NOVEMBER, 20269Coal gasification equipment could become a new opportunity for India's engineering and capital goods manufacturers if Reliance's proposed Rs 43,000 crore underground coal-to-gas project in Andhra Pradesh advances beyond its pilot stage. The company plans a two-phase investment, with the first phase focused on exploration, geological studies and pilot trials; the larger second phase depends on successful trials and regulatory approvals.The project therefore represents a potential, not yet confirmed, market for drilling systems, compressors and gas processing equipment. The Ministry of Coal has separately called for "wider industry participation" under its gasification program, keeping domestic manufacturing capabilities in focus. Underground coal gasification involves converting coal into gas beneath the surface, creating requirements that extend beyond conventional power and coal-handling equipment. Kia India plans a major USD 2 billion investment to expand its manufacturing presence in Andhra Pradesh, signaling strong confidence in India's growing automotive market and long-term production needs. The South Korean automaker intends to establish an additional manufacturing facility that will raise its annual production capacity to 6.3 lakh units from the current 4.3 lakh units at its existing Anantapur plant.This move strengthens manufacturing scale, supports rising domestic demand, and positions the company for further growth while reinforcing Andhra Pradesh's role in India's auto sector. Kia India CEO Gwanggu Lee announced the plans at the CII Partnership Summit, underscoring the company's commitment to deeper roots in the country. Kia India will invest approximately USD 2 billion to set up a new manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh and lift overall annual capacity to 6.3 lakh vehicles. The existing Anantapur facility, which began operations after its 2017 establishment, currently handles 4.3 lakh units a year. The pumped storage project announced by ReNew is part of a broader Rs 29,500 crore investment commitment aimed at expanding Andhra Pradesh's clean-energy infrastructure and industrial ecosystem. The company has proposed a 2 GW pumped storage facility worth Rs 12,500 crore and a green ammonia and e-fuel project involving Rs 17,000 crore. The announcement followed a meeting between Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh and ReNew Chairman and CEO Sumant Sinha at the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam.Lokesh said the state would support projects across the clean-energy value chain with speed and support. The new pumped storage project adds an energy storage component to ReNew's expanding renewable energy portfolio in Andhra Pradesh. ReNew currently operates 717 MW of wind and 60 MW of solar capacity across 10 sites in the state. Its Rs 22,000 crore hybrid renewable energy project at Guntakal combines 1.8 GW of solar capacity, 1 GW of wind capacity and 2 GWh of battery storage. Telecom equipment maker HFCL has secured export orders worth Rs 834.36 crore for optical fiber cables. The orders are valued at approximately USD 88.94 million. The company will supply the products to an international customer through its overseas wholly owned subsidiary. The orders are scheduled for completion by June 2027. However, HFCL has not disclosed the customer's identity. In a regulatory filing, the company said the orders reflect customer confidence in its manufacturing capabilities, technological expertise and product quality.The latest order comes amid strong growth in HFCL's financial performance. The company reported a multi-fold increase in consolidated net profit for the second quarter of FY27. Its consolidated profit rose to Rs 394.22 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared with Rs 72 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The growth was supported by rising demand for optical fiber cables from AI data centers. HFCL's consolidated revenue from operations also more than doubled during the quarter. It increased to Rs 2,541.79 crore in Q2 FY27 from Rs 1,043.34 crore in Q2 FY26. RELIANCE'S RS 43,000 CRORE COAL GASIFICATION PUSHKIA INDIA TO INVEST 2 BILLION IN ANDHRA PRADESH PLANTRENEW'S PUMPED STORAGE PROJECT: ANDHRA'S CLEAN ENERGY PUSHHFCL WINS RS 834 CRORE ORDER, BOOSTS OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE EXPORTSMangaluru refinery with major fuel consumption centers through an established pipeline network. The facility will cater to Bengaluru airport, MRPL's HiQ retail outlets, oil marketing companies and industrial consumers. This is expected to improve fuel availability for commercial, aviation and industrial requirements across Karnataka.
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