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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
TMC MP Alleges Centre's tea garden creches in north Bengal are 'non-functional, unfit even for animals'
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee has accused that despite claims of Union Government, the creches in tea gardens run by the Centre in north Bengal are non-functional. Mr Banerjee had posed an unstarred question at Rajya Sabha on July 25 (Friday) to the Minister of Heavy Industries regarding the issue. 'Whether it is a fact that there are no operating Creche houses in Karbala, New Dooars, Banarhat and Choonabhutti tea gardens of Andrew Yule group,' he asked. In response, the Minister of Heavy Industries, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma gave a list of five creches that are functioning in these tea gardens. Notably, these tea gardens are not directly Central Government owned, but managed by Andrew Yule and Company, which is a public sector enterprise owned by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. After the Ministry's response came in, Mr Banerjee issued an official statement and said that before the Monsoon Session of the Parliament begun, they had conducted a survey among the tea gardens workers of north Bengal, among many problems, non-functional creches were sighted as one of the major problems by the workers. 'Since Saturday morning our Trinamool Cha Bagan Shramik Union (TMC Tea Garden Workers Union) members have individually visited these creches and none of them are functioning. We made videos and taken photos. How did they claim these to be operating?' The videos which were shared widely show that houses which are known as the creche are mostly closed or in dilapidated condition. Mr Banerjee accused that the creches which the government has called an 'operating creche' is not even suitable for 'animals, let alone humans.' He said that the creches mentioned are better suited as 'cattle sheds.' On the other hand, the MP also highlighted that the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have already decided to make creches for the tea garden workers and the ease of their children. 'We can also make creches in the four tea estates of the union government, but we would need their No Objection Certificate,' Mr Banerjee added. Mr Banerjee then went to shed light on the other plights of the tea garden workers including lack of a provident fund and irregular wage payments, and more.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Tesla touches down in India as Anand Mahindra welcomes him to the EV market, says ‘see you at the charger'
Mahindra welcomes the competition — anandmahindra (@anandmahindra) Live Events Maharashtra backs Tesla's plans Early days, but no local factory yet Tariffs still a sticking point (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Tesla is finally here. The company opened its first official showroom at Maker Maxity Mall in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city's busiest commercial spots. It's called the Tesla Experience Centre and gives people a chance to get close to Tesla's tech and now, the main attraction is the Model Y. The rear-wheel drive version costs Rs 59.89 lakh on the road, while the long-range rear-wheel drive starts at Rs 67.89 Mahindra wasted no time sharing his thoughts. Posting on X, he wrote, 'Welcome to India, @elonmusk and @Tesla. One of the world's largest EV opportunities just got more exciting.'He added, 'Competition drives innovation, and there's plenty of road ahead. Looking forward to seeing you at the charging station.'Mahindra didn't stop there. He shared an old exchange with Musk, dating back eight years. Back then, Musk praised India's plan to sell only electric cars by 2030. Mahindra had replied, 'Time you got out here Elon. You don't want to leave that whole market to Mahindra do you? The more the merrier and greener..!' To which Musk simply said, 'Good point.'The launch wasn't just about cars. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis opened the new space at Bandra Kurla Complex. He told the audience, 'We wish to see research and development and manufacturing being done in India. I am sure Tesla will think about it at an appropriate stage. Consider Maharashtra as a partner in your journey.'He called Tesla 'not just a car company, it is all about design, innovation and sustainability, that is why it is loved globally.' He remembered his first Tesla drive in the US back in 2015. 'It has taken almost 10 years, but we are very happy that you are finally here.'Fadnavis also highlighted that Maharashtra is ready. 'We are also a manufacturing hub. Our policies for charging infrastructure, vehicle promotion, and incentives for manufacturing are among the best. This is a good beginning and has the potential to transform the market.'Industry watchers believe Tesla's first Model Y batch has come from its China plant. To handle cars and spares, the company leased a warehouse of over 24,000 square feet at Lodha Logistics Park in Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy recently made it clear Tesla is not building cars in India yet. The focus is sales and service. He said so back in Tesla has been busy ticking the legal boxes. Last week, the company got a trade certificate from Mumbai's Andheri RTO. It lets Tesla run test drives and sales using unregistered cars under India's Motor Vehicles entry comes at a time when the company is facing slower sales in Europe and China. India could help make up for that. But there's a catch. Import duties here push the price nearly double compared to what buyers pay in the US or has asked for duty relief before. Elon Musk even delayed his India visit last year while Tesla lobbied for lower customs duty. The company wanted a 70 percent cut for EVs under $40,000 and a full waiver for pricier Indian government didn't budge. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal repeated this year that India's EV policy will stay broad to attract many players, not favour to the noise, US President Donald Trump recently said it would be 'unfair' to America if Tesla built a plant in India to dodge new Mumbai showroom reflects Tesla's global image. White walls, a simple layout and lightboxes show off the brand's tech. There are touches of Indian design too. Architect Neeta Sharada led the far, Tesla's pitch is simple. Look, test, buy. The next big question is whether Tesla will roll out local production in India or stick to now, Anand Mahindra's challenge stands. The electric car race in India just got interesting.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ICEA Chairman welcomes rare earth magnet incentives, terms it 'timely' intervention
New Delhi: Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), welcomed the central government initiatives to ramp up rare earth magnets production in India, particularly the incentives the latter is earmarking for. ICEA is the apex industry body representing the entire electronics sector. "We are extremely excited, although this will make set up capacities in the longer run, but the intention is very good and I think it is very timely because the industry is facing a bit of a crisis and the supply of magnets is quite difficult to procure if we set up independent Capacity here," the ICEA Chairman told ANI. "It will be a true triumph. We are very excited about this announcement. The magnets is a core industry, and the processing of rare earths and metals is a very core industry. It's a very good development. I think this is a substantial sum of money. The scheme is well articulated. We'll go through the details and we will fully support the government in this great initiative," he added. The central government has earmarked ₹1,345 crore to incentivise rare earth magnets production in India, aimed at building domestic capacity when there are reports of global short supply. "Some progress is going on (on the rare earth magnet production front). We have already allocated ₹1,345 crore (for subsidy). We are on course to select the manufacturers," Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy told reporters at a press conference earlier today. Heavy Industries Secretary Kamran Rizvi, accompanying the minister, said the scheme has been circulated and it is currently under inter-ministerial consultation. "We are interested only in magnets. Anybody who gives us magnets will get incentives," the top official said. It is expected that there will be at least 2 manufacturers who will participate in this program. Early this April, China announced a decision to implement export controls on certain rare earth-related items, pushing a supply shortage across the world, including India. India was in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in the supply of rare earth metals -- which had been put under the export controls regime by the Xi administration. China's overwhelming control of global rare earth processing - commanding over 90 per cent of the world's magnet production capacity - has created significant vulnerabilities for industries worldwide. These materials are critical across multiple sectors, including automobiles, home appliances, and clean energy systems. Beyond China, there are only a few alternative suppliers of critical minerals. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of the Critical Mineral Mission in the Union Budget for 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of ₹16,300 crore and an expected investment of ₹18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings. Recently, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said the central government is actively encouraging private companies to mine and explore critical minerals overseas and bring them back into the country to serve the needs of the domestic industry. (ANI)
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
ICEA Chairman welcomes rare earth magnet incentives, terms it
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), welcomed the central government initiatives to ramp up rare earth magnets production in India, particularly the incentives the latter is earmarking for. ICEA is the apex industry body representing the entire electronics sector. 'We are extremely excited, although this will make set up capacities in the longer run, but the intention is very good and I think it is very timely because the industry is facing a bit of a crisis and the supply of magnets is quite difficult to procure if we set up independent Capacity here,' the ICEA Chairman told ANI. 'It will be a true triumph. We are very excited about this announcement. The magnets is a core industry, and the processing of rare earths and metals is a very core industry. It's a very good development. I think this is a substantial sum of money. The scheme is well articulated. We'll go through the details and we will fully support the government in this great initiative,' he added. The central government has earmarked Rs 1,345 crore to incentivise rare earth magnets production in India, aimed at building domestic capacity when there are reports of global short supply. 'Some progress is going on (on the rare earth magnet production front). We have already allocated Rs 1,345 crore (for subsidy). We are on course to select the manufacturers,' Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy told reporters at a press conference earlier today. Heavy Industries Secretary Kamran Rizvi, accompanying the minister, said the scheme has been circulated and it is currently under inter-ministerial consultation. 'We are interested only in magnets. Anybody who gives us magnets will get incentives,' the top official said. It is expected that there will be at least 2 manufacturers who will participate in this program. Early this April, China announced a decision to implement export controls on certain rare earth-related items, pushing a supply shortage across the world, including India. India was in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in the supply of rare earth metals -- which had been put under the export controls regime by the Xi administration. China's overwhelming control of global rare earth processing - commanding over 90 per cent of the world's magnet production capacity - has created significant vulnerabilities for industries worldwide. These materials are critical across multiple sectors, including automobiles, home appliances, and clean energy systems. Beyond China, there are only a few alternative suppliers of critical minerals. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of the Critical Mineral Mission in the Union Budget for 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of Rs 16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs 18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings. Recently, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said the central government is actively encouraging private companies to mine and explore critical minerals overseas and bring them back into the country to serve the needs of the domestic industry. (ANI)
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Rs 1,345 crore allocated to incentivise rare earth magnets production: Minister Kumaraswamy
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): The central government has earmarked Rs 1,345 crore to incentivise rare earth magnets production in India, aimed at building domestic capacity when there are reports of global short supply. 'Some progress is going on (on the rare earth magnet production front). We have already allocated Rs 1,345 crore (for subsidy). We are on course to select the manufacturers,' Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy told reporters at a press conference Friday. Heavy Industries Secretary Kamran Rizvi, accompanying the minister, said the scheme has been circulated and it is currently under inter-ministerial consultation. 'We are interested only in magnets. Anybody who gives us magnets will get incentives,' the top official said. It is expected that there will be at least 2 manufacturers who will participate in this program. Early this April, China announced a decision to implement export controls on certain rare earth-related items, pushing a supply shortage across the world, including India. Meanwhile, India is in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in the supply of rare earth metals -- which had been put under the export controls regime by the Xi administration. China's overwhelming control of global rare earth processing - commanding over 90 per cent of the world's magnet production capacity - has created significant vulnerabilities for industries worldwide. These materials are critical across multiple sectors, including automobiles, home appliances, and clean energy systems. Beyond China, there are only a few alternative suppliers of critical minerals. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of the Critical Mineral Mission in the Union Budget for 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of Rs 16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs 18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings. Recently, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said the central government is actively encouraging private companies to mine and explore critical minerals overseas and bring them back into the country to serve the needs of the domestic industry. (ANI)
