
As EU's green trade rules kick in, India works policy shifts
European Union
(EU) are ready to close a key trade pact, various Indian ministries are working on several rulebook shifts to align with a slew of new, stricter 'green' regulations by the EU that will come into effect within a year and are bound to impact Indian trade across sectors from coffee export to import of scrap. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change is at the forefront of the exercise, readying rulebook shifts and mechanisms to align with the incoming 'green' regime at the EU.
Packaging for EU - no antibiotics to boot
The latest niggle is the new EU
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
2025/40 (PPWR) that will regulate the types of packaging acceptable across the EU markets from August 2026 onwards. Bound to have a huge impact for all Indian exports to the EU, the regulations have triggered deliberations across industry as well as several stakeholder ministries to prepare for a comprehensive overhaul of packaging systems.
Reason: the new rules call for several restrictions on the manufacturing, composition, and reusable nature of packaging. These range from barring use of single-use plastics for pre-packed fruit and vegetables to packaging of condiments, sauces, and sugar.
They also go into aspects like weight and volume of packaging to minimise unnecessary packaging. Deadlines of 2030 and 2040 have been set to ensure a minimum percentage of recycled content in packaging, all of which will require major shifts for Indian industry. The next one, under advanced discussion in the Indian government, is regarding EU's 2018-19 ban on 'non-therapeutic antibiotic use in livestock' and animal products.
ET gathered that the EU earlier this year warned India that unless it completely bans nearly 30 such antibiotics for animal use, several animal products from India would not be permitted into the EU from a specific date later this year. An older India advisory has been found inadequate. ET has learnt that the ministries of health, agriculture and commerce are finally close to issuing a full-fledged notification on the issue to align with the EU rulebook requirement.
'Deforestation free' products
A third regulation of concern is the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which will come into full effect between December 2025 to June 2026 with significant implications for export of coffee, palm oil, rubber, wood, soy and cattle and related products from leather to furniture. The EUDR requires exporters to assure and certify that their products are 'deforestation free' - not sourced/produced from deforested or degraded land. Companies will need to trace products back to their 'origin,' with geolocation and 'due diligence' procedures to ward off a stiff penalty. The Indian environment ministry is currently working on state-level mechanisms to bring in the 'due diligence' certification regime to prove 'origin of wood' involved, ET has learnt.Alongside, geo-tagging of plots is being worked upon for coffee plantations to vineyards to secure compliance to export to the EU.
The Wasteland
The EU
Waste Shipment Regulation
(EU WSR) comes next and will take effect from May 2026. It demands that all waste exported out of the EU must be processed in an environmentally responsible manner - through a verifiable, third party audit based mechanism. With India importing over 3.5 million tonnes of waste from the EU - iron scrap to tyre waste and paper- the WSR will require a significant shift of mechanisms at India's growing waste processing industry. Citing the new WSR rulebook, the EU earlier this year asked India to share a list of waste products it would like to import. India is learnt to have indicated over 26 categories of waste it is keen to import. ET gathers that hectic work is on to strengthen standards and quality control measures ahead of the 2026 deadline.
Economic Times WhatsApp channel
)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
18 minutes ago
- Mint
Gold subdued as trade optimism weighs, but soft dollar cap losses
(Reuters) -Gold prices edged lower on Friday, as signs of progress in trade negotiations between the U.S. and its trading partners weighed on safe-haven demand, although an overall weaker dollar limited losses for bullion. Spot gold was down 0.1% at $3,363.91 per ounce, as of 0243 GMT. However, bullion has gained 0.4% so far this week. U.S. gold futures fell 0.2% to $3,365.50. "Basically we are seeing some profit-taking from short-term bullish speculators due to the fact that we now start to see this trade-deal optimism in the market," OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong said. "However, the dollar is in a weakening bias and on top of that, we still have the Fed rate cuts pretty much alive at this juncture, which are supporting gold near $3,360 level." The European Union and the United States now appear to be heading towards a possible trade deal, according to EU diplomats, which would result in a broad 15% tariff on EU goods imported into the U.S., mirroring a framework agreement Washington struck with Japan. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched record closing highs overnight as signs of easing global trade tensions lifted risk sentiment among investors. [MKTS/GLOB] Offering respite to gold, the U.S. dollar index was headed for its worst week in a month, making greenback-priced gold less expensive for other currency holders. [USD/] Data showed U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly fell last week, signalling a steady labour market despite sluggish hiring making it harder for the unemployed to find work. The Federal Reserve is also widely expected to leave rates unchanged at its July 29–30 meeting, but markets continue to price in a potential rate cut in September. Spot silver rose 0.2% at $39.14 per ounce and was on track for a weekly gain, up 2.5% for the week. Platinum eased 0.2% to $1,407.10 and palladium climbed 0.9% to $1,238.73. (Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
19 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Equity funds grab 55% of India's MF assets, Nagaland tops monthly growth
The Indian mutual fund industry continues its expansion, with Average Assets Under Management (AAUM) rising 21.94% year-on-year and 3.61% month-on-month as of June 2025, according to the latest industry data analysed by Icra Analytics. Where the Growth Is: Equity Takes the Crown Growth-oriented equity schemes remain the backbone of mutual fund assets, contributing a whopping 54.76% of the total AAUM. This category continues to attract investors looking for long-term wealth creation despite ongoing market volatility. Debt-oriented schemes contributed 14.88% Liquid schemes accounted for 12.50% Geography of Money: Maharashtra Leads, Small States Outpace Contribution of growth oriented equity-oriented schemes remained the maximum at 54.76% followed by debt-oriented schemes and liquid schemes which contributed 14.88% and 12.50% respectively While Maharashtra contributed the lion's share (40.61%) of mutual fund assets—thanks to its deep-rooted financial ecosystem—the real headline-grabbers were India's smaller and emerging regions, where AAUM growth rates far outpaced national averages. Top Annual Gainers in AAUM: Nagaland: 100.57% YoY growth Dadra & Nagar Haveli: 56.52% YoY growth Ladakh: 18.17% MoM, strong YoY traction Lakshadweep: 19.18% MoM growth (but -26.98% YoY) Despite their relatively small base, these regions reflect a wave of new investor participation, particularly in equity-oriented schemes, which made up: 90.85% of assets in Ladakh 84.07% in Lakshadweep Amongst the states, Maharashtra lead with a maximum contribution of 40.61% followed by New Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and West Bengal whose respective contributions remained below 10% This shows that retail investors in remote areas are embracing market-linked investing over traditional savings like FDs or real estate—likely influenced by smartphone penetration, social media awareness, and simplified onboarding processes through fintechs. On a yearly basis, Nagaland witnessed the maximum growth in AAUM which stood at 100.57% followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli which grew 56.52%. Barring Lakshwadeep, all states witnessed growth in AAUM on a yearly basis in June 2025, the minimum being that of Daman and Diu whose AAUM grew 13.50% YoY in June 2025. The AAUM contribution from Lakshwadeep fell 26.98% on YoY basis in June 2025. With more than 65% of total AAUM coming from just five states (Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, and West Bengal), the mutual fund industry still has vast headroom for growth across India's Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural regions.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
19 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Q1 results today: Cipla, SAIL, Bank of Baroda among 85 firms on July 25
Q1 FY26 company results, July 25: Bajaj Finserv, Shriram Finance, Reliance Infrastructure, Orient Cement, and ACME Solar will also release their April-June quarter earnings reports today New Delhi Cipla, Bank of Baroda, Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Bajaj Finserv, Shriram Finance, and Reliance Infrastructure are scheduled to announce their earnings report for the first quarter (Q1) of the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) on Friday. A host of other companies, including ACME Solar Holdings, Orient Cement, Mahindra Lifespace Developers, Tata Chemicals, New Delhi Television (NDTV), and Petronet LNG, are also expected to declare their Q1 results today. Cipla Q1FY26 preview: Revenue to rise, profit growth likely muted Cipla is expected to report moderate year-over-year growth in revenue and profit for the April–June 2025 quarter (Q1FY26), despite a slight dip in quarterly profit due to pressure in the US market. According to estimates compiled by Business Standard, Cipla's revenue is likely to rise 5.6 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to ₹7,071 crore, up from ₹6,694 crore in Q1FY25. Sequentially, the topline is projected to grow 5 per cent from ₹6,730 crore in the March quarter. However, profit after tax (PAT) is expected to rise only 2.6 per cent Y-o-Y to ₹1,208 crore, from ₹1,178 crore a year ago. Compared to the previous quarter's PAT of ₹1,222 crore, this implies a marginal decline of 1.12 per cent. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) are estimated to fall 1.3 per cent Y-o-Y to ₹1,693 crore from ₹1,716 crore in Q1FY25. On a sequential basis, however, Ebitda is likely to improve by 10 per cent from ₹1,538 crore in Q4FY25. Bank of Baroda Q1 preview: Profit likely to dip on weak interest income Bank of Baroda is set to announce its financial results for the April–June quarter of FY26 on Friday. Analysts expect the public sector lender to post a subdued performance, citing muted interest income and limited treasury gains as key drags on earnings. The weak revenue profile could result in a high single-digit decline in net profit on a year-on-year basis, and a sharper, double-digit fall sequentially, they added. Market highlights from July 24 Indian equity markets closed lower on Thursday, weighed down by stock-specific moves as investors assessed June quarter earnings from companies including Infosys, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, IEX, Coforge, and Tata Consumer Products. The BSE Sensex ended 542.47 points, or 0.66 per cent, lower at 82,184.17. The NSE Nifty50 slipped 157.8 points, or 0.63 per cent, to settle at 25,062.1. The session also marked the weekly expiry of F&O contracts. In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap 100 index declined 0.58 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap 100 fell 1.09 per cent. Market overview for July 25 Q1 earnings, forex data for the week ended July 18, progress on the India-UK trade deal, global market cues, institutional flows, and primary market activity are likely to guide sentiment on the benchmark Sensex and Nifty indices in Friday's session. 15 Digicontent Ltd 16 Dhabriya Polywood Ltd 17 Dhani Services Ltd 18 Dhruva Capital Services Ltd 19 Prataap Snacks Ltd 20 Duncan Engineering Ltd-$ 21 Future Consumer Ltd 22 Garware Synthetics Ltd 23 Global Infratech & Finance Ltd 24 Gujarat Lease Financing Ltd 25 Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd 26 G N A Axles Ltd 27 Grindwell Norton Ltd 28 Growington Ventures India Ltd 29 GRP Ltd 30 HFCL Ltd 31 Home First Finance Company India Ltd 32 Hybrid Financial Services Ltd 33 Indiabulls Enterprises Ltd 34 Indo City Infotech Ltd-$ 35 Intellect Design Arena Ltd 36 Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd 37 Sai Silks (Kalamandir) Ltd 38 Kapil Raj Finance Ltd 39 KCD Industries India Ltd 40 Kreon Finnancial Services Ltd 41 Laurus Labs Ltd 42 LKP Securities Ltd 43 Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd 44 Manorama Industries Ltd 45 Menon Bearings Ltd-$ 46 Mid India Industries Ltd 47 New Delhi Television Ltd 48 Omkar Overseas Ltd 49 Omnitex Industries India Ltd 50 Orient Cement Ltd 51 Orient Electric Ltd 52 Orosil Smiths India Ltd- 53 Oscar Global Ltd 54 Paras Defence and Space Technologies Ltd 55 Petronet LNG Ltd 56 Poonawalla Fincorp Ltd 57 Regis Industries Ltd 58 Reliance Infrastructure Ltd 59 Rose Merc Ltd 60 RPG Life Sciences Ltd 61 Sacheta Metals Ltd 62 Saffron Industries Ltd 63 Sagarsoft (India) Ltd 64 Steel Authority of India Ltd 65 Satchmo Holdings Ltd 66 SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd 67 Schaeffler India Ltd 68 SG Mart Ltd 69 Sharda Cropchem Ltd 70 Shree Ganesh Biotech (India) Ltd 71 Shriram Finance Ltd 72 Sigachi Industries Ltd 73 Sobha Ltd 74 Solara Active Pharma Sciences Ltd 75 Spright Agro Ltd 76 Sterlite Technologies Ltd 77 Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd 78 Suraj Estate Developers Ltd 79 Tata Chemicals Ltd 80 The Investment Trust Of India Ltd 81 Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd 82 Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Papers Ltd 83 TV Today Network Ltd 84 Vakrangee Ltd-$ 85 Vardhman Special Steels Ltd