9OCTOBER 2026India freezes import duties on steel and leaves domestic producers, including smaller units, under continued pressure from cheap overseas shipments. The steel ministry has decided against any new curbs in the near term and has turned down requests from domestic steelmakers for fresh protection.Imports of finished steel have already surged, with China remaining the largest source. Existing safeguard duties have failed to stem the inflow, and the government cites high domestic steel prices as the reason for holding back further action. Rising demand from automobiles and infrastructure offers some relief, yet the import challenge continues to weigh on producer margins across the industry. Namo Bharat could take on a new role in India's logistics network. Blue Dart Express Limited and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) are exploring the movement of express parcels through the Delhi­Ghaziabad­Meerut corridor. The two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to examine how regional rail AI data centre manufacturing in India is entering a new phase as AM Intelligence (AMI), backed by the promoters of Greenko, placed two additional orders for 20,000 NVIDIA Rubin GPUs for deployment across India and Malaysia. The new orders add about 70 MW of capacity and take AMI's committed Rubin portfolio to around 29,000 GPUs and nearly 100 MW.The company also plans another 300 MW of capacity over the next 15 months, requiring more than USD 20 billion in capital expenditure. The larger question for Indian manufacturing is whether this AI-factory buildout can create demand for locally produced servers, liquid-cooling systems, power equipment and other high-density data-center hardware. UltraTech's green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW after the cement maker commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at an Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, and another 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.The additions make UltraTech the first cement company in India to cross 2 GW of green energy capacity for captive use. However, the larger manufacturing story is how the company is combining renewable generation, waste heat recovery and battery storage to build a more reliable electricity system for its energy-intensive operations. MSME STEEL UNITS HIT HARD AS INDIA FREEZES IMPORT DUTIESGABRIEL INDIA-FORVIA JV: RS100CR PUSH FOR AUTO SEATINGCOULD NAMO BHARAT BECOME PART OF INDIA'S EXPRESS PARCEL NETWORK?AMI'S 29,000 GPUS TEST INDIA'S AI DATA CENTRE MANUFACTURINGULTRATECH'S 2,024 MW GREEN POWER: WIND, WHRS & BESSGabriel India-FORVIA JV marks a shift in India's automotive component industry toward higher-value, technology-intensive vehicle systems. Gabriel India and FORVIA have agreed to establish Faurecia ANAND Seating India Private Limited, combining FORVIA's seating technology and engineering capabilities with Gabriel India's manufacturing base and OEM relationships.The venture will focus on seat frames and complete seats, with FORVIA holding 50 percent plus one share. The company is expected to have Rs100 crore in paid-up equity capital after closing. Beyond the announcement, the partnership raises a larger manufacturing question: can the JV help localize advanced seating capabilities while accelerating Gabriel India's transition beyond its traditional ride-control business? connectivity could be linked with Blue Dart's pickup and delivery network.The proposed model would combine Namo Bharat's regional rail services with Blue Dart's existing logistics capabilities. The organizations will assess parcel volumes, station facilities, operational requirements, service standards and commercial arrangements before deciding the feasibility of the proposed service.
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