssenkrupp nucera,” said Kiran Joseph, CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera India. He added that reliable and scalable solutions will be essential to support India’s industrial goals and accelerate the development of a robust green hydrogen ecosystem.

Combining Engineering Expertise and Advanced Technology

BHEL brings decades of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure development across sectors including power, renewables, transportation, and defense. Its extensive manufacturing network and technical capabilities will strengthen the collaboration.

Meanwhile, thyssenkrupp nucera will contribute its global experience and advanced electrolysis technology to enable the reliable execution of green hydrogen projects in India.

Supporting India’s Clean Energy Transition

The collaboration builds on thyssenkrupp nucera’s recent efforts to expand the green hydrogen ecosystem in India. Earlier initiatives include a partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to support green hydrogen and Power-to-X markets, along with a FEED study for a 260-megawatt green hydrogen project developed by Juno Joule.

Through these initiatives, thyssenkrupp nucera aims to play a key role in shaping India’s emerging green hydrogen economy.