Daily News - Tuesday, 19 August 2025

China lifts curbs on fertilisers, rare earths & tunnel boring machines to India (The Economic Times)

⁠China has agreed to lift restrictions on fertilisers, rare earth magnets/minerals, and tunnel boring machines to India, a move that comes after repeated requests from New Delhi as these curbs had disrupted the Rabi season, threatened auto and electronics supply chains, and stalled critical infrastructure projects, with shipments reportedly already resuming. The breakthrough follows back-to-back meetings between Jaishankar and Wang Yi, where the two sides, fresh from troop disengagement at the border, decided to ease economic friction and gradually restore normal ties through confidence-building measures, signalling a recalibration in bilateral relations. The timing is particularly significant because while Washington has slapped steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods and berated New Delhi over its Russia stance, it has simultaneously softened toward Beijing by delaying tariffs and easing tech curbs, making China’s overture to India both economically relieving and diplomatically weighty. 

Adani, Ambani quietly hunt for Chinese tech as Trump tariff war reshapes global supply chains: Report (Financial Express)

⁠India’s top conglomerates from Adani to Reliance and JSW are discreetly engaging with Chinese firms for technology transfers in EVs, batteries, and renewables, quietly routing deals through third countries to bypass post-Galwan investment restrictions, as Trump’s sweeping tariffs reshape global supply chains and nudge India and China toward cautious cooperation. Adani has explored talks with giants like CATL and BYD, JSW has sealed a partnership with Chery Automobile, and Reliance is eyeing Chinese-origin battery tech, moves driven by India’s lack of core expertise in clean energy and the urgent need to secure competitive advantages in advanced storage and mobility. Yet this deepening reliance carries major risks, from Beijing’s control over rare earths to potential demands for greater access to India’s vast market, leaving New Delhi balancing its protectionist stance against the strategic need to tap China’s dominance in green technologies, while political ties show tentative signs of thawing.

Continue to buy Russian oil depending upon economics, says IOCL (Financial Express)

Indian Oil has confirmed it is still buying Russian crude this quarter though the once-deep discounts have shrunk to barely $1.5–$2 a barrel, and this comes as the US threatens to slap a 50% tariff on India for continuing such purchases, even though Russian oil already made up 24% of IOCL’s imports in Q1FY26 compared with 22% last year. Alongside managing geopolitics, the company is pushing an aggressive ₹34,000 crore capex plan with major refinery expansions at Panipat, Koyali, and Barauni, while also adding 4,000 new retail outlets and steadily diversifying into renewables, green hydrogen, and electric mobility with a target of 30 GW clean energy capacity by 2030. Financially, IOCL posted a strong 83% jump in net profit year-on-year to ₹6,808 crore in Q1, though earnings dipped nearly 19% from the previous quarter, highlighting both the opportunities and pressures it faces in balancing cheap crude imports, large-scale investments, and global trade headwinds.

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⁠Edible oil imports may decline by 5% in 2024-25: Industry (Financial Express)

⁠India’s edible oil imports are projected to dip below 15.5 million tonnes in 2024-25, nearly 5% lower than last year, as record domestic oilseed production of 42.6 MT boosts the supply of mustard, soybean, and groundnut oils, while persistently high retail prices have curbed demand, especially among price-sensitive consumers. Palm oil, which once dominated imports, has seen a sharp 25% fall to 5.14 MT so far this oil year, reducing its share of total edible oil imports to 48% from 57%, even as overall inbound shipments between November and July dropped nearly 10% to 10.75 MT, excluding flows routed through Nepal. With retail inflation in edible oils still hovering near 19% in July, the government has slashed import duties from 27.5% to 16.5% and rolled out a new regulation to ensure transparency, smooth supply, and fair pricing, even as imports from key suppliers like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ukraine remain vital to meeting the country’s 57% import dependence. 

⁠‘Land in 10 minutes’: Delhi-NCR people can now order land on Zepto just like groceries (Financial Express)

⁠Quick commerce is moving far beyond groceries, with Zepto now partnering with The House of Abhinandan Lodha to sell real estate plots in just 10 minutes through its app, offering land in places like Vrindavan starting at ₹1.39 crore and Neral from ₹39.99 lakh, complete with online booking, paperwork, and dedicated relationship managers. This follows earlier experiments like Blinkit’s 10-minute ambulance in Gurugram and Zepto’s Skoda test-drive tie-up, showing how these platforms are using bold, unconventional offerings to capture consumer attention and redefine convenience in high-value sectors. Zepto is also gearing up for an IPO after shifting its registration to India and raising ₹400 crore from Motilal Oswal as part of a ₹1,000 crore funding deal that values the company at $5.4 billion, signalling both investor confidence and the platform’s ambition to expand into new, lucrative markets.