Daily News - Thursday, 4 December 2025
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Recognises 1,97,692 Startups Under Startup India Initiative (India Brand Equity Foundation)
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has certified 197,692 startups under the Startup India initiative. Indian government supports startups through three key schemes: the Fund of Funds for Startups (Rs. 10,000 crore) (US$ 1.11 billion), the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (Rs. 945 crore) (US$ 112 million), and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) enabling collateral-free loans from financial institutions.
Source: India Brand Equity Foundation
PM MITRA Parks to Create 3 Lakh Jobs and Attract Global Investors (India Brand Equity Foundation)
Under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), the Indian Government has approved 50 textile parks, allocating a total grant of Rs. 1,532 crore (US$ 170 million). The SITP has been merged into the Textile Cluster Development Scheme (TCDS) to support ongoing projects. Seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks have been proposed in Tamil Nadu, Telangana , Gujarat, Karnataka , Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra with a projected total cost of Rs. 4,445 crore (US$ 494.45 million) up to 2027–28. Each PM MITRA Park is expected to generate 300,000 jobs. Under Development Capital Support, Rs. 50 crore (US$ 6 million) each has been sanctioned for Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, Rs. 30 crore (US$ 3.6 million) each for Maharashtra and Telangana, while investment from domestic and international companies totals Rs. 42,491 crore (US$ 4.74 billion).
Government Expands PM E-DRIVE Scheme to Boost India’s Electric Mobility Ecosystem (India Brand Equity Foundation)
The Indian Government has allocated Rs. 1,634.62 crore (US$ 182 million) through the PM E-DRIVE Scheme for the adoption of electric vehicles, enhancing infrastructure, and improving clean public transport systems. PM E-DRIVE Scheme has allocated 1,500 electric buses for Mumbai, 2,800 for Delhi, and 1,000 for Pune.
Rs. 500 crore (US$ 56 million) has been specifically allocated for e-ambulances. The initiative has been extended until March 31, 2028, for e-ambulances and other vehicle categories. The cutoff for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers remains March 31, 2026. Rs. 2,000 crore (US$ 222 million) has been planned to set up Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure (EVPCI).
Indian government announced Nuclear Energy Mission in the Union Budget 2025-26, emphasising the development and deployment of five indigenous small modular rectors (SMRs) by 2033 with an outlay of US $2.21 Billion (Business Standard)
Minister of state in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Jitendra Singh said a meeting between DAE and Russia’s Rosatom discussed bilateral cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow to develop Russia-designed large and small nuclear power plants or small modular reactors (SMRs) in India and nuclear fuel cycle.
Union Budget 2025-26 announced the Nuclear Energy Mission, which aims to deploy 5 SMRs by 2033 for an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore ($2.21 billion). Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has started designing and developing 200 megawatt (Mw) Bharat Small Modular Reactor, 55 MW Small Modular Reactor, and up to 5 Mw thermal high-temperature gas-cooled reactor meant for hydrogen generation.
Trafigura forecasts India's Oil Demand will surpass China in 2026 (Livecharts)
Commodity trading giant Trafigura has forecasted that China's oil demand growth will reach its lowest level in several years in 2026, signaling a slowdown in the world's largest importer amid economic headwinds and a shift toward electric vehicles. Meanwhile India's surging oil consumption is projected to surpass China's growth for the first time on record, driven by robust economic expansion and increasing energy needs in transportation and industry. Trafigura's Chief Economist Saad Rahim highlighted that India's underlying demand gains are already outpacing China's in 2025, with estimates pointing to India adding about 200,000 barrels per day this year compared to China. The report underscores broader market implications, including potential downward pressure on global crude prices possibly dipping to the low $60s per barrel in 2025-2026 if China's tepid demand persists, while India emerges as a key growth engine, aiming to become the world's third-largest economy by 2027.
